Crime Alley was a nickname to a historical district in Gotham City. Its proper name was Park Row.
History
Past
Originally an upscale street in downtown Gotham City, Park Row; a glamorous locale for residents, but urban decay and criminality within the area lost its glory after thirty years. The glamor of its heyday was changed to poverty, and the street was commonly referred to as Crime Alley. One of the first residents was Leslie Thompkins, who had been living there from start.[1]
Park Row tragedy
The Park Row tragedy, as the newspapers called it, was a pivotal point in the life of Bruce Wayne. A burglar murdered Thomas and Martha Wayne in front of their eight-year-old son Bruce after the family had watched a movie.[2] While the police investigated, Leslie Thompkins looked after young Bruce, and the two remained friends after.[1]
Planned demolition
Roland Daggett, the director of the Daggett Development Corporation, considered Crime Alley a breeding ground for crime, and tried endlessly to get it demolished and replaced with a mini-mall. As the legal roads proved unsuccessful, Daggett sent his goons to evict the residents, and hired Nitro to place explosives on an old gas pipe. The plan was, however, thwarted by Batman. Only several already condemned buildings were destroyed, while the SRO Hotel, where there were still people, remained undamaged.[1]
Preservation
Bruce Wayne used his influence to keep the street preserved during the rebuilding of Gotham, creating the Historical District and making it the only part of the present-day Gotham City to remain. Bruce visited Crime Alley once a year and placed flowers on the ground where his parents were shot and killed, even meeting his future pet dog Ace during one of these pilgrimages.[3] However, the old police headquarters was destroyed by Shriek in an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate Bruce on Derek Power's orders (as the latter wanted the location demolished to expand Wayne-Powers' influence).[4]
Background information
In comics, not only is Crime Alley the place where Bruce's parents were killed, but it is also the location where Batman first met Jason Todd, when the youth attempted to steal the tires from the Batmobile, and where Batman battles Superman in Frank Miller's acclaimed series Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.
Appearances and references
Batman: The Animated Series
- "Appointment in Crime Alley"
- "The Strange Secret of Bruce Wayne" (in a memory brought about by a mind reading device)
- "Dreams in Darkness" (dream sequence)
- "I Am the Night"
Batman Beyond
Justice League Unlimited
- "For the Man Who Has Everything" (dream sequence)
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Conway, Gerry (writer) & Kirkland, Boyd (director) & September 17, 1992). "Appointment in Crime Alley". Batman: The Animated Series. Season 1. Episode 12 (airdate). Episode 26 (production). FOX Kids.
- ↑ DeMatteis, J.M. (writer) & Moore, Alan, Gibbons, Dave (story) & Riba, Dan (director) (August 7, 2004). "For the Man Who Has Everything". Justice League Unlimited. Season 1. Episode 2 (airdate). Episode 2 (production). Cartoon Network.
- ↑ Bader, Hilary J. (writer) & Tucker, James (director) (August 19, 2000). "Ace in the Hole". Batman Beyond. Season 2. Episode 26 (airdate). Episode 41 (production). Kids WB!.
- ↑ Berkowitz, Stan (writer) & Geda, Curt (director) (March 14, 1999). "Shriek". Batman Beyond. Season 1. Episode 7 (airdate). Episode 10 (production). Kids WB!.