A church in Baldock has found itself in the pages of Gotham City, thanks to a new Batman comic by DC artist Mike Perkins.
St Mary’s Church has been used as visual inspiration in Batman: Second Knight, a new title set in 1940. Mike Maddox, lay reader at Baldock and comic book fan, said:
“Mike Perkins heard about the vandalism to our churchyard and hall last year and, like many of us, was outraged. He decided to include the church and some of our local streets in his next comic.”
The story is set at a time when most of the Western world is embroiled in war. With the spectre of global conflict looming, Gotham is gripped by fear and paranoia. The comic is aimed at mature readers, featuring strong language and dark themes. But the inclusion of St Mary’s has sparked plenty of interest locally.
Meanwhile, the other church in the benefice, St Margaret’s in the village of Bygrave, has its own cinematic connection. The village was used as the location for Ma and Pa Kent’s farm in Superman IV, starring Christopher Reeve.
That makes the benefice half Gotham, half Smallville.
