At the turn of the last century, a trio of prominent Gotham families joined together to shape the modern skyline of their growing city. Now a madman with 300 pounds of plastic explosives and a hundred-year-old grudge is threatening to bring it all crashing down. Beginning with the simultaneous destruction of three of Gotham's oldest bridges, the mysterious figure known as the Architect is targeting the properties and legacies of Gotham's most notable names--including that of Bruce Wayne.

To uncover the truth behind the Architect and his links to Gotham's violent past, Batman must call upon the help of Robin, Red Robin and even Batman, Inc.'s Hong Kong operative, Black Bat. But can they track down this new villain before he finishes his grand design? Or will their proud metropolis end the same way it began--with an earth-shattering explosion?

Award-winning Bat-scribe Scott Snyder joins forces with acclaimed writers Kyle Higgins and Ryan Parrott and artists Trevor McCarthy, Graham Nolan and Dustin Nguyen to bring readers a tale that stretches back to the earliest days of Gotham City. This deluxe hardcover edition features a new introduction by Higgins as well as a special sketchbook section by McCarthy, and also includes the pair's debut story, "The Nightrunner," starring the Batman of Paris.

Collects Batman: Gates of Gotham #1-5, Detective Comics Annual #12 and Batman Annual #28.

Scott Snyder is a #1 New York Times best-selling writer and one of the most critically acclaimed scribes in all of comics. His works include All-Star Batman, Batman, Batman Eternal, Superman Unchained, American Vampire and Swamp Thing. He has also been published in Zoetrope, Tin House, One-Story, Epoch, Small Spiral Notebook and other journals, and has a short-story collection, Voodoo Heart, which was published by Dial Press. He teaches at Columbia University and Sarah Lawrence University and lives in New York with his wife, Jeanie, and his son, Jack Presley.