Background
For Gothic, Morrison mixed elements from different mediums: The initial story arc shows how mobsters searched for and killed Mr. Whisper when there was pressure from the police force to find the child killer who terrorized the city. This part of the story is very similar to the classic noir film M. An ancient pact between the Monk Manfred (later known to Batman and the organized crime underworld as Mr. Whisper) and the Devil is a reminiscence of the Faustian Bargain related to the German legend of Faust.
Mr. Whisper's true name, Manfred, is most likely a reference to the main protagonist of the dramatic poem Manfred, written by Lord Byron. Throughout the poem, Manfred succeeds in challenging all authoritative powers he comes across, and refuses to submit to spirits of higher powers. At the end, Manfred dies defying religious temptations of redemption from sin.
Read more about this topic: Batman: Gothic
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