Gotham Central

Gotham Central

Written by Greg Rucka (Queen & Country) & Ed Brubaker (Criminal)

Drawn by Michael Lark

5/5 stars

Reviewer:  Will N.

                                                  (Eisner & Harvey Award winning series)


There is something to this series that is unique; something that I suspect will interest you regardless of how you feel about graphic novels. This is not the tale of a vigilante do-gooder in tights, though it does share the same world as the caped crusader. It is instead more of a police procedural, with a level of depth and gravitas that sets it well apart from most other DC titles. The focus here is placed on the Gotham City Police Department, specifically the Major Crimes Unit, and how they deal with living in the shadow of Batman.

In the first issue a detective is killed, but instead of being a background victim in a Batman serial, this is a death that matters, impacting story and characters alike (as such a death truly would) and it sets the tone for the rest of the series. This is a story about people, not superheroes. Batman is only a peripheral character, and remains on the outside of the narrative; a vague presence that not everyone is completely comfortable with. At best he is a rival, at worst he is a living reminder of their failures. In this way Gotham Central sets an unusual precedent, wherein you don't want Batman to get involved, or save the day. You want to see the police do their jobs, and do them well.

If you like police procedurals, give Gotham Central a chance. Whether you know anything about Batman or have ever read a comic book before isn’t important. The stories and the characters stand up well enough on their own to warrant any reader's attention.