The following reviews contain spoilers.

The Best of Gotham Central

Daydreams and Believers

Gotham Central 11

Cover Date : November 2003 | Writer : Ed Brubaker | Artist: Brian Hurtt
Letterer : Willie Schubert | Colorist : Lee Loughridge
Associate Editor : Nachie Castro | Editor : Matt Idelson

Among the cops at Gotham Central is a temp called Stacy who's a data encoder/receptionist and my favorite character. This is her issue.

Brian Hurtt takes over the drawing chores and Lee Loughridge does the colors. The pair give Gotham red skies, which is something to see. Particularly during the first page when the skies can be seen in the bay windows of Gotham Central.

Then the absolute last panel of this issue is a landscape of Gotham with the train in the center, this time the city is red. Gritty, moody landscape. Very nice.

Well after the drama and action of the first three story arcs this acts as a welcome break. It fleshes out some of the other characters, particularly Sarge, and gives an update to some side stories from the previous run. But Stacy is the one that shines here against the backdrop of 'the second most corrupt institution in the U.S'. I didn't know Gotham Central was that dirty.

Posted by Pete Albano - October 2010

Soft Targets

I did mention before that this is Gotham and Batman is here and so are the villains associated with him. We got a taste of these costumed baddies in 'In The Line of Duty' the first story arc and the rather long 'Half A Life'. In both cases the villains were given there due. Reactions in the precinct and the street were thoughtfully crafted by Brubacker and Rucka. In 'Soft Targets' another Batman villain makes his appearance. But not all villains are equal, among the bad guys in Gotham the Joker is preeminent. Part of the joy of 'Soft Targets' is the satisfaction of seeing the cops react to Joker compared with their reaction to the previous baddies. As I said, in the Batman universe, the Joker is the villain, and these issues show it.

Gotham Central 12

Cover Date : December 2003 | Writer : Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka | Artist: Michael Lark
Letterer : Clem Robins | Colorist : Lee Loughridge
Associate Editor : Nachie Castro | Editor : Matt Idelson

Hey this is a comicbook right? How about we put in a discussion of the municipal budget? Nah, nobody does that in a comic. Wrong! It happens in issue 12 and I love it. Right at the beginning the Mayor and the Police Commissioner bargain about the GCPD budget. I enjoyed following the quite sensible opinions of both as they kicked the issue around. Aside from being fun to read this discussion makes me aware that the cops are working people, they have shifts, they do overtime. I become aware of this as the series moves on and it adds to the believability of the GCPD aspect of the stories. This in turn makes the superhero/supervillain aspect stand out. Brilliant, just like 'Marvels'.

I won't spoil things for you but still in issue 12 there is a story buildup that culminates in an incident in a schoolyard during the wrap up of the investigation. Even when the writing moves from one subplot to the next the buildup keeps on moving along getting bigger and bigger until Bang! The schoolyard scene - and the issue isn't even finished yet.

Right after that, watch how the cops react when they see that they are, in fact, up against the Clown Prince of Crime. Priceless. See how Azeveda and Mac react.

See what Probson does.

Gotham Central 13

Now in issue 13 we have a 'who's in charge' fight between the Captain and the Lieutenant in front of the Commissioner. Who would put this in a comic? Brubacker and Rucka did. And it works, it works beautifully. See what the new Mayor does when faced with the prospect of throwing down with the Joker - hah!

There are many things that happen in issue 14 but I can't help noticing that the Joker throws around laptops like they were tissue paper.

Gotham Central 14

In issue 14 the Mayor sends the GCPD to do arrests as a publicity stunt in the middle of the case, sacrificing public safety to get political points. R is for Reality.

The Joker makes his appearance at last at the end of issue 14. Michael Lark manages to avoid drawing the Joker as caricature - this is one of the best renditions of the Joker I've ever seen.

Gotham Central 15

In the last issue of this arc the Joker comes in for some level of punishment. If I hadn't read 'Batman: The Killing Joke' I would wonder how the Joker is able to subject himself to that. But I did read the Killing Joke so I know why. As I said, the deeper your knowledge of Batman lore the better Gotham Central gets.

This is the best story arc so far.

Unresolved

Big surprise in this story arc is that no less than two characters from the past have changed race. Yes, two white guys became black. Compare lieutenants Probson and Cornwell from issue 19 to the previous issues - Cornwell in issue 18 and Probson from issue 14.

Here's Probson from issue 14:

Here is Probson in issue 19:

Here's Cornwell when he was introduced in issue 16:

Here's Cornwell in issue 19 :

So I'm looking at how Michael Lark renders people and they are so individual -just like in real life. I'm thinking of John Byrne, one of my favorite pencillers, John had difficulty with faces, they tended to all look slightly similar, but he did superhero comics, his style would never have worked in something like Gotham Central.

Gotham Central 19

Cover Date : July 2004 | Writer : Ed Brubaker | Artists: Michael Lark and Stefano Gaudiano
Letterer : Clem Robins | Colorist : Lee Loughridge
Associate Editor : Nachie Castro | Editor : Matt Idelson

I've read my share of Batman but I'm no loyalists. From reading those books I only remember two names from the GCPD: Commissioner Gordon and Harvey Bullock. Bullock is not in Gotham Central but he was alluded to in a previous arc as having had to turn over his badge. He's front and center here from issue 19. More of the bat mythos.

Did I just say bat mythos? In issue 19 page 19 last panel my knowledge of Batman lore fails me. It shows a baseball cap with a patch in it and something written on the patch. It's obvious to the two detectives who see it and I have a feeling its obvious to most Batman fans but I'm clueless.

Even more embarrassing, the last panel of issue 19 shows the villain and I don't know who it is.

Gotham Central 20

Cover Date : August 2004 | Writer : Ed Brubaker | Artists: Michael Lark and Stefano Gaudiano
Letterer : Clem Robins | Colorist : Lee Loughridge
Associate Editor : Nachie Castro | Editor : Matt Idelson

In issue 20 it says why Harvey Bullock is not a detective anymore. The guy's gold, he deserves that he's a legend. And you know why? Because he considered friendship a higher bond than duty.

Harvey Bullock's face. Issue 20 page 7 last panel. Michael Lark nails it again. I'm ready to give this guy his own comicbook - Harvey not Michael. Michael already has his own comicbook.

So I'm looking at the goings-on at the MCU and I realize that I like reading Gotham Central because these cops like what they do. It's the same reason why I like the movie 'The Paper', it was about a bunch of journalists who are also having a great time doing regular jobs. In a world were there are people who have to force themselves out of bed in the morning, this is a great thing to read about.

Gotham Central 21

Cover Date : September 2004 | Writer : Ed Brubaker | Artists: Michael Lark and Stefano Gaudiano
Letterer : Clem Robins | Colorist : Lee Loughridge
Associate Editor : Nachie Castro | Editor : Matt Idelson

Arkham was already scary with Batman in the Batman books. Here it's like the detectives are going into a haunted house. Issue 20 page 11 last panel.

Gotham Central 22

Cover Date : October 2004 | Writer : Ed Brubaker | Artists: Michael Lark and Stefano Gaudiano
Letterer : Clem Robins | Colorist : Lee Loughridge
Associate Editor : Nachie Castro | Editor : Matt Idelson

This is awesome! Josie MacDonald issue 22 page 19 panel 4. Check it out.

I have to say that of all the villains I love the way the Mad Hatter was rendered in this issue both by the writer and the artist. The details, the looks the gestures, the background information, everything was just perfectly placed.

Excellent story arc, almost as good as 'Soft Targets'.

Nature

Gotham Central 32

Cover Date : August 2005 | Writers : Greg Rucka | Artist: Steve Lieber
Letterer : Clem Robins | Colorist : Lee Loughridge
Associate Editor : Nachie Castro | Editor : Matt Idelson

gotham central no. 32 cover

Beautiful and subtle twist at the beginning of this issue, the third one-issue story of the series to date, I thought it was the girl doing the narration but it was a cop - crooked cop justifying corruption.

So the crooked beat cops refer to the Major Crimes Unit as a bunch of minorities and homos. Previous issue, the MCU got referred to as the 'brains'. The smartest unit - minorities and homos. That's a backhanded compliment I think.

I was the one who said 'friendship over duty' was a good thing; this sounds suspiciously like the 'loyalty' crap being pawned by the crooked cops in this issue. I think it's time to review my belief system.

Everybody who is corrupt is afraid; just check out the narrative in page 1 to 3 and again in page 10 and 11. And the fear comes from thinking that you live in a society where you can 'fall off the edge'. So you take care of yourself any way you can.

It's amazing, but Corrigan, whom we encountered in the 'Corrigan' story arc is right up there with the Batman villains. The upsetting thing is the Corrigan's of this world really do exist but I've yet to bump into the Penguin.

I love Poison Ivy. I love Poison Ivy. I love Poison Ivy.

This just became number one over 'Daydreams and Believers' as the best one issue story of the series.

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