Brubaker/Rucka 2003 TPB about the GCPD and Batman

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	• Gotham Central Vol. 1: In the Line of Duty (Batman) Greg Rucka, Ed Brubaker DC Comics, 2004 - 128 pages average customer review:based on 7 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

A fascinating graphic novel

Life isn't easy for Gotham City's finest; living is the shadow of the Dark Knight, and dealing with villains large and small. While investigating a kidnapping, Detective Marcus Driver sees his partner murdered right in front of him by Mister Freeze, and he is determined that these crimes won't be solved by Batman, but will be handled by good old-fashioned police work. But, there's more to this case than meets the eye. Tough times have a way of turning common people into heroes, and Detective Driver will need to be a hero before all of this is over.

I must say that I was quite pleasantly surprised by this graphic novel. Batman appears in the story, but he is a very minor character. Instead, this is the story of a group of regular police officers doing their duty, and fighting crime the way that they police must. The illustration work is done in a style that took me back to the Golden Age comics, giving the story something of a timelessness that I did not expect.

Overall, I found this to be a fascinating graphic novel, one with an interesting twist in the selection of heroes. I loved this book, and highly recommend it to you.

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Police Procedural in a Superworld

I have now read all five volumes of Gotham Central, and I can recommend this title with only a few reservations. First the good news...

Gotham Central is at its best when it focuses on the working stiffs of Gotham PD's major case unit. If you haven't picked up any issues of this book, try to imagine TV's "Law & Order" set in a world where a costumed vigilante routinely steals the PD's thunder. Now imagine a collection of diverse personalities trying to uphold law and order in this world. That's what you get when the book is at its best. Keep in mind that this is one of the most corrupt police organizations in the world. And because this book takes place (mostly) just after the "No Man's Land" episode in Gotham's history, most cops are ambivalent about Batman.

But that isn't always an issue. Some of the cops have faith (secret or otherwise) in Batman, and some wish he would just vanish, but the book tends to concentrate on what a normal detective unit would do in a world full of crazy supervillains. It also provides a much-needed reminder of the real-world, street-level consequences of supercrime. The sad fact is that most superhero titles focus on the knock-down-drag-out between the central protagonist and his super-nemesis; when bystanders enter into the picture at all, it's usually just long enough to be rescued by the guy in the cape. Gotham Central, however, is primarily about those bystanders. So when Mr. Freeze kills a random detective, we (as readers) feel the unfairness of it.

In other words, this book shines most brightly when it concentrates on the "little people" who occupy all the negative spaces of a superpowered world.

Now the bad news...

Renee Montoya is not a terribly convincing character, and she's our POV character more often than not. As a female detective who is also a lesbian prone to public violence, she seems more like a "message" character than a character drawn from real life. To the extent that she is the central protagonist in a story, the story suffers. It isn't that I don't sympathize with her; I do. It's that I didn't believe in her. Perhaps in a world where the cosmic axis has tilted wildly toward liberal wish-fulfillment, Det. Montoya might be a perfectly normal character. But Gotham Central's strength, usually, is that it makes the world of Batman more realistic -- more like our own world. And I'm sorry to say this, but in the real world, Det. Montoya would be directing traffic or working private security at a mall faster than she could say "violation of Miranda" or "Don't ask, don't tell."

The series is sequential, so if you're going to buy Gotham Central, just buy the whole thing, all five volumes. They're inexpensive, and they're a treat, even when they aren't firing on all cylinders. But some volumes are certainly stronger than others. Volume 1 set up expectations that Vol. 2 failed to live up to, but then Vol. 3 came back with a truly impressive strength. Volumes 4 and 5 make me wonder why the series was ever canceled -- not as strong as Vol. 3, but surely stronger than -- for example -- JSA or JLA or, well, much of DC's mainstream material.

If this title is ever revived by DC, it will be because fans buy the TPBs. And if it is ever revived, I have a suggestion: Swing the POV. Seriously, you'll find yourself caring about characters in this title who show up once or twice, only to vanish. I'd love to see that become a standard feature of this book, if it ever comes back. I found myself wanting to know more about some of the walk-ons; instead, I got more Renee Montoya. If this title is ever revived, I'd love to see each arc told from a different detective's POV.

If you like police procedural, and if you've wondered what goes on behind the scenes at Gotham PD, then you should certainly pick up these five slim volumes. Not everything works, but the writing and art are solid enough that you'll be glad you shelled out the shekels.

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Gotham City From a Fresh Perspective

In Gotham, Batman is a dominating presence hanging over the criminal underworld. In Gotham Central: In the Line of Duty, we can see how he also overshadows the people involved in everyday law enforcement. In all the Batman comics, TV shows, and films, the police have been relegated to latecomers who show up when Batman has solved the crime and tied up the bad guys, leaving the police scratching their heads.

The Gotham Central comic really is completely unique in that we can get into the minds and lives of some very tough, very good cops who care about the city and protecting the innocent as much as Batman does.

In the Line of Duty contains the first five issues of the comic. A tense, well-executed storyline balancing plot development and character development is a real treat. Readers are treated to the appearance of Batman arch-villian Mr. Freeze, and a brief glimpse of the Bat himself. The art is dark and gritty and perfectly matches the setting and story.

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Brubaker/Rucka 2003 TPB about the GCPD and Batman

Starting in 2003, the "Gotham Central" series followed two separate shifts of police officers working in a present-day Gotham City squadroom. It was written collaboratively by Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka and penciled by Michael Lark. In the GCPD's struggle against crime and terror, Batman looms as both competitor and savior. There are two major story arcs in this first TPB: the two-part "In The Line Of Duty" and the three-part "Motive". The five issues flow almost seamlessly. Renee Montoya, a key figure in DC's "52" series, is one of the day shift officers. Like most books from these writers, this series is recommended for those who don't normally read comics as well as established fans.

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reviews: page 1, 2

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