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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved this book. I loved its characterizations and I loved its art, and I just had to get that out of the way at the start. Feel free to stop reading here and just go get the book already - the rest of the review will mostly be for my own sake more than anything.
This volume follows the GCPD - you know, the guys who have to take on psychopaths like Mr. Freeze, Bane, and Killer Croc without the benefits of Wayne Tech or superpowers. This installment shows the police going after Mr. Freeze after he murders one of their own. The stakes come from the desire for revenge, but less obviously the desire to prove to themselves and the city that they can protect the citizens as well - that they don't need the Dark Knight to do everything for them. It feels oddly personal and weird to be rooting against Batman taking out one of these baddies, especially when we don't have Jim Gordon on the force as a familiar face.
This book felt like the best of procedural dramas mixed with a strong dose of storytellers asking the most interesting questions posed by the superhero genre without the cliches of either. The art by Michael Lark had an abstract feel to it that made it feel like an adult cartoon without losing any expressiveness from the faces. I think this was an especially good move in a book that takes place mostly in "bland" environments like police stations and affluent Gotham homes.
You can believe I'll be tracking down the rest of the series, and I can't imagine I'll have anything less than glowing words for Brubaker and Rucka as they continue their work.
This volume follows the GCPD - you know, the guys who have to take on psychopaths like Mr. Freeze, Bane, and Killer Croc without the benefits of Wayne Tech or superpowers. This installment shows the police going after Mr. Freeze after he murders one of their own. The stakes come from the desire for revenge, but less obviously the desire to prove to themselves and the city that they can protect the citizens as well - that they don't need the Dark Knight to do everything for them. It feels oddly personal and weird to be rooting against Batman taking out one of these baddies, especially when we don't have Jim Gordon on the force as a familiar face.
This book felt like the best of procedural dramas mixed with a strong dose of storytellers asking the most interesting questions posed by the superhero genre without the cliches of either. The art by Michael Lark had an abstract feel to it that made it feel like an adult cartoon without losing any expressiveness from the faces. I think this was an especially good move in a book that takes place mostly in "bland" environments like police stations and affluent Gotham homes.
You can believe I'll be tracking down the rest of the series, and I can't imagine I'll have anything less than glowing words for Brubaker and Rucka as they continue their work.
Law and Order: Gotham City
This is my favorite of Rucka's works. Of course, he co-wrote this with Ed Brubaker.
This is basically Fox's Gotham without Jim Gordon. It's all about the lives of the GCPD officers we so fondly think of as useless peons in the war on Gotham crime. Seriously, this department is a fucking joke to a lot of us. That scene in the Dark Knight Rises when they all run at a group of machine gun wielding criminals comes to mind. They appear utterly useless in the face of the Batfamily who are actually doing something to stop crime.
There is an interesting dynamic that's usually explored in snippets of Batfam stories. Some of the GCPD appreciates Bat for helping out where they can't but by and large, they don't like him. They resent the fact that if they can't solve a case before the sun goes down, Batman will solve it for them. In this book, one of their own is targeted and his partner refuses for the longest to ask Batsy for help. It's pretty interesting to see his from their point of view instead of Batsy's. In Batman books, the department's resistance makes them look stubborn and silly. Here, you kind of understand why they feel this way.
The characters blended together for me quite a bit but I want to know more about them. Seriously, this is full of Law and Order caricatures. I would kill to have a show about these characters. The only ones I recognized were Renee and Maggie. There was just enough depth to the ones we were meant to care about. More kudos for female characters with some bite to them.
The mysteries themselves were pretty good. I saw the killer from a mile away. I didn't quite guess the big twist but still, it was kinda easy to predict.
I have the second volume from the library as well and I can't wait to read it! I wish they adapted this for a TV show.
This is my favorite of Rucka's works. Of course, he co-wrote this with Ed Brubaker.
This is basically Fox's Gotham without Jim Gordon. It's all about the lives of the GCPD officers we so fondly think of as useless peons in the war on Gotham crime. Seriously, this department is a fucking joke to a lot of us. That scene in the Dark Knight Rises when they all run at a group of machine gun wielding criminals comes to mind. They appear utterly useless in the face of the Batfamily who are actually doing something to stop crime.
There is an interesting dynamic that's usually explored in snippets of Batfam stories. Some of the GCPD appreciates Bat for helping out where they can't but by and large, they don't like him. They resent the fact that if they can't solve a case before the sun goes down, Batman will solve it for them. In this book, one of their own is targeted and his partner refuses for the longest to ask Batsy for help. It's pretty interesting to see his from their point of view instead of Batsy's. In Batman books, the department's resistance makes them look stubborn and silly. Here, you kind of understand why they feel this way.
The characters blended together for me quite a bit but I want to know more about them. Seriously, this is full of Law and Order caricatures. I would kill to have a show about these characters. The only ones I recognized were Renee and Maggie. There was just enough depth to the ones we were meant to care about. More kudos for female characters with some bite to them.
The mysteries themselves were pretty good. I saw the killer from a mile away. I didn't quite guess the big twist but still, it was kinda easy to predict.
I have the second volume from the library as well and I can't wait to read it! I wish they adapted this for a TV show.
Wow, this is a really great read for people who like a solid, enjoyable police procedural with a touch of superhero. Loved it!
Gary Oldman ordered Ben McKenzie to do his homework when he was cast as Jim Gordon in the upcoming Gotham tv series, so it’s only fair that I do my homework too. While Gotham is considered to be losely based on this graphic novel series, the show will take place at the beginning of Gordon’s career, with Bruce Wayne and many other villains as children—meaning, there will be no Batman. Gotham Central takes place after Jim’s retirement and focuses on the various cops in the precinct and how they handle crime fighting under the shadow of a man they can’t admit exists. Some of them aren’t particularly happy that he does exist, and I love the balance between their animosity and their realization that, considering the utter crazy of their opponents, at times Batman is a necessary evil. The story does not rely on Batman’s existence, though, and he appears only briefly. There are many other crimes that don’t necessarily involve mentally deranged costumed freaks. There is a level of crime procedural drama involved, and, while the particular cases might not be all that inspired, it’s the GCPD themselves that make this story really work.
I was genuinely impressed with this book. It showed me another side to Gotham and allowed me to get to know some characters I otherwise wouldn't have paid a second glance to in a normal Batman book. I look forward to learning more about. Especially Renee but that's because I know she's more than a detective.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Perfectly combines the standard police procedurals we all know from books, tv and movies with the pulp action of Batman, while still managing to showcase a slew of well-rounded characters in a modern noir city scape that truly feels lived in.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Homophobia, Rape
dark