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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
This is so well-written, which I suppose shouldn't have surprised me since it's Ed Brubaker and brooding (Bru-ding? ;) ). The dialog rings true, and the reader cares about the characters right away. Since Brubaker is the master of noir, he immediately taps into his talent to portray a gritty Gotham. I thoroughly enjoy police procedurals in general, but this was a treat, because the idea of how normal people live, and try to make the world a better place, in a world of superheroes and supervillains, has always interested me.
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Okay so this was an absolute slog to get through. Mainly because of the fugly art and eyesore lettering but the writing didn't do it any favours either.
I mean jesus christ you can't have you main character cops consistently be beating/harassing/threatening citizens and then paint them as just good guys doing a tough job that's such bs.
There were a few pages of the last story that I thought might gain this book an extra star. I love it when villains are sympathetic and have complex relationships with heroes so two face simultaneously fucking up Renee's life and killing a rapist who threatened her? Interesting! Compelling! Oops no its just bc he wants to fuck her. I'm so tired man
I mean jesus christ you can't have you main character cops consistently be beating/harassing/threatening citizens and then paint them as just good guys doing a tough job that's such bs.
There were a few pages of the last story that I thought might gain this book an extra star. I love it when villains are sympathetic and have complex relationships with heroes so two face simultaneously fucking up Renee's life and killing a rapist who threatened her? Interesting! Compelling! Oops no its just bc he wants to fuck her. I'm so tired man
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Violence, Police brutality, Lesbophobia, Outing
Moderate: Rape, Stalking, Sexual harassment
Good starting volume to what looks to be an interesting series whose premise sounds similar to that of 'Powers', even though they started within 2 or so years of each other. Decent artwork, but I like my characters to be a little more defined, in terms of clearly visible traits.
That was an intense read. If the Gotham TV series had the same premise, I would actually be interested in it. Good cop drama.
I am not a comic book aficionado. I know my Batman from the movies and a bit from the cartoon version that I’d sometimes catch when my little brother watched it. Still, I think Batman is a badass and I’m becoming an ever increasing fan of graphic novels so I wanted to read a bit more of his comics. I heard about the Gotham Central series from NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour (the best podcast on this and any other planet, btw), where one of the contributors is a comic book geek and raved about this series. I thought that this would be a good pick for someone like me - doesn’t require much background knowledge and is a fairly unique look at life in a comic book city. I loved it.
First of all, I must ask: why the hell would anyone ever live in Gotham City? Like, ever? I understand that people have lived and continue to live in cities considered dangerous or where you are more likely than average to be blown up or shot – Belfast during the Troubles, Tel Aviv during the Intafada, Baghdad today. But Gotham City is its own kettle of fish. It’s not only regular crime you’re dealing with. Nope, you also have to cope with freeze rays and incredibly elaborate plots to destroy the entire city on a regular basis. I would flee that city like it was on fire (which it probably often is).
But, according to the comics, people DO stay in Gotham. Including the brave men and women of Gotham Central P.D. The series follows the Gotham Central police department and their various cases – the mundane, the seemingly mundane and the wholly crap supervillainry is afoot. It opens with the whole Gotham-is-full-of-crazy-shit I was talking about. Two detectives on a routine investigation of a kidnapping tip stumble into…Mr. Freeze. Things do not go well. I mean, c’mon here, people of Gotham. Policemen are supposed to encounter bad guys with guns or knives or maybe a baseball bat. NOT A SUPERVILLAIN WITH A FREEZE RAY.
This series is really fun. I mean, dark, yeah (it IS Gotham). But fun. It’s a noirish detective series, so you get some of the mystery and crime element (which I gobble up). And you get to see what life is like for ordinary people in an extraordinary city. You aren’t following around Batman/Bruce Wayne, who knows what’s going on. You’re following people who are weary and jaded but who are trying to piece together clues without being able to get a glimpse of the big picture.
Plus, they know that if they fail they get humiliated by having the Bat materialize and do their jobs for them. Can I just say that I squealed with glee every time the Goddamn Batman showed up? It was always the bestest. The writers very smartly made these cameo appearances rare and often unexpected. And it was even better to be able to view the Goddamn Batman from the eyes of the ordinaries. And guess what? He is kind of a dick. He shows up out of nowhere, does his thing, and then disappears with as few words as possible. He is brusque, to say the least. It would be frustrating and mystifying and I can see why he has a contentious relationship with the police department.
I’m sorry this series got a stunted run, but I can’t wait to get my hands on the rest of the volumes. A++ and I think perfect for die-hard fans and newbies alike.
First of all, I must ask: why the hell would anyone ever live in Gotham City? Like, ever? I understand that people have lived and continue to live in cities considered dangerous or where you are more likely than average to be blown up or shot – Belfast during the Troubles, Tel Aviv during the Intafada, Baghdad today. But Gotham City is its own kettle of fish. It’s not only regular crime you’re dealing with. Nope, you also have to cope with freeze rays and incredibly elaborate plots to destroy the entire city on a regular basis. I would flee that city like it was on fire (which it probably often is).
But, according to the comics, people DO stay in Gotham. Including the brave men and women of Gotham Central P.D. The series follows the Gotham Central police department and their various cases – the mundane, the seemingly mundane and the wholly crap supervillainry is afoot. It opens with the whole Gotham-is-full-of-crazy-shit I was talking about. Two detectives on a routine investigation of a kidnapping tip stumble into…Mr. Freeze. Things do not go well. I mean, c’mon here, people of Gotham. Policemen are supposed to encounter bad guys with guns or knives or maybe a baseball bat. NOT A SUPERVILLAIN WITH A FREEZE RAY.
This series is really fun. I mean, dark, yeah (it IS Gotham). But fun. It’s a noirish detective series, so you get some of the mystery and crime element (which I gobble up). And you get to see what life is like for ordinary people in an extraordinary city. You aren’t following around Batman/Bruce Wayne, who knows what’s going on. You’re following people who are weary and jaded but who are trying to piece together clues without being able to get a glimpse of the big picture.
Plus, they know that if they fail they get humiliated by having the Bat materialize and do their jobs for them. Can I just say that I squealed with glee every time the Goddamn Batman showed up? It was always the bestest. The writers very smartly made these cameo appearances rare and often unexpected. And it was even better to be able to view the Goddamn Batman from the eyes of the ordinaries. And guess what? He is kind of a dick. He shows up out of nowhere, does his thing, and then disappears with as few words as possible. He is brusque, to say the least. It would be frustrating and mystifying and I can see why he has a contentious relationship with the police department.
I’m sorry this series got a stunted run, but I can’t wait to get my hands on the rest of the volumes. A++ and I think perfect for die-hard fans and newbies alike.
There's gotta be nothing worse than being a cop in the shadow of the Dark Knight. Well, ok. A victim of one of the psychos that populates Gotham. That would suck worse. Sure, the caped crusader has your back...but you're an adult that's supposed to be doing an important job & some dude in a suit is showing you up night after night...it's gotta get a little embarrassing. Disheartening, even. This is a good solid story about some of those cops who are doing their best, even when things get a little rougher than they can handle.
Been planning to read this series straight through, starting with the couple of volumes I already had read. I am, just to cut to the chase, sad this series didn't catch on. To me, it is one of the best Batman series, if not the best Batman series, since Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns. It is Gotham as seen from the point of view of cops, and not just cops, but very much the sort of cops we recognize from TV serials. And that's a compliment. This is as engaging as the best cop dramas -- from NYPD Blue to The Shield -- and the way it employs Batman is truer to the character than most contemporary renderings. Most Batman comics make much of how remote a figure Batman is, yet keep him front and center -- they try to have it both ways, and fail at both. Gotham Central treats him as a truly unusual presence. Issues go by during which he isn't even seen, and the cops, embarrassed that they depend on him to solve the tough cases, do their best not to mention him. Brubaker and Rucka are very different writers, yet they seem so sold, themselves, on the series' unique conceit that their tales really do meld together, much as TV series like Lost and The Wire have managed to have known writers on board who, despite their seasoned voices, put ego aside and serve the overarching story.
I enjoyed this look at a group of Gothamites we rarely get to see (or who aren't portrayed very well) in Batman books. It was nice getting to know the detectives, and seeing that yes, having Batman in your city is as frustrating for public officials as you might think. I also liked the style of the art, very thick black lines and lots of shadows. It did a great job telling this story. I would be interested to see what happens with all these characters in future volumes.
(4.5) An exceptionally well done take on how the police function in a city patrolled by a man dressed up as a Bat. It effectively crosses Batman tales with the language and characters of an Ed McBain novel. I'd like to see a little more focus on Gotham City as a character but overall, I loved it and can't wait to read the rest of the series.
I really enjoyed this for a first in a series. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on the next volume.