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Robert Greenberger
by Robert Greenberger
Novelist turned comic book writer Greg Rucka had been writing Batman stories for a while and slowly began evolving the cast of characters at Gotham City’s police department. prior to the 1990s, the recurring characters were fairly limited to Commissioner James Gordon, Sgt. Hanier (who manned the Bat-signal), chief O’Hara (on the ABC television series), and Harvey Bullock (created as a one-off by Archie Goodwin and resurrected to good effect by Doug Moench in the 1980s).
When he partnered with Ed Brubaker, who loved noir fiction, for the “Officer Down” storyline that ran through the Bat-titles, a team was born. They pitched DC Comics with the idea of a new series focusing on Gotham’s cops and after much persuasion were green lit to produce Gotham Central. With artist Michael Lark on board, they built up a roster for the major Crimes Unit, the ones who would most interact with the caped crusader and his colorful rogues, splitting stories between the day and night shifts.
Gotham central Omnibus
The forty-issue series was a sheer delight, earning accolades and awards but without the cape and cowl in every issue, its sales suffered which is a shame. now that Gordon and Bullock can be seen weekly on Fox’s Gotham, DC is producing the Gotham central Omnibus containing every issue. While the prime time series bears zero resemblance to the source material, this is a treat for those of you who missed out.
The series used familiar villains and built up the backgrounds and characterizations of the cops dealing with the crimes. The sense of drudgery, paperwork, too-much-coffee and too-little-sleep pours off each page. The initial two-parter set the stage as the MCU took on Mister Freeze after Marcus Driver’s partner Charlie fields is killed. during this story, Renee Montoya was outed, putting pieces into place for the series’ best known arc.
Gotham central #6
While investigating Fields’ last case, they run up against Firebug in Brubaker’s first solo story. We then swing into Rucka’s “Half a Life”, a five-parter that explores Montoya’s life after her lesbian nature is public knowledge. Complicating things is Two-Face, who abducts the woman at least half of him thinks is in love with her. This arc won the Eisner award – best Serialized story and the Harvey award – best single issue or story in 2004. Additionally, was won the Gaylactic Spectrum award – best other Work.
Lark took a break for a one-off drawn by Brian Hurtt, focusing on Stacy, the civilian who controls the Bat-signal because law-enforcement officers are legally prevented from summoning the vigilante.
Gotham central #13
Lark returns, now paired with inker Stefano Gaudiano for “Soft Targets” when the MCU are targets for the Joker, who is livestreaming his murderous antics.
Brubaker and Rucka team-up with artist Greg Scott for “Life is full of Disappointments” which shone a spotlight on three different detectives, also guest-starring the Huntress. This is followed by a four-parter that showcased Bullock, at the time a disgraced detective and on the outs with the GCPD. He picks up a cold case about the mad Hatter but comes to believe it was actually a Penguin crime.
Gotham central #23
By this time, Jim Corrigan, not the incarnation best known to most as the Spectre, is a corrupt detective on the squad and Rucka shows us the depths of depravity in a two-parter, as Crispus Allen is in trouble after Corrigan removed evidence from a crime scene. This story tangentially connects with the Batman: war games crossover event. once that story ended, the series had to address the current relationship between police and bat with the signal removed from the roof in “Lights Out”, which proved to be Lark’s final issue as artist.
Detective Josie Mac, a new addition to the mythos, has been hiding her psychic abilities but things prove complicated when Catwoman learns her secret in a story from Brubaker and Jason Alexander.
Gotham central #29
With an eye towards how cops in other cities work with their heroes and villains, the four-part “Keystone Kops” involves the Flash’s hometown and doctor Alchemy, who leaves a permanent reminder as Montoya’s chest is scarred by her altered necklace, branding her in a way. Gaudiano moves up to penciler here, inked by Kano.
Rucka’s Whiteout partner, Steve Lieber, reports for duty in a one-off which focuses on one of the city’s many corrupt cops. This also has an appearance from Poison Ivy.
When a boy in a Robin costume is found dead, Batman is presumed responsible and a manhunt ensues in “Dead Robin”, which Rucka cowrote but was notable as Brubaker’s swan song from the series. Kano and Gaudiano swap roles for the arc’s artwork.
Rucka and Lieber produce another one-off, this time setting up the final confrontation between Allen and Corrigan.Tying in with infinite Crisis, Captain marvel makes an incongruous appearance and Aquaman’s foe The Fisherman dies here.
Gotham central #38
The series’ final arc has Corrigan kill Allen where the Voice turns the honorable cop into his Spirit of Vengeance and a new Spectre is born. Corrigan seems to get away with the crime, leading Montoya to quit the force, setting up her eventual evolution into the question in the Rucka co-written 52.
This is a rich series and one I was proud to work on when I was in the Collected Editions. So strong was its street level authenticity that I had little problem enticing crime writer par excellence Lawrence block to write the introduction to the first volume. The stories hold up and are far richer than what you can see weekly.
Purchase
Gotham central Omnibus
Classic covers from the Grand Comics Database