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Gotham Central, Volume 2: Half a Life (Gotham Central trade paperbacks #2)
Renee Montoys Has A Secret.
She's a Grade A detective but her reputation is put on the line when she's implicated in a murder and her deepest secret is revealed. Suddenly, her colleagues in the GCPD look at her askance, begin treating her with hostility, and when she needs their support the most, she finds mostly cold shoulders.
The man who reaches out to her, though, is one...more
She's a Grade A detective but her reputation is put on the line when she's implicated in a murder and her deepest secret is revealed. Suddenly, her colleagues in the GCPD look at her askance, begin treating her with hostility, and when she needs their support the most, she finds mostly cold shoulders.
The man who reaches out to her, though, is one...more
Published
(first published 2005)
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INTRODUCTION TO THE SERIES
There are many graphic novels about superheroes and their world and how important it is for them to save the regular mortals but rarely do we get a perspective of the mortals unless they're family or lovers. In this series we focus almost exclusively upon the detectives (morning and night shifts) of Gotham who sometimes resent “The Bat” for solving their cases. It's a fresh and interesting approach with Batman showing up less than 5% of all the tales.
START BOOK TWO
Th...more
There are many graphic novels about superheroes and their world and how important it is for them to save the regular mortals but rarely do we get a perspective of the mortals unless they're family or lovers. In this series we focus almost exclusively upon the detectives (morning and night shifts) of Gotham who sometimes resent “The Bat” for solving their cases. It's a fresh and interesting approach with Batman showing up less than 5% of all the tales.
START BOOK TWO
Th...more
Greg Rucka can be credited with taking the obscure Batman supporting character, Renee Montoya, and making her his own. That's why two of his non-Gotham Central stories actual precede the main, Montoya-centric story, "Half a Life." They're pretty good stories, but I wish they hadn't been included in this collection. For one thing, they completely tip the surprise ending of the story. For another, while they feature capable artists, those artists' styles just don't gel with that of series regular,...more
Gotham Central's concept was to set a gritty police procedural in Gotham City, combining traditional police work with Batman's regular cast of villains. This particular story arc focuses on Renee Montoya. I'm not going to try to avoid spoilers in my review, because if you've heard anything about Gotham Central at all, you know exactly what happens here. Renee is outed and framed for murder by Two Face, who had fallen in love with her (or, more appropriately, became deeply obsessed with her) duri...more
Writer: Greg Rucka - This is a first-rate comic story from Mr. Rucka. I was not expecting to pick up a police comic and read a story about the trials of a female cop who has been outed publicly as a lesbian and has to deal with the backlash. It was smart and original.
Artists: Michael Lark, Jason Pearson, Cam Smith, William Rosado, & Steve Mitchell - As with the first Gotham Central, the art has a retro feel reminiscent of the early days of comics.
Colorists: Matt Hollingsworth, Digital Chamel...more
Artists: Michael Lark, Jason Pearson, Cam Smith, William Rosado, & Steve Mitchell - As with the first Gotham Central, the art has a retro feel reminiscent of the early days of comics.
Colorists: Matt Hollingsworth, Digital Chamel...more
Sep 14, 2011
Amber Ditullio
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Fans of Superhero Comics, Those who like to read stories of the common man in the world of Supers
Shelves:
graphic-novel
This book is one of the better ones of the series, not just for the stories contained within (all having to do with Two-Face's obsession with Detective Renee Montoya) but for the forward from the author. I loved the chance that Renee gave Two-Face in the beginning of the story, and had tears for her when Two-Face tried to ruin her life, succeeding in doing almost that.
I love the characters and the artwork in this book. I was expecting it to be a good series, since it covers one of my favorite to...more
I love the characters and the artwork in this book. I was expecting it to be a good series, since it covers one of my favorite to...more
Renee Montoya takes the spotlight in this collection of Gotham Central. Greg Rucka does a great job with her story, one of the best I've seen. I'm not surprised that it won an Eisner Award for Best Short Story. It took DC a long time to get some gay characters into their books, but when they did, it was very well done. Renee is outed maliciously. She has to deal with homophobia at the police department and from her family. She also finds out who her friends truely are. The story is realistic. It...more
This begins with two throwaway early Harvey Dent stories where his coin-tosses get a little too unrandom -- dude tosses himself into Gandhi territory eventually. But save that clue for later: the real stories focus on Gotham Police Department politics -- particularly the blackmailing of Renee Montoya, who makes out with a woman on her doorstep but ain't come out of the closet yet. It's a deep thicket of internal affairs, dimwitted blundering boys (and one or two savvy principled ones), dark moti...more
Apr 19, 2009
Zombieaps
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
crime-fiction,
graphic-novel
I'm not a big two face fan and I cringe away from stories that are only interested in keeping up the Batman mythology but, I have an insatiable appetite for Noir. This comic, penned by Rucka, drops and big doses of Noir and human struggle with Batman and his mythos set on the horizon. I was ready to underrate this comic and received quite the surprise when the complexity of the characters became apparent after issue one. I must say the most intriguing part of the series is having Batman be in th...more
Oh gods this book. It had me crying by the end. Greg Rucka, how are you so excellent.
So, you want a book that passes the Bechdel Test, that has people of colour in it talking to each other about things that aren't white people, that has queer women of colour dealing with life and family and coming out and calling queer white women on their privilege in that regard -- AND ALSO want a Batman story? HERE YOU GO. BOOM.
I didn't even know this was possible. Augh, it's just so excellent and so heartb...more
So, you want a book that passes the Bechdel Test, that has people of colour in it talking to each other about things that aren't white people, that has queer women of colour dealing with life and family and coming out and calling queer white women on their privilege in that regard -- AND ALSO want a Batman story? HERE YOU GO. BOOM.
I didn't even know this was possible. Augh, it's just so excellent and so heartb...more
Reads like a really good cop TV show set in the middle of a Batman comic.
Detective Rene Montoya tries to help the villain, Two Face, as well as arrest him and his attempt to 'thank' her and ends up messing up her life and career as well as creating havoc across Gotham city.
Nice ensemble cast.
Great writing that does a nice job showing very normal people dealing with very strange crimes and people.
Despite him making only a few appearances, the writers do a great job on Batman.
My only gripe is th...more
Detective Rene Montoya tries to help the villain, Two Face, as well as arrest him and his attempt to 'thank' her and ends up messing up her life and career as well as creating havoc across Gotham city.
Nice ensemble cast.
Great writing that does a nice job showing very normal people dealing with very strange crimes and people.
Despite him making only a few appearances, the writers do a great job on Batman.
My only gripe is th...more
This volume starts with two one-shots – one each from Detective Comics and The Batman Chronicles -- focusing on Detective Renee Montoya and her first two run-ins with the Janus-faced Harvey Dent/Two-Face. Although the art duties on the first leave a lot to be desired – too “cartoony” for the gritty crime realism, if you ask me – I did enjoy, although in an unsettling way, the start of a Harvey’s disturbing affection (or is that obsession?) for Montoya.
In this volume’s main story-arc, the four-i...more
In this volume’s main story-arc, the four-i...more
This was a fantastic look at Renee Montoya and her relationship with Harvey 'Two-Face' Dent. Also a very powerful storyline arc in DC comics history. This book resonated so true and beyond actual comic book world into a more real truth that made it all the more strong a read. Highly recommended to everyone who likes good stories with social commentary, and most people in the Batman world.
Wow.
Honestly, as someone who cares deeply about, and has studied, the representation of race, gender, and sexuality in comic books, I cannot believe it took me this long to read Renee Montoya's coming out story. But now I have, and it is as perfect and heartbreaking and brilliant as promised. Thank you, Greg Rucka, for bringing this to the world, particularly at the time that you did.
Honestly, as someone who cares deeply about, and has studied, the representation of race, gender, and sexuality in comic books, I cannot believe it took me this long to read Renee Montoya's coming out story. But now I have, and it is as perfect and heartbreaking and brilliant as promised. Thank you, Greg Rucka, for bringing this to the world, particularly at the time that you did.
I fucking love this storyline. It stars one of Gotham's best female non-superheroes and a look at how the difficulties of her real life (family, ethnicity, sexual orientation, relationships) collide with this world of supervillians and blackmail. It creates a great story that is very accessible for someone who is not very familiar with the DC/Batman storyline.
Gotham Central is pretty much The Wire with the occasional visit from Batman, and it is exactly as awesome as that sounds.
The second volume tells an incredible story of obsession, corruption, and how a detective in one of the most dangerous cities in modern fiction deals with being outed as a lesbian. Great, suspenseful stuff.
The second volume tells an incredible story of obsession, corruption, and how a detective in one of the most dangerous cities in modern fiction deals with being outed as a lesbian. Great, suspenseful stuff.
Feb 03, 2009
Dufour
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
crime,
graphic-novels
Continues solid character development and police procedural set up in the first story with the added bonus of focusing on Greg Rucka's favorite Gothamite, Detective Renee Montoya. Features some additional material in the form of some one-off stories that set up Montoya's odd relationship with Two-Face. Again, very enjoyable police graphic novel, similar in tone to HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREET.
What I said in the review of the first collection, but a very good story line and superb ending that even had me choking up a bit--rare for a comic. Oh sure, not 100% new ground, whatever--well done.
Like Circle Takes the Square sang: It's all been done before--I wanna do it again, I wanna do it again!
Like Circle Takes the Square sang: It's all been done before--I wanna do it again, I wanna do it again!
May 31, 2009
Jamie
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
graphic-novel,
fiction
Though Two-Face and Batman figure into the plot, this is more of a story of a female cop trying to prove herself in the Gotham police department. Her career is threatened when she's fingered in a murder and a closely-guarded secret is leaked to her colleagues and family. If you like crime dramas, this is the comic for you!
Apr 19, 2009
Michael
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
graphic-novels,
noir-crime
This volume seems to have received a little flack for spending "too much time" on the Montoya character, which I think is pure bunk. The joining of Montoya and Dent's narratives is very intelligent. In the wrong hands, this would have been ham-handed, but Rucka/Brubaker get it right.
This story arc is excellent. Although the idea of "revealing non-solicited info about characters' sexuality" disturbs me, Rucka captures the angst of being outed and having to accept it in front of family and friends.
Rucka and Brubaker... A winning team! These characters are human, flawed and developing. I particularly like Detective Montoya--the strong female lead with enough conflict to stretch her as a character.
Montoya is a cop, unfortuantly Two Face is in love with her. This makes her life complicated. A good cop story and some great character bits especially when her colleagues found out more about her.
Who knew mainstream superhero comics could be so consistently well-written and engaging? This series is great fun, and the artwork by Lark and Gaudiano has been stellar throughout.
This is a rough volume, but absolutely compelling. I've loved Renee Montoya ever since the cartoon series, but she really get fleshed out here (in the most heartbreaking of ways).
The goings on of the Gotham Police Department continues in this series that gives a new perspective on Batman's home turf! Start with volume 1 and keep reading until the end!
Meet the men and women of Gotham's police force, ordinary people trying to keep the peace in a city with an extraordinary crime-fighter... and extraordinary crime. In this volume -- the highpoint of a generally terrific series -- Detective Renee Montoya becomes the victim of a revenge plot that brings uncomfortable information about her personal life into the open, and attracts the attention of the criminal Two-Face!
I love the premise of Gotham Central, and so far it has had excellent execution. This volume in particular had a great story arc, and didn't confuse me with too many unnamed/new characters, the way Vol 1 did.
Now I understand why Rene Montoya became the breakout character of the series. Well developed character and realistic depiction of a lot of issues.
The last good Batman series before Neil Gaiman, Grant Morrison, and Scott Snyder ruined this character for years.
Good stuff, but has a lot of the same content as the hardcover book one. A must-have only for the most dedicated Batfan.
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Greg Rucka, is an American comic book writer and novelist, known for his work on such comics as Action Comics, Batwoman: Detective Comics, and the miniseries Superman: World of New Krypton for DC Comics, and for novels such as his Queen & Country series.
More about Greg Rucka...
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