Gotham Central, Book One: In the Line of Duty

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Gotham Central, Book One: In the Line of Duty (Gotham Central #1)

by Ed Brubaker, Greg Rucka, Michael Lark (Illustrator), Lawrence Block (Goodreads Author) (Introduction)

4.36 of 5 stars 4.36 · rating details · 1,113 ratings · 65 reviews

The first ten issues of the Eisner and Harvey Award-winning series written by Ed Brubaker (Captain America) and Greg Rucka (Detective Comics, 52) pit the detectives of Gotham City's Special Crimes Unit against the city's greatest villains - in the shadow of Batman himself.

1. In the Line of Duty by Ed Brubaker, Greg Rucka:
Mister Freeze kills a cop, and the squad is in a ra...more

Hardcover, 240 pages

Published September 16th 2008 by DC Comics (first published 2004)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Best Graphic Novels

248th out of 1,516 books — 3,105 voters

Best of Batman

94th out of 232 books — 298 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 1,623)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Jan 28, 2012 Stephen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: comics-graphic-novels, 2006-2010, mystery, crime, hardboiled-and-noir

This Eisner and Harvey Award-winning collection is truly impressive and demonstrates once again why Ed Brubaker is among the elite writers scribing comics today. Add to that a smart, well structured story by Greg Rucka and art that compliments the dark and dank emotional vibe of the plot and the result is a must read for fans of graphic novels and/or crime fiction.

The premise of the series is a street-level, "on the beat" look at the rampant criminal activity of Gotham City through the eyes of...more

46 likes · like · see review

Jun 29, 2012 Kemper rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, crime-mystery, 5-0, superhero

Being a cop isn’t easy, but the men and women of the Gotham City Police Department have it tougher than most. This is a town where the most routine call can leave an officer facing a crazy cold blooded scientist with his own freeze ray, or they may be targeted by a murderous former district attorney desperately in need of some plastic surgery. You know things are out of control when the cop’s best weapon is a psychologically scarred vigilante who dresses like a bat.

It seemed like an interesting...more
Being a cop isn’t easy, but the men and women of the Gotham City Police Department have it tougher than most. This is a town where the most routine call can leave an officer facing a crazy cold blooded scientist with his own freeze ray, or they may be targeted by a murderous former district attorney desperately in need of some plastic surgery. You know things are out of control when the cop’s best weapon is a psychologically scarred vigilante who dresses like a bat.

It seemed like an interesting idea to do a book from the point of view of the GCPD’s Major Crimes Unit, but I thought that this might be an idea only worthy of a story, not an entire series. I was wrong about that in a big way.

In the hands of Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka it’s already obvious that there’s a wealth of untold Gotham stories about a group of cops just trying to do their jobs in the face of batshit (Get it?) craziness.

For example, the first story centers on the horrible death of a detective at the hands of Mr. Freeze. Usually in a bat comic, we’d get the brutal murder and maybe a little bit of the department's anger and fear as a subplot while Batman goes after him. By focusing on the crime’s impact to the cops, it turns what could be a typical comic book beginning into a tragedy that makes you see the GCPD as more than just cannon fodder that routinely gets caught in the crossfire between Batman and his enemies.

I also liked the way that the cops have a love/hate thing with Batman because they recognize that they need him to deal with these threats, but there’s an undertone of anger that he may be causing half of their problems by inspiring super villains as well as resentment at the way that he’s taken it on himself to do their job.

In addition to the Mr. Freeze plot, there’s a mystery to solve as the detectives look into the murder of a teenage girl and deal with a costumed firebug. The final story that revolves around a closeted lesbian cop being outed as part of a scheme to destroy her life is an exceptionally heartbreaking piece of writing that I will be using in the future to refute anyone who wants to sneer at me for reading funny books.

Terrific concept and great story telling make this a must read for fans who will see a side of Gotham City that we never have before in the Batman titles.
(less)

22 likes · like · see review

Jul 09, 2012 Dan Schwent rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: comics, 2012

Detective Driver's partner is killed and the department wants to apprehend the killer before Batman gets called in. Only the killer is Mr. Freeze. An arsonist plagues the city and Driver and his new partner have to catch him and a missing girl is found dead. Detective Renee Montoya is outed and framed. All in all, a normal week at the GCPD.

When enough of your friends give a book high praise, sooner or later you have to stop being a stubborn asshole and give it a try. In this case, Gotham Central...more

29 likes · like · see review

Sep 30, 2012 Anne Toronto1 rated it 2 of 5 stars

Can't "Like" unhappy unpleasant views. Mood harsh - pain of cop career, personal life, hate Batman, even when he saves them. Lines are heavy, straight, stiff. Colors are grim, dark browns, greys even for days; scarce blue sky, uniform, ice and breaths; red for villain eyes, Montoya's lips and braid elastic. Orange-ish hair female cop has spotted like disease, probably intended to be freckles. Faces are rigid in anger or fear. Women wear pant suits not skirts, only men in ties.

Why is dinner conv...more Can't "Like" unhappy unpleasant views. Mood harsh - pain of cop career, personal life, hate Batman, even when he saves them. Lines are heavy, straight, stiff. Colors are grim, dark browns, greys even for days; scarce blue sky, uniform, ice and breaths; red for villain eyes, Montoya's lips and braid elastic. Orange-ish hair female cop has spotted like disease, probably intended to be freckles. Faces are rigid in anger or fear. Women wear pant suits not skirts, only men in ties.

Why is dinner conversation above family restaurant all enclosed by triangle brackets? 1942 Leo Nowak used round brackets for thoughts. 1942 Fred Ray, 2005 Michael Turner use rounded lines, men and women. Siegel dialogue has funny gags, Nowak at least warmth. WW2 dated can make allowances for.
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

1 In the Line of Duty
Mr Freeze unexpectedly ices the hands of Detective Marcus Driver and shatters his partner Charlie Lewis while the pair are checking out a rumor about another perp. Grief turns to anger, but why blame Batman and compete to finish case before Knight of Dark takes over? (view spoiler)

2 Motive
Bonnie Lewis 14 disappeared after babysitting Friday night, ransom note faxed to dad next day. Body found, dead since Friday, so someone close to her was trying to divert suspicion. Meanwhile, convicted Firebug sold his special fire-powered suit as memorabilia on internet. (view spoiler)

3 Half a Life
Renee Montoya outed as lesbian, rejected by parents, framed for murder of blackmailing rapist Lipari freed by bribe, and his employee Selker who took incriminating photo of her kissing girlfriend restaurant chef. Short-haired blonde chief looks dykish, offers sympathy from "same place", angry Montoya says she's not Latino.Who is mastermind ruining her career and personal life? (view spoiler)

Intro by Lawrence Block answers origin of Gotham City. Washington Irving aka Diedrich Knickerbocker "embittered old codger of Dutch extraction" p4 wrote "A History of New York", trivia I did not find searching for origin of British ice-cream dessert Knickerbocker Glory, also in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. Edgar Allan Poe wrote "Doings of Gotham" 1844. William Sydney Porter aka O. Henry set many short stories in Gotham as New York. When Bob Kane first drew Batman 1939, nowhere else had such a high-rise skyline. (less)

2 likes · like · see review

Feb 03, 2013 Sam Quixote rated it 3 of 5 stars

Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka draw focus from Batman to the men and women of the Gotham City Police Department in “Gotham Central”. In a city watched over by a Dark Knight filled with colourful villains running amok, how do ordinary police fare against such an outlandish backdrop?

As a huge Batman fan, I think it’s an interesting idea to see the goings on in Batman stories from the perspective of the characters who’re always in the background, looking on as a guy dressed as a bat does their job for...more Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka draw focus from Batman to the men and women of the Gotham City Police Department in “Gotham Central”. In a city watched over by a Dark Knight filled with colourful villains running amok, how do ordinary police fare against such an outlandish backdrop?

As a huge Batman fan, I think it’s an interesting idea to see the goings on in Batman stories from the perspective of the characters who’re always in the background, looking on as a guy dressed as a bat does their job for them. Having read this first volume though, I’m less convinced of the GCPD’s abilities or the appeal of the series.

The first story features Mr Freeze who’s doing his usual thing (ie. freezing stuff). The difference is we see the GCPD attempt to apprehend him rather than Batman - and they fail. Freeze’s tech kills one of the characters and the detective’s death affects the department as we see his surviving partner deal with the psychological trauma, guilt etc. and then search out the clues and figure out Freeze’s plan. Which is kind of interesting if you enjoy police procedurals - but I don’t. Also, the GCPD completely fail to take Freeze down. Batman shows up at the end and apprehends him, leaving him for the cops. Great, so they’re pretty incompetent.

The second story is again mostly procedural as the detectives set out to solve a homicide, a topic that’s fairly commonplace for crime stories. This one involves Firebug, one of Batman’s D-list Rogues, but only briefly after many pages of detectives doing the usual police work of gathering evidence, speaking to witnesses, etc. On the plus side, the GCPD do manage to take down Firebug on their own even if he is without his equipment.

The third and final story features Renee Montoya (the only recognisable cop on the GCPD as Gordon’s retired and Bullock’s been fired for corruption) as she becomes framed for the homicide of a disgraced colleague. Again, kind of your run of the mill police story with a lot of character work for Renee, if you like her character, but once again Batman, standing in the wings like in the Freeze story, swoops in to save the day at the end. Good job, GCPD!

The biggest problem, besides the seeming uselessness of the GCPD to capture the villains themselves, is the cast. None of the characters are particularly interesting. They’re the kind of usual cop characters you’d expect to see if you’ve seen cop shows like “The Wire” or “CSI” or “Law and Order”. The blandness of the characters isn’t helped by Michael Lark’s artwork who draws all of the male characters in a similar way. They’re all in their 30s-40s, white, average build, short hair, and wear shirts, jackets and slacks, some with ties, some not. They all look alike and their expressions are pretty much neutral whatever the situation - Lark can’t convey much emotion with his characters so they have the same look whether they’ve lost a colleague or are drinking a cup of coffee. The lack of visual variety adds confusion to the story as there are at least a dozen of these guys wandering around and it’s hard to keep track of who they are and what their stories are.

That said, these are fairly well written stories and they held my attention. It’s just the effect, once I put the book down, was very underwhelming though, despite some problems with the stories, I can see why people like them. They’re as realistic as you can get for a cop series set in Gotham. But the problem is when you set a story in Gotham, I don’t want realism. I want to read about Batman, not the boring cops who sit around whining about how Batman’s undermining their public rep. So every time Batman showed up in the series (about once or twice per story), I kept wondering where he was going and wanting the story to follow him instead of sticking with Cop#1 and Cop#2 as they struggle to keep up.

While “Gotham Central” is a decent cop series, I’m just not into police procedurals so wasn’t as impressed with the book as a lot others have been. I’m glad I saw Gotham City from another angle but I don’t think I’ll be returning for Book 2. (less)

like · see review

Aug 23, 2012 Daniel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: noir

The best thing you say about the central premise of 'Gotham Central' (ie a cop drama that happens to be set in Gotham City) is 'why didn't I think of that?' There's so much that can be done with that idea and Brubaker and Ruka do a hell of a good job to make the best of it. I don't read too many graphic novels, but the ones I've read and loved have all been written (or co-written) by Ed Brubaker. He understands the crime/noir genre perfectly and manages to play and subvert the tropes in such an...more

like · see review

Aug 17, 2012 Anna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: comics-graphic-novels, five-stars

When I think of the rating for graphic novels for superheroes, I try to think of the following guidelines:

- Is the dialogue readable? Should people even say that?
- Are what the characters feeling in the story justifiable? Does it fit in with everything else?
- But really, is it better than All Star: Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder?

The story is what some could call a spinoff of the Batman series - that is, Batman isn't the main focus here and the characters featured in this book are collected from...more When I think of the rating for graphic novels for superheroes, I try to think of the following guidelines:

- Is the dialogue readable? Should people even say that?
- Are what the characters feeling in the story justifiable? Does it fit in with everything else?
- But really, is it better than All Star: Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder?

The story is what some could call a spinoff of the Batman series - that is, Batman isn't the main focus here and the characters featured in this book are collected from past stories and are integrated in their own arcs. However, I've never been a fan of the word "spinoff" because to me, it sounds like a diluted version of the original, set with supporting characters that may or may have enough to stand their own ground. Sometimes choosing the characters may be based on popularity or writers simply taking a risk. Popularity would be giving Robin his own personal troubles (in the assumption that we like Robin, right?). Taking a risk is giving the Gotham City Police Department their own voices.

Keep in mind that Batman isn't totally gone from this book. In fact, the relationship between Batman and the GCPD drives some of the characters' motives. There are essentially two different storylines this book has: one starts off with Marcus Driver who is emotional after losing his partner to Mister Freeze. The second one puts the spotlight on the personal life of Renee Montoya, who is probably the most recognizable name in the force (in terms of fans who associate her with Batwoman). If we are looking at the downsides of this book, Batman has more or less helped solve the problems that the GCPD had wanted to solve on their own. So in addition to the relationship, the book is about the grudging acceptance of co-existence (unless the following sequels prove me wrong and the detectives are holding their anger). It's understandable that they're angry; it's their job to fight crime and Batman is a crimefighter who doesn't follow the rules.

Though the detectives may have technically not solved the crimes, their tolerance with Gotham City are put to the test - Marcus losing his partner, Renee outed - and the endings to both stories are hopeful, not happy. The authenticity of the dialogue and the plots are what makes the book beyond sufficiently written, but gives it enough energy to be brought to life. The artwork embellishes the characters so well - especially the expressions of Harvey Dent/Two-Face, who appears in Renee's storyline - and yet does not take over the writing of Brubaker and Rucka. Everything was executed to a satisfying safe amount and at the same time has played the game of risk quite well.(less)

like · see review

Jul 23, 2012 Gord rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: super-hero-gns, graphic-novels

I love this series with a passion. Its the "Law & Order/CSI" perspective of Gotham City. Ever wonder when Batman is dealing with the Joker and if Mr Freeze starts killing people, who deals with Freeze? Gotham City Police Dept. Major Crimes Unit does , thats who. You follow a group of detectives from the MCU in this gritty noir take in the super hero universe.

The detectives and their relationships are vulnerable , flawed and dysfunctional and it just plays out so beautifully underneath the da...more

like · see review

May 07, 2012 Brandon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Brandon by: Stephen

Shelves: detective-books, fiction, comix, 2012, the-dark-knight

There's very little reason this should work.

Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka want you to sit down, pick this up and become captivated by the stories of the Gotham City Police Department. A force that has become all but neutered by the exploits of The Dark Knight. Honestly, who wants the cops to come save you when Batman is on the prowl?

It had to be tough to try and write this without the reader asking the question, "Why not just flip the switch and let the bat-signal flood the sky?" The answer: this i...more

5 likes · like · see review

Apr 09, 2012 Michael rated it 5 of 5 stars

Gotham Central is one of the most interesting Batman books I have read for some time, the most interesting aspect of which is that this book is not about Batman but rather the G.C.P.D. and how the city, the villains, and the Dark Knight himself affect the jobs and personal lives of the people who do whatever batman doesn't. I have always been fond of police procedurals and crime fiction, and there are few examples like this that strike the right balance. the series features an ensemble cast from...more

1 like · like · see review

May 01, 2011 Sophie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: comics, dc, owned

This definitely lived up to my - very high - expectations. I'd heard only good things about this one, and Greg Rucka and Ed Brubaker are two of my favorite writers.

Gotham Central is a book about the cops of Gotham. What makes it interesting is that it isn't just a really well-written crime series, it also deals with the question how the GCPD cops feel about Batman. It's a different look at crime and crime fighting in Gotham, and Greg Rucka and Ed Brubaker managed to create a great crew with int...more

like · see review

Jul 23, 2011 Kurt rated it 4 of 5 stars

I am generally not a fan of the DC universe, but my brother loaned me this hardcover, and it's pretty great. It can't get around the fact that Mr. Freeze is awfully silly-looking, but the appearances by super-types in tights are minimal. Mostly, this is a straight-forward police procedural comic, with realistic characters who work difficult jobs in a dangerous city and don't really like Batman getting all the credit for the good stuff. In one story, two detectives chance upon Mr. Freeze, and the...more

1 like · like · see review

Sep 15, 2011 Marc Weidenbaum added it

Shelves: comic, re-read

Gotham City is a wreck, a rough urban zone maybe five minutes from descending into utter chaos. The comic Gotham Central used to feel the same way, back when it was collected from pamphlets into these peculiar conglomerations of serialized issues and one-shots and short stories, wrapped in a title that suggested continuity. Finally, DC, its publisher, went and did the right thing, collecting its 40 pamphlets into four 10-chapter books.

Suffice to say, it's unfortunate more superhero comics aren'...more

like · see review

Mar 29, 2011 Jerry Daniels rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: graphic-novels

The illustrations in DC Comics's Gotham Central: In the Line of Duty enhance the impression of Gotham City as a place on edge and crime ridden. They also help the authors tell two stories about a police department striving to prove its competence in Batman's shadow while terrorized by Mr. Freeze and Two-Face. The first of these characters seems to appear inconsequentially but to show the state of terror in which Gotham City lives. Nonetheless the first story of this volume,"In the Line of Duty,"...more

like · see review

Nov 05, 2009 James rated it 5 of 5 stars

This has probably already been said dozens of times, and yet, I will repeat it: if you like Batman, and you loved The Wire, then why the hell haven't you picked this up? It's a freakin' masterpiece.

I missed the comics, which started appearing shortly after the end of my comic store employment, and I missed the original trades, what with one fiscal crisis and another. Not to say I'm not still in a fiscal crisis, but some things are worth going into hock for, and the hardcover editions of these ba...more

like · see review

Sep 05, 2011 Anne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: comics, graphic-novels, read-in-2011

Gotham Central tells the stories of the different police detectives in the GPD. Batman makes a few cameos, but really he has little to nothing to do with what goes on in this book.
This was not my cuppa. I thought the art was ugly, and I like a heavy dose of spandex-clad superheroes in my graphic novels, so I really doubt I'll be revisiting these books any time soon.
But.
Even though I don't care for this kind of crime drama story, it was really well written. If you enjoy reading stuff like White ...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jul 30, 2012 Shaun rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'd heard a lot of praise for this series before I ever picked it up. So I was sort of prepared for it to be good. I was not actually prepared for it to be great. The clash between cop drama and legal/moral dilemmas raised when the police are forced to clean up after the Batman and the super villains that he faces off against is very compelling. How do you deal with a local vigilante who manages to compromise evidence against every criminal he collars for you and then just disappears into the ni...more

like · see review

Mar 16, 2010 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars

Wouldn't it be cool if you were watching Homicide: Life on the Streets, and every once in awhile, Batman showed up to talk to Bayliss? Or Mr. Freeze shot Beau Felton with his freeze gun? And Pembleton squared off against Two-Face in the box? That's what Gotham Central is like. Michael Lark's artwork is perfect too. Think David Mazzucchelli from Batman: Year One. And if you ever though it would be cool if Daredevil showed up in Oz, check out The Devil in Cell-Block D story arc by Ed Brubaker and...more

1 like · like · see review

Dec 22, 2012 Michael Alexander Henke rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: graphic-novel

A Batman book without Batman? It'll never work! You'd be wrong in thinking that though, because Gotham Central makes it work. Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka are two very well known names in comics, especially when it comes to crime and noir stories. The setup for this series is pretty genius. Instead of focusing on Batman, it focuses on the regular cops of Gotham. The ones without all the gadgets or superhero friends who still need to deal with criminals like Mr. Freeze and Two-Face. It works well a...more

like · see review

Dec 29, 2012 Randal rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This volume collects issues 1-10 of the "Gotham Central" comic book, with three distinct, but connected, story arcs. Brubaker and Rucka are some of the best comics writers in business and they are both in fine form here. The stories revolve around the cops at the heart of the Gotham City Police Department's Major Crimes Unit and reveal the inherent tension between the police and the Batman. These stories are more straight police procedural than superhero comics, with the Bat making only very bri...more

like · see review

May 26, 2013 Fintan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Pleasantly surprised by this gritty cop drama set in the city of Batman.
The dialogue is up there with a good police procedural and the resolutions to the cases are usually pretty satisfying.

For me this series got better as it went along. I feel they made a mistake not putting a recognizable figure like Montoya, Bullock or Gordon center stage from the start. The number of characters and the less than stellar art work makes it tough to keep track of everyone issue to issue. It finds itself soon en...more

like · see review

Jan 02, 2013 Bill rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: comics

Lately I've been feeding my graphic novel - oh, screw the literary political correctness - my COMIC cravings.

Ten years ago I had gotten into The Watchmen, and the first three volumes of Gaiman's Sandman series (I've started re-reading them to catch up and continue), and most recently have been digging Joe Hill's excellent Locke and Key series.

A while back I had read a review expounding the virtues of Ed Brubaker. I can't remember what comic or who did it, might have been Stephen, but I tucked th...more

like · see review

May 05, 2012 Sunil rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own, 2012

It's Batman meets The Wire! As fun as superheroes are, it can sometimes be even more fascinating to read about the normal people living in that world. Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka, two of the best crime/spy fiction writers in comics, bring their considerable talents to Gotham Central Police Department, bringing it to life impressively quickly. Seriously, I was sucked in from the very first issue. They have a way of maximizing what they can get out of each page, effortlessly melding small character...more

like · see review

Mar 06, 2013 Mike rated it 5 of 5 stars

Gotham Central has been sadly hard to find for a long time, but these new reprinted editions are great stuff. The praise for this series is nigh-universal, and it's obvious why. The premise is slap-your-forehead, why-didn't-I-tihnk-of-that good: police procedurals in Gotham City, with time constantly running out before the Batman takes over. (How this got passed over for a series, I'll never know.)

In The Line of Duty collects three arcs, and they're all great:

- The title arc introduces the team...more

like · see review

Dec 08, 2008 The_Mad_Swede rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: comics, crime, dc-comics, brubaker-ed, 2008

This hard cover volume collects the first ten issues (and three first story arcs) of Gotham Central, DC's comic about the Gotham City Police Department's Major Crime Unit (mostly dealing with the kinds of crime that inevitably tends to involve "the Bat").

The first two part arc (and the title piece of the volume) "In the Line of Duty" is co-written by Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka, while the second three part arc "Motive" is written by Brubaker and the third five part arc "Half a Life" by Rucka. All...more

like · see review

Feb 10, 2010 Matt rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: to-be-reread, my-favorite-books

I can remember back when Gotham Central was first announced, I was hooked before the first issue was even released. The concept alone made it impossible for me to even think about passing up. When it was finally released, I was extremely happy to see that it lived up to my expectations. There have been many, many cop shows on television, but only one was ever appointment television for me, Homicide: Life on the Street. Thankfully, if writers Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka took any inspiration from T...more I can remember back when Gotham Central was first announced, I was hooked before the first issue was even released. The concept alone made it impossible for me to even think about passing up. When it was finally released, I was extremely happy to see that it lived up to my expectations. There have been many, many cop shows on television, but only one was ever appointment television for me, Homicide: Life on the Street. Thankfully, if writers Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka took any inspiration from TV, that was the one they used as their model. Despite being a comic book and set in the world of superheroes, the series never leaves behind its down-to-earth approach. Even when the fantastic intrudes upon the gritty street-level happenings of the stories, it's presented in the most mundane fashion possible. Michael Lark's art helps a lot in this regard. His characters always look realistic (without looking photo referenced), including the costumed heroes and villains. (In a later story arc, he even avoids giving The Joker the exaggerated features--e.g., the nose and chin--that many artists tend to draw.)

The first story is a perfect set-up to the series. Following a lead on a kidnapping, two detectives unexpectedly cross the path of Mr. Freeze resulting in one cop's death. From that point, it becomes a race against the clock to find Freeze before Batman does. The police department already begrudges the fact that a costumed vigilante makes them look bad, and they're not about to let him avenge the death of one of their own. The story is short, sweet, and to the point, as is the next one which follows up on the kidnapping that was only mentioned in the first.

The final story in the collection is a bit longer and is a much more character-driven story. It focuses on Detective Renee Montoya--who was originally created for the '90s animated series but appeared first in the comics--as she deals with elements of her personal life suddenly becoming not so personal thanks to a vindictive ex-con whom she arrested but was released on a technicality. The first time I read this story, I thought it went on a bit too long. (The first two stories were two and three issues, respectively. "Half a Life" was five.) Upon rereading it, I have reversed my opinion. It's a story that reads much better in quick succession.

I still have all the single issues of this series, but I look forward to when it's been released in hardcover in it's entirety. I know it will be something I revisit many times in the years to come.(less)

like · see review

Sep 24, 2012 Doreen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I admit to preferring cop stories over superhero stories most of the time, so me gravitating towards reading this book (or, indeed, most of the Gotham titles over the Batman books per se,) is quite the natural order of things. Good stuff. I'm only coming round to Renee Montoya's story in an entirely backwards fashion... well, not entirely backwards, I was there when she was first introduced but then skipped ahead to her involvement with The Question, so it was nice to fill in more of her story.

1 like · like · see review

Sep 21, 2012 Jon Forisha rated it 4 of 5 stars

This series gives an interesting take on the well-trod Batman mythos, choosing to leave Batman almost completely out of the story. Instead we follow the cops, who are - as the introduction points out - clearly just the NYPD.

It's well-written and, while I read it, I couldn't help but wonder why they haven't attempted to turn this into a TV series, given Batman's popularity and the limitless number of cop shows that make it onto the air.

like · see review

Jun 08, 2012 Joy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 21c, comics, superhero

LOVE this. Batman's only a peripheral figure here, and this only counts as superhero title by that slim association. The focus is real on the very human detectives of the GCPD. Has a wonderfully diverse cast that manages to avoid feeling like diversity via quota--and oh how I wish that wasn't unusual, but we all know it still is in Big 2 comics. And Lark's art does a perfect job of establishing the tone and atmosphere of this noir narrative.

like · see review

Jan 10, 2012 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is trying really hard to be The Wire (or maybe just CSI) with superheroes, but unfortunately it is plagued by the same problems that are inherent to any attempt to make superheroes serious or ground them in reality; the very concept itself is so inherently silly that it just clashes with the story's more realistic elements. Still, this book is gpretty ripping and well-written, and manages to stand on its own as a pretty great police procedural.

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 54 55 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (3)

Genres

Sequential Art > Comics

99 users

Sequential Art > Graphic Novels

63 users

Dc Comics > Batman

15 users

Graphic Novels Comics

12 users

Superheroes > Dc Comics

10 users

Mystery > Crime

9 users

Comics > Superheroes

6 users

Mystery

5 users

Mystery > Noir

4 users

Comics > Comic Book

4 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Ed Brubaker

Ed Brubaker (born November 17, 1966) is an Eisner Award-winning American cartoonist and writer. He was born at the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland.

Brubaker is best known for his work as a comic book writer on such titles as Batman, Daredevil, Captain America, Iron Fist, Catwoman, Gotham Central, Sleeper, Uncanny X-Men and X-Men: Deadly Genesis, and The Authority, and for helping...more

More about Ed Brubaker...

Books by Ed Brubaker

Captain America: The Death of Captain America, Vol. 1: The Death of the Dream

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Gotham Central, B...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from Gotham Central, Book O...

“Whatever you do, remember that. You're going to make a difference. A lot of times it won't be huge, it won't be visible even. But it will matter just the same. Don't do it for praise or money, that's what I want to tell you. Do it because it needs to be done. Do it to make your world better.” — 3 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: Gotham Central, Book One: In the Line of Duty
avg rating	preview: Gotham Central, Book One: In the Line of Duty Goodreads rating: 4.36 (1113 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3316474-gotham-central-book-one?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1332434417l/3316474.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3316474-gotham-central-book-one?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Gotham Central, Book One: In the Line of Duty by Ed Brubaker[/url]

Gotham Central, Book One: In the Line of Duty (Gotham Central #1)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website