comics recommended

Gotham Central


Note : The following commentary contains spoilers.

Dead Robin


Gotham Central 33

Cover Date : September 2005 | Writers : Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka | Artist: Kano
Inker : Stefano Gaudiano | Letterer : Clem Robins | Colorist : Lee Loughridge
Associate Editor : Nachie Castro | Editor : Matt Idelson


gotham central no. 33 cover


If you've read the first story arc 'In The Line of Duty', you're going to appreciate the first four panels of issue 33 page 12.

Batman is supposed to be this terrifying figure to the underworld right? Except he never is, he's more of a colorful cape like Superman - until page 15 of issue 33. He doesn't show but you'll see just how intimidating he can get from the criminal point of view.

How good is your Batman lore? There are six Batman villains in page 16 of issue 33. Can you name them all? I got 4 out of 6.

I love the 'Only in Gotham' quote in panel 2 of page 18 issue 33.


only in gotham will they publish an extra in the middle of the night

Last panel of issue twenty-three. Super shocker. Best cliffhanger of the series to date.



Gotham Central 34

Cover Date : October 2005 | Writers : Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka | Artist: Kano
Inker : Stefano Gaudiano | Letterer : Clem Robins | Colorist : Lee Loughridge
Associate Editor : Nachie Castro | Editor : Matt Idelson


gotham central no. 34 cover


Yes! Issue 34 - The Gotham Central superhero cover.

Panel 1 page 7. The Teen Titans in the MCU!


titans at the MCU

Panel 2. The cops looking at the Titans. Priceless.


cops looking at titans at the MCU

In the Titans comic in the 80s Raven talked differently, typified by a wavy-lined dialogue box. They should've used it here.

The usual police and media relations page 9 third panel.

Here's something subtle and cool. Josie comes across as having a lighter mood after confessing her psychic thingie to Driver. I love it when artists pay attention to the details. They care, so I care.

Starfire. Who is S-E-X-Y and wearing her usual showy uniform appears at the MCU. The entire page 12 is awesome.


starfire at the MCU

Not enough? How about this comment from Simon to Montoya (who is gay). Page 13 panel 4.


simon jokes with montoya

In this arc Robin is said to have died falling off the roof. He shows up this issue and meets Stacy. The first panel of page 21 brings home Robin's abilities quite nicely.


robin jumps off a building

It's suddenly absurd to think of him getting killed by falling off the roof.



Gotham Central 35

Cover Date : November 2005 | Writers : Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka | Artist: Kano
Inker : Stefano Gaudiano | Letterer : Clem Robins | Colorist : Lee Loughridge
Associate Editor : Nachie Castro | Editor : Matt Idelson


gotham central no. 35 cover


The first panel of issue 35 shows the most complete shot of the GCPD building yet. I like the design, it's right up there with Dr. Strange's  brownstone. Stone and glass has so much more character than glass and steel (I'm talking to you Stark Tower).


GCPD shot

I never realized that hero outfits were expensive, but I supposed they would be; tough, light materials and all that.

The comicbook crowd representative here is definitely Stacy; she just met Robin on the roof and look at here face from panel 1 of page 17. That would be my face if I met a cape.


stacy smiling

gotham central issue no. 36 cover

Having a backup bat signal is a bit too convenient.

The 'glob of ink' style Batman isn't doing it for me. Last panel page 16.


batman silhouette


Next : Gotham Central - Sunday Bloody Sunday

Posted by  Pete Albano - October 2010 

Comicbook elements presented at comicsrecommended.com are republished within a fair use context. Each  image is © by their creators or comics publisher

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cover of gotham central no. 33 cover of gotham central no. 34 cover of gotham central no. 35 cover of gotham central no. 36
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These four hard cover books contain the entire series.


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In 2011, a softcover edition of the first Gotham Central HC came out. It's called the Deluxe Edition.


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The hardcover editions came out 2008 to 2010. Before that, during 2004 to 2007, DC published the following series of Gotham Central trade paperbacks.

"In The Line of Duty" contains issues 1 to 5.


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"Half A Life" reprints issues 6 to 10. As an added treat, this also includes Batman Chronicles 16 also written by Rucka and is a story about Two-Face and Renee Montoya. Also included is Detective Comics 747, also by Rucka and also featuring Renee Montoya; the story is called "Happy Birthday Two You". Get it? "Two You". Even if you have the HC you might want to consider this TPB because the HC doesn't have these related tales from Chronicles and Detective.


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"Unresolved Targets" combines the Joker storyline "Soft Targets" in 12 to 15 and the Mad Hatter "Unresolved" story arc from 19 to 22. We skip 16 to 18, the three-part murder investigation called "Life Is Full Of Disappointments" - disappointments like not  getting included in the trade paperback.


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"The Quick and the Dead" has the cover of issue 24 and presents the two-part "Corrigan" story line from 23 and 24 as well as the "Lights Out" done-in-one from 25. It skips the moody Catwoman tale called "On The Freak Beat" from 26 and 28 and is the poorer for it, then takes up the series again from 28 to 31, the arc called "Keystone Kops".


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"Dead Robin" sees the series to the end, collecting the "Dead Robin" story arc from 33 to 36, the Infinite Crisis crossover one-shot "Sunday Bloody Sunday" from 37 and the final story arc "Corrigan II" from 38 to 40. It skips the one issue "Nature" story from 32; my opinion: they should have switched "Nature" with "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and gotten a better TPB.


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