I have such mixed feelings about this issue. It's a fantastic story, with great writing and great art, it's a self-contained issue that could serve as an introduction to those who have been looking for a jumping-on point for this book (and if you're not reading it already, you should be looking for that jumping-on point) and it sheds light on an interesting background character. However, having now seen how good Hurtt's artwork looks in color, I'm quite sure that he will now be scooped up by the majors to do more work, and we may not see as much of him on my beloved Oni projects like Three Strikes and Queen & Country. Michael Lark is a big part of this book, and I wouldn't have thought that any guest artist could live up to the work Lark has done, but Hurtt really knocks this one out of the park, and does a great job on Brubaker's script.
This issue reminds me of one of Brubaker's early issue of Catwoman, where we got to see the story from Holly's point-of-view. Stacy, the P.A. for Major Crimes, actually reminds me somewhat of Holly, as she's a relatively normal girl mixed up in all the craziness of Gotham crimefighting. In addition to getting the always interesting outsider viewpoint on the familiar cast, Brubaker also manages to make the story about Stacy, and so we get one of the supporting characters fleshed out at the same time that we're seeing how she views the regular cast of characters.
Every issue of Gotham Central gives me the same feeling, and that feeling is that there are just hundreds of stories to be told with this setting and this cast of characters. Little things, like the hazing of psychic detective Josie Mac and the frustrations she's causing those who are trying to hide things from her, are as entertaining as the bigger things, like the love triangle that has developed between three of the detectives. Like the best cop shows, Gotham Central combines character development and stories with interesting cases, and the result is this feeling that there are just tons of stories that could be told, and each issue seems to open doors to new ones.
In addition to just seeing the goings-on at the precinct, paying off elements from the earlier story arc and setting up new stories that get resolved in this issue, this story also has a gimmick. It's about the one girl in Gotham who's allowed to turn on the Bat Signal, and Brubaker explains why. It's a neat idea, a nice touch that fits this book better than any other, given that it's really a commentary on the difference between practical law and theoretical law. It's one of those things that you couldn't build an entire story around, but it makes for a nice bit of scenery in an already-entertaining look at the day-to-day of Gotham Central from a new point-of-view.
What really blew me away here, though, was the artwork. I knew Hurtt was good, I've seen his work on Queen & Country, Skinwalker and Three Strikes, but I hadn't realized just how good until I saw him working on this book with Lee Loughridge's colors. His depiction of Batman looks as distinctive as the one that Cameron Stewart drew in last week's Catwoman, and he captures the same crowded, realistic feel of Gotham's streets that has been Lark's signature on the book. In addition, the characters have that subtlety of expression that I look for in a really good artist, and on top of all the fundamentals that he's got down, Hurtt just has a really cool style. Here's hoping Hurtt is a fast artist, too... I want to see lots more of his stuff in the future.
