The Joker with a sniper rifle. It's a concept that almost writes itself, but rather than just taking things down predictable lines, Brubaker and Rucka are showing us what a really twisted mind with a sniper rifle could do. At just over a year, it seems a little early to pull out the Joker card, just like it seemed crazy for the West Wing to use the Presidential assassination attempt at the close of their first year, but there's so much mileage to be had in seeing how these cops deal with the Joker it's hard to argue with the decision to go ahead and do it. As always, Batman is on the periphery, noticeable more by his absence and what he leaves behind for the cops than his actual presence, and the Joker is much the same way, such that when he does finally make some sort of move it still has an element of shock to it. And with Lark and Gaudiano providing such a gritty, realistic depiction of Gotham, the violence and terror feels all the more real and effective.
As always, I feel the need to complain that Gotham Central could really use a duty roster or roll call or something, because I have trouble remembering who all the detectives are. However, not necessarily putting a name to a face doesn't mean that these characters are indistinguishable or badly characterized. The frustration and pain-in-the-ass attitude of Probson gets some great moments this issue, the different factions and friendships within the station are easy to see and there's a real ensemble cast feel to the book, as former Detective Comics stars Montoya and Allen fall right alongside Captain Sawyer, Commissioner Akins and other detectives like Driver or the P.A. Stacy in terms of having key moments and interesting scenes.
The real strength of the story, though, is the way that the creators give a sense of a city that is at once paralyzed and hyper-active by a lurking fear. The political pressure to do something, even it's for show, the sense that hope lies with a vigilante most of them don't trust or like and the ticking clock before another shooting happens all provides for some great tension. It should be no surprise, given the villain behind all this, that the suspense winds up going in a direction that is unexpected, and that there's more than one twist awaiting the reader at the end of the book. I have no idea what the Joker is really up to, and I absolutely love it.
Michael Lark is as important to this book as Brubaker and Rucka, and this issue is one of the best demonstrations yet of why that is. The messy, real nature of the squad room or the city streets comes to life in his work, without losing the street-level feel that is important to making it believable. Ditto for the various characters, who all come with very distinctive looks and who are extremely expressive and real as well. Gaudiano coming onboard as an inker has been another blessing, as he brings out a sharper quality in Lark's pencils that I had missed in earlier issues, and no doubt helps in the increase in detail that I've seen as the series has progressed.
Gotham Central is absolutely one of the best books coming out of DC right now, and, predictably, it's struggling in sales as a result. Gotham Central has all the strengths of a good TV cop drama, along with the unique twist of taking place in the DC Universe, and the creators have taken that strong premise and turned in a fantastic book. Fans of crime fiction, whether you like super-heroes or not, should not miss this book, and fans of the world of Gotham who are interested in something beyond a billionaire in black tights should check it out as well.
