GOTHAM CENTRAL BOOK TWO JOKERS AND MADMEN
Ed Brubaker/ Greg Rucka
2009
DC Comics
This is the second hard cover collection of the wonderful stories of the Gotham Police Department. Written by Brubaker and Rucka it feels like they are channeling Ed McBain, the true master of police procedurals.
This collection covers two separate stories, the first involves the Joker going on yet another rampage, this time during x-mas. The second is Detective Harvey Bullock trying to redeem some grace after he has screwed up big time.
What really makes this work is the fact that while set in Gotham, it’s not about Batman, or even his Rogues gallery. Gotham is overflowing with crime and corruption and having a vigilante in town just makes the job harder. This is about the cops working cases and putting up with all the crap that goes along with it. Brubaker and Rucka put a very human face on these characters and it’s compelling and suspenseful and wonderful. The art is gritty and adds to the mood of the book perfectly, dark and a bit bleak, but not completely hopeless.
Jon Jordan
