A Normal Day In Gotham
Greg Rucka and Ed Brubaker's Gotham Central is a unique take on the world of Gotham written from the perspective of the men and women who fight to protect it without high-tech gadgets or super powers to aid them along. Michael Lark's artwork grounds it in reality, emphasizing the mundane more so than the grittiness of life in Gotham, a style that evokes memories of Batman: Year One. At points, one can't help but smile a little at how silly Mr. Freeze appears to be when juxtaposed against a realistically rendered and utterly common-place environment - like a cheap motel - but it's fidelity to reality makes Charlie Field's death much more chilling than anything shown in much "edgier" Batman books. Joined by past Rucka favourites, Renee Montoya and Crispus Allen, the new members of the GPCD are instantly likable, although getting to learn all their names can be difficult at times. All-in-all an enjoyable first issue to a very thoughtful and interesting series.