A killer is on the loose, someone is stalking Arkham Towers’ Dr. Zeller, the subways are out of control, and Anarky’s just pulled a big-time heist! With Vandal Savage diverting the GCPD’s resources to his single-minded war against the Bats and the Bat-Family trying to stop Poison Ivy while evading the GCPD, there’s almost no one left to do actual police work! Looks like officers Gordon and Espinoza have their work cut out for them. Batman: Bad Seeds – Gotham Central #1 is a fantastic issue that puts the spotlight on the GCPD during the chaos.

Gotham Central was one of the best series DC Comics ever released. The series focused on the GCPD and how they attempted to function and do their job in a city filled with masks and capes. It’s a concept we haven’t really had since, though there’s been some teases here and there, especially recently, as the GCPD has undergone radical changes with Vandal Savage becoming the Commissioner and James Gordon being demoted back to being a regular copy.

Written by Christopher Cantwell, Batman: Bad Seeds – Gotham Central #1 feels like a nod back to Gotham Central, with Gordon and his partner dealing with a dead body and possible murder even during all of the chaos that’s going on. It feels a little odd that Gordon isn’t knee deep trying to help out during the current “attack” by Ivy and her plant army, but there’s also something to the character bucking the focus on going after the “capes” in the city during it and not helping Savage and his agenda. Instead, Gordon and Espinoza go rather old-school dealing with a found body and determining if it’s just a victim of the plant attack going on or if there’s something else occurring.

Cantwell excels at delivering small details that elevate the story. How Gordon and Espinoza react to the orders from above is great, but it’s really how the two examine the body and the conclusions they come to that’s interesting. It’s solid and has the comic come off as real detective work instead of leaps. It also evolves from that simple homicide investigation to something far more tense with packed crowds and a killer hunting his victim. The comic blends a classic police story with a tense horror story of a murder hunting his next prey. To say it’s good, is an understatement.

The art by Jacob Phillips is near perfect. It’s so close but there’s some panels where the the light on top of Gordon’s police car just disappears and while that might seem minor, it’s a visible art error that I wound up focusing on (probably far more than I should have). It’s a small detail but an important one in an action sequence. Phillips excels at the reactions from Gordon, Espinoza, and the rest of the cast of characters as an investigation takes place then a desperate race to stop a murder begins. The art matches the tension well creating story and visuals that combine for an issue that you can feel the heart begin to race. Phillips is joined by Becca Carey on the lettering which adds to the emotions of the issue. There’s a cool and calm aspect to Gordon and Espinoza as things play out and the lettering reflects it and adds to the atmosphere of the comic.

Batman: Bad Seeds – Gotham Central #1 is a fantastic issue that gives us a tense race to stop a killer in the middle of a city in Chaos. It emphasizes the type of person Gordon is and delivers some surprises. The issue is perfect to be adapted for the small screen, or even the big one, and has us clamoring for a new series focused just on the GCPD for all its good and bad.

Story: Christopher Cantwell Art: Jacob Phillips Letterer: Becca Carey
Story: 10 Art: 9.5 Overall: 10 Recommendation: Buy

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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