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Batman
Batman: Officer Down
Commissioner Gordon's been shot!
Three shots from the darkness, and the Dark Knight's greatest ally has fallen. Batman, sworn to bring the gunman to justice, begins his hunt with the only eyewitness to the crime -- Catwoman! But the trail to Gordon's attacker is riddled with more intrigue than Batman could have predicted, as the clues start to unravel the terrible truth of the assailant's identity.
As Commissioner Gordon lies near death, Batman, with the aid of his proteges (Nightwing, Robin, Batgirl, Azrael, and Oracle) must solve one of their most challenging and personal cases -- Who shot Commissioner Gordon?!
Collects:
- Batman #587
- Robin #86
- Birds of Prey #27
- Catwoman #90
- Nightwing #53
- Detective Comics #754
- Batman: Gotham Knights #13.
Three shots from the darkness, and the Dark Knight's greatest ally has fallen. Batman, sworn to bring the gunman to justice, begins his hunt with the only eyewitness to the crime -- Catwoman! But the trail to Gordon's attacker is riddled with more intrigue than Batman could have predicted, as the clues start to unravel the terrible truth of the assailant's identity.
As Commissioner Gordon lies near death, Batman, with the aid of his proteges (Nightwing, Robin, Batgirl, Azrael, and Oracle) must solve one of their most challenging and personal cases -- Who shot Commissioner Gordon?!
Collects:
- Batman #587
- Robin #86
- Birds of Prey #27
- Catwoman #90
- Nightwing #53
- Detective Comics #754
- Batman: Gotham Knights #13.
168 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2001
About the author
Greg Rucka
1,534 books1,956 followersGreg Rucka, is an American comic book writer and novelist, known for his work on such comics as Action Comics, Batwoman: Detective Comics, and the miniseries Superman: World of New Krypton for DC Comics, and for novels such as his Queen & Country series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
March 8, 2017
Jim Gordon gets shot three times in the back on his birthday – Gothamites party hardcore! Catwoman’s at the scene of the crime. Whodunit - and whydunit?!
Batman: Officer Down is another in a seemingly endless line of godawful Batman comics I’ve been reading lately. I sure can pick them, eh?
For no reason, when Gordon’s shot, Batman stands by his bed like a lemon for almost the entire book while the Bat-family and the GCPD look for Catwoman who obviously didn’t shoot him! But they still waste a ton of time stupidly chasing Catwoman - why’s she running at all?! Just tell Nightwing or whoever what’s what! FFS!! - only for her to tell you what you already know. It’s the thinnest of plotlines.
The shooter’s reveal is underwhelming to say the least. It’s an unknown character who did it for boring reasons and the book ends unsatisfyingly, almost anticlimactically, especially as the change didn’t stick and was just done for this dumb “New Gotham” nonsense from this era of Batman.
This book also has some of the worst art I’ve ever seen in a Batman book - a different artist draws each issue unremarkably but the one drawn by The Pander Brothers looked like they did it in MS Paint with a shaky mouse! No wonder I’ve never seen these guys’ work in anything else.
Officer Down is a shitty cop show episode with added capes. Like other terrible Batman crossovers, it has the kind of storyline that could’ve been wrapped up within two issues rather than seven but got padded out to sell more comics. Officer Down is a completely awful, forgettable Batman comic that fully deserves to be out of print!
Batman: Officer Down is another in a seemingly endless line of godawful Batman comics I’ve been reading lately. I sure can pick them, eh?
For no reason, when Gordon’s shot, Batman stands by his bed like a lemon for almost the entire book while the Bat-family and the GCPD look for Catwoman who obviously didn’t shoot him! But they still waste a ton of time stupidly chasing Catwoman - why’s she running at all?! Just tell Nightwing or whoever what’s what! FFS!! - only for her to tell you what you already know. It’s the thinnest of plotlines.
The shooter’s reveal is underwhelming to say the least. It’s an unknown character who did it for boring reasons and the book ends unsatisfyingly, almost anticlimactically, especially as the change didn’t stick and was just done for this dumb “New Gotham” nonsense from this era of Batman.
This book also has some of the worst art I’ve ever seen in a Batman book - a different artist draws each issue unremarkably but the one drawn by The Pander Brothers looked like they did it in MS Paint with a shaky mouse! No wonder I’ve never seen these guys’ work in anything else.
Officer Down is a shitty cop show episode with added capes. Like other terrible Batman crossovers, it has the kind of storyline that could’ve been wrapped up within two issues rather than seven but got padded out to sell more comics. Officer Down is a completely awful, forgettable Batman comic that fully deserves to be out of print!
December 31, 2019
This was pretty interesting. Some of the 90s art was really hard to get used to. Especially in the Robin issue.
Catwoman's characterization confused me a bit. As did Bruce's, particularly in response to Dick.
Commissioner Gordon has been shot and the Batfam and the GCPD are in search of who did it. This whole thing is a bit of a solid mystery in which the cops and the vigilantes try to do right by Gordon. Surprisingly, I didn't get a ton of emotion from anyone but Batman in this and it was mostly just guilt.
Montoya has always had issues with abiding by the law and not abusing her power. It's a flaw that is interesting for a female cop but, of course, not admirable.
Anyway, it's a tentative recommend as a solid Batfam story.
Catwoman's characterization confused me a bit. As did Bruce's, particularly in response to Dick.
Commissioner Gordon has been shot and the Batfam and the GCPD are in search of who did it. This whole thing is a bit of a solid mystery in which the cops and the vigilantes try to do right by Gordon. Surprisingly, I didn't get a ton of emotion from anyone but Batman in this and it was mostly just guilt.
Montoya has always had issues with abiding by the law and not abusing her power. It's a flaw that is interesting for a female cop but, of course, not admirable.
Anyway, it's a tentative recommend as a solid Batfam story.
August 5, 2023
Another fantastic Rucka entry into the police procedural aspect of Gotham. There are no real supervillains with elaborate plans or wacky and colourful outfits, just a ground level crime that has ricocheting effects across the force and the vigilantes alike. Very well executed and written, it’s definitely one for the crime fans out there.
January 21, 2017
3.7 stars. It's good drama with a set of vivid characters! Beside the action scenes, this volume also contents a lot of emotional dramas and I quite like it!
PS: I just have to wonder are Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon an item? Or at least they used to be?
PS: I just have to wonder are Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon an item? Or at least they used to be?
September 27, 2024
“Batman: Officer Down” collects Batman #587 - Robin #86 - Birds of Prey #27 - Catwoman #90 - Nightwing #53 - Detective Comics #754 - Batman: Gotham Knights #13.
The story: While confronting Catwoman, Commissioner Gordon is shot in the back three times. The Bat Family seek out Catwoman in order to figure out whodunnit. The story has a crime/mystery bent to it and doesn’t feature all of the supernatural villains you often encounter in Batman stories.
Since so many hands were involved in this collection, you really get a variety of art styles . . . and some are really bad. Some of the issues look hyper realistic why others look like kid drawings or are incredibly cartoony looking characters (I swear one guy has Buzz Lightyear’s chin).
While these disparate pieces are collected as a “Batman” collection, he really doesn’t do much of anything in this one besides stand by Gordon’s bedside while his team does all the work.
The story: While confronting Catwoman, Commissioner Gordon is shot in the back three times. The Bat Family seek out Catwoman in order to figure out whodunnit. The story has a crime/mystery bent to it and doesn’t feature all of the supernatural villains you often encounter in Batman stories.
Since so many hands were involved in this collection, you really get a variety of art styles . . . and some are really bad. Some of the issues look hyper realistic why others look like kid drawings or are incredibly cartoony looking characters (I swear one guy has Buzz Lightyear’s chin).
While these disparate pieces are collected as a “Batman” collection, he really doesn’t do much of anything in this one besides stand by Gordon’s bedside while his team does all the work.
August 10, 2015
Batman: Officer Down is a very different take on a Batman story. The main theme being how little Batman is involved. It begins with a terrific premise. The gunning down of a police officer in Gotham. The key being that the Officer Down is Commissioner Jim Gordon, shot three times in the back.
What follows is the investigation and manhunt for the shooter. The effect of the crime on the police force, the superheroes and eventually on Gordon himself. This tale is a crossover event through the Batman comics and had the potential of being one of the best Batman stories ever told. Unfortunately the execution does not measure up to the potential of the story.
At a celebratory dinner in his honor, Commissioner Gordon leaves the party and begins to walk down the streets where he is met by Catwoman. As he attempts to apprehend her, he is shot three times in the back. Catwoman is seen fleeing the scene and the investigation begins. At first Catwoman is suspected but evidence shows that Gordon was shot in the back, so she goes from being a suspect to the lone eye witness. The police, led by Detectives Bullock and Montoya and the superheroes, led by Nightwing and Robin, investigate the shooting. The Batman, seems paralyzed, unable to do more than stand at Gordon's bedside in shock. As the investigation moves forward, the answer to who the shooter is has a dramatic effect on all involved. Even more so, is the fact that he will get away with it.
Officer Down is one of the first comic series that focuses almost as much as the non super heroes as it does the costumed crusaders. The story is passed from comic to comic and writer to writer. That is its major flaw. It lacks the strength of continuity that would come from it being told with one strong voice. The story itself is very good, but it lacks in delivery. Gordon's reaction at the end to the shooting. Batman's reaction is completely out of character. Doing nothing while his friend lays dying? We have seen in prior books with the death of Jason and the shooting of Barbara Gordon that Batman would not stand still. Instead, here he seems to revert to the small boy Bruce Wayne kneeling at the bloody bodies of his parents. The impact of the shooting on the relationship between Alfred and Batman. It just seems out of line. But the story itself is good. A police shooting, Gordon the victim and the possibility that justice will not prevail.
A very good premise that fails in execution.
What follows is the investigation and manhunt for the shooter. The effect of the crime on the police force, the superheroes and eventually on Gordon himself. This tale is a crossover event through the Batman comics and had the potential of being one of the best Batman stories ever told. Unfortunately the execution does not measure up to the potential of the story.
At a celebratory dinner in his honor, Commissioner Gordon leaves the party and begins to walk down the streets where he is met by Catwoman. As he attempts to apprehend her, he is shot three times in the back. Catwoman is seen fleeing the scene and the investigation begins. At first Catwoman is suspected but evidence shows that Gordon was shot in the back, so she goes from being a suspect to the lone eye witness. The police, led by Detectives Bullock and Montoya and the superheroes, led by Nightwing and Robin, investigate the shooting. The Batman, seems paralyzed, unable to do more than stand at Gordon's bedside in shock. As the investigation moves forward, the answer to who the shooter is has a dramatic effect on all involved. Even more so, is the fact that he will get away with it.
Officer Down is one of the first comic series that focuses almost as much as the non super heroes as it does the costumed crusaders. The story is passed from comic to comic and writer to writer. That is its major flaw. It lacks the strength of continuity that would come from it being told with one strong voice. The story itself is very good, but it lacks in delivery. Gordon's reaction at the end to the shooting. Batman's reaction is completely out of character. Doing nothing while his friend lays dying? We have seen in prior books with the death of Jason and the shooting of Barbara Gordon that Batman would not stand still. Instead, here he seems to revert to the small boy Bruce Wayne kneeling at the bloody bodies of his parents. The impact of the shooting on the relationship between Alfred and Batman. It just seems out of line. But the story itself is good. A police shooting, Gordon the victim and the possibility that justice will not prevail.
A very good premise that fails in execution.
October 15, 2016
This comic was really well done. The story line, the illustrations, the emotions. All of it put together made an excellent comic that you could just sit back and enjoy. I loved the loyalty that was displayed and also the strong bonds of friendship. It was all wonderful and exciting to read. I'm glad to have read this comic, since it gave me a greater idea about the strong bonds that James Gordon has with both his fellow police officers and the Batman. I recommend reading this comic as it is a great story with detailed illustrations that you will just love.
April 24, 2013
Si algo destaca a Greg Rucka y Ed Brubaker - quienes firman esta serie - es su habilidad para entregar tintes novelescos a sus guiones.
Particularmente en Batman, donde su amor por el noir se traduce en buenos pasajes e historias agridulces como la presente, con un Gordon en su hora más negra mientras la policía y los vigilantes buscan desesperadamente al culpable. Buenos diálogos, mejores pasajes y el aparente cierre de una etapa; magnífica.
Particularmente en Batman, donde su amor por el noir se traduce en buenos pasajes e historias agridulces como la presente, con un Gordon en su hora más negra mientras la policía y los vigilantes buscan desesperadamente al culpable. Buenos diálogos, mejores pasajes y el aparente cierre de una etapa; magnífica.
November 22, 2021
Tomo 10 de 20. Traduce Batman:Gotham Knights 13, Detective Comics 755, Robin 87, Batman 591-592
y Gotham Knights 17.
Este mismo contenido se repetiría en Batman La Colección Tomo 52: Agente Herido.
y Gotham Knights 17.
Este mismo contenido se repetiría en Batman La Colección Tomo 52: Agente Herido.
September 6, 2020
This should've been an emotional home run. After Jim Gordon gets shot in the back and nearly dies, the GCPD and the Bat family try to solve the mystery of who fired the shots. With Gordon barely hanging in there, it feels like a ripe opportunity to delve into deeper character territory, examining what Gordon means to so many of these characters and how his death would change their lives. There's a little bit of this in here, but I think DC left most of this semi-eulogizing to the similarly-mediocre Batman: Turning Points, which was published simultaneously.
Unfortunately, instead, this is a very paint-by-numbers whodunit with some truly meaningless reveals and twists that show the would-be murderer to be a complete rando we've never heard of, and had no way of "solving" ourselves. It robs the story of any impact, and leads to some truly ridiculous detective work and good-cop bad-cop scenes. There's really just nothing to care about here. The story feels... neutered somehow. Like Rucka and company were going to write a much more meaningful, impactful story, but DC told them the killer couldn't be anyone popular. As such, this is extremely weak.
As usual, I didn't hate Rucka's writing by any stretch. He writes two of the seven issues collected here, and I believe structured the entire story, and there's a certain deftness to the physical writing that Rucka always manages to make shine even in the weakest stories. Unfortunately, though, this one just doesn't really stand up to much scrutiny, and what should have been a monumental story in the Bat-iverse is instead very easily forgotten.
Unfortunately, instead, this is a very paint-by-numbers whodunit with some truly meaningless reveals and twists that show the would-be murderer to be a complete rando we've never heard of, and had no way of "solving" ourselves. It robs the story of any impact, and leads to some truly ridiculous detective work and good-cop bad-cop scenes. There's really just nothing to care about here. The story feels... neutered somehow. Like Rucka and company were going to write a much more meaningful, impactful story, but DC told them the killer couldn't be anyone popular. As such, this is extremely weak.
As usual, I didn't hate Rucka's writing by any stretch. He writes two of the seven issues collected here, and I believe structured the entire story, and there's a certain deftness to the physical writing that Rucka always manages to make shine even in the weakest stories. Unfortunately, though, this one just doesn't really stand up to much scrutiny, and what should have been a monumental story in the Bat-iverse is instead very easily forgotten.
March 7, 2021
I really enjoyed the very nicely stylised art and in depth exploration of the consequences of an officer being shot down. The breakdown of the detective process to find the perp is some of the best stuff in batman comics, that feeling of watching a police procedural play out with the twists and turns is heightened by the far more realised characters of the comics. The impact Jim's assault had on batman highlighted an often overlooked connection between the two defenders of Gotham. I thought that the explorations of the power of police through the handcuff keys was very poignant to today's discussions of police brutality. Additionally, the ambiguous ending highlights questions about justice and the greater good, leaving the reader to confront many uncomfortable quandries. The only thing that held this back was the absence of certain characters in parts of the story, as is the nature of crossovers between different books, some characters were entirely missing from certain issues, making the overall piece feel less connected.
Overall, officer down is a great batman story with a brilliant focus on the gcpd and its relationship to batman, with some very appealing and impressive art, this is a great reccomendation to most batman fans.
Overall, officer down is a great batman story with a brilliant focus on the gcpd and its relationship to batman, with some very appealing and impressive art, this is a great reccomendation to most batman fans.
July 23, 2017
I picked this one up for it's continuity with the Birds of Prey series of the time, but it does hold up fine as a stand alone book.
The police procedural elements were good, but the Batman opting for bedside vigil instead of leading the hunt was a surprise.
The big reveal of the shooter and the motive was certainly believable , but in a book full of costumed vigilantes it actually became quite banal. (Really? That was it?)
Although a good story, it does feel inconsistent throughout, but that is surely down the fact there were six writers, a different one for virtually each "chapter"...
The police procedural elements were good, but the Batman opting for bedside vigil instead of leading the hunt was a surprise.
The big reveal of the shooter and the motive was certainly believable , but in a book full of costumed vigilantes it actually became quite banal. (Really? That was it?)
Although a good story, it does feel inconsistent throughout, but that is surely down the fact there were six writers, a different one for virtually each "chapter"...
September 27, 2015
Actual rating: 3.5 stars. I only read this because a Birds of Prey issue was included and while I have no idea which issue that was because there's no mention of the Birds of Prey in this volume, I did like this. It's a really interesting story arc.
April 4, 2015
An extremely well done Batman story which shows the complexity and relationships between the characters. It's a must read for Batman fans.
September 23, 2010
High in drama, great in art, good in action. What not to like?
April 14, 2026
If you are looking for simplistic, swashbuckling 1960s Batman or 90s violence, this volume may not be for you. "Officer Down" is a character study of Gotham, Batman's place in it, Gordon's importance to that community, and the supporting Bat family. This leans into the police procedural and leans out of the superhero stuff. Batman is human and so is his supporting cast in this tale about friendship, loyalty, and grief.
The speech that Nightwing gives Barbara is touching: "All of us are what we are because we lost something we thought we couldn't live without, and were proven wrong. We can survive without parents and without walking and even without always being able to protect the people we love. But we can't survive without knowing in our bones that we're not like them, not like the ones who stole from us."
For me, the emotional stakes are high as Montoya, Barbara, Alfred, and Bruce are all pushed by their grief into being tempted to let go of their principles. Alfred's choice to not continue to be codependent in Bruce's moping around was powerful to me. I know that some will find Bruce's moping around to be out of character, but I'd argue that his love for his friends are "in character" for sure. It's also important to mention that Batman has a full arc: he goes from angry, to sad, to stoic, and finally to reconciliation. (This arc makes Bruce's pouting different than his prolonged, emotional distance in "Murderer," "Fugitive," and especially "War Games.")
The interrogation room scenes were tension filled and well written. The author focuses on Montoya, her partner, and Bullock enough for us to get a good glimpse into who they are as characters.
I love how the culprit's fear of Batman is more powerful than Batman himself. I also appreciate that Bat can't fight his way of this one. In a sense, his superpower of always being prepared is taken away by his sadness, which is interesting--it reminds me of the Batman Animated episode "Dreams in Darkness," which is a compliment coming from me.
The plot twists near the end didn't work as well as the rest of the comic for me. The villain gets away but, similar to the Batman Animated series episode "If You're So Smart, Why Aren't You Rich," the villain is free from the law, but is so scared or vigilantism that he can't enjoy it.
The art differed from issue to issue, which will bother some people, but remember that this ran across multiple titles back in the day. The story was well edited and kept a unified tone, which is no small feat.
After reading this, I am ready to crack open Gotham City Central and hunt for more Bat family titles from this New Gotham era from the early 2000s.
The speech that Nightwing gives Barbara is touching: "All of us are what we are because we lost something we thought we couldn't live without, and were proven wrong. We can survive without parents and without walking and even without always being able to protect the people we love. But we can't survive without knowing in our bones that we're not like them, not like the ones who stole from us."
For me, the emotional stakes are high as Montoya, Barbara, Alfred, and Bruce are all pushed by their grief into being tempted to let go of their principles. Alfred's choice to not continue to be codependent in Bruce's moping around was powerful to me. I know that some will find Bruce's moping around to be out of character, but I'd argue that his love for his friends are "in character" for sure. It's also important to mention that Batman has a full arc: he goes from angry, to sad, to stoic, and finally to reconciliation. (This arc makes Bruce's pouting different than his prolonged, emotional distance in "Murderer," "Fugitive," and especially "War Games.")
The interrogation room scenes were tension filled and well written. The author focuses on Montoya, her partner, and Bullock enough for us to get a good glimpse into who they are as characters.
I love how the culprit's fear of Batman is more powerful than Batman himself. I also appreciate that Bat can't fight his way of this one. In a sense, his superpower of always being prepared is taken away by his sadness, which is interesting--it reminds me of the Batman Animated episode "Dreams in Darkness," which is a compliment coming from me.
The plot twists near the end didn't work as well as the rest of the comic for me. The villain gets away but, similar to the Batman Animated series episode "If You're So Smart, Why Aren't You Rich," the villain is free from the law, but is so scared or vigilantism that he can't enjoy it.
The art differed from issue to issue, which will bother some people, but remember that this ran across multiple titles back in the day. The story was well edited and kept a unified tone, which is no small feat.
After reading this, I am ready to crack open Gotham City Central and hunt for more Bat family titles from this New Gotham era from the early 2000s.
March 10, 2021
Officer Down is a collection of seven issues from a multi-titled series. Commissioner Gordon is shot by an unknown assailant, and the Batman Family must investigate the attempted murder while their longtime friend in the police department is in a coma. Batman: Officer Down collects: Batman #587, Robin #86, Birds of Prey #27, Catwoman #90, Nightwing #53, Detective Comics #754, and Gotham Knights #13.
"Officer Down" is a seven-issue storyline (Batman #587, Robin #86, Birds of Prey #27, Catwoman #90, Nightwing #53, Detective Comics #754, and Gotham Knights #13), which has Bruce Wayne as Batman solving a mystery of an extremely personal nature: the assassination attempt on Commissioner James Gordon. As Batman delves deeper into the mystery, he quickly learns that this is more than a simple whodunit. Enlisting the aids of Robin, Batgirl, Nightwing, Azrael, and Oracle, Batman discovers the true and shocking identity of the assailant and now must live up to his oath to bring him to justice.
Greg Rucka (Batman #587 and Batman: Gotham Knights #13), Ed Brubaker (Robin #86), Chuck Dixon (Birds of Prey #27), Bronwyn Carlton (Catwoman #90), Devon Grayson (Nightwing #53), and Nunzio DeFilippis (Detective Comics #754) penned the trade paperback. For the most part, it was written moderately well. It was an ambitious project involving most of the Batman Family titles, but the execution could have been better. For the most part, Bruce Wayne as Batman did very little, while he depended on his family to chase down the only witness – Catwoman only to reveal a very unsatisfying answer of the true identity of the shooter.
Rick Burchett (Batman #587, Nightwing #53, and Batman: Gotham Knights #13), Jacob Pander and Arnold Pander (Robin #86), N. Steven Harris (Birds of Prey #27), Mike Lily (Catwoman #90), and Mike Collins (Detective Comics #754) penciled the trade paperback. For the most part, their penciling meshed too much and would have served the artistic flow better if only penciler doing the story or at least a couple with complementary styles.
All in all, Batman: Officer Down is an ambitious multi-titled storyline line with an interesting premise, but a mediocre execution.
"Officer Down" is a seven-issue storyline (Batman #587, Robin #86, Birds of Prey #27, Catwoman #90, Nightwing #53, Detective Comics #754, and Gotham Knights #13), which has Bruce Wayne as Batman solving a mystery of an extremely personal nature: the assassination attempt on Commissioner James Gordon. As Batman delves deeper into the mystery, he quickly learns that this is more than a simple whodunit. Enlisting the aids of Robin, Batgirl, Nightwing, Azrael, and Oracle, Batman discovers the true and shocking identity of the assailant and now must live up to his oath to bring him to justice.
Greg Rucka (Batman #587 and Batman: Gotham Knights #13), Ed Brubaker (Robin #86), Chuck Dixon (Birds of Prey #27), Bronwyn Carlton (Catwoman #90), Devon Grayson (Nightwing #53), and Nunzio DeFilippis (Detective Comics #754) penned the trade paperback. For the most part, it was written moderately well. It was an ambitious project involving most of the Batman Family titles, but the execution could have been better. For the most part, Bruce Wayne as Batman did very little, while he depended on his family to chase down the only witness – Catwoman only to reveal a very unsatisfying answer of the true identity of the shooter.
Rick Burchett (Batman #587, Nightwing #53, and Batman: Gotham Knights #13), Jacob Pander and Arnold Pander (Robin #86), N. Steven Harris (Birds of Prey #27), Mike Lily (Catwoman #90), and Mike Collins (Detective Comics #754) penciled the trade paperback. For the most part, their penciling meshed too much and would have served the artistic flow better if only penciler doing the story or at least a couple with complementary styles.
All in all, Batman: Officer Down is an ambitious multi-titled storyline line with an interesting premise, but a mediocre execution.
August 22, 2020
When Commissioner Gordon is shot and critically wounded, the GCPD and Gotham's masked vigilantes all set out to track down and punish the one responsible. Batman, however, finds himself crippled by guilt and anger, pushing away even his closest friends in his grief.
What I liked about this Batman story is, perversely, that it is very light on the Batman.
Whilst the Dark Knight wallows in his own fear and misery over the shooting of one of his oldest friends, it falls upon the so-called Bat-family and the detectives who served under Jim Gordon to solve the crime.
It's a nice exploration of how Batman's apprentices, particularly Nightwing and Oracle, have largely outgrown their mentor, whilst simultaneously showing us that Gotham's police aren't incompetent and corrupt as they were before Gordon took over, when Batman was first starting out. In many ways it shows us that perhaps Gotham no-longer needs Commissioner Gordon and Batman.
For all that I liked the territory and themes it explored, I have to say that the quality of the artwork on offer here is far from consistent.
Being made up of issues from half a dozen different ongoing series, it's a real mishmash of styles and some of it (the Pander brothers, in particular) is just not that good.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.com/ *
What I liked about this Batman story is, perversely, that it is very light on the Batman.
Whilst the Dark Knight wallows in his own fear and misery over the shooting of one of his oldest friends, it falls upon the so-called Bat-family and the detectives who served under Jim Gordon to solve the crime.
It's a nice exploration of how Batman's apprentices, particularly Nightwing and Oracle, have largely outgrown their mentor, whilst simultaneously showing us that Gotham's police aren't incompetent and corrupt as they were before Gordon took over, when Batman was first starting out. In many ways it shows us that perhaps Gotham no-longer needs Commissioner Gordon and Batman.
For all that I liked the territory and themes it explored, I have to say that the quality of the artwork on offer here is far from consistent.
Being made up of issues from half a dozen different ongoing series, it's a real mishmash of styles and some of it (the Pander brothers, in particular) is just not that good.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.com/ *
August 14, 2020
This takes place after NML. The Gordon family still can't catch a break as Commissioner Gordon gets shot three times and it is up to the Bat Family and the GCPD to figure out who the killer is. I really love this story and I think it's really underrated. I was surprised that there was a cohesive story considering the fact that there usually was a different author and artist tandem per story. The only issue that I did not like was Brubaker's story. I really think Catwoman acted out of character. It didn't help that the Pander Brothers' art was horrendous in that issue. Other than that, everything was perfect.
The book showed how much Gordon is respected and that GCPD is really like a family. It also showed how this incident took a toll on Batman and Barbara Gordon. There was also a good crime-solving and interrogation scene. I really like the new Allen-Montoya tandem. Can't wait to see more of them in the future. Lastly, the issue has ramifications as it forced Gordon to make an important decision. This is truly a must-read story.
The book showed how much Gordon is respected and that GCPD is really like a family. It also showed how this incident took a toll on Batman and Barbara Gordon. There was also a good crime-solving and interrogation scene. I really like the new Allen-Montoya tandem. Can't wait to see more of them in the future. Lastly, the issue has ramifications as it forced Gordon to make an important decision. This is truly a must-read story.
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December 10, 2024Batman officer down,Authors,Greg Ruvka,Rondney Ramos,Rick Burchtt
As he lies near death Batman with the proteges of some friends must solve one of their most challenging and personal cases.Something that I liked about the book was how much they cared for their friend and how they wanted justice for him.The characters were interesting because of how they showed their friendship with the commissioner and Batman.They all went to find who shot the commissioner and let Batman stay with his friend.This book can connect to real life by how it shows the emotions that the characters have because it shows how fiction characters can connect to real life.I think people would like the book because of the mysteries on who killed the commissioner.I would recommend this because the book has mysteries, the action in the book and if they like comic books.I would give it a 4 out of 5.
As he lies near death Batman with the proteges of some friends must solve one of their most challenging and personal cases.Something that I liked about the book was how much they cared for their friend and how they wanted justice for him.The characters were interesting because of how they showed their friendship with the commissioner and Batman.They all went to find who shot the commissioner and let Batman stay with his friend.This book can connect to real life by how it shows the emotions that the characters have because it shows how fiction characters can connect to real life.I think people would like the book because of the mysteries on who killed the commissioner.I would recommend this because the book has mysteries, the action in the book and if they like comic books.I would give it a 4 out of 5.
October 13, 2023
Bruce/Batman is such a weirdo in this one and it works well. It feels like build up for him for Bruce Wayne: Murderer?/Fugitive. But anyway he is so something. He takes his anger out on some random criminal and Dick when he finds out about the commissioner. The way he puts his own grief for Jim Gordon over Barbara’s, who is Gordon’s daughter, is so interesting. And then at the end he attempts to beat a confession out of the guy responsible and fails. And then! He gets mad at Gordon for wanting to retire after almost dying. I get that they reconcile but truly a weird time for the Batman.
Anyway. Cool stuff. Montoya is clearly at a breaking point in this which is intriguing. I hope she quits. Babs has good moments. As do some others. ✌️.
Anyway. Cool stuff. Montoya is clearly at a breaking point in this which is intriguing. I hope she quits. Babs has good moments. As do some others. ✌️.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2026
The Brubaker/Rucka/Dixon era is one of my favorite eras of Batman. This was a solid police procedural. Gotham Central by Brubaker and Rucka has such a special place in my heart and it was nice to see some of that aspect before they really honed it down. The artwork... It's very 90s/early 2000s, some of it took time to get used to it.
The basic plot is that Commissioner Gordon is shot 3 times in the back, all evidence and first hand accounts point to Catwoman. Batman sends the entirety of his underlings to investigate.
If you liked this, definitely read: No Man's Land, Batman: Murderer/Fugitive, and Gothem Central.
The basic plot is that Commissioner Gordon is shot 3 times in the back, all evidence and first hand accounts point to Catwoman. Batman sends the entirety of his underlings to investigate.
If you liked this, definitely read: No Man's Land, Batman: Murderer/Fugitive, and Gothem Central.
July 5, 2019
It was ok. The main story was good, with an interesting reveal. My main complaint was the behavior of Batman himself was sometimes absolutely horrible, and it was worst in the Robin issue written by Brubaker. In the end, Gordon retiried and Alfred quit. A very strange shakeup. The Alfred thing was especially weird, although Alfred's words were rather eloquent, one of the better dialogues in the book. Eh, whatever. I liked the GCPD stuff best.
August 11, 2019
57/130 (2019 Reading Challenge)
Fairly decent story, Gordon gets shot, Batman’s various protégés band together to solve the mystery. That art work was again fairly decent throughout. I think more could gave been made of the mystery. They found the suspect, okay was them. No misdirection or surprises really. Still enjoyable though.
Fairly decent story, Gordon gets shot, Batman’s various protégés band together to solve the mystery. That art work was again fairly decent throughout. I think more could gave been made of the mystery. They found the suspect, okay was them. No misdirection or surprises really. Still enjoyable though.
February 18, 2023
This was so good. Commissioner Gordon is shot, and the Bat Family sets out to find the would-be killer. What is presented is an actual mystery, and each member of the Family gets their own "screen" time. There's a great deal of character growth; in particular, Batman / Bruce gets to really develop as a character. I really enjoyed this.
November 18, 2025
I was surprised how much I liked this mini event, Im not usually big on cop focused BM stories but I found myself enjoying the way this played out more often than not. Odd to me they didnt include Batgirl #12 in this print seeing as it is the only Tie-in apart of this arch but I did end up reading it anyway.
May 12, 2018
I always like Batfamily and Bruce/Gordon action, but this one starts off strong and then just never gets really intense like it should. The beginning and ending are satisfying though and definitely a must-read if you like Gordon.
November 14, 2023
Situado tras Tierra de nadie y entre los volúmenes 1 y 2 de Nueva Gotham, se narra los hechos que lleva a Gordon a dejar de ser comisario en Gotham. Misterio y crudeza se dan la mano en esta historia bastante relevante para la historia de Batman.
October 25, 2024
The drama was enjoyable even if the ending was kind of disappointing. For a Batman story Batman didn't do much, mostly it was the Batfamily and police working the case. It was enjoyable to see the Batfamily working together though 💖
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June 25, 2026I liked this more when I read it as the comics came out. The story feels forced, poorly paced and scripted. There’s no big twist that is typical of this type of story. It’s not bad but it’s definitely not good. I’d give this a 2.5 because it could have been better.
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