Gotham Central Omnibus Hardcover – 10 May 2016

Anyone who turns a nose up at the entertainment value and artistic merits of graphic novels should think again if they take a peek through Gotham Central. This substantial hardback - the size and weight of a large dictionary no less - collects all the editions of the Gotham Central comic book series. It is brilliantly entertaining - combining the police procedural approach of Ed McBain's 87th Precinct series of novels (name-checked in the introduction) with the super-hero world of Batman and his associated villians in Gotham City. The artwork is uniformly excellent, and clever writing and graphics help to unfold a rich series of stories in a deceptively simple format. Just what would it be like to be cop working the beat where a masked super-hero intervenes on a regular basis, solving crimes and causing mayhem in equal measure? Well, here's where you get to find out. The characters are brilliantly real, their dilemmas and challenges are all-too-familiar, and the stories crack along at the briskest of paces. Hugely enjoyable to dip into for a couple of stories at a time, it is hard to resist the tempatation to hurry greedily through the contents the book is that good. Big to handle and certainly pricey - but terrific entertainment.

Very carefully & brilliant dialogues from Brubaker love the character designs too. Nice alternative take on Gotham tales. More to read.

Outstanding piece of work. The artwork, even by different artists, is consistent with the theme and the writing, again by different writers, absolutely spot on. This genuinely felt like an HBO box set experience - but as a graphic novel.The use of Batman in this is very, very clever and gives a different view of him. Much better actually, I have no interest in Bruce Wayne or his playboy lifestyle. Great to have no reason to ever see that. Here, Batman is a presence that looms over Gotham, sometimes involved, usually not.Loved the main characters. There are huge emotional arcs over the issues that have been really thought out and lots of established and more obscure characters given a fresh lick of paint.Probably ended a few issues too late, a victim of it's own success.Joyful.

Excellent heavyweight collection of a great gritty set of stories that really flesh out the unsung GCPD who have to deal with more than the usual crazy stuff and fallout left by Bats - not all are fans. Lovely sewn bound version (worth heeding advice from other reviewers about easing open in several places first to loosen it up a bit and to avoid stressing the spine - a good tip), good quality paper and at the reduced price, much cheaper than tracking down the individual issues (probably true even at full price for all 40 issues). Weighs a ton though! Great read and art, recommended.

Great stories and great artwork

An excellent read. Pulsating until the end and fantastic artwork.

This omnibus had been staring at me for months when I decided to read it. I don't know why, but the art seemed a bit boring.... until I started to read the story. Now, I feel Lark's art suits the story wonderfully. It sure grows on you. Unfortunately, Lark didn't do all the pencils. Greg Scott's art in particular is so disappointing compared to Lark's. The characters are compelling. Just don't expect this to be a book that focusses on Batman and your typical Gotham villains. It's all about the Gotham Central cops, and some of these characters are well-rounded. There's much to love here.

Best Batman story ever made (although he almost do not appear). This is a book about the cops in Gotham. Kind of an Ed McBain novel. Can't praise it enough.

The book arrived in excellent condition!! The story itself was so well written I was able to polish it off in a week. Ed Brubaker manages to mix an excellent police procedural with the villains of Gotham to a great result. Highly recommend.

I just received a copy of this book a few weeks ago, and so far I'm only about a quarter of the way in, give or take. Math has never been my forte, so whatever page 250 out of an over 950 page book equates to fractionally, that's where I am right now. So I don't feel comfortable giving it a full 5 stars yet until I finish it. However, what I have read so far definitely warrants 4 stars, in my opinion. The writing is great. The artwork is great. It truly feels like I'm reading some kind of gritty cop procedural. The characters are written in a very funny, edgy, and natural way. They don't come off like cop parodies who stand around the station drinking coffee and eating donuts. They have lives outside the office. They have backstories. They have unique personalities. They are all very memorable. I also like that the book truly makes the cops and how they solves cases the main focus instead of them playing second fiddle to Batman. In fact, Batman is more like a supporting character in this book that you only occasionally see. And because the stories and characters are so well written, I don't mind that Batman is not around as much. It truly is a great read so far. The only qualm I have is that because the book is so big and thick (it's roughly the size of a large dictionary I would guess), I wish it came with one of those sewn-in bookmark ribbons. UPDATE: Just finished the book a few days ago and am now prepared to give it a full 5 stars. Excellent writing and character development. Very sad ending. Enjoyed it all nonetheless. A great read and a book I would highly recommend.

Lange habe ich gezögert mit dem Kauf von Gotham Central. Nun endlich steht er im Regal und ich habe den Kauf keinesfalls bereut. Sehr gute Story und Zeichnungen. Mal ein anderer Blickwinkel ohne Batman im Vordergrund.Die Omnibus Ausgaben sollten viel mehr auch für den deutschen Markt produziert werden. In der Regel lassen sich die englischen Versionen recht gut lesen. Ist aber schon entspannter wenn ich z.B. Doom Patrol von Grant Morrison aus dem Panini Verlag in Deutsch lesen kann.Dieses ist aber kein Grund, Gotham Central " nicht " zu lesen. Absolut empfehlenswert !!!

Gotham Central zou een film kunnen zijn. De tekeningen zijn prachtig en vangen de duistere, emotionele en suspensie perfect. Het verhaal sleurde mij mee. De vele karakters zijn snel te onderscheiden en leer je direct goed kennen. Geen een is gelijk aan elkaar.Een aanrader voor comic book fans maar ook zeker non comic book fans. Meesterwerk.

Excelente trabajo de Ed Brubaker en, como no otra vez, género noir. Historia negra sobre el Departamento de Policía de la ciudad de Gotham, con escasas pero buenas apariciones de superheroes, y como funciona el cuerpo de policía. Como siempre con los Ommibus de DC, tamaño estupendo, gran calidad de impresión y de papel, y además como USA/UK y otros permiten hacer ofertas más allá de nuestro prohibido más del 5% por ley en España, un gran precio! Un 10!