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Gotham Central (Collected Editions) #2
Gotham Central, Vol. 2: Half a Life
Renee Montoya Has A Secret.
She's a Grade A detective but her reputation is put on the line when she's implicated in a murder and her deepest secret is revealed. Suddenly, her colleagues in the GCPD look at her askance, begin treating her with hostility, and when she needs their support the most, she finds mostly cold shoulders.
The man who reaches out to her, though, is one who belongs behind bars. If free, he presents a grave threat not only to Montoya but to all of Gotham's citizens.
This acclaimed adventure won the coveted Eisner Award for Best Story in addition to winning the Harvey Award, the Eagle Award, and the Prism Award.
Bonus features include two more Greg Rucka-written tales, both spotlighting Montoya and the tough road she has traveled.
Collecting Batman Chronicles #16, Detective Comics #747, and Gotham Central #6-10.
She's a Grade A detective but her reputation is put on the line when she's implicated in a murder and her deepest secret is revealed. Suddenly, her colleagues in the GCPD look at her askance, begin treating her with hostility, and when she needs their support the most, she finds mostly cold shoulders.
The man who reaches out to her, though, is one who belongs behind bars. If free, he presents a grave threat not only to Montoya but to all of Gotham's citizens.
This acclaimed adventure won the coveted Eisner Award for Best Story in addition to winning the Harvey Award, the Eagle Award, and the Prism Award.
Bonus features include two more Greg Rucka-written tales, both spotlighting Montoya and the tough road she has traveled.
Collecting Batman Chronicles #16, Detective Comics #747, and Gotham Central #6-10.
168 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2004
4 people are currently reading
692 people want to read
About the author
Greg Rucka
1,493 books1,925 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 98 reviews
September 29, 2014
INTRODUCTION TO THE SERIES
There are many graphic novels about superheroes and their world and how important it is for them to save the regular mortals but rarely do we get a perspective of the mortals unless they're family or lovers. In this series we focus almost exclusively upon the detectives (morning and night shifts) of Gotham who sometimes resent “The Bat” for solving their cases. It's a fresh and interesting approach with Batman showing up less than 5% of all the tales.
START BOOK TWO
The biggest problem with this volume is that almost half of the pages are from the first book. I am not sure why they “padded” this volume but that drops the overall grade for me.
That said there are three tales within: “Two Down” focuses on Detective Montoyo before she was a detective on the beat as a cop and her first meeting of Two Face during a crisis. The artwork is colorful and almost “cartoony” (artists were Jason Pearson and Cam Smith); “Happy Birthday Two You” which flashes forward to Montoyo now as a detective who's having problems on her birthday (artists William Rosado and Steve Mitchell); and then “Half A Life” which is a total copy from volume one (artist Michael Lark).
END BOOK TWO
I found the artwork hit or miss. Yes, it's dark and gritty looking but sometimes it feels like only 80% of the normal details are there in the artwork. Batman doesn't look terribly impressive though maybe that's intentional to add to the mundane setting.
Greg Rucka wrote this volume with artists doing different stories. See above for their names.
RESULTS
This series received great critical acclaim and a passionate fanbase but never did well commercially.
STORY/PLOTTING: B minus to B (for reasons above); ARTWORK PRESENTATION: B; CHARACTERS/DIALOGUE: B; WHEN READ: early June 2012 (bit revised review end of July 2012); OVERALL GRADE: B.
There are many graphic novels about superheroes and their world and how important it is for them to save the regular mortals but rarely do we get a perspective of the mortals unless they're family or lovers. In this series we focus almost exclusively upon the detectives (morning and night shifts) of Gotham who sometimes resent “The Bat” for solving their cases. It's a fresh and interesting approach with Batman showing up less than 5% of all the tales.
START BOOK TWO
The biggest problem with this volume is that almost half of the pages are from the first book. I am not sure why they “padded” this volume but that drops the overall grade for me.
That said there are three tales within: “Two Down” focuses on Detective Montoyo before she was a detective on the beat as a cop and her first meeting of Two Face during a crisis. The artwork is colorful and almost “cartoony” (artists were Jason Pearson and Cam Smith); “Happy Birthday Two You” which flashes forward to Montoyo now as a detective who's having problems on her birthday (artists William Rosado and Steve Mitchell); and then “Half A Life” which is a total copy from volume one (artist Michael Lark).
END BOOK TWO
I found the artwork hit or miss. Yes, it's dark and gritty looking but sometimes it feels like only 80% of the normal details are there in the artwork. Batman doesn't look terribly impressive though maybe that's intentional to add to the mundane setting.
Greg Rucka wrote this volume with artists doing different stories. See above for their names.
RESULTS
This series received great critical acclaim and a passionate fanbase but never did well commercially.
STORY/PLOTTING: B minus to B (for reasons above); ARTWORK PRESENTATION: B; CHARACTERS/DIALOGUE: B; WHEN READ: early June 2012 (bit revised review end of July 2012); OVERALL GRADE: B.
April 19, 2017
Another great volume for Gotham Central. This focuses on Renee Montoya and I am so thankful for that.
This explores perhaps the most well developed gay character I've read in a comic book aside from Kate Kane. I can name a few gay characters off the top of my head but they're usually just side characters. We never really see them and their partners or see their coming out stories. Rucka does a great job here as he did with Kate Kane in giving these characters depth and not shying away from dealing with homophobia.
This starts during No Man's Land. We get an introduction to Renee's mother and father as a guy tries to rob their store. Renee comes in and we see how she's been dealing with No Man's Land and that her parents wish for her to give them grandchildren. You know, I quit Supergirl when Jimmy Olsen was pushed aside but I think Alex may have dealt with a similar storyline.
Renee feels bad because she's gay and I'm hoping Rucka is saying this guilt is over her parents wanting her to meet a nice boy and not the kids thing. As a member of the LGBTQIA community, it bugs me when writers make a huge deal about the kids thing. You can still have kids even if you're gay. You can still use a sperm donor, a surrogate, or adopt. It's not the end of the world on that front.
Anyway, this story follows her as she begrudgingly works along side a known criminal during No Man's Land because his moral compass is pointing in the right direction for the time being. I don't wanna spoil who it is but I will say it makes Batsy's relationship with them even more interesting and that partnership comes back to haunt her later on.
A huge portion of this book is Renee trying to deal with her department and her parents finding it that she's gay. The men are awful, her parents are disgustingly religious and I really felt for her here. This reads like an arc you'd expect to find in an Indie comic with the focus on one character with such a small amount of action. There's a case going on as a former suspect comes after Renee so there's that but it was interesting that DC allowed for such a small scale, police procedural to be made into a comic. I think this kinda thing would never be made today.
Again, I'm wish D.C. had adapted this instead of making a procedural about Jim Gordon but I suppose they though no one would know who these characters were. Such a shame because I think fans would flock to a live action Renee Montoya the same way they flocked to Maggie Sawyer.
This explores perhaps the most well developed gay character I've read in a comic book aside from Kate Kane. I can name a few gay characters off the top of my head but they're usually just side characters. We never really see them and their partners or see their coming out stories. Rucka does a great job here as he did with Kate Kane in giving these characters depth and not shying away from dealing with homophobia.
This starts during No Man's Land. We get an introduction to Renee's mother and father as a guy tries to rob their store. Renee comes in and we see how she's been dealing with No Man's Land and that her parents wish for her to give them grandchildren. You know, I quit Supergirl when Jimmy Olsen was pushed aside but I think Alex may have dealt with a similar storyline.
Renee feels bad because she's gay and I'm hoping Rucka is saying this guilt is over her parents wanting her to meet a nice boy and not the kids thing. As a member of the LGBTQIA community, it bugs me when writers make a huge deal about the kids thing. You can still have kids even if you're gay. You can still use a sperm donor, a surrogate, or adopt. It's not the end of the world on that front.
Anyway, this story follows her as she begrudgingly works along side a known criminal during No Man's Land because his moral compass is pointing in the right direction for the time being. I don't wanna spoil who it is but I will say it makes Batsy's relationship with them even more interesting and that partnership comes back to haunt her later on.
A huge portion of this book is Renee trying to deal with her department and her parents finding it that she's gay. The men are awful, her parents are disgustingly religious and I really felt for her here. This reads like an arc you'd expect to find in an Indie comic with the focus on one character with such a small amount of action. There's a case going on as a former suspect comes after Renee so there's that but it was interesting that DC allowed for such a small scale, police procedural to be made into a comic. I think this kinda thing would never be made today.
Again, I'm wish D.C. had adapted this instead of making a procedural about Jim Gordon but I suppose they though no one would know who these characters were. Such a shame because I think fans would flock to a live action Renee Montoya the same way they flocked to Maggie Sawyer.
January 2, 2017
Being the second Gotham Central collection, with Rucka but no Brubaker. Rucka's not a bad second choice or anything, he does noir pretty good afterall. This book contains the Half a Life story arc in which Two-Face sets out to ruin a detective's life so that she will be his wife - yep that ALWAYS works - plus an extended prologue from Batman Chronicles and Detective Comics, two very cheesy stories with grotesque and inappropriately colourful artwork (especially the horror that is Batman Chronicles - how can people actually read this garbage and enjoy it?) and prologue aside the Rucka story is great, exactly what was promised by the very good first collection, dark and compelling with interesting, conflicted characters and that's before you even get to the groundbreaking - for such lazy ass macho dudebro culture mainstream comics as DC - lesbian protagonist storyline. See, who needs Brubaker?
November 30, 2011
Gotham Central's concept was to set a gritty police procedural in Gotham City, combining traditional police work with Batman's regular cast of villains. This particular story arc focuses on Renee Montoya. I'm not going to try to avoid spoilers in my review, because if you've heard anything about Gotham Central at all, you know exactly what happens here. Renee is outed and framed for murder by Two Face, who had fallen in love with her (or, more appropriately, became deeply obsessed with her) during the No Man's Land arc. (There are two pre-Gotham Central stories included here, to properly give the background.) The story doesn't really end when Two Face is, inevitably, hauled in, nor even with this collection.
What can I say, except that this is really, really good writing. The story, the characters and their motivations, all absolutely believable from beginning to end. This was a well-deserved Eisner. It's very character-driven, and because both Two Face and Renee are strong personalities, it pulls it off. There's also an emotional intensity here, mostly coming from Renee. The final scene, where she finally confronts her parents, is both predictable and heartbreaking.
It's hard for me to review things that are great. I can't articulate what worked so well when everything works. But this is, without a doubt, one of the best trades I've ever read.
What can I say, except that this is really, really good writing. The story, the characters and their motivations, all absolutely believable from beginning to end. This was a well-deserved Eisner. It's very character-driven, and because both Two Face and Renee are strong personalities, it pulls it off. There's also an emotional intensity here, mostly coming from Renee. The final scene, where she finally confronts her parents, is both predictable and heartbreaking.
It's hard for me to review things that are great. I can't articulate what worked so well when everything works. But this is, without a doubt, one of the best trades I've ever read.
August 24, 2025
WOW, talk about a great volume. It was awesome reading it years ago, but even better now. This volume centers on Detective Renee Montoya, who finds herself with a stalker issue. After she is outed as gay, not only to her job but also to her very, very religious parents, she is framed for murder with her own service weapon and is left completely isolated. The true mastermind is revealed to be the villain Two-Face, who develops a twisted, obsessive love for her and believes that by destroying her life, he can get her to join him. This is a hard volume to read due to the personal and professional brutality she endures.
I think what it does so smartly is balance the detective side of things, wanting to know what’s happening, but also talking about the inner personal life of Renee and, sadly, its difficult outcome. Overall, it's a fantastic volume that touches on difficult homophobic topics, what it means to be there for a loved one, and a great reveal of a truly psycho villain. A 5 out of 5.
I think what it does so smartly is balance the detective side of things, wanting to know what’s happening, but also talking about the inner personal life of Renee and, sadly, its difficult outcome. Overall, it's a fantastic volume that touches on difficult homophobic topics, what it means to be there for a loved one, and a great reveal of a truly psycho villain. A 5 out of 5.
March 23, 2013
Oh gods this book. It had me crying by the end. Greg Rucka, how are you so excellent.
So, you want a book that passes the Bechdel Test, that has people of colour in it talking to each other about things that aren't white people, that has queer women of colour dealing with life and family and coming out and calling queer white women on their privilege in that regard -- AND ALSO want a Batman story? HERE YOU GO. BOOM.
I didn't even know this was possible. Augh, it's just so excellent and so heartbreaking and so good and Rucka makes it look so effortless. Bloody hell.
*sniff*
So, you want a book that passes the Bechdel Test, that has people of colour in it talking to each other about things that aren't white people, that has queer women of colour dealing with life and family and coming out and calling queer white women on their privilege in that regard -- AND ALSO want a Batman story? HERE YOU GO. BOOM.
I didn't even know this was possible. Augh, it's just so excellent and so heartbreaking and so good and Rucka makes it look so effortless. Bloody hell.
*sniff*
August 6, 2024
This remains a great series. It's probably as realistic as a police series can be that's set in the DCU. I love the way Batman is portrayed as almost a force of nature, and also how the police have split opinions on him. The police also aren't always happy with Batman's "my way or the highway" attitude, but some also consider him a necessary evil.
A really great series that's a little different.
A really great series that's a little different.
May 10, 2018
Okay. First, the good news: this story rocks! The centerpiece of this volume is the multiple award-winning story, “Half A Life”. Detective Renee Montoya is outed as a lesbian and framed for murder by a dangerous man from her past who also happens to be one of Batman’s greatest foes. The story is preceded by two shorter stories that set up some of her history with this person. The ending is absolutely killer and still gives me a case of the feels, even when I know it's coming. The story is totally worth your time, and will hopefully knock your socks off as it did mine.
The bad news: The story already appeared in Gotham Central volume one. What in the name of Krypton moved DC to include the same five part story in two consecutive volumes of this title? I guess it's nice to have such a fine story in a book all by itself, and the included prequel material is a lovely addition. I just don't understand why “Half A Life” needs to be both the final third of volume one AND nearly the entirety of volume two. Someone at DC is getting greedy.
Knocking a star off the rating for continuity shenanigans, but still highly recommended!
The bad news: The story already appeared in Gotham Central volume one. What in the name of Krypton moved DC to include the same five part story in two consecutive volumes of this title? I guess it's nice to have such a fine story in a book all by itself, and the included prequel material is a lovely addition. I just don't understand why “Half A Life” needs to be both the final third of volume one AND nearly the entirety of volume two. Someone at DC is getting greedy.
Knocking a star off the rating for continuity shenanigans, but still highly recommended!
Read
February 3, 2020Not only is this my favorite Gotham Central story, but it’s one of my favorite Batman (or Batman-adjacent) stories, period. From the writing to the art to the character work, “Half a Life” is extraordinary. I recently read Rucka’s Batman work prior to Gotham Central, and it’s fascinating to see him latch on to Renee Montoya and evolve her over the years. This is Renee’s most famous story, and for good reason. Every panel and every line of dialogue begs the utmost attention. The story unfolds brilliantly, and by the time it reaches the tense climax, I realize that I’ve barely come up for air. This is my third time through “Half a Life”, and every time I’ve read it in one sitting, totally engrossed. I can’t say that about many books.
Michael Lark’s art here is some of the best of his career, but there’s one thing in particular I want to highlight (slight spoilers ahead). I love the way he draws Two-Face - in particular, the way he uses straight, rectangular panel borders for when Harvey is himself, but chaotic, craggy borders when Two-Face erupts. It’s a stroke of genius and adds to the manic intensity of the final issue.
Michael Lark’s art here is some of the best of his career, but there’s one thing in particular I want to highlight (slight spoilers ahead). I love the way he draws Two-Face - in particular, the way he uses straight, rectangular panel borders for when Harvey is himself, but chaotic, craggy borders when Two-Face erupts. It’s a stroke of genius and adds to the manic intensity of the final issue.
July 21, 2021
Decent Enough Start if a Little Too Scripted
OVERALL RATING: 4.75 stars
Art: 3 stars
Prose: 4.75 stars
Plot: 4.75 stars
Pacing: 5 stars
Character Development: 5 stars
World Building: 4 stars
Montoya was so well done here. As was the whole cast. Good action sequence to boot. Definitely see why this series is considered so great after this story. Hope this high level continues.
OVERALL RATING: 4.75 stars
Art: 3 stars
Prose: 4.75 stars
Plot: 4.75 stars
Pacing: 5 stars
Character Development: 5 stars
World Building: 4 stars
Montoya was so well done here. As was the whole cast. Good action sequence to boot. Definitely see why this series is considered so great after this story. Hope this high level continues.
July 23, 2012
Greg Rucka can be credited with taking the obscure Batman supporting character, Renee Montoya, and making her his own. That's why two of his non-Gotham Central stories actual precede the main, Montoya-centric story, "Half a Life." They're pretty good stories, but I wish they hadn't been included in this collection. For one thing, they completely tip the surprise ending of the story. For another, while they feature capable artists, those artists' styles just don't gel with that of series regular, Michael Lark, who draws the bulk of the volume.
That bugged me, but the main story is good enough I still happily recommend the collection. This is a more personal story for the series, focusing on a single character rather than an ensemble of cops. The short version is this: respectable detective Renee Montoya finds her life falling apart as she's simultaneously set-up as a murderer and outed as a lesbian. Rucka gives a strong voice to her pain and deftly reveals her as both tough and vulnerable. Her partner, the acidic but loyal Crispus Allen, also gets some fantastic scenes.
And Michael Lark draws the hell out of it.
One other small complaint: this volume introduces Detective Josie Mac, who readers of the single issues that make up the trade learned in a back-up serial that she had minor psychic abilities that helped her on cases. That back-up isn't included in the collection and as a result she just seems oddly lucky in some of her guesses, but with no real explanation. It's a little frustrating and, like the inclusion of the two Montoya standalone stories that blow the big reveal, I think comes down to the fact that when Rucka was writing the single issues that make up the trade he assumed his readers followed all of his stories. Possibly reasonable, but I think everything needed to understand the main story should've been included IN the main story.
I was planning to give this volume four stars, but I'm cruelly knocking it down to three for those screw-ups. I'm mean.
But it's still a quite good story.
That bugged me, but the main story is good enough I still happily recommend the collection. This is a more personal story for the series, focusing on a single character rather than an ensemble of cops. The short version is this: respectable detective Renee Montoya finds her life falling apart as she's simultaneously set-up as a murderer and outed as a lesbian. Rucka gives a strong voice to her pain and deftly reveals her as both tough and vulnerable. Her partner, the acidic but loyal Crispus Allen, also gets some fantastic scenes.
And Michael Lark draws the hell out of it.
One other small complaint: this volume introduces Detective Josie Mac, who readers of the single issues that make up the trade learned in a back-up serial that she had minor psychic abilities that helped her on cases. That back-up isn't included in the collection and as a result she just seems oddly lucky in some of her guesses, but with no real explanation. It's a little frustrating and, like the inclusion of the two Montoya standalone stories that blow the big reveal, I think comes down to the fact that when Rucka was writing the single issues that make up the trade he assumed his readers followed all of his stories. Possibly reasonable, but I think everything needed to understand the main story should've been included IN the main story.
I was planning to give this volume four stars, but I'm cruelly knocking it down to three for those screw-ups. I'm mean.
But it's still a quite good story.
November 7, 2012
This was a fantastic look at Renee Montoya and her relationship with Harvey 'Two-Face' Dent. Also a very powerful storyline arc in DC comics history. This book resonated so true and beyond actual comic book world into a more real truth that made it all the more strong a read. Highly recommended to everyone who likes good stories with social commentary, and most people in the Batman world.
January 17, 2015
I loved the first stories in Gotham Central and this story got even better. It focuses on Renee Montoya and was a very well built story. The art in these stories has grown on me and I will definitely continue this series.
September 30, 2016
Only read first half- Looking at the situation from a different perspective is great; showing how Two-Face can be Renee's best friend, but later come out as her worst enemy.
December 27, 2020
Roteiro: Greg Rucka (5 Estrelas) | Arte: Michael Lark (3 Estrelas)
CONTÉM SPOILERS
Eu venho lendo as histórias do Batman em ordem cronológica há bastante tempo e no momento em que escrevo isso aqui, estou exatamente onde esta história aqui se passa cronologicamente. Eu vi várias vezes a Renee Montoya aparecendo nas histórias do Batman, e já houveram arcos que ela teve uma participação bem grande, mas nada como isto aqui. Greg Rucka foi grandioso em fazer esta história e dar ainda mais background para esta personagem neste arco.
Antes de ler a história principal, é recomendável ler os dois capítulos abaixo para ter um contexto da ligação entre Renee Montoya e Duas-Caras. Ambos vem inclusos neste compilado.
Batman Chronicles #16:
Ocorre durante Terra de Ninguém, quando ambos se conhecem. Renee trata Duas-Caras bem e ele acaba se apaixonando por ela.
Detective Comics #747:
Ocorre pouco depois de Terra de Ninguém. É aniversário de Renee Montoya e ela recebe flores de alguém desconhecido. Usando seus dotes de detetive, ela descobre que as flores foi enviado por Bruce Wayne, mas na verdade foi Duas-Caras preso no Arkham que deu um jeito de pedir a Bruce para entregar as flores por ele. Quando ela descobre isso, vai visita-lo no Arkham.
Gotham Central: Half Life
A história envolve uma revelação sobre a sexualidade da Renee Montoya que ninguém sabia e isso mexe com sua vida dali em diante. Alguns oficiais que trabalham com ela usam isso para tentar coloca-la pra baixo e humilha-la, sem contar seus pais que viram a cara pra ela. Mas toda essa revelação que abalou a Montoya foi um plano doentio orquestrado por Duas-Caras que está apaixonado por ela.
Quando você entra na história, você se apega e torce muito para a Montoya passar por aquela situação. Vale muito a pena pra quem gosta de ler uma história bem contada.
CONTÉM SPOILERS
Eu venho lendo as histórias do Batman em ordem cronológica há bastante tempo e no momento em que escrevo isso aqui, estou exatamente onde esta história aqui se passa cronologicamente. Eu vi várias vezes a Renee Montoya aparecendo nas histórias do Batman, e já houveram arcos que ela teve uma participação bem grande, mas nada como isto aqui. Greg Rucka foi grandioso em fazer esta história e dar ainda mais background para esta personagem neste arco.
Antes de ler a história principal, é recomendável ler os dois capítulos abaixo para ter um contexto da ligação entre Renee Montoya e Duas-Caras. Ambos vem inclusos neste compilado.
Batman Chronicles #16:
Ocorre durante Terra de Ninguém, quando ambos se conhecem. Renee trata Duas-Caras bem e ele acaba se apaixonando por ela.
Detective Comics #747:
Ocorre pouco depois de Terra de Ninguém. É aniversário de Renee Montoya e ela recebe flores de alguém desconhecido. Usando seus dotes de detetive, ela descobre que as flores foi enviado por Bruce Wayne, mas na verdade foi Duas-Caras preso no Arkham que deu um jeito de pedir a Bruce para entregar as flores por ele. Quando ela descobre isso, vai visita-lo no Arkham.
Gotham Central: Half Life
A história envolve uma revelação sobre a sexualidade da Renee Montoya que ninguém sabia e isso mexe com sua vida dali em diante. Alguns oficiais que trabalham com ela usam isso para tentar coloca-la pra baixo e humilha-la, sem contar seus pais que viram a cara pra ela. Mas toda essa revelação que abalou a Montoya foi um plano doentio orquestrado por Duas-Caras que está apaixonado por ela.
Quando você entra na história, você se apega e torce muito para a Montoya passar por aquela situação. Vale muito a pena pra quem gosta de ler uma história bem contada.
July 26, 2017
This is volume 2, but works as a stand-alone.
The first part is Renee Montoya spending a day with Two Face where every coin flip he get sends him to the side of good. They bond -- as much as such a pair can -- and this plays into the second story. The second story is why I picked up this volume since it deals with Montoya's coming out
It must suck to work largely with people who don't agree with your natural state, and to have parents of the same ilk. Add to it that her coworkers are mostly corrupt so anyone they catch for a crime will probably get off or escape, and it super sucks to be a lesbian cop in Gotham. It's understandable to try to have less strife in your life, like Montoya's boss Maggie Sawyer (!) who warns her against coming out to her boorish peers.
Rucka did Kate Kane's coming out story in Elegy, and both were different and still touching. And without being too spoilery, Montoya's response to her male coworkers when they tease her with a photo was soooooo good. Damn.
I love how Greg Rucka can do queer characters well and even in this older volume he's taking pokes at toxic masculinity. Rucka for all the DC things! And kudos to the illustrators as well for not super-sexualizing lesbian characters. It's great to have DC comics with queer ladies where the writers/illustrators don't find it necessary to have them randomly shower together all the time like in the last Harley Quinn I picked up *shudder there were two. Two in one storyline.*
The first part is Renee Montoya spending a day with Two Face where every coin flip he get sends him to the side of good. They bond -- as much as such a pair can -- and this plays into the second story. The second story is why I picked up this volume since it deals with Montoya's coming out
It must suck to work largely with people who don't agree with your natural state, and to have parents of the same ilk. Add to it that her coworkers are mostly corrupt so anyone they catch for a crime will probably get off or escape, and it super sucks to be a lesbian cop in Gotham. It's understandable to try to have less strife in your life, like Montoya's boss Maggie Sawyer (!) who warns her against coming out to her boorish peers.
Rucka did Kate Kane's coming out story in Elegy, and both were different and still touching. And without being too spoilery, Montoya's response to her male coworkers when they tease her with a photo was soooooo good. Damn.
I love how Greg Rucka can do queer characters well and even in this older volume he's taking pokes at toxic masculinity. Rucka for all the DC things! And kudos to the illustrators as well for not super-sexualizing lesbian characters. It's great to have DC comics with queer ladies where the writers/illustrators don't find it necessary to have them randomly shower together all the time like in the last Harley Quinn I picked up *shudder there were two. Two in one storyline.*
March 20, 2018
Wow. Where other writers get on their soapbox and show the subtlety of a small nuke when writing a story like this, Greg Rucka simply tells a compelling story about people and the choices that they make. Showing the depth of the character, regardless of sexual orientation, will do more good than standing on a platform and spouting platitudes.
Rucka, for me, really nailed this arc with his depiction of Renee's family. It was disappointing and also wonderful to see the reactions of Montoya's co-workers. Some of the badgering that she received for coming out as a lesbian was upsetting, although I'm sure true to many lives. Her partner's reaction, his loyalty, however, was inspiring. Maggie Sawyer made a nice sounding board for Renee.
The addition of two extra chapter, Batman Chronicles #16 and an issue of Detective Comics, set the backdrop for Harvey and Renee's relationship, although I'm not sure how Renee deduced that Harvey was framing her. That part was strange. I like the subtle presence of Batman, without him actually doing much, in this series. Bruce Wayne's lawyer showing up to represent Renee was a nice touch.
Lark's art was very good. In the previous book, I thought that it was very hard to distinguish the characters, but with a smaller cast, Lark was able to nail everyone's look, and his gritty, grounded style remains a perfect fit for the streets of Gotham. But, really, forget the crime drama, forget the super-villain - this was a story about a woman learning that she has to accept who she is, and it was brilliant.
Rucka, for me, really nailed this arc with his depiction of Renee's family. It was disappointing and also wonderful to see the reactions of Montoya's co-workers. Some of the badgering that she received for coming out as a lesbian was upsetting, although I'm sure true to many lives. Her partner's reaction, his loyalty, however, was inspiring. Maggie Sawyer made a nice sounding board for Renee.
The addition of two extra chapter, Batman Chronicles #16 and an issue of Detective Comics, set the backdrop for Harvey and Renee's relationship, although I'm not sure how Renee deduced that Harvey was framing her. That part was strange. I like the subtle presence of Batman, without him actually doing much, in this series. Bruce Wayne's lawyer showing up to represent Renee was a nice touch.
Lark's art was very good. In the previous book, I thought that it was very hard to distinguish the characters, but with a smaller cast, Lark was able to nail everyone's look, and his gritty, grounded style remains a perfect fit for the streets of Gotham. But, really, forget the crime drama, forget the super-villain - this was a story about a woman learning that she has to accept who she is, and it was brilliant.
March 23, 2022
What a phenomenal comic.
This edition collects "Two Down", "Happy Birthday, Renee" and "Half a Life" to provide the full context for the latter story. There is an introduction by Greg Rucka as well, which helpfully alerts the reader when to stop reading to avoid spoilers. Even if you avoid that section entirely, though, or already know the "twist" that is referenced it is still intensely powerful reading.
Renee Montoya is a fantastic protagonist, and Rucka addresses both the difficulty of being a woman in a primarily male police force and a 2nd generation immigrant in a city as insular as Gotham with both care and respect. Montoya's struggles are easily relatable, and very real for a person with her background. Add to it the well-crafted mystery as she is framed, the complexity of her relationship with Harvey Dent as laid out by the previous two comics, and it's a recipe for a tour-de-force that I could never quite see Marvel executing with this level of skill.
To put it mildly, this is the sort of comic I would have expected out of Vertigo's heyday.
This is a brilliant follow-up to In the Line of Duty and I am eagerly anticipating reading the rest of this series and more of Montoya in general. This is exactly the fascinating critique of Batman that I wanted and love.
This edition collects "Two Down", "Happy Birthday, Renee" and "Half a Life" to provide the full context for the latter story. There is an introduction by Greg Rucka as well, which helpfully alerts the reader when to stop reading to avoid spoilers. Even if you avoid that section entirely, though, or already know the "twist" that is referenced it is still intensely powerful reading.
Renee Montoya is a fantastic protagonist, and Rucka addresses both the difficulty of being a woman in a primarily male police force and a 2nd generation immigrant in a city as insular as Gotham with both care and respect. Montoya's struggles are easily relatable, and very real for a person with her background. Add to it the well-crafted mystery as she is framed, the complexity of her relationship with Harvey Dent as laid out by the previous two comics, and it's a recipe for a tour-de-force that I could never quite see Marvel executing with this level of skill.
To put it mildly, this is the sort of comic I would have expected out of Vertigo's heyday.
This is a brilliant follow-up to In the Line of Duty and I am eagerly anticipating reading the rest of this series and more of Montoya in general. This is exactly the fascinating critique of Batman that I wanted and love.
January 22, 2026
Before I begin, I'll note that I only read the Gotham Central issues so I can't speak to what else is in this volume.
With that out of the way, the second story arc is a doozy and really shows what Gotham Central can be. The story is twenty plus years old (at the time of writing) and our culture has definitely changed quite a bit since then but even with that, Half a Life is still a really good story. Renee Montoya is dealing with a lot of things here. Her love life and lack of acceptance from her family and being blackmailed by a really bad criminal who got out of a crime in front of her eyes. Things spiral from there and I thought this was a pretty good yarn compared to the previous ones. I won't spoil who the actual villain is but I really liked how they were written. It was creepy and unsettling but the crime and how they did it made all the sense in the world. Honestly, if this was the first Gotham Central story, I think I would have immediately read the whole thing as this was higher quality than most superhero content I've read. I look forward to seeing how the remaining issues go after finishing this volume.
With that out of the way, the second story arc is a doozy and really shows what Gotham Central can be. The story is twenty plus years old (at the time of writing) and our culture has definitely changed quite a bit since then but even with that, Half a Life is still a really good story. Renee Montoya is dealing with a lot of things here. Her love life and lack of acceptance from her family and being blackmailed by a really bad criminal who got out of a crime in front of her eyes. Things spiral from there and I thought this was a pretty good yarn compared to the previous ones. I won't spoil who the actual villain is but I really liked how they were written. It was creepy and unsettling but the crime and how they did it made all the sense in the world. Honestly, if this was the first Gotham Central story, I think I would have immediately read the whole thing as this was higher quality than most superhero content I've read. I look forward to seeing how the remaining issues go after finishing this volume.
February 26, 2018
Renee Montoya has always been on the periphery of my comic-reading, so I had not ever read a work with her as the main character. Greg Rucka's "Two Down" and "Happy Birthday Two You..." start out this volume and introduce Montoya's history with Two-Face establishing a relationship that reaches a thrilling conclusion in "Half a Life." I'll avoid story details by simply saying this volume is a must read. Michael Larks's artwork is excellent and still one of my favorite styles, in particular his depiction of Two-Face. This series continues to be stellar offering a great police procedural with a deep analysis of Batman's villains showing their underlying motivations/psychoses.
Also: Greg Rucka introduced me to the best phrase, "Tempest in a teapot."
Also: Greg Rucka introduced me to the best phrase, "Tempest in a teapot."
March 14, 2019
Stupendous as always. (I'm on a re-read.) Gotham Central has got to be one of the best titles ever produced in the US comics tradition.
Even the jarryingly different art style in the first too stories doesn't completely ruin it. Lark's work is all dark shadows, realistic dimensions, credible world detail, well realised individual characters. The first story included here, Two Down, part of the No Man's Land event, has art by Jason Pearson and Cam Smith, which is cartoony and totally unsuitable to Rucka's writing on Gotham Central. Their version of Montoya is just silly by comparison. Still, it's a good story, and sets things up for the main line, Half A Life.
Even the jarryingly different art style in the first too stories doesn't completely ruin it. Lark's work is all dark shadows, realistic dimensions, credible world detail, well realised individual characters. The first story included here, Two Down, part of the No Man's Land event, has art by Jason Pearson and Cam Smith, which is cartoony and totally unsuitable to Rucka's writing on Gotham Central. Their version of Montoya is just silly by comparison. Still, it's a good story, and sets things up for the main line, Half A Life.
June 8, 2018
I love that this is both a Renee Montoya centered and that Rucka chooses to center the narrative around Two-Face. The juxtaposition creates an interesting meditation on determination versus free will. I do feel though that while Montoya's sexual identity plays as a crucial component in the storyline, the majority of the characters' reaction to her sexuality is somewhat stereotypical. I think it would be far more compelling to explore the reasons as to why people react to Montoya's sexuality the way they do instead of treating their reactions without explanation.
March 26, 2018
Though almost 20 years old, the revelation of Detective Renee Montoya's queerness was handled well within the frame of the "Law & Order: Batman" of "Gotham Central," showing us the way that her queerness interacts with her colleagues, but also such DCU mainstays as Two-Face.
Particularly punishing was the conclusion, in which Detective Montoya's Dominican immigrant parents reject her and expel her from their family, which rings painfully true.
Particularly punishing was the conclusion, in which Detective Montoya's Dominican immigrant parents reject her and expel her from their family, which rings painfully true.
March 14, 2024
La primera mitad es muy limpia. Tiene buen ritmo y nos enseña muy bien el trabajo policial. El misterio es super interesante. La segunda mitad sigue siendo buena aunque con algunos detalles, como cosas que ocurren muy rápido o carecen de explicación.
Sobre el arte, el manejo de paneles sin diálogos y el color es magistral.
Que triste que las mujeres no puedan ser amables sin que eso pueda ponerlas en riesgo 😔.
Que buen y triste final 😢.
Sobre el arte, el manejo de paneles sin diálogos y el color es magistral.
Que triste que las mujeres no puedan ser amables sin que eso pueda ponerlas en riesgo 😔.
Que buen y triste final 😢.
November 2, 2025
One of the reasons why Batman is the most interesting DC character for me is because he straddles several tones: gothic horror; absurdist weirdness; wacky romps; direct satire; and in this a wholly superhero free (well aside from a couple of cameos) noir story that manages to tackle Montoya’s sexuality in a way that is neither facile or glib. It’s a brilliant piece of work and beautifully done across the board
March 27, 2020
Che succede quando hai costruito un'immagine di te che non lascia trasparire nulla di chi sei veramente tanto che anche i tuoi famigliari e colleghi non ti conoscono . Ma poi un giorno una foto lasciata in ufficio, una morte sperata ma non voluta e un affetto malintepretato rischiano di distruggerti e segnati per sempre.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 27, 2017
Excellent continuation for the series. Focuses on Renee Montoya! Love how the partners stand up for each other.. it turns out to be an interesting murder case but the culprit isn't revealed till the last.
October 26, 2019
The Half A Life story arc was pretty good. It was realistic and shows how Gotham’s officers are dealing with real life issues. The supervillains hardly play a role in this story, which is quite refreshing. Art is excellent, it really suits the gritty story.
September 1, 2021
The mystery was more interesting before the reveal. It wasn't a surprise because of the layout of the volume but the story makes a kind of sense. The artwork from the older storylines were - so Disney. It was a decent story.
Read
December 7, 2021I don't feel I can really give this a star rating.
You see, I kind of already have when I gave Vol 1 five stars.
Vol 2 is the second half of Vol 1 - the Two-Face tale - with a new opening chapter.
Why this book exists at all is a mystery.
Ignore it and go read Vol 1.
You see, I kind of already have when I gave Vol 1 five stars.
Vol 2 is the second half of Vol 1 - the Two-Face tale - with a new opening chapter.
Why this book exists at all is a mystery.
Ignore it and go read Vol 1.
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