REVIEW: ‘Batman: Bad Seeds – Gotham Central’ Issue 1

Batman: Bad Seeds – Gotham Central Issue 1 is published by DC Comics. Written by Christopher Cantwell, art by Jacob Phillips and letters by Becca Carey.

This is Week 3, Part 1 of the Bad Seeds event. The Police try to solve a murder in a city that’s falling apart.

There is a brilliant concept to this comic, set within a very isolating crossover. The plants have taken over Gotham, controlled by Poison Ivy, stretching the heroes very thin as they try to get to the root of the situation. The police are corrupt, run by Vandal Savage. This makes the beat ccops are almost impossible.

The roads are nearly impassable; most locations are cut off by vines and other flora blocking the way, and other transportation and basic systems are faltering. Cantwell does an excellent job of highlighting how alone the cops are, and the strain placed on them.

Batman: Bad Seeds – Gotham Central Issue 1 is split between two major stories. Within the broken streets, a murder and a missing Arkham inmate suddenly make the streets even more dangerous. Then there is another beat cop forced into chasing and hunting down Anarky, taking her into a stifling and barely functioning Gotham Underground.

The comic is insidious, dark and uncomfortable. Nowhere is safe, filled with haphazard action and few allies. There is a persistent movement within Batman: Bad Seeds – Gotham Central Issue 1, venturing into more precarious and potentially deadly scenarios.

The characters within this book are fantastic because many of them are just regular people. The most famous figure within Batman: Bad Seeds – Gotham Central Issue 1 is Jim Gordon, but he has been shunned and demoted. He’s very noteworthy, even within the force, and that comes with some favors and status. Through the radios, the dialogue proves just how far along the beat cops are, with the brass and more important units tied up with Savage and just not caring.

Gordon and his partner are among the few still trying to behave the way their badge demands. They try to follow procedure, as a dead body requires attention and evidence needs to be gathered. At this stage, Gordon has stopped following orders or listening, and has gone out on his own to save lives.

The communications between those who are trying to get people out of the city are incredibly well-written, because there’s a recognition of their limitations, but a determination to try anyway. Reaching the underground is terrific because it reveals how deep the plants are getting and the effects they’re having on the transportation systems.

The art brilliantly creates a gloomy, sinister atmosphere. Everywhere within Gotham is shrouded in plants, , creating a dark and nefarious mood. Because these aren’t simply pretty plants. They are thick bushes, thorny vines, and other harmful elements. There isn’t any part of the street or the city that is comfortable.

The police aren’t prepared for this fight, physically speaking. Particular attention is given to their uniforms, always smart and precise even in the midst of a crisis. They have their cruisers, but those are struggling to maintain their traction on moss-covered roads. All they are left with are their torches and their guns.

Phillips’s lines are very thick, and sometimes it’s hard to see what the cops are looking at. The murder-mystery elements are intriguing, but it would have been nice to get more detail about the injuries and surroundings. But it’s also important to mention that the murkiness and impairment of vision are integral parts of the storytelling.

The colors plunge the entire city into darkness, and Phillips embraces just how dark the city will get as the night draws on. The art obscures potential threats and even just obstacles that could be tripping hazards. The lights of the flashlights and headlights become crucial to illuminating what’s in front of them. And what gets revealed may be gruesome and horrifying. The lettering is very clear and easy to read, with some brilliant uses of sound effects.

Batman: Bad Seeds – Gotham Central Issue 1 puts the few good boots on the ground. A theme of this crossover is the tenacity and integrity of individual police officers, even when everything above them has rotted and succumbed to corruption. It gives the comic a real focus on individuals, working on very specific crimes in a city that has been completely swallowed up by people taking the law into their own hands. At many points, the pages can be messy, and it’s difficult to fully see what’s happening, but that is immersing us alongside them in the difficult, nightmarish slog that Gotham has become.

Batman: Bad Seeds – Gotham Central Issue 1 is available where comics are sold.