Gotham Central Omnibus

Gorgeous art and the complete story under one cover combine to make this an irresistible find- set aside some time because you'll have a hard time putting it down once you start. For those of you wondering- you should work the binding before you read it- the front cover, then the back cover, then open five pages at a time from one side then the other side until you've opened the whole book- working the spine this way reduces the chances of pages coming out as you read- as can happen in any graphic novel but especially one of this size. (yes I've personally known the horror of a brand new mint graphic novel coming apart in my hands as I read because of the binding- it can happen with sewn or glued works- so you'll want to open a few pages at a time before you read to help prevent this- and open them about 50 percent at first so you don't crack the spine; that's my advice anyway) Moody art really adds to the story- even if you have the softback versions of this it's nice having it all in one place to read with no breaks. Great if you like these characters and setting.

I’m late to this series, but when your favorite writer of crime comics teams up with another of your favorite comic book creators and creates a hard-boiled noir police procedural set in Gotham City, you buy the doorstop of a book that collects every single issue and you revel in every single dark, gritty, and ultimately heartbreaking page. This tome helped me through a miserable 2-week-long cold and, by the time I was done with it, I wished there was a second volume.

The contents themselves are amazing but I've had the book for about 4 days before the cover started to creak. The binding feels rather weak for such a large and heavy book and that disappoints me greatly since I expected to reread this series multiple times before excessive wear and tear was visible but that seems no longer an option.

Absolutely loved reading this omnibus. The writing is absolutely top-notch. My only gripe is with the art. Although I do appreciate the artstyle, and it goes well with the mood of the story, the quality is not on par with the excellent story. To me, the art is as important as the story.

This omnibus is amazing, it has really solid story with solid art, if you have ever wondered about what cops do in Gotham you should read this, differently worth the money

I finally broke down and got this hefty book. It is one of my favorite series from DC in the last twenty years.

Love the collected one book format

Truly one of my favorites Batman related titles

A great “Wire” type of take on Police in Gotham.This huge book collects the complete Gotham Central and it’s quite a weight.The art for me is a bit off. Characters that aren’t distinctive kind of blend into each other. I lost the idea of who’s who if they weren’t very distinctive. The art works for this gritty book. But it’s not my taste, saying that, I loved the whole omnibus! It’s worth the money for the amount of content alone.Batman isn’t featured heavily in this book, which is a great. As a massive fan of Dc and Batman, I thought I’d have missed him. But the power of the story telling is good enough to not need him.The dust jacket is fine, just like any other high end hardback book.The pages are glossy and thick.The spine is intact for me, no complaints there, but I am careful with it.A spoiler here so stop reading here if you haven’t read it...The Montoya “Outing” of her being Gay was beautifully written.Probably one of the best pieces of fictional comic books I’ve read.

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.

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.

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.

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.