Gotham Central #34

Dead Robin Part Two of Four

Ed Brusker & Greg Rucka Writers
Kano Penciller
Stefano Gaudiano Inker
Clem Robins Letterer
Lee Loughridge Colorist
Nachie Castro Assoc. Editor
Matt Idelson Editor

Our cover by Sean Phillips shows Kid Flash, Cyborg and Wonder Girl standing in a police lineup. This is slightly misleading, as none of them (or any of the other Teen Titans, for that matter) are actual suspects in any crime. But as we'll soon see, they will be interviewed by the Gotham City police. Gotham Central is a more realistic comic, focusing on the ordinary police officers who happen to live in a world of superheroes and villains. As such, anytime a hero or villain shows up, they stand out like a sore thumb. They're bright, colorful, larger-than-life, and most of all, odd. This cover does a good job of showing that. (I do think 6 feet is a little short for Cyborg, but 5'6" feels right for Bart at this age.)

Our story picks up on the heels of the murder of a young man dressed as Robin. The picture of the deceased teen was plastered all over the newspapers, and the parents of the victim even held a press conference, saying they believe their son actually was Robin and was lying about his after-school activities of gymnastics and acting. To try to get to the bottom of this, Captain Maggie Sawyer has called in the Teen Titans, who have graciously complied.

Vic says that both he and Gar have guardian status for the minors on the team and is even willing to provide the paperwork for it. (I guess that explains why Cyborg never bothered telling Jay Garrick about Bart's injuries. He technically is also Bart's guardian.) Raven says this isn't necessary, insisting that Robin is alive and well. But since the Teen Titans won't reveal Robin's secret identity, Sawyer proceeds with the interviews, splitting the heroes up into groups of two.

Kid Flash is with Beast Boy, Wonder Girl with Cyborg and Speedy with Raven. They all tell essentially the same story. The last time they saw Robin was when he left Titans Tower on Sunday night. They suspect he went to Blüdhaven, but they're not exactly sure where he's living now, simply saying Robin has had a rough year. Raven quickly grows impatient, saying they could solve this crime for the police in 10 minutes if they'd let them. But the police refuse. Even the late-arriving, head-turning Starfire is unable to persuade them.

Word spreads that the Teen Titans were at police headquarters, and a swarm of reporters soon surrounds the building. No one is sure why Superboy is missing, while others are on the lookout for the Outsiders, noting Starfire's presence. Eventually, our heroes depart from the roof, and things begin to settle down. Later that night, the real Robin visits a secretary in the department and asks her to tell the others that he wasn't killed. She points out that the cops would much rather hear that from Robin himself, but he won't budge on Batman's strict secrecy rules. After he leaves, another dead teen dressed as Robin is discovered.



Gotham Central is one of my favorite comic book series of all time. The stories were intelligent, well-written and cast the world of superheroes in a different light. Likewise, the art was different from your standard DC book, but it was always well-done and beautiful in its own way. And it really makes you appreciate the incredible abilities of these heroes that we often take for granted. Like Robin jumping off a roof. You wouldn't think twice about that in Teen Titans, but in Gotham Central, that is a breath-taking moment.

This issue highlights the fundamental difference between police officers and superheroes. Both sides have the same goals at the end of the day, but they approach them from almost opposite sides. Superheroes live in the world of masks, secret identities and largely working outside the law. The police are unable and unwilling to do what superheroes do, holding themselves to the high standards of law, order and due process. Maggie Sawyer only had the best of intentions by bringing the Teen Titans in, but it was ultimately pointless. Sawyer had no way to verify the Titans' story, and the GCPD was incapable of bending the rules to have the Titans solve the murder for them. There's a reason why we never see the Titans work with the police in San Francisco.

Next time, we'll take a quick look at the second Secret Files & Origins issue for the Teen Titans and Outsiders.