Batman: Gotham Noir

[The Laughing Fish]

SPOILERS for those who haven't read this book, so beware.

I read Gotham Noir a couple of days ago, which is a completely different take on Jim Gordon that's inspired by 1940's film noir. Set in 1949, Gordon, an alcoholic ex-cop, now works as a private investigator and agrees to accompany a socialite at a socialite party as a favour for nightclub owner and friend Selina Kyle. Suffering from PSTD after serving the military in WWII, and his drinking habits cost him his marriage and an investigation into the disappearance of a judge, Gordon gets drunk at the party and the next day he wakes in front of a river together with the girl who has mysteriously been killed.  Eventually, Gordon finds himself wrongfully accused for murdering the girl, and he is forced to investigate her death that, unsurprisingly, has ties to the criminal underworld. He encounters Batman, who interrogates Gordon about the murder, but later helps Gordon's investigation and tries to save his life. Bruce Wayne was Gordon's Lieutenant during WWII, and as Batman, he appears in black silhouette throughout the entire story.

Here's something that really caught my attention. Joker is re-imagined as Napier - a snitch secretly giving information to Harvey Dent, who is trying to find dirt on corrupt Mayor Dehaven. Later in the book, Napier was exposed by Gordon, and the mob had viciously beaten Napier and left a great big cut on his mouth from ear to ear.



Now is it just me, or does Napier have a slight resemblance to Ledger's Joker? By the way, this book came out in 2001. As far as I know, this was the first time that Joker was depicted having Glasgow smiles in any media. I could be wrong though.

Anyway, I've got to say that I rather enjoyed this book as a one-off. It's probably my favourite Gordon story after Batman: Year One (the animated film). He's a lot more interesting when he has flaws like a normal human being, and  he's obviously the closest character that you can rather relate to compared to Batman. The only complaint I have about the story is there is a nod to sexual abuse at one point. It's nothing graphic but I won't go further than that. Otherwise, fairly good read.