I just finished, with last week's release of the final issue, the 9-part mini series called Gotham Underground. Written by Frank Tieri and illustrated by J. Calafiore with Jack Purcell, this tale is about the gang wars in Gotham city and how the Penguin needs to rise up when Tobias Whale moves from Metropolis to Gotham to establish a foot-hold.
First off, I must applaud the covers. Nine covers, nine parts of a single image that, when put together, makes a huge poster shot by Calafiore. How cool! I really like the way that worked out. And the image as a whole is a great look at the heroes and villains of Gotham City. These covers really got me curious about the book in general.
Next, the art inside. Again, Calafiore and Purcell have a clean style that I enjoy a lot. The characters are all easily identifiable and consistently drawn through out the story. And believe me, there are a lot of characters involved. From classic Bat-foes like the Joker, Penguin and Riddler to newcomers like Johnny Stiches, the villains are well represented. Oh, and the heroes are here too - Batman, Robin, Nightwing, Oracle and the rest of the Gotham gang.
That brings me to the story. Wow! I had never heard of this writer but I enjoyed his tale a lot. And that says something since I haven't read any regular Batman titles in a couple decades. Now I've always like Batman for his villains and this book delivered that. In fact, it is as much of the villains' story as it is the heroes. And I really enjoy a good story where the villains are portrayed well.
Lastly, it tied in nicely to the events going on in Salvation Run as well. Kind of another side of the coin.
All in all, two big thumbs up for me for Gotham Underground.
