***Contains Spoilers***
“Batman: New Gotham” (spanning Detective Comics #742–765) picks up in the aftermath of No Man’s Land, diving into the city’s slow recovery and Bruce Wayne’s renewed commitment to his crusade. Written by the stellar Greg Rucka, this era takes a closer look at Gotham itself, its people, and the shifting dynamics of the Bat-Family. Along the way, we meet new allies like Sasha Bordeaux and revisit Gotham’s perpetual “us versus them” conflicts, all while the city limps toward a semblance of normalcy. It’s a quieter, more introspective series of stories compared to the blockbuster arcs preceding it, laying the groundwork for bigger events like Bruce Wayne: Fugitive.
One of the biggest strengths of New Gotham is its focus on the city and its denizens. Rucka brings an intimate, gritty perspective to Gotham, not just as a backdrop, but almost as a living, breathing character. I appreciated the “OG vs DeeZees” theme—a clever nod to Gotham’s “old guard” (those who lived there before the quake) versus the “DeeZees” (new arrivals post-No Man’s Land). It feels emblematic of Gotham itself: a place that’s always struggling with identity, strife, and a sense of belonging. That underlying tension gave some real emotional weight to the stories.
The addition of Sasha Bordeaux, Bruce Wayne’s new bodyguard, was an intriguing development. Having another character learn Bruce’s secret identity so quickly felt unnecessary at first, but Sasha’s dynamic with Bruce adds an unexpected layer to the narrative. Watching her navigate her dual roles as Bruce’s protector and someone increasingly pulled into his world kept me curious. While I’m not entirely sold on the idea yet, I’m willing to see where it leads.
I also can’t talk about New Gotham without praising the artwork. The visuals here are absolutely stunning, with coloring that often feels near black-and-white, punctuated by a single highlighted hue in each issue. This stylistic choice adds to the noir tone of the story and feels uniquely suited to Gotham’s perpetual gloom. It’s one of the few aspects of the run I could see myself revisiting just to soak in the atmosphere again.
While the storytelling is solid, it’s not exactly thrilling. Much of the run feels slow and, frankly, forgettable, especially when compared to some of the more iconic Batman stories. As much as I enjoyed the world-building, I kept waiting for a moment to really grab me—and it never quite happened. Things pick up leading into Bruce Wayne: Fugitive, but until then, the stories lack the punch I’ve come to expect from Batman’s more grounded detective tales.
On a broader level, while I love Rucka as a writer, this run doesn’t represent his best work. The plotlines are solid, but nothing really stands out, and for the sheer volume of Batman content out there, I can’t say this is one I’ll return to anytime soon.
New Gotham is a decent follow-up to No Man’s Land that does a great job of fleshing out Gotham and exploring its characters. It’s an entertaining read the first time through, particularly for fans of Rucka’s style, but it lacks the staying power of more memorable arcs. The art is gorgeous, and some of the thematic elements are worth appreciating, but overall, it feels more like context-building for bigger stories than something that stands on its own. For that reason, I give it 2 stars: I liked it, but I probably won’t read the full run again.
Feature Image Detective Comics #744 cover art by Dave Johnson
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