Batman: Gotham County Line

(DC, 2005–2006)
™ and © 2005 DC

This three-issue Prestige Format limited series by writer Steve Niles (30 Days of Night) and artist Scott Hampton (Batman: Night Cries) removes Batman from his normal milieu; rather than tracking his usual array of garish foes through the concrete jungle of Gotham City, the Dark Knight finds himself in the suburbs of Gotham County, investigating a string of serial murders as a favor to his old friend, Commissioner Gordon.

As the story develops, it becomes something of a police procedural—à la CSI—and Batman finds himself matching wits with a wily serial killer and dealing with the vagaries of local law enforcement. The story takes an odd turn—albeit not an unexpected one, given Niles’ involvement—when supernatural elements begin to creep into the plot near the end of the first issue. They do not hamper Gotham County Line in any way; it’s just that Niles does such a good job of grounding Batman in investigative aspects of the story that the shift toward the paranormal is, at first, a bit jarring.

— Thomas Moudry

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