Batman: Bad Seeds: Gotham Central #1--Bad Seeds Week 3 Part 1 Review
Writer: Christopher Cantwell
Artist & Cover Artist: Jacob Phillips
Letterer: Becca Carey
Variant Cover Artists: Martin Simmonds; Mike Perkins & Mike Spicer; Dustin Nguyen
Editors: Arianna Turturro & Rob Levin
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $4.99 US/Variant $5.99 US (Card Stock)/Variant $7.99 US (Foil)
Release Date: September 9, 2026
Officer Espinoza's former partner knows she rides with Jim Gordon. So, when the Security Guard at Gotham Arboretum can't get anyone from the Gotham City Police Department to investigate a dead body, he calls her. Police Commissioner Vandal Savage may have declared war on the Bat-Family. He may have thrown Barbara Gordon in Supermax. Still, Jim Gordon intends to safeguard his city, even as aggressive plant growth attacks Gotham.
Can "Ezzy" and Gordon reach the murder scene? And can they investigate a murder while a billion years of evolution occur during a single night? Let's leap into Batman: Bad Seeds: Gotham Central #1, and see!
Story
When Officer Gordon calls in his decision, Vandal Savage tells him that he’s violating orders. Gordon insists that the police are duty-bound to determine whether people or plants killed someone. Still, the aggressive plant growth surrounding Gotham Arboretum gives Gordon pause. But Ezzy, driven by her friendship with former GCPD officer Griffin, doesn’t hesitate when she sees upraised concrete and trees blocking the Arboretum gates.
When Griffin shows Gordon and Ezzy the body, the officers assess the crime scene. But when Gordon calls to request a forensic pathologist, the airwaves fill with Bat-Family sightings. Undeterred, Jim Gordon fights for what he needs to pursue a murderer in Batman: Bad Seeds: Gotham Central #1.
While Gordon and Ezzy conduct an unsanctioned homicide investigation, Anarky decides to profit from all the chaos. After his actions sparked a crime war, Batman had to protect him from TORUS soldiers. Anarky still smarts from being used to help one crime family gain an advantage over another. He also dislikes how TORUS is repressing the smaller gangs and making everyday criminals targets of their wrath. So, after fleecing a member of the public, Anarky targets the people putting a stranglehold on crime.
Christopher Cantwell's story highlights the corruption within the police force. It also shows Vandal Savage's determination to protect the people who put him in office while eliminating anyone who opposes him. Still, as rampant plant life overtakes Gotham, good people rally together to protect the public amid a natural disaster. Jim Gordon may now be a uniformed officer. Yet he rises to lead others amid an extra-natural disaster, while other people in the Bat-Family's orbit prove far less noble in Batman: Bad Seeds: Gotham Central #1.
Art
As Ezzy manhandles the steering wheel of the brick-like squad car through plant-infested streets, Jim Gordon notices what might be a member of the Parliament of Trees in his side mirror. When roots push through the pavement before the Arboretum gates, Ezzy presses the accelerator, and the patrol car sails across a splash page. After the car stops, Ezzy lingers beside Griffin while Gordon gets his first look at the body. But as Jim Gordon pulls on his gloves, Ezzy leaps beside her new partner to assist the investigation in Batman: Bad Seeds: Gotham Central #1.
As Jacob Phillips adorns his detailed art with a limited palette, the patrol car’s red emergency lights and yellow headlights compete with the green night. Yellow dots in the air evoke the airborne toxins and pathogens Batman mentioned in his call to the Bat-Family. Yet, they also recall the butterflies that Killer Croc freed after escaping Dr Zeller's treatments in Arkham Towers. Anarky covers his motorcycle helmet with a mask and a hood while displaying his symbol on his jacket and trousers. Red and blue clash in his crusade for small-time criminals. Red also represents the anger of those Dr Zeller tries to cure. Yet, blue battles red amid yellow and green as Jim Gordon tries to save everyone he can.
Becca Carey fills white dialogue balloons with black uppercase letters, and denotes locations with white letters in black boxes. Words grow bold for intonation, swell for raised voices, and shrink for lowered voices. Red letters link Anarky and his opponents. Sound effects heighten the seemingly intelligent plant growth, a brutal battle, and machines struggling against nature amid dwindling power supplies. Yet, a metallic rattle confirms Gordon’s suspicions, making a night of madness even more dangerous. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.
Final Thoughts
When the Gotham City Police Department faced a situation they couldn't handle, they lit up the night with a plea for help. But as plants overtake Gotham, the power goes out, and lawlessness takes over, TUCO squads scour the city for any member of the Bat-Family. Lacking support from his superiors, Officer Jim Gordon relies on younger police officers and anyone willing to help him protect the public while pursuing a psychopath in Batman: Bad Seeds: Gotham Central #1.
Rating 9/10
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