The Dog's Bullocks...

Gotham Central is one of those series I came to late. Now that it's over you hear people rave about it and wish that you had picked it up more when it was still around.

One of the few issues I have lying around is #20. I can pretty much guarantee the only reason I bought this issue was because the Mad Hatter was on the cover.

I have a soft spot for the Hatter okay? What can I tell you? Ever since I saw David Wayne wearing that hypnotic top hat and going on and on about stealing Batman's cowl in the 60s Adam West show I've been hooked.

Admit it. You love him too, don't you? I mean look at him:

Excellent!

Look at the little guy, with his little buck teeth and his megalomaniacal plans. He's so cute! Yes he is! Aren't you cute? Yes you are! You're a cute little - -

*Ahem*, sorry about that, I don't know what came over me. What was I saying? Oh yes.

As it turned out the bright spot in this issue wasn't old Hatty. It was, in fact, a surprise appearance by a grizzled and grouchy-as-ever Harvey Bullock. As you can see retirement has done nothing to improve Harv's sunny disposition:

..just singing in the rain...

Harvey was always a great character. He was the streetwise, dirtbag cop stereotype down to a tee. Scarfing down donuts, drinking bad coffee, roughing up suspects and getting in trouble with the Commissioner. He could go out for drinks with John McClane, Harry Callahan and Sipowicz and fit right in.

He really shines in this issue. He's called out of retirement by Detectives Mac & Driver to get involved with a case he left unsolved. Spurred on by a bottle of Jack Daniels Harvey decides he'll take to the streets one more time and solve the case he never closed.

Playing a hunch, Harvey pays a visit to an old friend he thinks might be involved:That's some quality police work right there. It's a really great scene, that reminds us why Harv was such an asset to the cops on streets of Gotham.

You may be a super villain with an army of goons and a brolly that shoots acid but still - you don't fuck with Harvey Bullock:

Sharon!

BWAH! HA! HA! Sharon! I slay me! What? You don't get it? Ozzy? Sharon? Osbourne? Oh C'mon what's wrong with you people?

Geez, alright so I'm not funny. What do you want for free?