Gotham by Midnight #3 Review

Writer: Ray Fawkes / Artist: Ben Templesmith / DC Comics Damn these intros give me chills! For better or worse, the first pages of Gotham by Midnight are consistently the best of each issue thus far. They do a great job of setting the tone of Precinct Thirteen and their unsung-heroes-of-the-night attitude.

Issue #3 stays on pace and true to its formula. A self-contained conflict, a flashback for character development, and a tiny step forward for the overarching story plot. And it works. It might become frustrating eventually, but for now, it works. This issue focuses on Lisa Drake. Years ago, Lisa was undercover on a narcotics bust that began to go sour when the dealers popped the trunk to reveal a police detective inside. That police detective was none other than Jim Corrigan, hogtied in the back and about to die. About to die, that is, until Lisa broke her cover, pulled her gun, and revealed a nice little super power. She untied Jim and they introduced themselves, and the rest was history. How did this relate to present day? Well, other than Lisa’s introduction to the team all those years ago, they find themselves working on a case with a girl at Gotham County Hospital who has the spookiest shadow you’ve ever seen.

When a shadow starts moving independently of its owner, it’s time for Precinct Thirteen. The shadow-demon gets aggressive and the team scrambles to find a solution. Biohazard suits were a swing-and-a-miss. Casting light on the shadow? An obvious solution, but d…