By Bruno Savill De Jong — A question raised by the in-universe existence of superheroes is what it does it all mean for religion. How would notions of ‘faith’ and ‘divinity’ be challenged by the literal existence of superpowers, magic, and demons? Let alone how several superheroes (Wonder Woman, for one) materially prove the existence of deities.

Surely most of the world would alter its religions, if not simply convert? Then again, maybe such appearances would actually decrease faith, leading people to conclude ‘God’ is not some transcendent benevolent being but an amoral corporeal entity in a colorful costume. By confirming their existence, it demystifies them. In “On the Freak Beat”, Gotham Central ever-so-slightly touched upon religion with its pervy priest and Detective Driver, confessing he was an atheist. Now in “Sunday Bloody Sunday”, Crispus Allen also narrates “I don’t believe in God anymore”.

In “Nature” corrupt cops justified their amorality by asking “when you like in a world with the Joker, can you even say what evil is anymore?” And despite his righteousness, Allen appears to have similar thinking, explaining “after you’ve seen a good cop frozen solid by Mister Freeze and then shattered like a porcelain doll, your faith takes a beating”. The absurdity and senseless death in Gotham make Allen doubt any ‘divine will’. This also applies to the “End of the World”, which residents of any superhero universe face on a regular basis. “Sunday Bloody Sunday” shows such a cataclysmic event from Allen and Montoya’s perspective – tying into Days of Vengeance, which itself was a lead-up to Infinite Crisis – and how the world can nearly ‘end’ so many times before you get numb to it.

“Bloody Sunday” usually refers to a 1972 massacre against Northern Irish demonstrators during the Troubles. But there have been numerous historical events termed ‘Bloody Sunday’, from the 1905 Russian Revolution to the 1965 Civil Rights march in Selma. There is some underlying religious connotations too, but the recurring term reflects how frequently such civilians massacres occur in the real world and (with greater scale and less importance) in superhero universes. “Sunday Bloody Sunday” is the Gotham Central issue that reads most like Marvels, observing civilians helplessly running through their city turned into a battle-zone of destructive magical creatures fighting over their heads. There is a certain weariness to this, Allen almost predicting that Gotham is “holdings its breath” before the event occurs and later surveying “a Gotham that has once again gone mad”, but it doesn’t diminish the immediacy of the danger. The world might nearly end several times, but it only has to happen for civilians once, as (unlike superheroes) they rarely come back. 

Days of Vengeance does have specific parallels and meaning for “Sunday Bloody Sunday”, though. As a ‘religious’ event, it occurred because the Spectre, described in DC Comics as being the personification of the ‘Spirit of Vengeances’ and ‘Wrath of God’, declared war against magic-users. Furthermore for Gotham Central (although likely a happy coincidence), this happened because the Spectre went without a mortal ‘host’ for too long*, his notions of ‘justice’ becoming off-balance. The original and most notable host of the Spectre was called Jim Corrigan.

In “Corrigan”, Renee Montoya beat up C.S.U. Jim Corrigan (unrelated) to access a stray bullet Corrigan sold-off and clear Crispus Allen’s name on a shooting. But it also meant the Internal Affairs case against Corrigan was derailed. Montoya and Allen argue over it in “Sunday Bloody Sunday”, Allen arguing that she “played his game” and now he’s untouchable, while Montoya believes it was worth it to save Allen, calling it a “fair trade”. Allen is unhappy about this, not only for being ‘to blame’ (so to speak), but also noticing how Renee has become increasingly violent and reckless throughout Gotham Central. It’s not only with Corrigan but has been happening since “Half a Life”, where as we’ve seen in “Corrigan” and “Keystone Kops”, whereas Renee “used to hate the violence of the job, now she almost runs into its embrace”. As with the Spectre, Renee’s sense of justice has slowly been destabilized until she starts to be plagued by sins.

It’s appropriate, then, that Days of Vengeance ended with the Spectre destroying the Rock of Eternity (alongside the Wizard Shazam) and letting loose the Seven Deadly Sins upon Gotham. Captain Marvel loosely explains this to Allen and Montoya as they stumble upon him, all this dense supernatural lore literally crashing down upon the realistic Gotham. One of these Sins, Wrath, briefly possesses Renee. It’s only a few panels before Captain Marvel gets it out of her, but Renee railing against the parents who abandoned her and colleagues who mock her “behind [her] back” pours out all the pent-up anguish Renee has kept bottled up until now. The artwork and coloring especially communicate how harrowing the emotional and physical effects are. The spirit does not create the anger inside of Renee, so much as showcase the ugly unfettered emotions already inside her.

The same happens all over Gotham. Although its left vague whether it’s the Sins’ fault or people taking advantage of the chaos, Crispus wondering “how much of this is their doing and how much is all ours”. One threat is the obscure Aquaman villain The Fisherman, who nearly kills the two. Police officers have often been disposable victims of supervillains in Gotham Central, and Crispus narrates how sad and humiliating it would be to be cannon-fodder of The Fisherman of all supervillains; “I think of my family and this is a stupid goddam way to leave them”. But it’s also true of regular Gotham crooks, a racist gang threatening Allen and Montoya as they try and get medical assistance. The world really does seem to be crumbling apart, with smoke and sulphur filling the atmosphere, and Captain Marvel himself little reassurance since he “cannot stay to fight” the Deadly Sins. Ironically for one of the most mythical and magical superheroes, Captain Marvel has one of Gotham Central’s most humane depictions (more so than the terse and cold Batman). Captain Marvel is concerned about getting home to his family, a feeling that Allen shares.

Most of “Sunday Bloody Sunday” is able Allen trying to get home, overcoming the chaos and demonic Sins and road-blocks so he can be with his family. In a sense Allen forgoes the professional responsibility that has become so important within Gotham Central, placing personal attachments above his ‘job’. But in another sense, Allen is only accepting the circumstances are out of his control. Such world-ending events are left to superheroes and deities, and ordinary men like him can only do so much. When he finally gets home, his son tells him “the guy on the TV said the world was ending. He said it was the end of the world. What are we supposed to do?”. He asks his father how to manage a world out of control? A world that often does not feel like your own?

Allen’s wife Dore has her solution. They thank God for their family, they keep faith, and they pray. When living in a universe like this, how could you not maintain faith?

*SPOILERS: Everything comes full-circle as Crispus Allen himself would become the new host of the Spectre after he is killed by Corrigan in “Corrigan II”…but that’s a topic for the next installment.

Gotham Central: Sunday Bloody Sunday (#37)

Gotham Central: Sunday Bloody Sunday
Writer: Greg Rucka
Artist: Steve Lieber
Colorist: Lee Loughridge
Letterer: Clem Robins
Editors: Matt Idelson and Nachie Castro
A DAY OF VENGEANCE tie-in issue! When a catastrophic cosmic event occurs over Gotham, the detectives discover just what being in over their heads really means after Renee is possessed by one of the Seven Deadly Sins! Guest-starring Captain Marvel.
Buy It Digitally: Gotham Central #37, or Gotham Central Book Four

Read more installments of Gotham Central, Case by Case!

Bruno Savill De Jong is a recent undergraduate of English and freelance writer on films and comics, living in London. His infrequent comics-blog is Panels are Windows and semi-frequent Twitter is BrunoSavillDeJo.