Jim Gordon might be one of the worst characters in the DC mythos. Before you get your Batman underoos in a bunch, think about it. He somehow rose to one of the highest positions in the Gotham police force by barely his doing job. In fact, he mostly lucked out because everyone who was his superior got blown up.
Instead of referring to him as Commissioner Gordon, we should just be calling him, Jim Gordon Gotham Resident. As of issue 41 of Batman, written by Scott Snyder, Gordon has found a new way to shirk his responsibilities by dallying around in a mech suit and calling himself Batman 2.0. What lengths won’t this guy go to in order to avoid being a cop? To read about even more of Gordon’s questionable decisions, follow along as we count down all of the reasons Commissioner Gordon is bad at his job.Not only has Commissioner Gordon had multiple chances to take out bad guys like Joker and Two-Face only to pass them up because of an archaic moral code that doesn’t apply to people once they have half a face and are trying to ransom the moon, but he’s also a terrible detective. The guy’s been working with Batman for decades and still hasn’t figured out that he’s Bruce Wayne.
1. He’s Taken Hostage All the Time
If you’re a bad guy in Gotham City, why not take Commissioner Gordon hostage? Seriously, it happened four times in two seasons of Batman: The Animated Series, and at least once in the Cataclysm storyline. It’s like Gordon doesn’t even lock his doors at night.
2. He Teams with Bane to Kill Batman
After seeing his daughter fall to her death in The New Batman Adventures, Gordon decides to enlist Bane in getting revenge on Batman for making her be a bat person? Or something like that? It’s confusing. If he really wanted revenge, he should have just arrested Batman and put him in Arkham, where he arguably belongs.
3. Gordon Can’t Figure Out That Bruce Wayne Is Batman
Gordon: a detective who can’t detect the most obvious fact in Gotham. Depending on which continuity you’re following, Commissioner Gordon has never put together that Bruce Wayne is Batman. And guy, a lot of people know who Batman is.
4. He Thinks Everything’s All About Him
In the series Streets of Gotham, Batman is busy trying to solve a series of gruesome murders by Victor Zsasz, one of Gotham’s most dangerous men, leaving Gordon to deal with a few crimes all on his own. Naturally, Gordo can’t handle it and needs the help of a vigilante, so he interrupts Batman’s investigation, which causes an avalanche of problems for the Dark Knight. Thanks a lot Jim.
5. He Literally Lets the Inmates Take Over the Asylum
In Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth, Gordon allows Joker and the rest of the crazy villains run wild in the city’s insane asylum. You’d think job one for the commish would be to make sure that a building full of super villains doesn’t become compromised, but I guess you’d be wrong.
6. Gordon Created the Wrath
Witnessing the murder of his parents is an integral part of Batman’s origin story, but Gordon’s parents weren’t killed, so he apparently has zero problems killing a husband and wife in front of their son, who would grow up to be Wrath, the reverse Batman who works as a hired assassin and who also takes his anger out on cops. Oops!
7. Batman’s Not Available? FFFFFFUUUUU
his scene from the original Batman series proves that the worst thing that ever happened to Gotham city is Batman, and the second worst thing is Gordon being in charge of the police.
8. He Doesn’t Kill the Joker When He Has the Chance
As commissioner, Gordon is basically King Cop of Gotham and his job is to serve and protect. The Joker is arguably the most dangerous character in the Batverse, having killed hundreds if not thousands of the Gothamites Gordon’s supposed to serve and protect. In the No Man’s Land series, when Gordon has a chance to kill the Joker, he doesn’t do it. Instead he chooses to shoot Joker in the knee. We all know know a set of crutches aren’t going to keep the Joker from busting out of Arkham and killing yet more innocent people.
9. He’s Easily Seduced By a Woman in a Gorilla Costume
By Batman and Robin, Commissioner Gordon has been dealing with bad guys in stupid costumes for FOUR MOVIES! You would think he’d be on guard as soon as he saw some babe in horticulturally themed costume emerge from a gorilla outfit. But that’s where you’d be wrong. Instead, Gordon hands over a diamond necklace to Poison Ivy, and even offers her a pair of matching earrings. Great police work Jim.
10. For Some Reason He’s Never Put a Super Criminal to Death
We can debate the death penalty for regular folks until the cows come home, but when you’re dealing with villains as criminally insane as the Joker, who only seems to want to hurt people, and the Riddler, who’s totes annoying, you’d think Commissioner Gordon would at least discuss making the death penalty a thing for super villains.
11. Gordon Has Exceedingly Poor Judgment
Even though this is an alternate continuity, it still counts toward Gordon being the WOOOORST at his job. During the Flashpoint series, Gordon chases down the Joker to Wayne Manor and instead of waiting for backup, he goes in guns blazing, accidentally killing Harvey Dent’s daughter right before getting his own throat slit.