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{{short description|Fictional character throughout the DC Universe}}
'''Gillian B. Loeb''' was the [[fictitious]] [[Gotham City]] [[police commissioner]] in the [[DC Multiverse]] in the [[story arc]], ''[[Batman: Year One]]''.
{{Infobox comics character<!--Wikipedia:WikiProject Comics-->
| character_name = Gillian B. Loeb
| image = Gillian B. Loeb (circa 1987).png
| caption = Gillian B. Loeb as seen in ''Batman'' #405 (March 1987).<br>Art by David Mazzucchelli.
| publisher = [[DC Comics]]
| debut = ''Batman'' #404 (February 1987)
| creators = [[Frank Miller]] (writer)<br>[[David Mazzucchelli]] (artist)
| alter_ego =
| full_name =
| species = [[Human]]
| homeworld = <!-- optional -->
| alliances = [[Gotham City Police Department]]
| aliases = <!-- optional: actual identities the character uses, not nicknames -->
| supports = <!--optional-->
| powers =
}}
'''Gillian B. Loeb''' is a [[fiction]]al [[Character (arts)|character]] in the [[DC Universe]] who serves as an enemy to [[Batman]]'s ally [[Jim Gordon (character)|James "Jim" Gordon]] in [[DC Comics]] publications.
 
The character was portrayed by [[Colin McFarlane]] in [[The Dark Knight Trilogy|''The Dark Knight'' trilogy]] and [[Peter Scolari]] in the television series ''[[Gotham (TV series)|Gotham]]''.
He was ranked above Detective [[Jim Gordon]] and his partner, Flass. He was thoroughly corrupt and found Gordon's honesty and heroic behaviour most troubling for his operation. However, he did not immediately share the same opinion about the mysterious vigilante, [[Batman]] since he thought the character was targetting only low level criminals which he thought was politically advantageous. However, Batman attacked his residence during a dinner party with his criminal and political contacts and publicly announced that he fully intended to bring them down as well.
 
==Publication history==
With that threat, Loeb ordered Gordon to arrest Batman immediately. However, the vigilante proved frustratingly elusive until a impromptu rescue on the street led to him being cornered in an abandoned building. Although the situation seemed hopeless with the police surrounding the building, the commissioner ordered a [[bomb]] dropped on it and a [[SWAT]] conducting an armed search of the rubble, Batman still escaped much to Loeb's aggravation.
Loeb first appeared in ''[[Batman]]'' #404, as part of the ''[[Batman: Year One]]'' story arc. He along with his successor Jack Grogan, are predecessors and [[Foil (literature)|foils]] of [[Jim Gordon (character)|James Gordon]].
 
==Fictional character biography==
Eventually, Batman's investigations, Gordon's resistance to Loeb's attempts to cow him and [[District Attorney]] [[Harvey Dent]]'s prosecution of Flass who divulged damaging evidence forced Loeb to resign.
===Post-Crisis===
Loeb is introduced in ''[[Batman: Year One]]'' as the [[police commissioner|commissioner]] of [[Gotham City]]'s [[Gotham City Police Department|Police Department]] at about the time Batman first appears in the city. He is in mob boss [[Carmine Falcone]]'s pocket and immediately considers then-Lieutenant [[Jim Gordon (character)|James Gordon]]'s honesty a threat. Loeb does not immediately share Falcone's concerns about Batman, since the masked vigilante is targeting only low-level criminals and distracts the public from their activities. One night however, Batman breaks into Falcone's mansion during a dinner party, the guests at which include Loeb and several other Gotham elites, and publicly announces that he intends to bring them down as well.
Commissioner Loeb appears ''[[Batman Begins]]'', played by English actor [[Colin McFarlane]]. The character is [[african american]] and there is no indication that he is corrupt.
 
Enraged, Loeb assigns Gordon to lead a task force with the sole purpose of arresting Batman. The vigilante proves frustratingly elusive, until the GCPD finally manages to corner him in an abandoned building following an impromptu rescue on the street. Loeb fakes a demolition order to have a bomb dropped on the building before sending in a heavily armed SWAT team to search for a body. Batman manages to escape, though not before humiliating Loeb further by easily overcoming his pursuers.
[[Category:Fictional police officers|Loeb, Gillian B.]]
 
When Gordon (alongside assistant district attorney [[Two-Face|Harvey Dent]]) begins surreptitiously helping Batman, Loeb blackmails him with evidence of his extramarital affair with Sgt. [[List of DC Comics characters: E|Sarah Essen]]. Gordon is able to thwart Loeb's plan by confessing his indiscretion to his wife Barbara.
 
Eventually, Batman, Gordon, and Dent expose Loeb's ties to the Falcone mob and he is forced to resign. According to Gordon, Loeb's replacement, Jack Grogan, is just as corrupt. Gordon becomes the department's commissioner a few years later.
 
In ''[[Batman: Dark Victory]]'', Loeb returns, hoping to use the [[Hangman (DC Comics)|Hangman]] killings as an excuse to try to get the city council to remove Gordon from his position as commissioner. His overall goal is to regain his former position, arguing that his "experience" makes him more qualified. Before his plans can be fulfilled, he becomes a victim of the Hangman Killer himself.
 
A younger Loeb appears as a captain in flashbacks in "Wrath Child" (''Batman Confidential'' #13-16), where he arranges Gordon's transfer to Chicago for fifteen years after Gordon shot a [[Police corruption|corrupt cop]] and his wife in self-defense. Loeb fears the news could bring him and other corrupt cops down and threatens Gordon with the death of [[Wrath (comics)#Wrath|the cop's son]] to force him to accept the transfer.
 
Loeb is referred to in [[DC Comics]]' ''[[Hitman (DC Comics)|Hitman]]'' series. Moe Dubelz, one of Gotham City's most powerful mob bosses, says that Loeb helped his criminal empire to flourish by keeping the police at bay, in return for generous payments. Dubelz remembers Loeb's term as commissioner as the "good times" for his organization.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shwiggie.com/hitman/hm-06/09.jpg |title=Scan of the page of the ''Hitman'' issue in which Loeb is mentioned. |access-date=2010-12-30}}</ref>
 
Loeb appears in [[Matt Wagner]]'s limited-series comic ''[[Batman and the Monster Men]]'' (2005–2006) under the name "Joseph Loeb", a likely reference to writer [[Jeph Loeb]].
 
===The New 52===
In 2011, ''[[The New 52]]'' rebooted the DC universe. Loeb is once again the corrupt commissioner of the GCPD. In ''[[Detective Comics]]'' (vol. 2) #25, Loeb assigns Gordon to partner with a crooked detective, Henshaw, who means to give Gordon to [[Black Mask (comics)|Black Mask]]'s henchmen. Batman saves Gordon. Many of the corrupt police officers under Loeb's command known to be associated with the False Face gang perish, leading Batman and Gordon to theorize that Loeb has suffered some manner of emotional collapse.<ref>''Detective Comics'' (vol. 2) #25. DC Comics.</ref>
 
Later during the ''Zero Year'' storyline, [[Riddler]] attacks GCPD blimps, while taking over the city's power grid and allowing the city to be flooded by a hurricane, causing many to crash; Loeb is among those killed as a result.<ref>''Batman'' (vol. 2) #29. DC Comics.</ref> After the crisis is resolved and the Riddler is captured thanks to the efforts of Batman, Gordon, and Lucius Fox, Gordon is appointed the department's new commissioner a month later.<ref>''Batman'' (vol. 2) #33. DC Comics.</ref>
 
==In other media==
===Television===
Gillian B. Loeb appears in ''[[Gotham (TV series)|Gotham]]'', portrayed by [[Peter Scolari]]. This version is secretly and initially allied with [[Carmine Falcone (Gotham)|Carmine Falcone]] before defecting to [[Sal Maroni (Gotham)|Sal Maroni]]. Additionally, Loeb had a mentally-ill daughter named Miriam, who killed her mother in a fit of jealousy twenty years prior.<ref>{{Cite episode|title=Welcome Back, Jim Gordon|episode-link=Gotham (season 1)#ep13|series=Gotham (TV series)|series-link=Gotham (TV series)|network=Fox|airdate= January 26, 2015|season=1|number=13}}</ref><ref>{{Cite episode|title=Everyone Has a Cobblepot|episode-link=Gotham (season 1)#ep18|series=Gotham (TV series)|series-link=Gotham (TV series)|network=Fox|airdate= March 2, 2015|season=1|number=18}}</ref><ref>{{Cite episode|title=Beasts of Prey|episode-link=Gotham (season 1)#ep19|series=Gotham (TV series)|series-link=Gotham (TV series)|network=Fox|airdate= April 13, 2015|season=1|number=19}}</ref><ref>{{Cite episode|title=The Anvil or the Hammer|episode-link=Gotham (season 1)#ep21|series=Gotham (TV series)|series-link=Gotham (TV series)|network=Fox|airdate= April 27, 2015|season=1|number=21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite episode|title=All Happy Families Are Alike|episode-link=Gotham (season 1)#ep22|series=Gotham (TV series)|series-link=Gotham (TV series)|network=Fox|airdate= April 28, 2015|season=1|number=22}}</ref> Following a failed attempt at forcing [[Jim Gordon (Gotham)|Jim Gordon]] to resign from the Gotham City Police Department, Loeb resigns and is succeeded by [[Sarah Essen]].
 
===Film===
* Gillian B. Loeb appears in [[Darren Aronofsky]]'s script for a planned ''Batman: Year One'' film, in which he was the master of organized crime in addition to being commissioner of the Gotham City Police Department.<ref>{{cite news|author= Brian Linder|url= http://movies.ign.com/articles/034/034024p1.html|title= Aronofsky Talks ''Batman: Year One''...Again|work= [[IGN]]|date= December 6, 2000|access-date= October 17, 2008}}</ref>
* Gillian B. Loeb appears in ''[[Batman Begins]]'', portrayed by [[Colin McFarlane]]. This version is an honest but self serving African American policeman and commissioner who initially disapproves of vigilantism in Gotham City before changing his mind after [[Bruce Wayne (Dark Knight trilogy)|Batman]] saves Gotham from [[Ra's al Ghul]].
* Gillian B. Loeb appears in ''[[The Dark Knight]]'', portrayed again by Colin McFarlane. Amidst the [[Joker (The Dark Knight)|Joker]]'s attack on Gotham, Loeb is assassinated by him and later succeeded by Lieutenant James Gordon.
* Gillian B. Loeb appears in ''[[Batman: Year One (film)|Batman: Year One]]'' (2011), voiced by [[Jon Polito]].
 
===Video games===
* Gillian B. Loeb appears in ''[[Batman: Arkham Origins]]'', voiced by [[J.B. Blanc]]. This version is allied with [[Black Mask (character)|Black Mask]] and personally assigned Detective [[Harvey Bullock (character)|Harvey Bullock]] to serve as Captain [[Jim Gordon (character)|James Gordon]]'s partner. After disguising himself as Black Mask, the [[Joker (character)|Joker]] mounts a mass breakout at [[Blackgate Penitentiary]], during which he takes Loeb hostage and kills him via a gas chamber. Having failed to save him, Batman suffers hallucinations of Loeb while thwarting the Joker's plans.
* Gillian B. Loeb, based on his appearance in ''The Dark Knight'' trilogy will appear in ''[[Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight]]''.
 
===Miscellaneous===
Gillian B. Loeb, renamed '''Perry Loeb''', appears in ''The Dark Knight''{{'}}s tie-in novelization.
 
==See also==
* [[List of Batman Family enemies]]
 
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
 
{{Batman characters}}
{{Frank Miller}}
 
{{DEFAULTSORT:Loeb, Gillian B.}}
[[Category:Fictional police officers|Loeb, Gillian B.commissioners]]
[[Category:Comics characters introduced in 1987]]
[[Category:Characters created by Frank Miller (comics)]]
[[Category:DC Comics film characters]]
[[Category:Gotham City Police Department officers]]
[[Category:Fiction about police misconduct]]