The Gotham City Police Department, or GCPD for short, has been part of Batman’s world since his first appearance, which also happened to be the first appearance of Commissioner James Gordon. And while the members of the GCPD focused on in the comics have shifted over the years, the presence of it has been a constant, although Batman’s good standing has been anything but. This week, we’re reading three stories that focus on the three most important members of Gotham’s police force: Renee Montoya, Harvey Bullock, and Jim Gordon. We also wrestle with the question of how, in 2023, you can read these stories and reckon with the questions of copaganda and police protagonists. But don’t worry, there’s your usual quotient of funny voices, off color humor, and SHARK WATCH!
- Half a Life (Gotham Central #6-10)
- A Bullet for Bullock (Detective Comics V.1 #651)
- Loyalties (Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #159-161)
Be sure to check out this week’s BatChat column where we look at Batman #134, Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing #7 and Batman & The Joker: The Deadly Duo #6.
Thanks to Geri Nonnewitz for our podcast logo
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Matt Lazorwitz read his first comic at the age of 5. It was Who's Who in the DC Universe #2, featuring characters whose names begin with B, which explains so much about his Batman obsession. He writes about comics he loves, and co-hosts the podcasts BatChat with Matt & Will and The ComicsXF Interview Podcast.
Will Nevin loves bourbon and AP style and gets paid to teach one of those things. He is on Twitter far too often.
