See, now forget Birds of Prey... this should've been the "Batman" tv show. It's NYPD Blue in Gotham City. And it's damn good.
What's it about?
Ed Brubaker, Greg Rucka and Michael Lark introduce us to the world of police officers in Gotham City. Not only does the average cop have to deal with one of the most crime ridden cities in America, but working in the shadow of Batman and facing a legion of psychotic and abnormal perps.
First off, what a beautiful book. Michael Lark on a monthly...fantastic. I've been a big fan since he and Ed first did Scene of the Crime. Michael captures the atmosphere of Gotham, day and night, perfectly. And thanks to whoever decided to go for the retro design on Mr. Freeze (that movie...bah). He looked, no pun intended, chilling. Freaky as hell. Best use of Freeze I've seen in a long, long time. Chain Lark to the desk!
Essentially, this is a set-up issue - I don't want to spoil the plot but I'll touch on a few moments that, to me, make this book incredibly special.
The use of Batman in several scenes, mostly the later half of the book, but especially when they're discussing the board and "THE BAT'S" role in it. Batman is never seen, but his presence is very, very strong.
Detective Driver instantly has grabbed my attention with what he goes through in the opening and his desperate request of "not turning the signal on. Let US handle this."
Captain Sawyer is another character of interest here as we see she's having some friction internally - and I'm sure this is going to be an ongoing problem with her. With Greg on board I know she'll have a strong and righteous position in the book, which is what I want to see.
Give it a look.
