Library Journal Review

Brubaker (Captain America) and Rucka (52; Detective Comics) are two of the DC roster's big dogs, having been nominated for or won a raft of Eisner, Harvey, and Ignatz awards. Published in 2008 and repackaged here, this series depicts the complicated lives of the Gotham City Police Department's (GCPD) working stiffs. When Mister Freeze kills a GCPD officer, detective Marcus Driver makes a belligerent commitment to conduct his investigation without Batman's involvement. The Freeze case carries over to the death of a teenager and an unexpected unveiling of the Firebug's identity. Later, Officer Renee Montoya is publicly outed as a lesbian and confronts harassment from bigots on the force and from the infatuated Two-Face in more sinister ways. Absent the bright colors and sharp lines of typical superhero fare, this series' muted, dingy tones recall years spent at the precinct with Andy Sipowicz and NYPD Blue. Verdict Though many characters play to familiar types, fans of police procedurals and high-tension, low-flash cop shows will gleefully gobble up these plots panel by panel. Devoted DC readers will value the continued expansion of the Batman universe.-John Gehner, Urbana Free Lib., IL (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.