(DC Comics)
If you hang around long enough to become an icon, people are likely to forget just where you came from and what you were in the first place. When most people think of Batman, they think of the TV show or the movies, the gadgets, the snarl, the attitude, the one guy without superpowers who still hangs right in there with Superman. All too often, we forget Batman the detective. Over the course of sixty years, the detective aspect of Batman has come and gone, but it has always remained as a subtext. He may have his body honed to the peak of physical perfection, but ultimately it is his mind that sets him apart. that is why Batman as a comic book character can be so unsatisfying lately. He no longer matches wits with his villains, he outslugs them. The Joker is no longer a criminal mastermind, but merely a psychopathic murderer. Anytime a storyline calls for the Batman to use is mystery solving skills promises to be a real treat for comic fans.
Officer Down is a story that runs through seven Batman family titles, with a couple of extra tie-ins thrown in for good measure. It begins in Batman 587 with Commissioner Gordon celebrating his birthday with a number of his closest subordinates. He leaves the party and is gunned down in the alley, shot three times in the back. Catwoman is the chief suspect as she is there in the alley with him. She had attempted to take his life before (programmed by Harley Quinn to do so), but she is actually innocent. As Gordon lays critical in the hospital, his daughter, Barbara, gathers the various Bat-heroes (Robin, Azrael, Nightwing, Batgirl, etc.) who set out too find Catwoman.
Eventually, as all good heroes do, they realize that Catwoman is innocent, and discover that a former mobster who was busted by Gordon has now been working as a police officer under Gordon. Motive, but no prints on the gun, can they prove that it was he that shot the Commissioner?
Greg Rucka writes the first and last parts of this story, with several writers taking a turn in the middle, with surprisingly even results. Ed Brubaker writes Part Two in Robin #86. It is mostly about the aftermath of the crime, as the police try to sort out the conflicting evidence. Birds Of Prey #27 and Catwoman #90, by Chuck Dixon and Brandon Carlton respectively, involve the pursuit of Catwoman, as the heroes capture her, but ultimately realize that she is not their culprit. In Nightwing #53 by the always competent Devin Grayson, it's back to the detective work. In Detective Comics #754 the story shifts to the interrogation of Jordan Rich/Reynolds. Nunzio DeFilippis writes an offbeat story as it has no superheroics or real action, only the drama of the cops trying to close an important case. Batman: Gotham Knights finishes the story with a somewhat unexpected ending. In the best tradition of "round robin" storys (where different writers take a turn at a story) each chapter has its' own feel and pace, but they all contribute to the overall story. This is one of the few crossovers that actually reward you for reading each part of the story. It is that most unusual of comic book stories: The ensemble tale. One character really doesn't dominate the proceedings. This is especially unusual in a Batman book. This is one of the storys strongest points and it's most dissappointing aspect as well.
With the exception of the Catwoman McGuffin, this is a police tale with no superheroics. There are some nice touches, beginning with Gordons birthday party. He gives each of his detectives a key to a pair of handcuffs and explains that a cops greatest power is the power of arrest- to deprive someone of the freedom. We also get the requisite "Batman goes berserk" in Robin #86 (everyone knew it was coming). The end is stated carefully enough that it will invite a little debate on exactly what happened, but most fans will come to the same conclusion. It is nice to see a book that doesn't feel the need to hit readers over the head with an ending. With the exception of a few fits of rage, Batman plays a surprisingly subdued role in Officer Down. It is perhaps fitting, as it is meant to underscore his relationship with Jim Gordon. While it fits thematically, it is unfortunate. So many comic fans today have never had the pleasure of following Batman as he solved a crime. I mean really solved a crime, not just beat information out of an obvious suspect. This could have been such a story, but ultimately falls short as a detective tale. This is much more NYPD Blue than Sherlock Holmes. Fans of routine police work and intimidation will find everything that they are looking for here. Each of the several heroes has a part to play, all the loose ends wind together nicely. The end arrives with only a few surprises, but that is still more than we usually get in a Bat-Book. All in all, it's a very professional job. A well done story that delivers most of what it promises. It could have been more, but most contemporary fans will be none the wiser.
