I’m generally a fan of cop shows. Not, the action focused ones. I’m more interested in the ones that really focus on the characters, NYPD Blue, Hill Street Blues, as two examples. I’m also a fan of shows that make me question things, presented the world in a muddled way. That’s what drew me initially to the works of John Ridley whose American Crime I hold up as one of the most underrated shows in history. Lucky me, GCPD: The Blue Wall brings together Ridley’s brilliance and the cop genre into the muddled mess I’d expect and GCPD: The Blue Wall #3 is a prime example of that.
Written by Ridley, GCPD: The Blue Wall #3 continues to follow three new recruits to the Gotham police force as well as Commissioner Montoya. For the first two issues, Ridley has set up what a mess the department is. Racism within the force, apathy where it shouldn’t exist, corruption all around, and a Commissioner who is questioning her own every move and focused on the past. One rookie has been made out to be a hero only for the truth to come out. One rookie has a death “on their hands”. And the final rookie is dealing with racism within the force. Mantoya is focused on Two-Face, convinced the villain is up to something.
Ridley delivers the mess of everything. GCPD: The Blue Wall #3 particularly focuses on the racism aspect with HR doing what HR does, not helping at all. It’s a particularly brutally realistic portrayal of the workplace and the pressure to not shake things up and “go to battle” with co-workers. In reality, it’s sweeping up abhorrent behavior. Montoya is presented as a traumatized and obsessed person with an almost Ahab like focus on Two-Face. While she herself is attempting to turn the GCPD around, this storyline continues to show she’s not as clean as presented and has many of the same problems as the previous leadership and the department as a whole.
The art by Stefano Raffaele is nice, with color by Brad Anderson and lettering by Ariana Maher. There’s a grounded aspect to it all that balances the comic between its tights inspiration and the crime/police stories it is. The team does an excellent job of grounding it all creating visuals that are more in line with dramas you’d see on television than the over the top exaggerated visuals often found in comics, especially superhero ones. This is one where the focus on body language or a face are key to telling the story and situation.
GCPD: The Blue Wall #3 is John Ridley at his best for storytelling. It delivers a complicated, character driven story, that is full of uneasy answers. It isn’t afraid to delve into issues that are realistic and dealt with every day, spotlighting the dirt of society. It’s a fantastic adult take on the superhero universe showing Ridley continues to be a voice comics needs.
Story: John Ridley Art: Stefano Raffaele
Color: Brad Anderson Letterer: Ariana Maher
Story: 9.0 Art: 8.25 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy
DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: TFAW – Zeus Comics – comiXology/Kindle
Source: Graphic Policy
