GCPD: The Blue Wall

by John Ridley, Stefano Raffaele (Illustrator), Brad Anderson (Colorist)

No one said protecting a city like Gotham would be easy.

Still relatively early in her tenure as GCPD commissioner, Renee Montoya sets out to rebuild her department and restore public faith in the historically troubled PD during some of the worst conditions it’s ever seen.

But Renee can’t do it alone—in order for her plan to work, everyone from the topmost officials all the way down to the most fresh-faced new officers must contend with the harsh realities of being a symbol of law and order in a city of super-powered saviors and superhuman lawlessness.

From the stellar team of Academy Award-winning writer John Ridley and artist Stefano Raffaele. This collection is a thought-provoking and riveting story of everyday people trying to do good in the midst of a flawed system. The Blue Wall collects the entire six-issue miniseries.

Genres: Comics, Dc Comics, Batman, Graphic Novels, Crime, Graphic Novels Comics, Superheroes

152 pages, Hardcover

Published September 12, 2023

About the author

John Ridley IV (born October 1965)[2] is an American screenwriter, television director, novelist, and showrunner, known for 12 Years a Slave, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. He is also the creator and showrunner of the critically acclaimed anthology series American Crime. His most recent work is the documentary film Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982–1992.


Librarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
This profile may contain books from multiple authors of this name.

Reviews

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still trying to decide where I would rate this as I'm writing it.

You have Renee as the main lead but really it's about 3 up and coming cops. All 3 after graduating go to their own departments and each one comes back with a crushing result to what they thought it would be. Especially one going off the very very deep end.

This story is not a easy one to take in. In vain of something like Gotham Central, this is a story of people getting screwed over, attacked for the skin color, and used as propaganda. It's a nasty look at the real world reflecting in a comicbook setting.

It take s abit to get going, and the first half was solid but not great but by the second half I had to know how it'll end up. And it was brutal to read.

A 3.5 but I'll bump it to a 4 for here.

[Frédéric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three GCPD rookies start the job with starry eyes. They will soon learn some of life’s harsh realities.
The hard way.

Overall it’s a very good book. The half dozen characters involved are all very well depicted, without exception. Montoya is particularly impressive. As Gordon’s replacement and still suffering from the events of Gotham Central: Half a life (taking place 2 years prior in the timeline) she’s hard as nail and close to a nervous breakdown at the same time. She steals the show from an already particularly solid cast. Ridley really did an amazing job with her.

Two things bother me though: one characters cracks up a bit too easily and in overkill fashion to boot. It takes down a notch the credibility of an otherwise very solid plot.
The thing with the afghan refugees was so NOT subtle it hurt.

The art is simply great: character designs, body language, settings, storytelling, colors; it’s all excellent.

[Khurram · Rating 5 out of 5]

The old joke

"If you ever feel useless, remember Gotham has a police department."

A great story, it was not what I was expecting. I grew up watching The Bill and with the idea that the policeman is your friend. As I grew older, my ideas changed drastically.

The story follows Renee Montoya as he new commissioner of the GCPD. As an inspirational figure of a Hispanic, Bi woman in charge of "the old white boys club." She is trying to build bridges between the GCPD and the community, but are there more problems within? The stories also follow three cadets who have just graduated to officers. They are finding that the police force they dreamed of serving in is very different from the real GCPD.

This is an excellent street level book. For me, excellent characters, character development, and the issues that still reside in the GCPD. Even without super-villains about police work, it is long, hard, stressful, and more often than not thankless.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here we are again in Gotham, down in the trenches with the GCPD. In this one, Montoya is the commissioner and we see the force through the eyes of three fresh faces from the academy. However, all three are quickly crushed by the machine in their own ways.

To reveal the main conflict in the story would spoil the main surprise in the story, so I will be discreet. But, that being said, I found this central conflict really exciting and interesting but a bit unbelievable. The story really jumps the shark when the cops shoot at a charging Dodge truck only to discover it contained to Afghan refugees who did not understand the directions (come on . . .).

I enjoyed the story. The artwork was great (I love the depiction of Two-Face). I appreciate that the story attempts to address the ideas of corrupt cops and police brutality, but I’m not sure it’s actually helpful in that discussion. If anything, it seems to demonize the victims of racism and brutality.

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Off-putting and dull at first, GCPD: The Blue Wall unexpectedly picks up steam and becomes a shockingly dark, yet riveting, look at cop life. The Gotham City setting is more or less window dressing here as John Ridley delves into the work experiences of some GCPD rookies and Renee Montoya, the new chief.

The rookies are the dull part - I had zero interest in getting to know their bland faces until the plot kicked in. Montoya goes through more agony here as a recovering alcoholic who loses her brother and his wife to a cop killer!!. "Agony" is really the name of the game here - none of the rookies have good experiences.

Basically, the gist of GCPD: The Blue Wall is "as much as you might hate the police, it sucks even more than you think to be a cop." So, it's a rough read. But as the pieces fall into place in the last few issues, I found myself stuck to the page. Glad I read it, but woof.

[Mik Cope · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this up in individual issues. It's an impressive, intense read and it's obvious the author has written a number of books in his time: this almost reads like an illustrated novel, with a lot of dialogue. But it doesn't detract from its format as a comic book and Stefano Raffaele's artwork is excellent, a litte reminiscent of Michael Lark's style on another favourite title of mine, Gotham Central. The characters are complex and believable and a lot of important topics are covered concerning the role of and attitudes within the police department, with systemic racism being a big part of the story. There's a major plot twist which feels a little forced, otherwise this probably would have merited five stars.

[Sidra Lune · Rating 1 out of 5]

Stopped reading when one of the rookie cops says she "is a coward" for not shooting a black child on the streets, meanwhile the news is is parroting her as a hero for not pulling the trigger on an unarmed child. ACAB.

[John Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

A complicated story about complicated issues, but worth a read, even if it doesn’t really get to much.

[Hannah Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were a lot of interesting moments but I feel like this storyline deserved a longer run. With 6 issues it feels a bit rushed and the actions of the rookies don’t feel as impactful or realistic, but I do see the vision and I liked the issues it was addressing. I also always appreciate a Batman story with no Batman in it (don’t get me wrong I still Iove him)

[Yahli Rot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought provoking

The story really brings to light what it's like, trying to change a broken system from the inside. Gave me a lot to consider.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really good! It’s a heavy story; honest, brutal, and quite dark. The characters are very well written, and Ridley adds a lot of depth to Montoya’s character. The art perfectly matches the tone of the story, and Stefano Raffaele’s take on Two-Face is absolutely terrifying, visually. Honestly, I want to see a follow-up story to this ASAP.

[Eduardo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ah.

Hum.

Hm.

Okay, so this series has Renee Montoya having just become Commissioner for the Gotham City Police Department, while also focusing on a group of three friends who have just graduated the police academy, optimistic about Montoya’s reforms and trying to help the people of Gotham City. It… doesn’t go well.

I appreciate that this series wants to tackle ideas that have become more and more common in the discourse around police that we’re having today. I appreciate that it doesn’t come up with a simple happy answer. I appreciate that Batman doesn’t appear at all in the comic, as a way to quickly sweep up any of the problems our heroes have to face, ones that reflect real-world problems such as racism, sexism, and work harassment.

I am less appreciative of HOW those things are examined. About halfway through this comic, I was totally on board, but then (SPOILER ALERT) one of the recruits gets ruined by the pressure and racism, and becomes a homicidal maniac, submitting a manifesto and killing innocent people.

Also, the one who does this is the Puerto Rican character.

[Cue long cry of frustration and despair about how few Puerto Ricans in fiction are depicted as not being criminals, and how this guy was going to be one of my positive examples until he went off the deep end.]

It didn’t feel cheap, exactly, but it felt like it came out of nowhere, that one of the police officers we were following turned out to be a killer, and it felt a little silly the way this story was resolved. Okay, yes, Montoya realized she failed and that she needs to do better, good, and she makes a point that this guy has to be taken in alive. I am not convinced for a second, though, that he’s going to be safe in custody, from either the police or criminals, and this undermines the idea that the ending is going to lead to a better, safer, more accepting police department for Gotham City.

The problem that results from police corruption, on the streets and in the workplace, isn’t “suddenly a cop turns into a cop killer.” It’s what happens to everyday civilians under their boots. But that’s a lot harder to do in a story, to not have one antagonist who can be overcome by our heroes (even if in this story, he’s talked down rather than physically defeated). I’m optimistic that a comic book CAN deal with these issues, even one with the GCPD.

I just don’t think this one is it.

[J.R. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Typical John Ridley. Has a good story idea and ruins it with agenda taking precedence over established lore and basic common sense.

First of all, the racism against Afghan refugees. Ridley needs the police to make a mistake so he perpetuates a racist stereotype by having two Afgani women not be able to understand a traffic blockade, because they don’t speak enough English to understand “stop” and apparently, even though they are refugees, don’t know what guns are because they don’t stop when an entire squad of officers has them. Could have used a drunk driver instead, but no, apparently Afghani woman come to mind when Ridley needs a stereotype.

Also, not content with wrecking Lucius Fox, he moves on to make Renee Montoya a vindictive, obsessive police commissioner. Did he forget that Montoya was The Question? Actually spent time with super-heroes? But now she has Two-Face, of all people, talking her out of foolish decisions. She doesn’t stand up to stupid ideas or racist garbage at the police department, either.

Also, magically, the three main characters are a woman, black man, and Puerto Rican. They are all best friends after graduation and they all have very specific trauma happen that happens to conflict EXACTLY with their own personal struggles or ideals before they graduated the police academy. What are the odds?

Again, this could have been a good story. The plot lines are woven pretty well. But, at the end of the day, it’s Ridley. He twists established backstory to fit what he wants to say and creates monumental coincidences in order to advance the plot. Maybe he should realize that, if everything that’s established needs to be twisted around to fit your worldview, then maybe your worldview isn’t based in reality as much as you hoped.

[Jamie Revell · Rating 4 out of 5]

What you'll think of this may depend a lot on what you expect it to be. It's a story about the Gotham City PD, but it could just as well be any large urban American police force... although, clearly, making it a fictional one gives a greater degree of freedom to the writers. So if you're expecting costumed villains or similar craziness, you may well be disappointed - Batman, for instance, isn't in it and is barely even mentioned.

The story is about Renee Montoya, recently having replaced Jim Gordon as Commissioner, and trying to make the GCPD better. She's haunted by memories of Two-Face (the only other significant character from the Batman mythos to appear) and struggling to get her life together in the face of her new responsibilities. But the focus is perhaps even more on three new recruits who illustrate, in different ways, just how large a challenge she faces as they make their way through the grimier side of police life.

Despite the standard 13+ rating, it's a dark story, with some uncomfortable themes. The characters swear a lot (although the rating means that the actual words are blanked out) and there's alcoholism, overt racism, and gun violence that seems all the more real because of the plausible background. It's a grim read in places, without much in the way of hope, but the characters are well-written and varied, trying to do the right thing in a world that mostly doesn't care.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this spiritual successor to Gotham Central, Commissioner Renée Montoya and three new Gotham City police officers face the corruption of the police system from all sides, and react in their own unique ways.

This is a very human story, even when things start heading towards the superheroic near the end. It's the closest to Gotham Central we've gotten since Gotham Central itself, and all it makes me do is really, really want a Gotham Central book again. It hits that emotional, possibly a little too close to real life, mark that makes it almost uncomfortable to read at times, in the best ways.

On art is Stefano Raffaele, who's been doing the rounds lately with stints on Detective Comics and Knight Terrors - he's got a very realistic style without ever making you forget that you're reading a comic. It's great, and he's definitely one to watch.

Despite the fact that there's a new Batman/Gotham City story every week these days, when they're this good, it's hard to resist.

[Andrew · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a weird book. It’s very Hollywood liberal. It showcases themes of racism and other issues in the justice system well, speaks on how trigger happy cops are & the dangers of assault weapons, is well-written from a technical standpoint, has fantastic art…. Yet is still blatant copaganda. It uses the tired trope of how there are always good cops trying to change things, but fuck that. All cops are bastards. The thesis of this book seems to be that the system needs to be fixed, which is so close to the right answer that it hurts. There is no fixing the system. If anything this book proves that, but it’s still trying to tell you that it just needs to be fixed.

[Brian van den Heuvel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved how the story followed the diverging paths of three young officers and commissioner Renee Montoya in a GCPD which quickly loses its façade as a newly reformed institution.
The story is gripping, especially the second half kept me constantly wanting to read more. The terror felt real and truly brutal to read.
Renee is so flawed and I love it. But her morals and selflessness are still such a strong force for good, even if she wouldn’t believe that herself. She somehow keeps going after all her terrible yesterdays and lack of better tomorrows. “In every meaning of the word, a survivor”

4.5/5 stars

[Chad · Rating 2 out of 5]

Starts off really strong as a hard look at three rookie police officers, all three minorities as they discover what it's really like to be a cop in Gotham. At the same time, it's also about the police Commissioner, Renee Montoya, who has recently taken over from Jim Gordon. I was along for the ride until the book took a hard right into absurdity. It was just such a dumb and uncalled for move that I couldn't get past it. Be aware, there is a lot of triggering elements of racism. The art is serviceable.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good inside look at the corruption and racism of the Gotham City Police Department as three young, idealistic graduates of the police academy start their new jobs and are each crushed by "the machine" in different ways. Also focuses on new commissioner Renee Montoya, who has promised change in the department, but has yet to deliver. It's a fairly talky story, with a lot of triggering racism, some of it overly simplistic perhaps, but, ultimately, a good story about things that need changing. The art is decent throughout.

[Sushie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cop story that happens to be set in Gotham, not a super hero story with cops. And damn. It goes hard. The story is told from four perspectives and it is appropriately, masterfully messy and confusing. The art is sharp but brushy, the colors toned-down without being washed out. And the writing… it took me a while to get that the text at the end of every page was the start of a new one but dang. What a little hook that worked so well with the interpersonal, tangled up nature of the plot.

[David Akeroyd · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is like if DC did "Crash". Completely over the top melodrama to hit you over the head with its point (many of which I agree with, which makes it funnier) that policing in America is broken. By the end I was outright laughing at the book especially when SPOILER the police not only open fire on the wrong vehicle but it happens to have Afghani Refugees. Was there no busload of school kids available?

[Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Gotham police procedural comic?
(yea, those are a thing...)

This comic has lots of triggering elements to it. So many, that they had to include a warning to the reader. It's framed around three rookies to the GCPD and their early months getting the enthusiasm crushed out of them. We get a look at how Renee Montoya (The Question, if you forgot) is handling the stress of being the new Commissioner.

How are they all handling stress?

Not.
Well.

[Nate Deprey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Going up against Gotham Central is a tough spot for any writer but John Ridley delivers a version of Gotham policing through a 2023 lens that I admired but never fell for. This probably would have worked better in a longer series that would have given these characters more time for their stories to unfold and to better earn Renee Montoya's story resolution.

[Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very strong start in first three issues. The jump at the end of 4 was extreme but it's a story.
Art is nice.
It's a spirit successor to Gotham central.
Takes a turn to a more generic action plot, would have preferred to have seen the journey within the force for all three, or even just two, of the characters.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wavering between 3.5 and 4 stars. I love Renee always, but hate that this became another trauma conga line for her - like really, how much more can she take? Didn't much like the kids besides Eric, wasn't a fan of how quickly things escalated... But I'm also kind of glad Harvey got to be a not so bad guy in this, even if still a bit of a creepy stalker.

[Andri Nugraha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Penerus spiritual serial Gotham Central beberapa tahun yang lalu. Drama polisi tanpa ada Batman-nya sama sekali dengan tokoh utama para polisi kota Gotham dengan segala permasalahnnya.
Kalau anda suka menonton drama polisi produksi Hollywood yang dahulu sering muncul di layar kaca, komik satu ini bisa jadi penawar kerinduan.

[Kristian · Rating 4 out of 5]

solid story in the tradition of Gotham Central

[zackxdig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fraught with racism in the GCPD that turns the rookie cop into a cop killer to get back at the system.

[Kris Ritchie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Got halfway through and it just didn't hit me like it seemed to others, I kept waiting for the story to grab me in any way.

[Mohan Vemulapalli · Rating 5 out of 5]

"GCPD: The Blue Wall" is a thought provoking and gritty police drama that focuses on loss and personal redemption set against the background of a corrupt and and dysfunctional criminal justice system. While nominally, focusing on three recent recruits to the GCPD the main strength of of the book is its portrayal of Commissioner Rene Montoya and her journey through grief and loss as she supervises and fails to protect those same recruits from the indignities and threats of the system she oversees.

This book is recommended for readers who have enjoyed dark and thought provoking Batman books such as "Batman Returns" and "Gotham Central".