The Presentation and Representation of Police Officers in comic books – The 1990’s

 The 1990’s – Community Policing and a ‘Real’ Cop Comic

Guest blog by Sergeant Clayton Brown

During the 1990s, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) was invested in building strong community-policing partnerships and a new telecommunications system was created. In the United States in 1991, specifically in the New York City Police Department, the majority of the deputy commissioners were female for the first time. In 1992, Deputy Inspector Kathy Ryan was appointed as the first female Commanding Officer of the Mounted Unit. In 1994, Joyce A. Stephen became the first African-American female captain. In 1995, the OPP relocated its General Headquarters to Orillia, Ontario.

Unlike some previous time periods, comic books of the 90’s did not have an immediate ‘stand-out’ moment or time of support (like the 40’s) or era of creativity (like the 70’s). The 90’s saw many creators leave major comic book companies to found their own companies. Well-known artists like Jim Lee, Todd McFarlane (Spawn), Rob Liefield (Gen 13) and other artists left major company Marvel Comics to found Image Comics. Dark Horse comics came along later as well as other publishers, which resulted in some great artists doing their own books and maintaining artistic control over what they produced. Some of these were a success, some, not as much. DC Comics had their biggest hit in the history of comics with ‘The Death of Superman’ and even decades later it is still felt that this is a story that has aged well and still continues to sell. Overall, the 90’s were a dark time for comics and comic companies, but there were some high points such as Marvels or Kingdom Come which was a celebration of some of the classic characters that the industry had forgotten or which had lost their way as times changed to grittier and darker characters and storytelling.

In November of 1990 Code: Blue make their first appearance in issue number 426 of The Mighty Thor.  Code: Blue is a New York City SWAT Team specially trained and equipped to deal with super-powered criminals.  The team was created by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz and appear in comics published by Marvel Comics.  Feeling that conventional police tactics and SWAT teams were ineffective against some super powered villains, Lieutenant Stone proposed a program to train and equip dedicated police officers to specifically deal with those types of threats.

In 1992, Marvel Comics launched a four issue limited series titled Cops: The Job. The book, written by Larry Hamma and Joe Jusko lasted from July 1992 to October 1992. The series deals with about the real dangers facing two New York City Police Officers on the job and is written by a real ex-cop. In the first issue, new Recruit Maureen (Mo) Donnegan deals with roll call/parade, booking criminals, family disputes and the new recruit complains to her coach that “I can’t believe the amount of paperwork”. Mo and her Coach learn that there’s a serial killer loose in the city by the end of the book. In the second issue, the partners start their day in a shoot-out, investigate a theft, assist people at a house fire and deal with the media. After losing her partner in an on-duty stabbing, Mo is investigated by the SIU, deals with the media again and eventually gets to return to work. One of the interesting things about the series is that they attempt to portray (for the most part) the real job and the characters as real people with real issues. They don’t gloss over issues of sexism or racism in the service and within the community. They don’t portray the characters as being perfect and they try to cover all the aspects of a shift from the mundane to the dangerous. Of all the characters in this essay, the ones portrayed in this series are by far the most accurate, blemishes and all. 

In 1992, we get introduced to a character with an interesting history that starts way back in 1942 when ‘the Ferret’ makes his only appearance in comic books in Man of War #2 published by Centaur Publications. He is the Police Commissioner, Carl Dalton, and he possess the ability to fly and has super strength. He resolves to “take the fight against racketeers and gangsters to their own doorstep”. In his issue and, in only one other appearance, he wears blue tights, a yellow cape and a furry tan cowl designed to resemble a ferret. He never appears again and the comic book publisher no longer exists. However, in 1992, due to a lapse in copyright, Malibu Comics were able to revive and update the character and, in keeping with the new era, he now had animal-like powers and a bad attitude. He became a ‘former’ police commissioner making his living as a musician when not fighting super-villains. The updated character managed to last longer than his predecessor until Malibu Comics went out of business and, in the final issue, destroyed the earth and everyone on it.

Also, in 1992, we also get introduced to Homicide Detective Renee Montoya.  Montoya was originally created by Bruce Timm, Paul Dini and Mitch Brian for the Batman Animated series and was so popular that she was written into the comic. Originally Montoya is a Detective for the Gotham City Police department and is partnered with Harvey Bullock (see 1970’s) until he moves on for promotion. In a later storyline, Renee faces temptation to take justice into her own hands when the assassin who attempted to assassinate Jim Gordon (see 1930’s) walks free. However, her former partner Bullock catches her in the act and convinces her it’s not worth her career. Montoya originally resigned from the Police Service when she was outed as a lesbian and was disgusted with the corruption within the service. However, years later, after a revision of the fictional DC Comic book world, she has been re-established as, once again, the partner of Harvey Bullock and again as a detective.

In November 1995, Top Cow Productions launched the Witchblade comic book which followed the adventures of New York City homicide detective Sara Pezzini as she deals with a series of threats — both typical in law enforcement and not typical (supernatural). The series was created by Marc Silvestri and Michael Turner. The series ran from November 1995 to October 2015.  The NYC detective encountered a supernatural gauntlet of immense power (the Witchblade) while on a case with her partner. After both officers were mortally wounded, the gauntlet left possession of its owner and gave its power to Sara healing her wounds. Over the next 20 years, Sara and the gauntlet fought crime and supernatural beings in an attempt to keep her city safe. Witchblade was adapted into a television series, an anime series and a novel. 

Post 1995, we also find that Robin, sidekick of Batman from 1939 until going solo in 1984, has joined the Police Department so that he can protect society both in uniform and when not in (superhero) uniform. Seeing Richard Grayson in his police officer character proved to be so popular that in the 2018/2019 Netflix series ‘Titans’ he is still Robin, but is now a detective when not taking on supervillains. In the mid 2012 “The Dark Knight Rises’ Batman movie, the ‘Dick Grayson’ character named John Blake, and later revealed to be named ‘Robin’, is also portrayed as being a police officer, rather than his historic origin of being an acrobat from a circus family. In the movie, he is a supporting character as a police officer, but never becomes Robin. It may have been planned for the sequel, but it never came to be. 

Join us next month when the ongoing special about Policing in Comics concludes with a look at the 2000’s