WARNING: The following contains spoilers for "Rookie" in Detective Comics #1027, by Greg Rucka, Eduardo Risso and Tom Napolitano, on sale now.
When it comes to the Bat-Family, Bruce Wayne keeps his protegés close to chest. However, he does need defenders on the ground, so Commissioner Jim Gordon has an army to work with, no matter how small it may be. Harvey Bullock is one of these officers -- and while he often butts heads with the Dark Knight, Bruce knows he and Gordon can count on Harv.
In Detective Comics #1027, there's further insight into how the Bat monitors the new crop, all as part of a secret plan to recruit Gotham's next generation of defenders.
"Rookie" focuses on Lynne Baker as she moves into the Gotham City Police Academy. She shows a lot of promise: She has great grades, immense aptitude and a badass spirit. Gordon knows he's got someone with brains and brawn on the plate.
Seeing recruits like Lynne is what inspires Gordon to give rousing speeches at each graduation. In the background, the Bat hangs upside-down outside a window watching the ceremony, eager to see who goes on to maximize their potential.
As Lynne proceeds with her career, she proves to be a gem. However, she also struggles, hating how rookies become corrupted and having to fall in line with seniors who are criminals in a uniform. It's a system she can't break and at times, she feels like Gordon sold her a lie. However, as time passes, Lynne realizes Gordon inherited this system, the same way she inherited her own rite of passage with these fiends on the force.
She never wavers, though, despite colleagues hanging dead rats in her locker to inflict fear. This message does get to her, but as Lynne's conscience and moral compass gnaw at her when she sees police brutality, racism, oppression of minorities and other forms of discrimination, she knows she's on the right path. Still, it's always a question of how long and will she break.
Seeing weapons being planted on innocents to make them fall guys is another issue she has, aggravating her inside the belly of the beast. At one particular drop, Gordon's Major Crimes Unit busts in and hauls off the dirty cops, leaving Lynne in shock because she didn't know these people existed.
She immediately feels they're her kindred spirits and it becomes clear Gordon had to keep it a secret so Lynne could pass this initiation. If he lets people in easily, it could corrupt the crew. Once people like Lynne go through that baptism of fire properly, the trust will be established.
Gordon isn't the only one who's been following Lynne in the field. When thugs pull guns on Lynne and the MCU at the scene, Batman saves the day, taking them out to let Gordon's people know he's not just Jim's partner -- he's theirs, too. From his smirk, it seems this has always been their plan to ensure Gotham still has good cops at the end of the day. It's trial by fire for Lynne, but as she passes the ultimate test, Gordon and the Caped Crusader know she'll protect the city with her life.