The not-to-be-missed conclusion to "Officer Down!" James Gordon faces his final destiny and Batman must accept the possibility of the loss of a valued comrade, and a life which never will be quite the same. Plus, a black-and-white backup feature written by Harlan Ellison and illustrated by Gene Ha.
It's been over two weeks since James Gordon was shot by Jordan Rich, and the man responsible has walked away scot-free and is suing the city for wrongful arrest. Gordon is slowly on the mend, but has nevertheless made the decision to retire from the police force - a decision that saddens the major crimes unit and angers Bullock. Mike Akins is to take over permanently as Commissioner, with Bock receiving the promotion to Chief of Police. Detective Montoya blames herself for what happened - she and Allen had the opportunity to get Rich convicted and let the opportunity slip through their fingers.
On the roof of the GCPD building, Gordon introduces Batman to the new Commissioner. Batman does not take the news of Gordon's retirement well. The next day, Montoya calls in sick...and Bullock gets a bad feeling about it. His feeling is deserved, as Montoya makes her way determinedly to Rich's apartment. She bursts in, gun in hand, willing Rich to attack her so that she can kill him in self-defence. However, Bullock arrives and talks her out of wasting her career on a nothing like Jordan Rich, reminding her of what Gordon told them the night he was shot...that a police officer's greatest power is to deprive someone of freedom, not of life.
That night, Batman and Gordon meet at Gordon's house, coming to an understanding about what has happened. Their working relationship is over, but the two men will remain friends. Elsewhere, Jordan Rich's apartment is empty, with splashes of what looks suspiciously like blood on the floor. Unaware of this, Bullock and Montoya meet in Kelly's Plough. She complains that there is no justice, but is consoled by Bullock.
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