Detective Comics #651 is an issue of the series Detective Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of October, 1992.
Synopsis for "A Bullet for Bullock"
Detective Harvey Bullock finds himself targeted by a series of murder attempts and threatening notes, and eventually admits that he cannot handle the case alone. As he has few allies even within the police department, Bullock is forced to turn to Batman for help. Batman agrees to investigate, but warns Bullock that he will not let the perpetrator face any illicit "justice".
After several days and another murder attempt, Batman tells Bullock that the chief suspect is Vinnie "the Shark" Starkey, a wannabe drug kingpin that Bullock had arrested almost a decade ago. Starkey had been released early on good behavior, and has already returned to the drug business at an abandoned car factory. Batman and Bullock quickly raid the factory, and arrest Starkey and all of his associates.
Starkey insists that he had nothing to do with the threats and murder attempts, leaving both Batman and Bullock suspicious that the real culprit is still at large. True to these suspicions, Bullock is confronted outside his apartment by a masked gunman that very night. Batman quickly subdues the gunman, and reveals him to be none other than Nivens, Bullock's landlord. Nivens, fed up with Bullock's crude habits and wanting to raise the rates on the rent-controlled building, had been trying to get Bullock to leave his apartment.
As Bullock takes Nivens into custody, he reflects on one last irony: he had already been thinking about moving.
Appearing in "A Bullet for Bullock"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Nivens (Single appearance)
- Vincent "the Shark" Starkey (Single appearance)
- Bank Robbers
Other Characters:
- Gotham City Police Department
- Stiles
- Simminger
Locations:
- Gotham City
- Gotham Subway
- Bartholomew Street D-Train Station
- Batcave
- Gotham City Police Department
- Manchester
- Stockton
- Revere truck body plant
- Lenny's Doughnuts
- Gotham Subway
Items:
- Batcomputer
- Giant Penny (Cameo)
- Giant Joker Card (Cameo)
Vehicles:
Notes
- The plot of this issue was adapted almost verbatim by the 1992 Batman cartoon with the episode "A Bullet for Bullock".
- This issue marks the beginning of an increased rapport between Batman and Detective Bullock. Bullock would later repay Batman in Vengeance of Bane by hiding a Batarang that Bane had planted to frame Batman.
- This story is reprinted in Batman: The Dark Knight Detective Vol. 8.
Trivia
- A stray newspaper in this issue bears the headline "Boy Wonder Saves Rivoli!", referencing the events of last issue.
See Also
Recommended Reading
- Batman Recommended Reading
- Batman (Volume 1)
- Batman (Volume 2)
- Batman (Volume 3)
- Batman and Robin (Volume 1)
- Batman and Robin (Volume 2)
- Batman and Robin (Volume 3)
- Batman Confidential (Volume 1)
- Batman: Gotham Knights (Volume 1)
- Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight (Volume 1)
- Batman: Shadow of the Bat (Volume 1)
- Batman: Streets of Gotham (Volume 1)
- Batman Incorporated (Volume 1)
- Batman Incorporated (Volume 2)
- Batman/Superman (Volume 1)
- Batman/Superman (Volume 2)
- Batman/Superman: World's Finest (Volume 1)
- Batman: The Dark Knight (Volume 1)
- Batman: The Dark Knight (Volume 2)
- The Brave and the Bold (Volume 1)
- Detective Comics (Volume 1)
- Detective Comics (Volume 2)
- Superman/Batman (Volume 1)
- World's Finest (Volume 1)