This article is about the DC Comics character. For the real life TV-movie writer, please see Harvey Bullock (writer).
| Harvey Bullock | |
|---|---|
 Cover to Gotham Central #22. Art by Michael Lark. |
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Detective Comics #441 (June 1974) |
| Created by | Archie Goodwin |
| In-story information | |
| Full name | Harvey Bullock |
| Team affiliations | GCPD Checkmate |
| Supporting character of | Batman |
Harvey Bullock is a fictional character from DC Comics' Batman titles.[1]
Contents |
Character history
Prior to the 1984-85 DC maxi-series Crisis on Infinite Earths, Bullock is a crooked police detective under instructions from Gotham City's Mayor Hamilton Hill to sabotage Commissioner Gordon's career.[1] His method of doing so is to pretend to be exceedingly clumsy, thereby spoiling whatever Gordon is trying to do, seemingly accidentally. After inadvertently giving Gordon a heart attack, however, Bullock turns over a new leaf. His character later develops into a well-meaning cop who (probably) is exceedingly clumsy, similar to the later animated version. He also forms a close bond with Robin, based initially on their mutual love of old movies. Subsequent to this, he is a Bishop in the spy organization Checkmate.
Post Crisis
Following the continuity changes brought about in most of DC's comics by Crisis, Bullock is perhaps the most controversial police officer in the Gotham City Police Department. His colleagues in the Major Crimes Unit will swear up and down that he is a good cop, despite his reputation for taking bribes, police brutality, and ties to organized crime. However, he also has elements of the earlier character, including a fondness for doughnuts and a hidden sentimental streak. This new post-Crisis Bullock was retconned as having been loyal to Gordon from the start. Even before he makes detective, he stays by Gordon during one of the Joker's earlier rampages. He saves Gordon's life with careful driving and helps him work through the clues. Ultimately, without Batman's assistance, Bullock and Gordon stop the Joker from causing an explosion that would have leveled Gotham City. During the entire case Bullock plays the part of (or was) the "bad cop," intimidating and threatening whoever gets in his way. At this point, Bullock still wears a regular police uniform.
Several years later, Bullock is made detective. He is partnered with Renee Montoya and they both become very loyal to each other.
Bullock is badly injured during a confrontation with the KGBeast, who has gained control of a small nuclear weapon. Robin and several members of the Gotham City Police Department brave a burning chemical plant, partly to save his life. Bullock actually dies during this incident, but is saved by CPR administered by Robin. Mackenzie "Hardback" Bock, a newcomer to the force, becomes involved, helping Robin carry Harvey out of harm's way. The nuclear bomb is then neutralized by Batman.
Earthquake
In the Batman: Cataclysm storyline, Bullock is confronting Anarky in a shopping mall when an earthquake hits Gotham City. Both save their own lives by diving into a hollow art structure. Despite this, Bullock's arm is impaled by a tube of metal. He doesn't let this stop him. He makes his way back to the badly damaged police headquarters. As soon as he learns Gordon is missing, he slams his arm against a wall, knocking out the bar and institutes a search. Bullock finds and saves a rattled Gordon from the debris of his own office.
A few weeks later, Gotham is shut down and closed off by the government in the incident known as No Man's Land. Bullock and several other officers, Renee included, willingly stay behind to assist Gordon. Bullock sticks by Gordon through the death of many fellow officers. When SWAT leader Billy Pettit revolts and takes even more officers with him, Bullock sticks with Gordon. Renee herself is even lost for a while due to Two-Face. In the end, efforts led by Lex Luthor re-open Gotham. Gordon, Bullock, Renee and the remaining officers (Pettit and the others had been killed) are given their jobs back. Bullock is then promoted to lieutenant and becomes the shift commander of the GCPD's Major Crimes Unit.
In the "Officer Down" storyline, disgruntled former officer Jordan Rich attempts to kill Gordon. Afterwards, a vengeful Bullock reveals Rich's location to the Mafia, thereby indirectly killing the shooter. When evidence of this comes out, he resigns from the force.
He then appears in the "Unresolved" story arc in Gotham Central, where he has descended into a life of alcoholism and is shown contemplating suicide.
Back on the Force
As part of DC's "One Year Later" storyline, Bullock has returned to the GCPD, with the understanding that he is not allowed a single mistake. The circumstances behind this are unknown, the only clue so far being the line, "Six months since Harvey Bullock made his discoveries." Batman and Bullock have made their peace, agreeing to give each other a second chance.[1]
Other versions
- In the Elseworlds series JLA: The Nail, Bullock is shown to be Gotham's Commissioner of Police. Bullock is even shown defending Batman against reporters in one panel, an opposite of mainstream Bullock.
Other media
DC animated universe
His animated counterpart in Batman: The Animated Series is only vaguely similar to this persona, and is voiced by Robert Costanzo. While he is still a staunch opponent of the Batman, and has something of a gruff, tough guy exterior, he is much more benign (and closer to the later Pre-Crisis version). Bullock tends to alternate slightly in his role and nature. At times, he is nothing more than an oafish comic relief character, while other episodes show him in a more serious context as a capable detective. Many episodes blend both of these aspects, thus giving more dimensions to the character. Despite his somewhat corpulent appearance, he is shown in a few episodes to be a capable fighter. Rather than smoking cigars, he chews toothpicks and eats doughnuts.
He was featured prominently in the episode "P.O.V.", in which he and two other officers are questioned about how and why an important bust ended in colossal failure. In his recounting, Bullock's voice-over tells a variant on what is visually shown, in which he is painted in a much more heroic light. The effect given in the series is that of an honest, if not exactly by the book, cop who merely looks like the stereotypical corrupt detective. At one point, when Batman insinuates that Bullock is on the take, Bullock reacts as if he was insulted.
Although he dislikes and distrusts Batman at first, Bullock develops a grudging respect for the Dark Knight when Batman saves him from The Joker in "The Laughing Fish". It is also revealed that Bullock knows the existence of the Batcomputer, but how Bullock learned of it is unrevealed. Bullock, along with Commissioner Gordon, Mayor Hill and Carl Rossum, is saved again by Batman in the two-part episode "Heart of Steel," when he and the others are abducted for the evil HARDAC computer's master plan to create robotic duplicates out of Gotham's officials and take tyrannical control of the city. The android Bullock has a notable fight scene against Batman in said episode, although Batman defeats the duplicate by pushing him off a building and onto the Bat-Signal. By the episode "The Man Who Killed Batman," Bullock's respect for Batman was such that he was visibly saddened by the news of the vigilante's apparent "death" at the hands of Sidney Debris.
Bullock earns the wrath of criminal Killer Croc after Bullock sends him to prison for killing a trade union member. Croc swears revenge on Bullock, and attempts to frame him for sabotage, kidnap and murder in the episode "Vendetta." Bullock is sent to prison, but Batman clears his name, much to Bullock's surprise, as he had often caused nothing but a headache for Batman in the past.
In "A Bullet For Bullock," directly adapted from Detective Comics #651, Bullock teams up with Batman to find out who is behind several attempts on his life. At first, it appears to be a mob boss, Vinnie "The Shark" Starkey, behind it, but it is later revealed that it is actually his own landlord, having been driven crazy by Bullock's rudeness and sloppiness.
Robert Costanzo as Bullock later makes small guest appearances in Superman: The Animated Series and Static Shock. In the comic book The Batman Adventures, set in the Batman: TAS continuity, Bullock is forced to resign after Oswald Cobblepot, the Penguin, becomes mayor, thanks to Temple Fugate rigging the elections to exact revenge on Mayor Hill. As with the DCU version, he becomes a private detective.
BBC Radio 1 adaption of Knightfall
In Dirk Maggs' adaptation of Batman: Knightfall for BBC Radio 1, Bullock was played by Eric Meyers.
Video games
Bullock & Montoya appeared in a cut scene in Batman: Dark Tomorrow for Gamecube, & PS2, while also being a playable character in the DS version of Lego Batman: The Video Game.
See also
References
- ^ a b c Wallace, Dan (2008), "Sgt. Bullock", in Dougall, Alastair, The DC Comics Encyclopedia, London: Dorling Kindersley, pp. 63, ISBN 0-7566-4119-5
| Preceded by Sarah Essen Gordon |
GCPD Major Crimes Unit Shift Commander 2000–2001 |
Succeeded by Maggie Sawyer |
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