4 out of 5

From the Alex Toth romance cover tribute (from Michael Lark) to the opening scene where Stacy dreams of making out with Batman, it seems like we’re going to get a particular type of story for this in-between arc one-shot, which could be an amusing shift from the gravitas of the main goings-on.

That ends up really just being a bookend element – and kind of pointless, honestly – as we instead listen to Stacy narrate (via a letter to a friend) about her day at the GCPD’s MCU.  Because it’s in a personable voice, and Stacy focuses on some lower key stories, it really harkens back to writer Ed Brubaker’s more indie days, which is a delightful thing.  Artist Brian Hurtt may seem like a departure from Lark’s moodier style, but it ends up being the perfect touch for Stacy’s POV, adding a note of instant upbeatness without losing the grounded look of the world, helped wonderfully by Lee Loughridge’s coloring.

While the bookend stuff may just’ve been for the sake of a funny cover, the issue is rewarding nonetheless, fleshing out the daytime shift’s crew and showing how things can operate without Batman and villains involved.