Adding this to the original OOC post. Questions, comments, lemme have 'em. 

State of the overall Verse:

Smooth on the surface, but dangers lurk underneath. Or, rather, far from Earth orbit. There is chatter among select circles of Green Lanterns going dark in certain far outposts. On Earth itself the Justice League and it's allies have managed to defend the citizens of the planet There is a growing sentiment of anti-metahumanism among the world populace, and has begun to be reflected in far right wing politics. 

State of Gotham City:

Shock. The Joker is no more and Batman didn't kill him. A story some believe, and some don't. Regardless of version of the tale, they all agree that the Joker is gone. Harley Quinn disappeared, presumably in grief, leaving behind a large gang built up with care over time with a grand plan in mind--a plan that got the Joker dead. Then Jim Gordon retired, rumors are due to pressure from a rising political star Mayor. Aside from a small turf war (over a favorite handful of warehouses between Two-Face and Black Mask) the city is experiencing a rare calm.

Lifers aren't enjoying it, expecting the storm they're sure that will follow. 

State of the streets: 

The game keeps on keeping on; dealers deal, buyers buy, gangsters and thugs and even rogues dueling it out. The cops are more protective of certain (affluent) areas of the city, and there's been a noticeable uptick in citizen justice. The clowns calling themselves Jokerz are affecting the street gangs more than the organized crime henchmen and their bosses, but even they seem increasingly concerned. None of "the Watchers" have reported Batman sightings for five days. No one person or entity runs these streets, though the Mob seems to be making a come back.

State of GCPD: 

Gordon's retirement came at the best moment it could have; during a relative lull in major crime and after the Joker's demise. It all might have seemed downright natural, had the Commissioner, his Deputy, and the Director of MCU not seemingly swept out together as a regime change dictated from above their heads. The department has become a hornet's nest of locker room politics and shifting alliances. The assassination of the sergeant over the Traffic division has an already tense situation to the point of boiling.