Batman: Year One Deluxe

During the 1980s there was a real attempt in the comic book industry to cater to the interests, maturity, and cynicism of adults rather than to the naivete, innocence, and adventurous spirit of children. Many classic comic book superheroes were resurrected into the world of the '80s and given very grim contemporary story lines to make them more realistic and compelling. Perhaps one of the most compelling of these story lines is that written by Frank Miller. In the late '70s and into the early '80s, Miller had made a real name for himself while working at both Marvel and DC, and his revitalization of the Daredevil and Punisher characters for Marvel Comics had proven to be a major success with fans and critics. But perhaps Miller's greatest achievement in comics came when he created two very different and very dark depictions of Batman for DC Comics.In the now legendary "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns", Miller turned Batman into a Dirty Harry-like vigilante, whose brutal methods were only matched by the brutality of the crumbling futuristic Gotham that he lived in. The book was somewhat controversial as it changed or rather embellished certain characteristics of the Batman and pushed the envelope as to the amount of violence and killing that could occur within mainstream superhero comics. Personally, I have not read this particular Batman tale since I don't care for some of Miller's overly authoritarian depictions of heroism, but I will admit that the man is a great talent, as both a writer and an artist, and that his macho-noir vision was groundbreaking in the comic book medium.For me, Frank Miller's shining moment of creative genius came when he revisited Batman's past and how it was that he came to be the Dark Knight of Gotham City that we all know and love. As mentioned earlier, DC Comics wanted to update their characters by retelling their origin stories with a new level of depth and complexity in order to attract more intelligent and sophisticated readers. To do this, they often challenged the idealized version of the superhero which had been so prevalent in the past by placing them in corrupt societies where their methods of enforcing order became increasingly harsh and their morality began to wane. When writer/editor Denny O'Neil (who had, along with editor Julius Schwartz and artists Dick Giordano and Neal Adams, reinvented many of DC Comics' great characters during the late '60s and '70s) asked some of the writers and artists at DC who would be interested in tackling Batman in a realistic and psychologically grounded story that would explore the character's past, it became clear that the job would have to go to a collaborative team that knew how to deal with the character.Enter Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli.In "Batman: Year One", which was originally published as a four-issue miniseries in 1987 before being collected into a bestselling graphic novel, Frank Miller told readers a tale of how Bruce Wayne became Batman in a way that was ultimately definitive. In terms of character origins, the story emphasized the psychology of the protagonists, Bruce Wayne and Jim Gordon, and showed them as truly heroic albeit sometimes flawed figures. Miller took what had come before in comics and elaborated on it and in doing so established a new version of the Batman mythos which has been an inspiration and influence to almost every writer who has set out to tell a Batman story since.David Mazzucchelli had been a talented artist with a very unique visual sense. Hand-picked by Miller, Mazzucchelli created a stunning depiction of Gotham replete with gothic settings, film noir atmosphere, and stark contrasts between light and shadows, monochrome and color. Mazzucchelli modeled his version of Bruce Wayne on young Gregory Peck and Jim Gordon is reminiscent of many of the iconic hard-boiled police and detective characters found in illustrated pulp magazines of the '30s and '40s. The cityscape of Gotham is a strangely believable combination of modern New York with a distinctly retro-noir look to it.What sets "Year One" apart from other Batman stories is the way that it so efficiently juxtaposes Bruce Wayne's journey into becoming Batman with Jim Gordon's rise in the Gotham City Police Department as one of the few honest cops amidst all the corruption. I really love the fact that as much time is spent with Bruce Wayne/Batman as is spent learning about Gordon, who had up until this point never really been given the focus that he deserved as a character. The story itself is also unique since it doesn't rely on Batman's colorful enemies to flesh it out or engage readers. Selina Kyle, also known as the femme fatale Catwoman, is given an introduction as prostitute who turns to cat burglary and the last page of the comic introduces the Joker as a new threat to the citizens of Gotham, but all in all, there are no supervillains. This more down to earth approach allows for Miller to display Wayne's evolution as Batman and to show him learning how to apply his keen intelligence, martial arts training, and detective skills to costumed crime-fighting. Without the presence of theatrical megalomaniac villains, the focus returns to corrupt politicians and police officers, to street-level crime and poverty, which really shows the social crusader aspects of the Batman and Gordon characters brilliantly. My only complaint as far as the writing goes is that the Alfred character is so under-utilized and is left merely to make dry humorous comments and that Selina Kyle's appearances are so few. However, these are very minor qualms with what is truly a masterpiece of superhero fiction!All in all, "Batman: Year One" is perhaps the best Batman graphic novel ever written in that it so carefully adheres to the moody detective roots of the character created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, while injecting the world of Gotham City with a vitality that was both refreshingly modern and yet timeless. Of all Frank Miller's work, this manages to stand out in my memory as his most intelligently scripted, most dynamically drawn, and most memorably heroic.

So you want to start reading Batman comics? I bet you've searched all over the internet, on sites such as comic vine, youtube, yahoo answers, and they all tell you the same thing: Start with Batman: Year One. Why start with this book? Well, this review will explain everything: The cover, the artwork, the extra features, the story, and what I recommend you read next. Without further ado, let us begin.Once upon a time, there was a man named Frank Miller. In 1986, Frank wrote a little story called The Dark Knight Returns. This critically acclaimed alternate-universe novel featured Miller's revolutionary interpretation of Batman. Shortly after, he was asked to write something else. Anything. He took a very general route: a Batman origin story. Little did he know, this 4-issue story would become a classic, essential Batman collection.Batman Year One collects Batman issues 404-407 into one remastered collection, complete with bonus features of extra artwork, preludes, afterwords, etc. Here is a breakdown of the book's contents:- A one page long newspaper clipping titled The Crime Blotter written by Slam Bradley, the original star of Detective Comics #1, perhaps as a homage to him.- A 2 page introduction by Dennis O'Neil from March 1988 explaining how the idea for Batman Year one was introduced.- The 97 page long story itself. More on that later.- A 37 page afterword(s) complete with original sketches, the process of remastering the color, original scripts, black and white artwork, etc.- An advertisement at the end for other graphic novels, The Long Halloween, Dark Victory, Haunted Knight, and Catwoman: When in Rome, all by the Dynamic Duo of comics whose names aren't Batman and Robin, Jeff Loeb and Tim Sale. Perhaps DC is trying to tell us something...The story itself is phenomenal. I'm not going to spoil anything, but here's a little opening to draw you in:Lieutenant James Gordon has been called in to work in Gotham City. During the train ride there, we learn of his opinions towards his new workplace. He complains about the long ride, the scummy people, the lousy effort of the police force in a mob-ruled city, how he knows it will be difficult to raise his family. Think Detroit. While there, he learns of the corrupt Gotham police force, and the return of Bruce Wayne, a millionaire playboy who inherited his dead parents' wealth by default. Bruce himself is struggling mentally. He wants to become a vigilante, a self-appointed crime fighter, but he lacks one minor thing: others simply won't fear him. It finally dawns to him that he should become what he feared, a bat.Cover art for the book is basic. That's all it has to be. A red book with a sketch of Batman that stretches from front to back cover (I purchased the paperback version)The story hits everyone differently. If your memory of Batman is the Adam West, joke-cracking pun-filled crime fighter, this story will come as a shock to you. You may have to read the story a second time before you can really appreciate it. It is very dark, filled with blood, cheating, alcohol, prostitutes, and drugs. What I'm trying to get at here is that this isn't a story to read to your kids at bed time. Nevertheless, it is still a masterpiece.Speaking of masterpieces, David Mazzucchelli absolutely nails it on the artwork. It focuses a lot on lighting and shadows, perfect for the noir mood of the story. It also focuses on little, tiny details, the lining of the bricks of the apartment building being staked out by a psychopath, the raindrops on Gordon's car window, the debris of the collapsed house Batman uses to hide from the police (yes, I just said that, Batman hiding from the police)The story occasionally switches narration between Batman, Jim Gordon, and Catwoman. The amount of use of this tool can be what makes or breaks a story. Miller balanced it perfectly. There are no "supercriminals" so to speak, no Joker, Poison Ivy, Mr. Freeze; just the mob, police force, and some no-named petty thieves. After all, it's just Batman's first year. It broadcasts the successes, failures, and luck of Batman.All-in-all, it was a fantastic read. It's really something you can read again and again. This book will start you comic/TPB collection, and hopefully it will be a long one. You will see some connections to the Nolan films in this book, as it played a vital role as inspiration for Batman Begins. Upon putting this book down, it immediately poses another question: Where to next? Perhaps you didn't like this new spin on the Batman. Maybe you want a more vibrant kid friendly version. I would suggest picking up Batman: Chronicles Volume 1 or Batman: Archives. They are a collection of older Batman comics from the Gold, Silver, and Bronze age. Perhaps you did like this Batman and what to further oversee his development into the Dark Knight. Batman Year One in my opinion is the starting point for the modern age Batman. If this interests you, I'd pick up at least one of the following graphic novels:- Batman the Long Halloween - a murder-mystery spanning over a year- Batman: Dark Victory - an intended sequel for The Long Halloween, introduction of Dick Grayson AKA Robin- Batman Haunted Knight - a collection of 3 Batman short stories- Catwoman: When in Rome - further reading on Catwoman- Batman: The Man who Laughs - introduction to the Joker- Batman and the Monster Men - my recommendation if you want to read Batman in a chronological order. However, it is very expensive at this time on amazon.- Legends of the Dark Knight - a comic series consisting of several batman short stories, no order is required, though some are sequels to others.- Anything you firggin' want - no explanation needed.I payed $8 for the book via Amazon, and it was a steal. If you see the book for under 10 bucks, don't hesitate to pick it up. I hoped I helped all you new readers, or veterans who never read this your time around. 5/5 stars, 100/5 stars, actually. It doesn't matter. Read it if you haven't. You won't regret it.