Batman: Year One

An entertaining take on Batman's first year of life. ( )

I was going to jump straight to Miller's Dark Knight Returns considering, you know, I already know who Batman is, why start at the beginning. But then I was yelled at and told that would be blasphemy so I picked this up instead. My first Batman comic. Great stuff. ( )

ok… this one I love, I was angry went it was over and I had to go back to my crappy book… and batman kick the shit out of some dude who tried to kill a kitty!!! I love it!!! I love it I say!! ( )

I'm a very shallow reader of graphic novels. The artwork has to be as interesting as the writing and the first time I flicked through this, I wasn't so interested in the artwork. However, I'd always wanted to read Year One because everything I'd read about it pointed towards it being a very Batverse defining piece of work, which I think it is.

Everything in Year One is how I always (preferred to?) envision the world of Batman. Gotham layered in wealth, corruption and crime, a place that breeds villains, but also every day good guys like Dent and Gordon. It's a morally dark place and really it's not a place that Batman will ever be able to completely save.

Another thing I love about this story is that it's very much a story about Bruce becoming Batman. Batman hasn't taken over yet, well, he hasn't even begun, but the point is that you get a sense of the genesis of a character here and it's very interesting seeing Bruce building two personas, the playboy and the vigilante (makes you wonder if there's a real third one).

My favourite thing about this story is Jim Gordon. No disguises, no wealth, flawed as any anti-hero. I think he's very much the most heroic character in this and yet he's never fully allowed to be a complete hero because his personal life is pretty messed up.

I liked Selina in this a lot. Both she and Batman are presented in a realm of believability, so much so that it's almost very much unlike a comic book narrative where everything is super and over the top and KAPOW and KABOOM! I also thought this was my favourite drawn Selina, which made me realise the artwork in this is fairly great, if not my usual cup of colour overdose.

And the ending is perfect because we've seen how the Bat inspired a Cat to come into being and how it probably won't take much for all the other crazies to don masks and make havoc.

Anyway, loved this, loved it to bits. Perfect story. Great writing. Great artwork. Great read. ( )

The Batman's beginnings. Presumed a criminal at start, he build his path through the dark Gotham City. But, even the Batman needs a partner.
A good graphic novel to comprehend how it all started. ( )