Comics Review: "Batman: Year One"
Batman: Year One
Widely regarded as one of the best, if not the best story about Batman to date, Miller's "Year One" starts as both Bruce and Gordon travel to Gotham. Gordon is coming from another city, where he was transferred from after bringing up accusations about a cop without full evidence. Gordon's wife, Barbara, is coming by plane. Bruce also comes by plane, after a twelve year absence. Gordon tries to play by the books, but doesn't fit in with the corrupt police force. When Flass tries to teach him a lesson, he takes the beating, but retaliates, leaving Flass beaten and naked on the side of a road. Bruce, meanwhile, tries to fight crime with just some slight facial alterations, marking a scar on his face. Bruce gets beat in the red light east end of Gotham, losing blood fast, but somehow makes it back to Wayne Manor. Bruce is teetering on the edge of death, unsure whether to call Alfred or not, when a bat flies through his window. Bruce decides to become a bat, to instill fear in his enemies, and then rings Alfred for help.
The second part begins as Jim Gordon heads for work, trying to stop a schizophrenic from attacking some kids. Gordon bursts in, sans weapons, and defeats the guy. Meanwhile, Bruce is testing out his finesse as Batman for the first time, attacking some thugs who turn out to be kids. It takes all he has to save them from hurting themselves while attacking him. Later, with Gordon relaxing at home with Barbara, he gets a call about a giant bat. During a police briefing, Flass describes Batman's attack while he was busting, or more likely involved in, a drug deal. Gordon tries to get more men to find Batman, but Commissioner Loeb is resistant. Its only after Batman crashes Loeb's party with Falcone and other slime that Loeb takes note and forces Gordon to grab the bat. Batman foils all of Gordon's traps, while moving up the ladder, allying with Dent, and taking out Falconi's car. Finally one day, Detective Essen tells Gordon that Bruce Wayne should be a suspect for Batman, not Dent as Gordon believed and tried to interrogate him for. Then, they see a truck going high speed, driver incapacitated for unknown reasons, about to hit an old lady. Batman saves the lady, but Gordon's rescue attempt leaves him knocked out, and upon wakening, Essen has Batman at point blank range. Batman flees into the building nearby, but Essen already called for backup, and Loeb orders the building demolished, as Batman is inside.
Already, it's easy to see where Nolan got his inspiration from. The tone and style, the focus on character, all are seen here. The supporting characters, like Barbara, Flass, Loeb, and Falconi, all play a role here. And the importance of Gordon is also prevalent. Perhaps Nolan shouldn't receive as much credit as he does, since he basically took the tone of Year One, changed bits of the story and added some parts, and filmed it. Ys, he deserves credit, but a greater share should go the the source material. For instance, the bat sonar attractor from BB was taken from this comic.
Miller continues to impress with the depth of characterization, especially of Gordon, in the third chapter. Batman avoids death by fire, but several people who lived in the derelict building weren't as fortunate. After hiding from the police, he is eventually found and wounded, but not before activating the aforementioned sonar device, which gives him the cover he needs to escape, and go to Switzerland for some R&R. Meanwhile, Gordon is having issues with Loeb, who's using the cops to kill a man who saved a cat, saved an old woman, and is now a hero of the people. Gordon also falls for Sarah, his partner, and they kiss, and Gordon undergoes an internal conflict. As he starts to believe in Batman's good for the city, Bruce realizes he needs to ally with Gordon. Meanwhile,Selina Kyle, a prostitute and cat lover, sees the batman and is inspired to don a suit of her own.
As the final chapter begins, Gordon breaks off his relationship with Detective Essen. Meanwhile, Gordon captures a drug dealer, but Dent let's him go without an explanation. Then, we see Batman go after him, and the dealer offers to rat out Flass. Loeb doesn't like this, and he blackmails Gordon with a picture of him and Essen kissing. Gordon then visits Wayne, to try and tease out if he's Batman. This is something I liked about Gordon, the man is multi-faceted. Not a wholly good person, because he cheated on his wife, but good enough to admit it to her. Smart enough to see through Wayne's mask, and suspect the bat underneath, although Essen helped with this. Unlike the way Gordon found out in TDKR. Anyway, Wayne has an alibi for everything Gordon asks, and upon leaving with Barbara, he feels compelled to tell her about the affair. Meanwhile, Flass tries to kill the drug dealer, but fails. Barbara gives birth to a boy. Selina decides to go after the roman, and take his secret collection. Batman is spying on them when she does this, and the media sees her as Batman's assistant. The roman wants Gordon's head, so he devises a plan to capture his family. Bruce Wayne, sans suit, helps save the day, earning Gordon's trust, and possibly revealing his identity to Gordon, although Gordon claims he can't see well without his glasses. We learn that subsequently, Flass rats out Loeb for his collusion with the crimes. And, in the last few panels, we learn a new villain, the joker, is poisoning the reservoir, but Gordon has someone who may be able to help.
This was a really strong work of art. It took Batman, focused on Wayne's origins, but really focused the story through the eyes of Jim Gordon, the eyes of a newcomer to Gotham City, a compatriot, a fellow flawed man trying to make the city better. Thorough Gordon's eyes, this story receives its strength. It wouldn't work as well in a film, because Bruce almost becomes a supporting character at times here. I'm not a huge fan of the artwork, but it actually fit the story very well, the tone and mood. Much, much, much better than the art for "The Dark Knight Returns."
Miller really crafted a deeper look at the origin of Batman, Gordon, and order in Gotham City. The city itself had its own character, corrupt and shady, with glimmers of hope. And the introduction of Catwoman, while not my favorite part, felt deep enough for her role as a secondary supporting character. Seriously good stuff.
The second part begins as Jim Gordon heads for work, trying to stop a schizophrenic from attacking some kids. Gordon bursts in, sans weapons, and defeats the guy. Meanwhile, Bruce is testing out his finesse as Batman for the first time, attacking some thugs who turn out to be kids. It takes all he has to save them from hurting themselves while attacking him. Later, with Gordon relaxing at home with Barbara, he gets a call about a giant bat. During a police briefing, Flass describes Batman's attack while he was busting, or more likely involved in, a drug deal. Gordon tries to get more men to find Batman, but Commissioner Loeb is resistant. Its only after Batman crashes Loeb's party with Falcone and other slime that Loeb takes note and forces Gordon to grab the bat. Batman foils all of Gordon's traps, while moving up the ladder, allying with Dent, and taking out Falconi's car. Finally one day, Detective Essen tells Gordon that Bruce Wayne should be a suspect for Batman, not Dent as Gordon believed and tried to interrogate him for. Then, they see a truck going high speed, driver incapacitated for unknown reasons, about to hit an old lady. Batman saves the lady, but Gordon's rescue attempt leaves him knocked out, and upon wakening, Essen has Batman at point blank range. Batman flees into the building nearby, but Essen already called for backup, and Loeb orders the building demolished, as Batman is inside.
Already, it's easy to see where Nolan got his inspiration from. The tone and style, the focus on character, all are seen here. The supporting characters, like Barbara, Flass, Loeb, and Falconi, all play a role here. And the importance of Gordon is also prevalent. Perhaps Nolan shouldn't receive as much credit as he does, since he basically took the tone of Year One, changed bits of the story and added some parts, and filmed it. Ys, he deserves credit, but a greater share should go the the source material. For instance, the bat sonar attractor from BB was taken from this comic.
Miller continues to impress with the depth of characterization, especially of Gordon, in the third chapter. Batman avoids death by fire, but several people who lived in the derelict building weren't as fortunate. After hiding from the police, he is eventually found and wounded, but not before activating the aforementioned sonar device, which gives him the cover he needs to escape, and go to Switzerland for some R&R. Meanwhile, Gordon is having issues with Loeb, who's using the cops to kill a man who saved a cat, saved an old woman, and is now a hero of the people. Gordon also falls for Sarah, his partner, and they kiss, and Gordon undergoes an internal conflict. As he starts to believe in Batman's good for the city, Bruce realizes he needs to ally with Gordon. Meanwhile,Selina Kyle, a prostitute and cat lover, sees the batman and is inspired to don a suit of her own.
As the final chapter begins, Gordon breaks off his relationship with Detective Essen. Meanwhile, Gordon captures a drug dealer, but Dent let's him go without an explanation. Then, we see Batman go after him, and the dealer offers to rat out Flass. Loeb doesn't like this, and he blackmails Gordon with a picture of him and Essen kissing. Gordon then visits Wayne, to try and tease out if he's Batman. This is something I liked about Gordon, the man is multi-faceted. Not a wholly good person, because he cheated on his wife, but good enough to admit it to her. Smart enough to see through Wayne's mask, and suspect the bat underneath, although Essen helped with this. Unlike the way Gordon found out in TDKR. Anyway, Wayne has an alibi for everything Gordon asks, and upon leaving with Barbara, he feels compelled to tell her about the affair. Meanwhile, Flass tries to kill the drug dealer, but fails. Barbara gives birth to a boy. Selina decides to go after the roman, and take his secret collection. Batman is spying on them when she does this, and the media sees her as Batman's assistant. The roman wants Gordon's head, so he devises a plan to capture his family. Bruce Wayne, sans suit, helps save the day, earning Gordon's trust, and possibly revealing his identity to Gordon, although Gordon claims he can't see well without his glasses. We learn that subsequently, Flass rats out Loeb for his collusion with the crimes. And, in the last few panels, we learn a new villain, the joker, is poisoning the reservoir, but Gordon has someone who may be able to help.
This was a really strong work of art. It took Batman, focused on Wayne's origins, but really focused the story through the eyes of Jim Gordon, the eyes of a newcomer to Gotham City, a compatriot, a fellow flawed man trying to make the city better. Thorough Gordon's eyes, this story receives its strength. It wouldn't work as well in a film, because Bruce almost becomes a supporting character at times here. I'm not a huge fan of the artwork, but it actually fit the story very well, the tone and mood. Much, much, much better than the art for "The Dark Knight Returns."
Miller really crafted a deeper look at the origin of Batman, Gordon, and order in Gotham City. The city itself had its own character, corrupt and shady, with glimmers of hope. And the introduction of Catwoman, while not my favorite part, felt deep enough for her role as a secondary supporting character. Seriously good stuff.
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posted by DarthDooku at
12:20 PM
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