Batman: Year One is Frank Miller’s highly acclaimed story that features Batman’s first year as a vigilante. This four-part story was originally collected in Batman #404-407.
Review – Batman: Year One is a Gritty Cop Story and a Dark Superhero Story
Year One is a dark and gritty tale. The villains in Year One are unsettling because they are realistic. We don’t see colorful, flashy villains in costumes. Instead, we see a rich elite and a corrupt police force that support them. In Gotham City, crime trickles down to the lowest levels of society, and its effects are hardest on the city’s poor.
But the heroes are what makes this story great. It is told through the eyes of two heroes: Batman and Detective James Gordon. Despite the heroes’ efforts to uphold the law in Gotham city, they are flawed. Their carnal desires, egos, and pride deter and sometimes prevent them from doing the best they can.
Year One is not a one-dimensional tale. Frank Miller shows the many sides of Gotham City through the eyes of heroes and villains alike. In this take, the line between good and bad guys is blurry, and we find that our heroes land somewhere in the middle.
One of the best things about Year One is that it leaves us wanting to see more. After reading it, I wanted to see Bruce Wayne’s travels and training. I wanted to see the resolution between Gordon and Barbara’s marriage. The story feels like a complete story, yet it motivates readers into wanting to pick up another Batman comic book and keep reading.
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