I have somewhat been returning to reading lately, but perhaps not in the way in which most people that contribute to this community do. That is to admit that my eyes have been scanning over the many panels of comic books instead of a traditional book. I have missed reading, but comic books are a visual media that I have always wanted to get into but have only somewhat delved into it here and there throughout the years. Recently I started reading a few comics, one of which was Black Hammer, and another was surprisingly a Batman comic. Today I'm writing about another Batman comic, but I stumbled into it online and saw it was regarded one, if not the best Batman comic ever made. I'm usually a bit more sceptical over the Marvel and DC stuff and prefer the more indie side of comics, but I couldn't help but find myself curious over this side of things that I was still overlooking quite a bit. Batman: Year One came out way back in the 80s and was written by a pretty famous artist of the name Frank Miller. This is an artist I have heard of before, but I don't think I've ever read anything of his before. For some extra context, he's the artist behind Sin City and 300. Two titles mostly for their film adaptations that I'm sure you've heard of at least. So what makes Batman: Year One so supposedly special?
I had this very question before entering. I had given the odd glance over other comics here and there and none of them really managed to pull my attention despite having some visually impressive art direction. Though this was a comic that really hooked me in fast. And I can absolutely see why people find it so fascinating. Miller liked the idea of Batman as a character to be taken seriously, with the world of Gotham being one dark and gritty. Showing a city that is sick, riddled with all kinds of horrors that show its decay. Removing itself from the more fantasy styled narratives that we tend to see a bit more today. Year One is a story made for a more adult audience, and it really shows from the start. One of the first observations I had was how it portrayed its environment, how it really pulled out all of the possibilities to display Gotham City as a space that could send someone into insanity to the point of wanting to take measures into their own hands. More interestingly is how the story shows Bruce Wayne as a person that had left Gotham for a long time, only now returning and with intent to fix it. His roaming through the city shows the crime and degeneracy of all aspects, and a clear sign that there's nobody in control other than the criminals. It's stated that Bruce has waited and prepared for 18 years with this return.
Everything about Year One feels darker. From the blood that spills across the panels or the more serious looking characters in the art, even Bruce's character seems more mature, a person at breaking point with a trauma that has pushed him to become something. And that something doesn't have the intent on saving people, but invoking fear into them. I like this idea of the supposed superhero actually being more of a horror to the public, not a saviour or any sort but instead a hunter, someone to fear in the shadows that could be lurking and ready to dish out cruelty. I think it makes the character of Bruce and Batman far more interesting and engaging given we aren't looking at him as a person that can be looked up to and relied on, he is no character pursuing a better world, but is so broken himself that he proceeds to fight the violent city with violence. Simply adding to that chaos and adding the question: is he making things better or simply making things worse? We get the perspectives of cops in the city that are struggling with the job, their thoughts on the city and their personal lives that are caught up in it all. It makes everything seem more human with different sides of the spectrum: a cop with things to lose, and a violent vigilante with nothing else left to lose. This is seen in how Bruce fights people in public, but also gets into engagements with police officers.
In regards to its story, Year One details the first year of Bruce becoming the character of Batman. And with the comic releasing in the 80s, it has a very 80s aesthetic to it. Not just in the tone of the colours used in the inking, but the backgrounds and the general environment of Gotham. I think this gave a lot of character to the city and the comic as a result, where it stands out a bit more against the general gothic look that came about in the later adaptations of the Batman character, both in the films and other comics. That means it's cemented within an era that is long gone, with stylisation that really gives it something extra. The fashion and the colours, the architecture in a New York City styled location, and designs of cars. I quite like the
In terms of the art style, some of the comic looks a bit more modern in how it doesn't look like it's always on paper with ink, but you can tell there's a traditional method here in certain panels where you can really see the texture, primarily in the gritty look of brush over the paper. I often find myself a little less interested in comics that have more scratchy styles, less clean lines. I think things are translating a bit more in this comic where the art feels very clean but still rich in texture and detail. I'm already hating that at some point this comic will come to an end, as I think it's only about 144 pages long. Though the story is starting to pick up a bit more and offer more depth in its characters and throwing more challenges at the character of Batman. With these recent challenges comes some developments from Bruce's character as he seems to be getting shot up and a likely suspect. It shows a very novice and vulnerable side to him.
It seems to follow on the regular story of his character but Miller mixes things up and adds more darkness to it all when possible. I think it makes his character a bit more realistic and alongside the previously mentioned breaking point he faces, to which he becomes a dark figure that breaks the law in attempt to dish out the law, ultimately serving as the very thing he wants to destroy. It's a great comic so far and I have been looking for something like this for the longest time.