While it is common knowledge that the events of Matt Reeves’ latest film, The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson, take place during his second year as the lone vigilante, you might be shocked to learn that the film heavily references Frank Miller’s 1987 comic book story arc, Batman: Year One. In fact, if you examine David Mazzucchelli’s depiction of Selina Kyle in the comic book closely, you will discover that Zo Kravitz’s skin tone and hairstyle in the film are nearly identical to her character in the comic book. It is quite normal to have ideas like “can all of this be coincidences?” cross your mind, but if you ask us, we do not believe so.
The story has been reprinted multiple times, including a hardcover, several trade paperback editions, and a deluxe version with rich detailing and colors. It was first published in Batman issues 404, 405, 406, and 407 by DC Comics. Year One was also adapted into an animated film and released in 2011 as a DC Universe Animated Original Movie.
Here’s a message to all Batman fans: get ready for today’s video, in which we will go over Frank Miller’s Batman: Year One comic book in great detail. Those who have read the comic are encouraged to share their opinions in the comments area.
Are you prepared? So, let us get started!
Who I Am How I Come To Be – Batman: Year One Issue #1
Twenty-five-year-old Bruce Wayne returns back home to Gotham City having spent 12 years in abroad and training himself for an inevitable one-man crusade against the city’s crime and corruption. His arrival collides with Lieutenant James Gordon, who has also moved to Gotham along with his pregnant wife Barbara post a transfer from Chicago. Gordon’s greeted by Detective Arnold John Flass at the train station, who immediately takes him to meet Commissioner Gillian B. Loeb.
The commissioner assigns Flass as Gordon’s partner and it only takes Gordon split seconds to be aware of the city’s sullied atmosphere. On the very first night, while patrolling, Gordon gets to see his partner assaulting a teenager simply for staying out late. It goes without saying that Gordon is already repulsed by Flass; nonetheless, he observes every move of his partner memorizing them for ‘future reference’ and in his mind, decides to put Gotham’s law enforcement back in order.
As for Bruce, he waits for the right time to strike and at the same time, keeps practicing and preparing himself to fight against crime. Gordon, on the other hand, has been trying his best to cleanse the Gotham City Police Department from corruption. The sole fact that he is not even accepting bribes has surely caught the attention of his partner, Flass, who fills in about him to the corrupt Commissioner Loeb.
With Flash suggesting plans of ‘softening Gordon up’ to the commissioner, Loeb gives him a green signal and tells Flass to carry things ahead but in his absence so as to keep himself out of every possible blame game. No points for guessing what happens next. Gordon gets beaten up by Flass and several other officers but the former is able to recognize Flass amongst the others. In due course, Gordon not only tracks him down and beats him black and blue but also leaves him to butt naked and handcuffed outside on the road.
Coming to Bruce, he finally goes for what he addresses to be ‘a reconnaissance mission’. Well, of course, he takes certain measures; gets himself registered at a hotel to provide an alibi for himself. Next, he changes his attire, gives himself a fake scar on his face, and enters the red-light area of Gotham. There, he encounters a young prostitute called Holly and initially refuses her advances. Holly’s pimp forcefully attempts to drag her away by her hair because he knows pretty well that men like Bruce would not hire prostitutes in the first place.
But Bruce ends up provoking the pimp enough to get himself drawn into an evident brawl with the pimp, Holly, a few more prostitutes, and a dominatrix called Selina Kyle, who also resides in the same area. Their fight gets intervened when two police officers arrive at the scene and one of them ends up shooting Bruce. He is thrown at the back seat of their car with the intent of taking him to the police station.
However, Bruce manages to break free and evade the officers by causing their car to crash. And, even though he is profusely bleeding, Bruce somehow manages to return back to the Wayne Manor. As he sits before his father’s bust, he gets flooded with painful memories of his past, of that fateful night eighteen years back – the night his parents were killed right before his eyes. Suddenly, a bat comes crashing through the window and sits right on top of his father’s bust and it is precisely at that moment Bruce realizes what will actually strike fear amongst the criminals. He ends up saying, ‘yes father. I shall become a bat.”
War Is Declared – Batman: Year One Issue #2
Lieutenant Gordon turns into a ‘hero cop’ after he solitarily and very bravely ends up saving a bunch of children, who were being held at gunpoint by a mentally unstable man. As for Bruce Wayne, he finally steps out as Batman and ends up stopping three teenagers from stealing a television. The trio literally freezes when they first get to see him and it goes without saying that the new costume works wonders.
Having said that, achieving the first victory wasn’t easy; there was a bit of struggle for sure but Bruce as Batman ends up relishing his first win. Soon, there is a significant drop in the crime rates and Batman is seen taking down more criminals with ease. Flass, in the meantime, also has a frightful encounter with Batman, which he shares with Gordon and the rest of the officers and it’s pretty clear that his meeting with Batman has left him quite traumatized. While all of this works out in the favor of Batman, he realizes that it is time to get more serious.
Post getting to know of a dinner party being held at the Mayor’s mansion, one that’s being attended by Gotham’s most corrupted leaders and gangsters, Batman decides to gatecrash the event. Commissioner Loeb, who is also present at the dinner party tries explaining to the guests how politically advantageous Batman is for them. As for the vigilante, he makes quite an entry announcing how everyone present at the dinner party is responsible for eating the wealth and spirit of the city. Before leaving, he vows to bring everyone to justice for all the crimes that they have committed.
An exceedingly enraged Loeb orders Gordon to arrest Batman and while the police try out various ways to catch him, Batman ends up being one step ahead of them every single time. Batman eventually makes Assistant District Attorney Harvey Dent his first ally; so much so that Dent actually keeps things as a secret from Gordon when the latter comes to question him at his office.
Later, when Gordon and his new partner Detective Sarah Essen are driving, Essen hints at Bruce Wayne being a possible Batman suspect. The pair are discussing amongst themselves when they suddenly see a runaway truck speeding right across them. Gordon speeds up the car too and handing the wheels over to Detective Essen, he tries to get into the speeding truck.
The truck is almost about to run over an old lady when Batman swoops in and carries the elderly person to safety. Gordon briefly passes out after managing to stop the truck but he wakes up to find Essen holding Batman at gunpoint. For a fleeting moment, Essen is distracted and turns around to ask Gordon if he is doing alright.
Taking advantage of the situation, Batman disarms her and escapes down the alley to an abandoned building. Soon, the cops arrive on the scene and the commissioner is happier than ever to inform the trigger-happy commander, Branden, to get his team there and simply drop a bomb on the building. Loeb even has the building scheduled for demolition.
Black Dawn – Batman: Year One Issue #3
When the explosion happens, Batman badly gets caught in it. He tries his best to dodge the fire from the explosion but in the process gets his utility belt containing explosives on fire. Having no other options left, he is forced to throw away the belt. Meanwhile, a little far away, Selina is forcibly woken up by Holly after the latter hears and sees explosions taking place outside. The duo switches on the television and are surprised to hear the news of Batman hiding in an abandoned tenement and how the building is surrounded by the police everywhere. They make their way toward the scene.
By then, a crowd has already gathered outside and as per reports, a heavily armed SWAT team of 18 men has entered the building. In other words, Branden is sent inside with the order to kill any survivors left inside the building. Batman is already wounded having been shot twice and he has somehow managed to escape into the basement. Knowing that he is cornered with just a blow gun and three darts left, Batman puts to test an unofficial invention of Wayne Electronics – he presses a small signal device attached to his boot.
The device has this particular ultrasonic tone that’s capable of attracting every bat dwelling inside the Batcave. No points for guessing what happens next. Thanks to the swarm of bats Batman is back in action and taking full advantage of the chaos that gets created once the bats intervene, he speeds away on a police motorbike and escapes.
Some time passes by; Gordon and Essen get back to investigating more about Batman. Essen is way more convinced than before that it’s Bruce Wayne who is Batman. The lieutenant and the detective also end up having a brief affair. As for Selina, she is determined to change her line of work. Post seeing Batman in action, she decides to venture into a life of crime and dons up the costume of Catwoman.
Friend In Need – Batman: Year One Issue #4
When Essen discovers that Gordon is going to become a father, she decides to leave the city with the sole purpose of not wrecking the relationship further. But Gordon gets confronted by the commissioner himself who simply threatens to disclose his affair to his wife if he doesn’t follow what he is being asked to.
With Gordon left alone to carry on his investigation regarding Bruce Wayne’s connection with Batman, he gets an interview scheduled and takes his wife to the Wayne Manor to interrogate him. Well, of course, Bruce is prepared and he makes full use of his playboy antics as an alibi and is able to disregard Gordon’s questioning with nothing but ease. But it is their behavior of Bruce that prompts Gordon into admitting his affair with Detective Essen on the way back to Barbara.
On the other hand, Jefferson Skeevers, one of the drug dealers of Carmine Falcone has gotten bail from Gordon and with the aid of a hired lawyer of course. But to think that he has escaped Batman was the most foolish thing he could have ever done.
After he gets attacked by the masked vigilante once again, Skeevers makes up his mind to testify against Detective Flass, who if you remember had his first encounter with the Batman while he was in the middle of accepting a bribe from the drug dealer. While a strong case is being made against Flass, somebody ends up slipping rat poison into Skeevers’ meal and the latter gets hospitalized. This was majorly done just so that the connection between Loeb and Falcone are kept hush.
Gordon eventually becomes father to a baby boy and as for Selina, things don’t look too bright in her new field of work. While she is busy stealing, she calls her crimes petty and thinks they are just not enough. So, she decides to take things more seriously and orchestrates an attack to gain more fame. Now, with Batman out patrolling one night, he overhears Falcone and his nephew Johnny Viti, talking or let’s say deciding on ways of dealing with Gordon.
He records their conversation to figure out what their plan is. Suddenly, Selina appears out of nowhere in her cat costume and starts attacking Falcone and his men with the sole intention of laying her hands on the gangster’s valuables. While Batman does not appear in front of Falcone and his men, he helps out Selina from behind the shadows by throwing darts laced with tranquilizers at them. Post this particular event, Selina is addressed as Batman’s assistant and she decides to do something even nastier the next time.
Back at the Wayne Manor, Bruce plays the recorded conversation of Falcone and instantly realizes that they have Gordon’s family as the next target. Bruce leaves immediately to help out Gordon. In the meantime, Loeb deliberately rings up Gordon and calls him to probe deeper into a robbery case. Gordon is just leaving when he spots a speeding motorist making his way toward his apartment garage.
This raises doubts in the lieutenant’s mind and he turns back to discover his wife and a baby boy being forcibly pulled inside a car by Viti and his men. While Gordon is able to shoot the men trying to put Barbara inside the car, Viti escapes in the car with the baby. Gordon takes an aim at the motorist, shoots him, takes his bike, and chases after the car. The motorcyclist turns out to be Bruce who gets up even after being shot thanks to the bullet-proof vest that he is donning. He promises to bring back Barbara her boy and starts pursuing them on a bicycle.
What follows is an intense car chasing scene and Gordon is able to blow out one of the tires of Viti’s car, leading the vehicle into crashing right into the side of the bridge. Viti gets out of the car holding the baby and a struggle ensues between the two men during which the baby falls off the bridge. While Gordon jumps off the bridge to catch hold of his son, Bruce is fast enough to dive right after the baby falls and also grab him to safety. Gordon having lost his spectacles while fighting Viti thanks Bruce for saving his son’s life and tells him how he is literally blind without his glasses. In other words, he lets him go.
Flass finally provides evidence to Dent against his superiors, Commissioner Loeb to be more specific, which eventually leads the disgraced commissioner to resign. Gordon gets promoted and also has a replacement of Flass assigned to him, Grogan, one who is even more pathetic than Flass. The issue ends with Captain Gordon waiting on the rooftop for Batman to talk about a criminal addressing himself as ‘The Joker’ and his plans of poisoning Gotham’s reservoir.
Want To Know What Do We Think Of?
It is dark, it is gritty, it is realistic and its primary focus is on a good man doing the right thing but in a dirty world. So, here’s a noir-inspired narrative where the titular character has been presented in a spectacularly thrilling and relatable way and for that, we only have Miller to give a full shoutout to.
But hats off to Mazzucchelli as well for his outstanding work of art, one that was eye-pleasing, noir-influenced, minimalistic, and realistic. To know why Batman: Year One is often addressed as one of the greatest graphic novels in history, you have got to give this comic book a shot. Otherwise, one will never know!
We highly recommend this masterful work of comic book genius.