Batman: Year One Hundred (Paperback)

~ Paul Pope (Author), Jose Villarrubia (Colorist)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Many recent comics have tried to make sense of the large political situations of modern life. A character like Batman might seem an unlikely tool to ponder the right to privacy, but in Pope's hands the effect is dazzling. The superhero trope of the secret identity becomes a metaphor for the past life we all want to keep to ourselves. When the Gotham City PD and other forces come gunning for what is under the Dark Knight's cowl, Batman and his cohorts protect it out of a basic sense of justice. As written, the Batman of 2039 is a living legend, seen in flashbacks that correspond with the dates the stories appeared in print. There's a metaphysical quality to the character, as if his very story is what is keeping him alive. Pope's art strikes a balance between traditional superhero comics and cutting-edge illustration. The big dark figure and the high action that follows him everywhere is still present, but played by figures that look like they could be found in an underground manga. It's been 68 years since the character's first appearance, and we still have Batman and Robin setting things right. Who says it will be different when the future comes? (Jan.)
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Product Description

Visionary writer/artist Paul Pope presents a futuristic mystery of epic proportions set in a dark, dystopian world devoid of privacy and filled with government conspiracies, psychic police, holographic caller ID and absolutely no room for "secret identities."

In Gotham City, 2039, a federal agent is murdered and a contingent of Washington's top agents is hot on the suspect's trail. The Batman, a forgotten icon from the past, is wanted for the murder. Amid the chaos Gotham City Police Detective Gordon, grandson of the former commissioner, discovers that the man they are chasing shouldn't exist at all.

Product Details

• Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: DC Comics (January 17, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401211925
• ISBN-13: 978-1401211929
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 6.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #105,606 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant. The negative reviews don't "get it", November 20, 2007

By	Neal Hallstrom "sugarbob" (Clearwater, FL) - See all my reviews

This is not a book about a millionaire's exploits as a masked vigilante. Anyone who begins this book expecting something like Dark Knight Returns or your typical Batman story is looking at the book from the wrong perspective.

What we have here is an amazing portrayal of the Batman as an ideal. A force that can't be stopped by age or oppression. It is not a story about a superhero in the public spotlight, but about a rebel operating in the shadows, trying to obtain justice without being noticed.

All these unanswered questions that people are complaining about - "who is batman?" "is it bruce wayne? how is he alive?" "where are the other super heroes?" - NONE of them matter. You're all missing the point; the "who" doesn't matter - its the idea of the Batman that is important. Did you all have this much of an issue when Mark Millar made Superman a communist?

Paul Pope's art is, as usual, amazing. Jose Villarubia's colors are perfectly suited to the environments. The writing is top-shelf - creating a true sense of realism on the part of the Batman, while still creating a fantastic futuristic setting. Pope's sketches and notes in the back show just how much thought he put into his design of the famous Batman.

This is an amazing take on the Bat-mythos from an amazingly talented creator with a true understanding of the character. Unique, visually stunning, and pure in execution. There is no reason not to own this book.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good But Leaves To Many Unanswered Questions, January 31, 2007

By	Joshua Koppel (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

It is the future and it is not a good one. The government knows everything about everyone. Everyone except the Batman. When a Fed is killed Batman is there and suddenly the Batman is more than rumor and urban legend. He is an anomaly to the system that cannot be allowed to continue. Police Commissioner Gordon has been locked out of the murder investigation and railroaded into providing all files pertaining to the Batman. But while Gordon finds the few scraps the department has, the Batman is trying to solve the fed's murder, and the Feds are trying to corral the Batman. It all comes together in the end in a satisfying way.

This is a very interesting story. It is part Elseworlds as we have a Batman with a young Protege named Robin. He contacts Commissioner Gordon, an honest cop. Robin makes noises about becoming Nightwing. But it is also part Dark Night as events of Frank Miller's book are referred to. Finally it is canonical as it ties in to the earliest Batman stories. Somehow all three aspects are made to fit as a whole. I was not completely pleased with the art. Batman has a tendency to look Asian and his head often ends right above his eyes (no forehead). But the art has a gritty style that complements the dark nature of the future and the story being told.

My only real disappointment is that there were too many unanswered questions. There may be a sequel in the works that answers these questions. Not least of these is the idea that Batman has been around for a hundred years. The traditional Batman has no physical super powers but there must be something here like science that has kept him young and able. We will have to wait and see. Check it out.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not Pope's best work but still fun, November 11, 2008

By	Jamison (Indiana) - See all my reviews

This isn't as deep as Pope's usual work on THB or HEAVY LIQUID and the like. It is his version of Batman, and that's fun to see. A little grittier and earthier than the classic portrayal of the Dark Knight. And it's in the future so you get to see Pope's use of futuristic gadgets and plot devices, as in THB. The Paul Pope reboot of Batman.