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Frank Miller

David Mazzucchelli

Batman: Year One Paperback – Illustrated, January 10, 2007

by Frank Miller (Author), David Mazzucchelli (Author)

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In 1986, Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli produced this groundbreaking reinterpretation of the origin of Batman—who he is, and how he came to be. Sometimes careless and naive, this Dark Knight is far from the flawless vigilante he is today.

In his first year on the job, Batman feels his way around a Gotham City far darker than the one he left. His solemn vow to extinguish the town’s criminal element is only half the battle; along with Lieutenant James Gordon, the Dark Knight must also fight a police force more corrupt than the scum in the streets.

Batman: Year One stands next to Batman: The Dark Knight Returns on the mantle of greatest Batman graphic novels of all time. Timeless in its appeal, Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli’s masterpiece would stand apart from the crowded comics field even today.

This edition includes the complete graphic novel, a new introduction by writer Frank Miller and a new illustrated afterword by artist David Mazzucchelli. Completing this collection are over 40 pages of never-before-seen developmental material such as character and layout sketches, sample script pages, sketches, and more that pro-vide a glimpse into the making of this contemporary classic.

This volume collects Batman #404-407.

Print length

144 pages
Language

English
Publisher

DC Comics
Publication date

January 10, 2007
Grade level

7 - 9
Dimensions

6.65 x 0.31 x 10.16 inches
ISBN-10

0290204895
ISBN-13

978-0290204890
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From the Publisher


	Batman: The Long Halloween	The Batman Box Set	Batman: Ego and Other Tails
Writer	Jeph Loeb	Various	Darwyn Cooke
Artist	Tim Sale	Various	Darwyn Cooke
Synopsis	A murderer is loose, striking only on holidays. In a mystery taking place during Batman's early days, Batman: The Long Halloween is one of the greatest Dark Knight stories ever told.	This box set, collecting Batman: The Long Halloween, Batman: Ego and Other Tails, and Batman: Year One, is the perfect collection of BATMAN legends for any fan!	A collection of pulse-pounding stories of the Dark Knight, Catwoman and more of Gotham’s finest. Featuring Darwyn Cooke's unique visions of Batman and Catwoman.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4 Up–In the late 1980s, DC Comics revamped many superheroes but realized that Batman should remain true to his 1939 history. According to the introduction, the editors also decided that the public needed to know more about Batman's early life as a vigilante, and Miller and Mazzucchelli came together to produce Batman: Year One. Originally released in 1988 in four parts, the stories have been combined into one book. Opening with the arrival of Lieutenant James Gordon in Gotham's police force, the story goes on to inform readers about the level of corruption permeating the force. They also witness Bruce Wayne's first encounter with the prostitute named Selina, who will become Catwoman. Wayne speaks to his dead father, asking for guidance, and is answered with a bat on the windowsill, and Batman is born. The remaining chapters highlight Gordon's continuing difficulties with the corrupt police force, Batman's early difficulties in protecting and using his arsenal of weapons, and the first villains he chooses to pursue. At the end of the book, readers are treated to some background on Mazzucchelli's art, the production of Year One, and details on Richmond Lewis's coloring techniques. Both beginning and devoted Batman fans will enjoy this edition.–Sarah Krygier, Solano County Library, Fairfield, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"This is a story no true Batman fan should be able to resist." —School Library Journal

“A gritty and atmospheric retelling of Batman’s earliest days as told by the author of the seminal Dark Knight Returns (1987). Mazuzuccelli’s art brings a new level of emotional instensity and realistic, muscular action.” —Booklist

“Year One worked as a fine piece of urban crime fiction…it was just a bonus that the arc also brought new depth to iconic characters that had been around for nearly 50 years.” —A.V. Club

“[One of] the most influential Batman stories ever told.” —Vulture

“You know that saying, "If you read just one book, this is the one to read"? Well, that applies to Batman: Year One. It's not only one of the most important comics ever written, it's also among the best” —IGN

“The best thing that Miller has ever written about Batman is the Batman: Year One.” —Wired.com

“This may be the best Batman comic ever.” —io9

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 1401207529
Publisher ‏ : ‎ DC Comics; Deluxe ed. edition (January 10, 2007)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 144 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0290204895
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0290204890
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 7 - 9
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.5 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.65 x 0.31 x 10.16 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #3,121 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1 in Mystery Graphic Novels
- #1 in DC Comics & Graphic Novels
- #5 in Superhero Comics & Graphic Novels

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Frank Miller
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Frank Miller is one of the seminal creative talents who sparked the current gigantic sub-industry of motion pictures featuring comic book- initiated product. A sub-industry which had become a super-industry. This most profitable aspect of this millennium’s film production, now producing an annual flow of box office profits in the Billions of dollars, was launched when Frank Miller’s graphic novel re-take on the classic comic book hero, Batman, resulted in an entertainment industry-wide reconsideration of the genre in the deeper and darker vision Miller brought to it.
Miller re-defined the presentation of comic book characters and heroic fiction with his grand-daddy of graphic novels, “The Dark Knight.” This revolutionary work
not only kicked off the series of Batman films based on his redefinition, but a craze for such material that has thrown dozens of such heroes into multiple film franchise heaven. Certainly chief among these has been Miller’s uniquely classical take on superheroic narrative, “300,” and his “Sin City” books, each of which entered motion pictures with historic successes, and each now in Miller's creative phase of achieving its highly-anticipated sequel. Miller’s co-direction of “Sin City” has made him one of the hottest
directors… as well as a guiding creative force…for the new genre. Or one might say “super genre.”
Miller's latest graphic novel, Holy Terror, is his first original graphic novel in ten years. Join The Fixer, a brand new, hard-edged hero as he battles terror in the inaugural release from Legendary Comics.
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David Mazzucchelli
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David Mazzucchelli has been making comics his whole life. Known chiefly for his collaborations - with Frank Miller on seminal Batman and Daredevil stories, and with Paul Karasik on an adaptation of Paul Auster's novel, City of Glass - he began publishing his own stories in 1991 in his anthology magazine, Rubber Blanket. Since then his short comics have been published in books and magazines around the world. Asterios Polyp is his first graphic novel.
Photo by Luigi Novi [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0) or CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
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A person.

The answer to,"Where do I start reading Batman comics?"

Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2015

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So you want to start reading Batman comics? I bet you've searched all over the internet, on sites such as comic vine, youtube, yahoo answers, and they all tell you the same thing: Start with Batman: Year One. Why start with this book? Well, this review will explain everything: The cover, the artwork, the extra features, the story, and what I recommend you read next. Without further ado, let us begin.

Once upon a time, there was a man named Frank Miller. In 1986, Frank wrote a little story called The Dark Knight Returns. This critically acclaimed alternate-universe novel featured Miller's revolutionary interpretation of Batman. Shortly after, he was asked to write something else. Anything. He took a very general route: a Batman origin story. Little did he know, this 4-issue story would become a classic, essential Batman collection.

Batman Year One collects Batman issues 404-407 into one remastered collection, complete with bonus features of extra artwork, preludes, afterwords, etc. Here is a breakdown of the book's contents:

- A one page long newspaper clipping titled The Crime Blotter written by Slam Bradley, the original star of Detective Comics #1, perhaps as a homage to him.
- A 2 page introduction by Dennis O'Neil from March 1988 explaining how the idea for Batman Year one was introduced.
- The 97 page long story itself. More on that later.
- A 37 page afterword(s) complete with original sketches, the process of remastering the color, original scripts, black and white artwork, etc.
- An advertisement at the end for other graphic novels, The Long Halloween, Dark Victory, Haunted Knight, and Catwoman: When in Rome, all by the Dynamic Duo of comics whose names aren't Batman and Robin, Jeff Loeb and Tim Sale. Perhaps DC is trying to tell us something...

The story itself is phenomenal. I'm not going to spoil anything, but here's a little opening to draw you in:
Lieutenant James Gordon has been called in to work in Gotham City. During the train ride there, we learn of his opinions towards his new workplace. He complains about the long ride, the scummy people, the lousy effort of the police force in a mob-ruled city, how he knows it will be difficult to raise his family. Think Detroit. While there, he learns of the corrupt Gotham police force, and the return of Bruce Wayne, a millionaire playboy who inherited his dead parents' wealth by default. Bruce himself is struggling mentally. He wants to become a vigilante, a self-appointed crime fighter, but he lacks one minor thing: others simply won't fear him. It finally dawns to him that he should become what he feared, a bat.

Cover art for the book is basic. That's all it has to be. A red book with a sketch of Batman that stretches from front to back cover (I purchased the paperback version)

The story hits everyone differently. If your memory of Batman is the Adam West, joke-cracking pun-filled crime fighter, this story will come as a shock to you. You may have to read the story a second time before you can really appreciate it. It is very dark, filled with blood, cheating, alcohol, prostitutes, and drugs. What I'm trying to get at here is that this isn't a story to read to your kids at bed time. Nevertheless, it is still a masterpiece.

Speaking of masterpieces, David Mazzucchelli absolutely nails it on the artwork. It focuses a lot on lighting and shadows, perfect for the noir mood of the story. It also focuses on little, tiny details, the lining of the bricks of the apartment building being staked out by a psychopath, the raindrops on Gordon's car window, the debris of the collapsed house Batman uses to hide from the police (yes, I just said that, Batman hiding from the police)

The story occasionally switches narration between Batman, Jim Gordon, and Catwoman. The amount of use of this tool can be what makes or breaks a story. Miller balanced it perfectly. There are no "supercriminals" so to speak, no Joker, Poison Ivy, Mr. Freeze; just the mob, police force, and some no-named petty thieves. After all, it's just Batman's first year. It broadcasts the successes, failures, and luck of Batman.

All-in-all, it was a fantastic read. It's really something you can read again and again. This book will start you comic/TPB collection, and hopefully it will be a long one. You will see some connections to the Nolan films in this book, as it played a vital role as inspiration for Batman Begins. Upon putting this book down, it immediately poses another question: Where to next? Perhaps you didn't like this new spin on the Batman. Maybe you want a more vibrant kid friendly version. I would suggest picking up Batman: Chronicles Volume 1 or Batman: Archives. They are a collection of older Batman comics from the Gold, Silver, and Bronze age. Perhaps you did like this Batman and what to further oversee his development into the Dark Knight. Batman Year One in my opinion is the starting point for the modern age Batman. If this interests you, I'd pick up at least one of the following graphic novels:

- Batman the Long Halloween - a murder-mystery spanning over a year
- Batman: Dark Victory - an intended sequel for The Long Halloween, introduction of Dick Grayson AKA Robin
- Batman Haunted Knight - a collection of 3 Batman short stories
- Catwoman: When in Rome - further reading on Catwoman
- Batman: The Man who Laughs - introduction to the Joker
- Batman and the Monster Men - my recommendation if you want to read Batman in a chronological order. However, it is very expensive at this time on amazon.
- Legends of the Dark Knight - a comic series consisting of several batman short stories, no order is required, though some are sequels to others.
- Anything you firggin' want - no explanation needed.
I payed $8 for the book via Amazon, and it was a steal. If you see the book for under 10 bucks, don't hesitate to pick it up. I hoped I helped all you new readers, or veterans who never read this your time around. 5/5 stars, 100/5 stars, actually. It doesn't matter. Read it if you haven't. You won't regret it.

300 people found this helpful

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Count Orlok '22

Beneath the Shadows of Gotham City Are Legends Born...

Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2011

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During the 1980s there was a real attempt in the comic book industry to cater to the interests, maturity, and cynicism of adults rather than to the naivete, innocence, and adventurous spirit of children. Many classic comic book superheroes were resurrected into the world of the '80s and given very grim contemporary story lines to make them more realistic and compelling. Perhaps one of the most compelling of these story lines is that written by Frank Miller. In the late '70s and into the early '80s, Miller had made a real name for himself while working at both Marvel and DC, and his revitalization of the Daredevil and Punisher characters for Marvel Comics had proven to be a major success with fans and critics. But perhaps Miller's greatest achievement in comics came when he created two very different and very dark depictions of Batman for DC Comics.

In the now legendary "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns" , Miller turned Batman into a Dirty Harry-like vigilante, whose brutal methods were only matched by the brutality of the crumbling futuristic Gotham that he lived in. The book was somewhat controversial as it changed or rather embellished certain characteristics of the Batman and pushed the envelope as to the amount of violence and killing that could occur within mainstream superhero comics. Personally, I have not read this particular Batman tale since I don't care for some of Miller's overly authoritarian depictions of heroism, but I will admit that the man is a great talent, as both a writer and an artist, and that his macho-noir vision was groundbreaking in the comic book medium.

For me, Frank Miller's shining moment of creative genius came when he revisited Batman's past and how it was that he came to be the Dark Knight of Gotham City that we all know and love. As mentioned earlier, DC Comics wanted to update their characters by retelling their origin stories with a new level of depth and complexity in order to attract more intelligent and sophisticated readers. To do this, they often challenged the idealized version of the superhero which had been so prevalent in the past by placing them in corrupt societies where their methods of enforcing order became increasingly harsh and their morality began to wane. When writer/editor Denny O'Neil (who had, along with editor Julius Schwartz and artists Dick Giordano and Neal Adams, reinvented many of DC Comics' great characters during the late '60s and '70s) asked some of the writers and artists at DC who would be interested in tackling Batman in a realistic and psychologically grounded story that would explore the character's past, it became clear that the job would have to go to a collaborative team that knew how to deal with the character.
Enter Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli.

In "Batman: Year One", which was originally published as a four-issue miniseries in 1987 before being collected into a bestselling graphic novel, Frank Miller told readers a tale of how Bruce Wayne became Batman in a way that was ultimately definitive. In terms of character origins, the story emphasized the psychology of the protagonists, Bruce Wayne and Jim Gordon, and showed them as truly heroic albeit sometimes flawed figures. Miller took what had come before in comics and elaborated on it and in doing so established a new version of the Batman mythos which has been an inspiration and influence to almost every writer who has set out to tell a Batman story since.

David Mazzucchelli had been a talented artist with a very unique visual sense. Hand-picked by Miller, Mazzucchelli created a stunning depiction of Gotham replete with gothic settings, film noir atmosphere, and stark contrasts between light and shadows, monochrome and color. Mazzucchelli modeled his version of Bruce Wayne on young Gregory Peck and Jim Gordon is reminiscent of many of the iconic hard-boiled police and detective characters found in illustrated pulp magazines of the '30s and '40s. The cityscape of Gotham is a strangely believable combination of modern New York with a distinctly retro-noir look to it.

What sets "Year One" apart from other Batman stories is the way that it so efficiently juxtaposes Bruce Wayne's journey into becoming Batman with Jim Gordon's rise in the Gotham City Police Department as one of the few honest cops amidst all the corruption. I really love the fact that as much time is spent with Bruce Wayne/Batman as is spent learning about Gordon, who had up until this point never really been given the focus that he deserved as a character. The story itself is also unique since it doesn't rely on Batman's colorful enemies to flesh it out or engage readers. Selina Kyle, also known as the femme fatale Catwoman, is given an introduction as prostitute who turns to cat burglary and the last page of the comic introduces the Joker as a new threat to the citizens of Gotham, but all in all, there are no supervillains. This more down to earth approach allows for Miller to display Wayne's evolution as Batman and to show him learning how to apply his keen intelligence, martial arts training, and detective skills to costumed crime-fighting. Without the presence of theatrical megalomaniac villains, the focus returns to corrupt politicians and police officers, to street-level crime and poverty, which really shows the social crusader aspects of the Batman and Gordon characters brilliantly. My only complaint as far as the writing goes is that the Alfred character is so under-utilized and is left merely to make dry humorous comments and that Selina Kyle's appearances are so few. However, these are very minor qualms with what is truly a masterpiece of superhero fiction!

All in all, "Batman: Year One" is perhaps the best Batman graphic novel ever written in that it so carefully adheres to the moody detective roots of the character created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, while injecting the world of Gotham City with a vitality that was both refreshingly modern and yet timeless. Of all Frank Miller's work, this manages to stand out in my memory as his most intelligently scripted, most dynamically drawn, and most memorably heroic.

6 people found this helpful

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Marlyse Larson

Wonderful quality!

Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2022

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The comic book was of amazing quality! No smudges or tears or scratches. In perfect condition. The outside of the book seemed thicker than described which was an extra bonus! My boyfriend loved this as a gift for our first anniversary.

Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2022

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Good print, amazing story, art, ect. Loved every bit of this graphic novel. Classic art style too.

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warren2

Excellent for a comic novice

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 17, 2019

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This is only the second comic I have ever read. I started with a very well reviewed superman that I found disappointing and, not particularly captivating to read. I thought I'd continue and read a few different comics to really make my mind up about whether they are something I could enjoy. Following superman, batman seemed like a logical progression. This one was also very well reviewed, so I bought it. Luckily, I can say 100% that it is with good reason. I fully enjoyed this story. It was engaging, dark, and beautiful to look at. Definitely has a slightly retro look to the one I am used to from films these days, but really very well done. This has renewed my faith that I might enjoy comics going forward, and I am looking for another Frank Miller written one to get my teeth into next. I removed a star simply due to the fact that it was quite a short story. But, I heartily reccomend this if like me, you are new to comics.

8 people found this helpful

S. Naomi Scott

A grittier, darker Batman reboot, most definitely worth a read.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 4, 2015

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I've long been a fan of Batman, having grown up with the Adam West TV show and the comic book stories of the seventies and eighties, to the Tim Burton movies of the late eighties/early nineties, and more recently the Christopher Nolan reboots of the franchise on movie screens. Through every incarnation, I've always considered him one of the better superheroes, even though technically he's not super and arguably he may not even be a hero in the truest sense. However, there's always been something about the character that's just made me see him as simply 'better' than the rest of the ever-expanding pantheon of superheroes and vigilante crime-fighters.

Year One was a late eighties reboot of the character following DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths storyline, penned by veteran writer Frank Miller (who had previously given us an older Batman in The Dark Knight Returns) and drawn by the excellent David Mazzuchelli, and as a result it gives us a fresh look at Batman's origin story and suggested a slightly different take on his development as the dark knight and the start of his burgeoning relationship between himself and James Gordon. As is typical of Miller's work, this is a grittier and darker story than earlier readers would have been familiar with, and has since gone on to be considered almost seminal by Batman fans.

As an origin story, this book gives us plenty of opportunities to see Batman stumble, though by the end of the story he's most definitely found his feet as Gotham's unofficial protector. There's also the obligatory run-ins between Batman and the police, especially Jim Gordon (who is just a lowly detective in this one), and the fact that most of those police are just as corrupt as the villains they're supposed to be working against makes for some interesting (and explosive) action throughout. By the end of the story Batman's not only delivered a crushing blow to the city's organised crime syndicates but has also helped Gordon begin the slow process of cleaning house at the Gotham Police Department.

While it could be argued that Miller can (and regularly is) unkind to his female characters (Selina Kyle is relegated from her role as an accomplished cat burglar to a side-role as a prostitute), that doesn't entirely detract from the fact that this is a fun and enjoyable book, and I'd strongly recommend it to anyone who's even mildly interested in Batman's early days in Gotham City.

5 people found this helpful

Mr. Stephen Hendry

Batman is kinda like Pizza. By which I mean that even bad ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 11, 2016

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To me, Batman is kinda like Pizza. By which I mean that even bad pizza is still pretty good.

But for me, the best Batman is written by Miller. Maybe it's because I like his writing style, or maybe it's because his fairly dark writing style really suits Batman.

Or it could just be that the very first comic I read as adult was Dark Night Returns. That's the comic that made me realize that comics weren't just a bunch of silly bulls*** stories for kids.

Whatever the reason, this comic is in that fine Frank Miller style. Showing Batman and Gordon at the beginning of their lives. Both of them making mistakes. Both of them learning about their city. Both of them paying for their mistakes....

Yeah. If you're into Batman and you haven't read this one, you're missing out. You should try it

9 people found this helpful

Jonathan

Excellent noir Batman story

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 3, 2019

Verified Purchase

Batman: Year One feels, to me, a lot like an old film-noir crime movie from the 50s, as does most of Frank Miller’s work (his Daredevil run, for example). It’s dark, gritty, contains copious amounts of monologue and centres around a detective (or two, in this case, as the story prominently featured Jim Gordon, everyone’s faviroute non-corrupt GCPD lieutenant, and Batman, the world’s Greatest Detective). David Mazzuchelli’s art complimenting the script with a similarly dark and gritty vision of Gotham and it’s inhabitants.

The story focuses on Bruce’s first year as Batman (the title says it all: Batman: Year One). It shows Bruce learning how to be Batman, and trying to get rid of the corruption in the GCPD. But that’s only half the story, literally, as the other half of the story focuses on Jim Gordon, with his first year as a police lieutenant in Gotham City, trying to be a good cop in a city where the police is as bad as the criminals. It grounds the story and gives depth to Jim, whose never really been a focus in the comics.

One thing that some might find unusual about this Batman stories is its villains, of lack thereof. There’s no Joker, no Penguin, no Riddler, not even a mention of any of the Rogue’s gallery, except for focusing on Gotjam’s crime families and a cool reference to a certain villain on the very last page. It’s devoid of villains and only focuses on the core part of Batman: Batman and Gotham. Miller manages to give us the most realistic, most down to earth Batman story in my memory. It shows Batman learning to be Batman, taking down street-level thugs and crime bosses, fighting the corruption in the GCPD.

As for the book, it’s one of the best I’ve got in my small yet growing collection. The paper used on the cover and in the pages are different to normal, not using normal glossy paper but more of a matte paper type. This paper feels really good when holding and reading. The books also contains lots of extras in the back, including a 4-page comic by Mazzuchelli about Batman. Very nice additions.

In summary, a must-have for any Batman fans. It’s a great comic for anyone who knows the character of Batman, and really wants to get to know the character better. The story and art is stellar and gives us a down-to-earth Batman. I’d say it’s a great first Batman story, not requiring and previous knowledge and showing you what Batman is about, who he is, and also introducing you to Batman. But, nevertheless, give it a read. It’s one of the best Batman stories, with no previous knowledge required, and art which sets the tone and will immerse you.

4 people found this helpful

THSlev

Intro to Batman

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 22, 2017

Verified Purchase

Great read. I didn't know where to start with with the batman graphic novels but having googled it, this seemed to be the common consensus on the matter. Google wasn't wrong - it is a great introduction.

The storyline introduces characters clearly, and it is well written and easy to follow for someone new to the series. The artwork is beautiful and fits the story and the setting perfectly. This is heralded as the beginning of the 'gritty' modern Batman and it is definitely that.

The only thing I would ask you to bear in mind is that it is quite short - it took me about an hour to read - so I would recommend trying to get it cheaper than the prime price if you can wait for delivery. This is the most minor of gripes though, and it's no shorter than other graphic novels.

6 people found this helpful

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