Batman: Year One (1987)
Trade Paperback Cover
Original Comic Book Covers
Words by Frank Miller
Art by David Mazzucchelli
Colors by Richmond Lewis
Letters by Todd Klein
How profound is Batman Year One? Well, the story itself was the basis for a film adaptation that never got off the ground, but eventually had it's fingerprints on other films, namely Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm, Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. If you read Year One, and you already know the movies well enough, you will see elements throughout all of them taken directly from the book.
Frank Miller did an exceptional job here in revisiting Batman's origin while adding more to the story and completely changing the readers perception of Bruce Wayne. This isn't the typical, campy Batman that you grew up with. This is dark and gritty. And we can't forget about the amazing art of David Mazzucchelli, which is beyond exceptional and would be hard pressed to find anyone else that could top him. Sometimes simplicity is all you need to elevate your art to an even higher level.
If there is one negative that I would put on the book is that it's too short. The story itself ran only 4 issues. I guess in this day and age of mega-crossover story arcs spanning anywhere from 10 to 20 issues, a mere 4 issues can seem like a blip. But with the ground that's covered in just these few issues, Miller and company manage to redefine an iconic Superhero.
If you get the chance to pick up the Trade Paperback, always go with the Hardcover edition. And I have to mention that the Afterword at the end of the book is absolutely worth the price of admission. You get a lot of behind the scenes stuff with Page breakdowns, pre-lims, covers and pin up art. This stuff is golden in my eyes and opens your eyes into David's process and how he works his magic when he puts pencil to paper.
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