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Batman: Year One Deluxe (New Edition)
One οf thе mοѕt vital аnd critically acclaimed Batman adventures еνеr — written bу Frank Miller (BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS) wіth art bу David Mazzuchelli (Daredevil) — returns аѕ a luxurious hardcover.A young Bruce Wayne hаѕ spent hіѕ adolescence аnd early adulthood, roving thе world ѕο hе сουld hone hіѕ body аnd mind іntο thе perfect fighting аnd analytical machine. Bυt now аѕ hе returns tο Gotham City, hе mυѕt find a way tο focus hіѕ passion аnd bring justice tο hіѕ city. Retrac
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A fantastic retelling of Batman’s origin,
Batman is a character I’ve always loved, but I’ve only recently started getting into the Batman comics. After reading Frank Miller’s exceptional “Batman: The Dark Knight Returns” visual novel, I really wanted to buy more Batman comics that depicted the font in a similar manner: as deep, well-thought-out font that you really feel emotionally attached to by the end of the tale. The problem was that, being new to comics, I was tossed into a sea of nearly endless Batman comics, and I didn’t really know everywhere to commence.
Well, everywhere better to start than at the very beginning?
Batman: Year One is the tale of Batman’s first year in Gotham City after returning from training abroad, making it the perfect book for someone unfamiliar with Batman’s origins, or just looking for a fresh take on the classic tale. But the book is as much about the origins of Jim Gordon, who will later be converted into the famed control commissioner of Gotham City, as it is about Batman’s beginning. The tale hinges on Gordon’s attempts to clean up a control force that is dishonest to its very core, and his encounters with the Batman that finally lead up to a climactic confrontation that brings both men collectively in their fight against crime.
Firse of all, the packaging and presentation of the tale is top-notch. The book is hard bound and comes with a very nice partial sleeve that makes it look very classy. The cover itself depicts a simple black and white drawing of Batman that is reasonably effective for portraying what the book is about. Each chapter of the tale opens with the origin comic book cover from each issue, and they are very vivid and clean. Here are many extras, from an amusing illustrated afterword by the artist, David Mazzuccelli, and many pages of preliminary and promotional artwork. In the end, I felt that some of these features could have probably been dropped in favor of a vaguely lower price tag, but they are nice additions that give the book a more “luxurious edition” feel.
The artwork in the tale is very excellent. I really like David Mazzuccelli’s style. He’s really not entirely uncommon from Miller himself in that his artwork isn’t terribly elaborate, but is supremely effective in telling a tale. Mazzuccelli really has a strength when it comes to facial expressions. You can really see how the font feel by the looks on their faces, particularly in the more emotional spots of the book. The backgrounds and font are gorgeous, though, and the colors are very nice and vivid. The artwork brilliantly aids in telling the dark tale of Batman’s birth and Gordon’s struggles.
The storyline is nothing small of superb as well. I’ve held Frank Miller in high regard ever since reading “The Dark Knight Returns”, and this book is written in a very similar style. You can tell that Miller really likes using internal monologues to convey the thoughts and feelings of the font, and they are very effective and give the tale a depth that other comics don’t have. The tale progresses logically and is very readable. It’s a fantastic retelling of the traditional tale of Batman’s beginning infused with an nearly literary style.
Miller is an expert at characterization. I was amazed at how much depth and likeability he could give even minor font. A character that I found myself sympathizing with and surprisingly liking is Gordon’s wife Barbara. With only commanding artwork and a few lines, I felt that she was described very powerfully and believably, making her a fantastic character that further enhances the personality and depth of Gordon. You can tell that Miller really likes Jim Gordon, as he is given more characterization than anyone else in the tale. I really felt collectively to the character by the end of the tale, because he is so remarkably human, and not really unlike myself. He makes mistakes, but he is in the end a excellent person, and I reckon this is what makes him so appealing, perhaps even more than Batman himself. This is not to say that the characterization of Batman is lacking in the tale; reasonably the contrary, in fact. Bruce Wayne is also described as a man who has his honest share of problems that he is trying to overcome in his never-ending fight to purge Gotham of corruption. The deep characterizations are what really make this book shine.
The only doubt I have with the storyline and characterizations is a subplot involving Catwoman in the tale. Even as she is brilliantly described, I finished up feeling as if her role in the tale didn’t have much meaning other than to set her up as a potential romantic interest of Batman in the future as well as a recognized rogue and thief. But her actions have relatively small bearing on everywhere the tale goes. The subplot is still enjoyable, and in the end it doesn’t detract from the overall greatness of the storyline.
Some may be disappointed by the utter lack of…
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|Batman: Year One Luxurious (New Edition) FLOP,
I sold my ancient copy in order to get this one. I wasn’t sure to get it though. After all the price went up and the number of pages was the same.
Anyway, I pre-order the book and the release date was near. Then I read a cut in which Dave Mazzucchelli (original artist of the book) said that all the work he concluded for DC Comics in preparation for the release of the luxurious edition was, quote, “tossed in the garbage” by DC’s editorial.
Here’s he’s original statement:
“Several years ago, DC questioned me if I’d help place collectively a luxurious edition of Batman: Year One, and Dale Crain and I worked for MONTHS to try to make a definitive version. Now whoever’s in charge has thrown all that work in the garbage.
First, they redesigned the cover, and recolored my artwork – probably to look more like their small DVD that came out last year; second, they printed the book on shiny paper, which was never a part of the original point, all the way back to the first hardcover in 1988; third – and worst – they printed the color from corrupted, out-of-focus digital files, completely obscuring all of Richmond’s hand-painted work. Anyone who’s already paid for this must send it back to DC and plea a refund”.
Not sure about you, but when a publisher throws aside the work of an original creator then something must be incorrect with that publisher.
This small “mistake” or whatever they want to call sums to the rest of stuff on DC’s collected editions such as: Dreadful binding in they’re huge books, the lack of shrink-wrap on the hardcovers, omision of word ballons in Absolute Kingdom Come, lack of conent in books like DC Universe by Alan Moore.
Terrible…
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|Finally a fitting publication for this fantastic tale,
When this miniseries first came out back in the eighties it left everyone breathless. David Mazzucchelli’s art is some of the finest I’ve ever seen. It moves like a motion picture yet every still is ready to be framed (nice homage to the well-known Hopper painting on the side: Gorden and Sgt. Essen having a late night coffee in a cafe called … Hopper)
Frank Miller tells a tale aptly from the beginning of the Batman saga. Bruce Wayne and Lieutenant Gordon learn they are both fighting on the same side to clean Gotham from the human immorality. The only way to survive in the mess is as a team. They be converted into friends.
On top of the fantastic visual novel this book includes over 40 pages of sketches, layouts and script pages. Every Batman fan must have it, what do I say, this is one for you. Buy it. You won’t be disappointed, I swear.
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