BAB Video Review -- Batman: Year One

Doug: To close the door on our "Batman: Year One" series, we thought we'd take a look at the DC Animated feature of the same name. This 2-disc special edition was released shortly before Christmas, 2011. The main feature runs just over an hour, and is basically a direct animated version of the mini-series. Much of the dialogue is the same, the scenes are near-duplicated, and there are few surprises. I don't say that as a negative; for one who enjoys that series, I had a good time seeing it "come to life". Here's a look at the title screen from the main disc:

It took me a little while to get used to a voice actor other than Kevin Conroy (who is excellent in that character, as most of us would agree). This Batman plays a little less threatening, a little less mysterious than Conroy's version from Batman: The Animated Series and its various later incarnations. But that's OK, as this is of course a younger Batman, one who is just finding his way. Most of the major scenes from the comic series play out exactly as they did in print, and I've included several screen shots -- feel free to compare them with our reviews of Batman #'s 404-407.

As you can see from the images above, the basic feel of David Mazzuchelli's art is preserved, although the linework is much more detailed, finer. The animation is smooth, although not 100% lifelike -- this is not CGI-motion, but rather a more traditional form. It plays well. Despite its looks, I would caution the casual viewer that the script is closer to what Frank Miller wrote in his Sin City stories. The main feature (and I'd assume the Catwoman featurette as well) is rated PG-13. There is adult language sprinkled throughout, and the scene early in the film in the East End plays a bit rougher than in print. I'll admit to saying "Whoa - say what?" out loud the first time I watched this. Totally caught me by surprise. I also did a big eyebrow-raise in the scene when Gordon and his wife pay Bruce Wayne a visit. You'll recall that Wayne is on a sofa with some supermodel-looking airhead. Wayne is wearing a short robe and apparently sipping champagne. As Gordon asks him a few questions, Wayne does a Sharon Stone-like leg uncrossing/recrossing. We don't see anything, but apparently Barbara Gordon got an eyeful!

That being said, there's quite a bit of sex in the Catwoman featurette. That cartoon is much shorter than the Batman feature, ending in around 14 minutes. It's a decent story, and showcases some nifty fight scenes. I've included a screen shot from a strip club to give you an idea of the "saltiness" of some of this show.

I am not a fan of the current costume worn by Catwoman; to be honest, I still like the long purple dress with the green trim that she wore a very long time ago!

As I mentioned, I received the 2-disc Special Edition. Below is a screen shot of the second disc's Special Features section:

I was happy to see a couple of episodes from the very Kevin Conroy series mentioned above. While neither is a favorite -- there are far too many good and memorable episodes from those series to have really nailed it for every consumer -- they are both solid representations of Catwoman adventures.

So, I would recommend this to you if you liked the print version of the "Year One" story. If you're a collector, then by all means buy it. However, if it's still On Demand on your cable system or you have some other means to rent it, that would also be a few bucks well-spent. You can easily get through all of the material included in under three hours -- around the time you'd spend at many a feature-length film at the theater these days. I'm glad I own it -- I'll come back to it every so often, for sure.

Year One: Batman 407

Batman #407 (May 1987)
"Friend In Need"
Frank Miller-David Mazzuchelli

Karen: Here we are, at the end of "Batman Year One". Both Batman and Gordon have realized that they can't take on all the crime and corruption in the city by themselves. It's just too much. As someone who was only an occasional Batman reader, this 4-part series did a lot towards explaining the Batman-Gordon relationship to me.

Doug: I was a pretty regular Batman and Detective Comics reader (not so much on Brave and the Bold), but I'm not sure I'd given it too much thought -- the one thing I was sure of, however, was that the James Gordon in the comics was not that sorry excuse for a cop we got on the 1966 television series!

Karen: This issue opens with Gordon ending his affair with Detective Sarah Essen. It was unclear in past issues just how far things had gone, but there's a scene here where Essen tries to give back a bracelet Gordon had given her. I think that's a sign that things were serious. Essen requests a transfer, and although Gordon loves her, he thinks it's the right thing for both of them.

Doug: I agree about the lack of clarity. Given that the story takes place over one year's time (natch), it seems to be the definition of a whirlwind romance. This fourth issue picks up on September 2nd; so the romance probably takes place over only 7-8 months' time, you think?

Karen: Off-panel, Gordon catches Jefferson Skeevers, a big-time drug dealer, but Harvey Dent, the D.A., allows him to go free on bail. This infuriates Gordon. Meanwhile, we see Batman crawling up a brick wall (did he fit his fingers in the tiny cracks?) of the building where Skeevers lives. We hear his attorney yelling at him while he does lines of coke. I know that we'd seen depictions of drug use before, but this still took me aback.

Doug: Knowing the Batman, he probably had some sort of claws in his gloves just for the occasion -- although there was no evidence of it. I really felt a Dark Knight vibe in this scene with the use of some TV "talking heads" serving as narrators.

Karen: Skeevers thinks he's safe because of his connections to Detective Flass, but his lawyer doesn't want him to turn on Flass, fearing that it would get both of them killed. Shes tries to prepare him for trial, but he's not paying attention. Right after she leaves, Batman breaks into the apartment. Batman does a big scary act on Skeevers. Immediately the next day, Skeevers is telling Gordon he wants to get a plea bargain, that he'll turn on Flass.

Doug: Gordon's line to Officer Merkel as he hightails it out the door to get Harvey Dent -- "forget to tell the Commissioner" was a good one.

Karen: Commissioner Loeb is not happy about having Flass implicated in the drug trade. He gets Gordon in his office and threatens to expose his affair with Essen to the press -- and Gordon's wife. He's stunned.

Doug: I assumed that the officer standing behind Loeb was the sadist Branden -- guy was all decked out in SWAT gear. Figures he'd want to be in on Gordon's downfall. It had been made pretty clear in previous issues that he and Gordon were definitely miles apart in regard to ethical methodologies. Gordon was naive to think that no one in the department would have picked up on his relationship to Sgt. Essen -- I guess I'd have thought he was a better cop than that. But then we've talked a bit about weak detective work over the course of this series.

Karen: Gordon is still assigned to catching Batman. He and his wife pay a visit to Bruce Wayne. Wayne is hung over, in his robe and still drinking. He has a bimbo on his couch whose name he doesn't know. Gordon questions Wayne on his whereabouts, and everything checks out. Wayne is playing the "spoiled playboy" act to a T, but Gordon isn't necessarily buying it. As Gordon and his wife leave Wayne Manor, he pulls the car over and tells her there's something they have to talk about.

Doug: Wayne, ever the detective, watches from afar as Gordon's car stops. He mentions to Alfred that it's stopped for about 10 minutes, and then moves on. I thought Miller did a good job of writing Alfred's wry sense of humor in this issue.

Karen: After that we get several single panels that contain different plot elements. We find that Flass is confident Skeevers won't be alive to testify against him. Skeevers is nearly killed, but hangs on and vows to testify. Gordon is puzzled about this but Harvey Dent just smiles knowingly. Barbara Gordon receives a phone call and with a despondent look simply says, "Yes sir, I know about Sgt. Essen. Please don't bother me again." By the end of the page, a nurse announces to Gordon that his wife has given

birth to a baby boy.

Doug: I really need someone more versed in Bat-lore to enlighten me as to the origins and outcomes of this child born to James and Barbara Gordon. Is there a history in previous incarnations of the Bat-verse, or is this new ground? And am I totally clueless in believing that Barbara Gordon, aka Batgirl, is Jim Gordon's daughter? In order for that to be true, however, she'd have to be at least around 16-18 in this story, wouldn't she? Help me if you can!

Karen: Selina Kyle has been running around in a cat costume, burglarizing Gotham's wealthy citizens, but the news is giving the credit to Batman, which really bothers Selina. She decides to go after a big target: The Roman, one of the city's biggest crime lords.

Doug: I wondered if Miller was making some sort of statement in having Commissioner Loeb be a collector of pop culture memorabilia, and Selina remarking after hitting it that it was impossible to fence and basically worthless to her.

Karen: We get a full-page shot of Batman flying through the night sky on a Da Vinci-like glider. Down below is a building with Roman-style architecture, all marble and columns. It is, of course, the home of the Roman. He's an older man, and he's discussing his current situation with his nephew, Johnny. As Batman silently swoops down, who should appear on the scene but Catwoman? She attacks a few guards and so on, and winds up surrounded by armed men. The Roman believes she works for Batman and orders Johnny to kill her. But before he can get near her, a bunch of bat-shaped shuriken go flying and take out Johnny and the rest of them. It's over so quickly that Catwoman just crouches there, in shock, which slowly gives way to satisfaction, as she brings her claws to the Roman's face.

Doug: David Mazzuchelli is really good at this art thing. This 2-page spread is really done well. Some of the panels don't have much to them at all, but the story moves, a little is left to the reader's imagination, and as we've said before the coloring just adds to it.

Karen: The next morning, at Wayne Manor, Bruce works out and listens to the tape he made the previous night of the Roman and his nephew. He's frustrated because the Roman was about to reveal something. We catch up with Selina, who is annoyed again because the press is now calling her Batman's assistant. The Roman is in the hospital, his face cut up. He says something to Johnny about Gordon.
Doug: Alfred is again priceless in the scene at Wayne Manor, remarking that he's read a piece in the Times talking about "the importance of lack of sleep for the marginally sane", "marked increase in paranoia" and "tendency toward aberrant, even violent behavior" -- all played with a straight face. Good stuff!

Karen: At home late one night, Gordon is getting ready to feed his son when he gets a call from Commissioner Loeb. He tells Gordon he wants him to go investigate something. After the call ends, Loeb calls someone else and says that Gordon has left the house. But as Gordon drives out of his apartment building's garage, he notices someone entering it on a motorcycle, someone he doesn't recognize. He turns the car around and goes back, but doesn't see the cyclist. However, he does see Johnny sitting in a car, holding a knife to his son. Johnny tells Gordon to drop the gun. At the same time, two other men have Gordon's wife, and are forcing her into the car. Gordon realizes the two of them are dead if he doesn't act, so he shoots at the two men, hits one, and gets winged. The other men panic and take off in the car. From behind Gordon hears a motorcycle. It's the same man he saw before. He shoots him and takes the cycle, so he can chase the car. The cyclist surprisingly seems unharmed -I think you can guess who he is. He tells Barbara Gordon, "I won't let your boy die, " grabs a bicycle and rides off in pursuit. Yes, Batman (although not in costume) is on a bicycle.

Doug: This scene was done with a lot of care -- very suspenseful, and as you said, a surprise along the way. When you think about it, this series ended with Bruce Wayne dressed in much the same way he was when he began his personal war on crime -- as an avenging angel in civvies.

Karen: Gordon shoots out a tire on the car and it crashes into the side of a bridge. Gordon runs to the crashed car, terrified that his son might be dead. But although the driver is incapacitated, Johnny is still mobile, and he jumps from the car with Gordon's baby and slams the door in Gordon's face. The two men struggle at the bridge railing and Johnny casts the babe over the side. Gordon screams, and then a figure appears, jumping over the railing and catching the child. The unmasked Wayne hands the baby to a grateful Gordon, who tells him that without his glasses, he's practically blind. "Sirens coming. You'd better go."

Doug: I thought Gordon took a lot of severe chances in the final scenes of the kidnapping. I thought it was odd that Batman had chosen to climb up onto the bridge works rather than run immediately to Gordon's aid. Additionally, I was left a little uncertain as to whether Wayne landed on the bank after his plummet, or in the water. The coloring, while I've lauded it over and over, threw me off a bit there at the end -- after all, as you can see from the accompanying art, Wayne and Gordon stand in ankle-deep water.

Karen: Things conclude with Flass going down, and Loeb on his way out of office. Gordon's been promoted to captain, and he and his wife are getting counseling. And Gordon's found a new ally, which is good, because someone calling himself "The Joker" is threatening to poison the water supply.

Karen: Overall, this was a very solid story, but as it's been noted, it should really be called "Jim Gordon: Year One." There's just not enough Batman in this for me. We never really get into Batman's head. That may have been the idea, but I think it was a bad one. As much as Miller made Gordon interesting, I'd still rather see things from Batman's perspective. Still, it was worth reading again.

Doug: One could also argue, to a lesser extent, that this was "Catwoman: Year One" as well. There certainly wasn't enough of Selina to warrant that, but we do follow her over the same basic timeframe as she becomes the Catwoman. I liked the series very much -- then and now. I agree with you that there could be more Batman, but I do think there was a nice balance between the three main characters. Honestly, for my money Catwoman could have been left out altogether and the panels devoted to her could have been used to further flesh out Bruce Wayne/Batman.

Doug: So I asked at the top of our first post in this series, "From Batman: Year One through the events of The Dark Knight Returns, did the Batman make a difference in Gotham City?" I have my own opinions, but I would like our readers to think about that question and tack a thought onto your other comments about today's post. Thanks as always in advance.

Year One: Batman 406

Batman #406 (April 1987)
"Black Dawn"
Frank Miller-David Mazzuchelli

Doug: The plot is certainly thickening as we move into the second half of this mini-series within a series that redefined (for better or worse) the Batman in the post-Crisis DC Universe. Today's fare is chock full of action and suspense; I wouldn't say that any of the outcomes are unpredictable, but there's a certain page-turnability to this story. Before we get to examining the plot, I would like to say that I think the cover to Batman 406 seems out of place beside the other three in the series. We've remarked that David Mazzuchelli's art is at times minimalist; here we have something that's very busy. While it certainly foreshadows events within, it's just a wholly-different design in comparison to the rest of the covers he did for this storyline.

Karen: I hadn't thought about that, but looking at the covers, you're dead right Doug.

Doug: When we left off, the Batman was hiding in a tenement building when one of the GCPD fascists dropped a bomb on it! As the building exploded around him, we felt somewhat assured that no one could survive. Of course we were wrong. Batman falls from his perch as fire ignites all about him. Chemicals in his utility belt catch fire and he has to discard it. One of the things we find out about this novice hero is that he's much better prepared than his 1966 television counterpart; this Batman keeps some back-up utensils in his boots and cape! We also see that death is very real in Frank Miller's Gotham City; as Batman plummets he spies a homeless man in the midst of the flames. Batman somewhat callously thinks that he has no time to save that man. Lighting on the floor, the Dark Knight sees a large steel door marked "Danger: Electricity 80,000 Watts". Seems like a safer place to be than a burning building, so he removes a pick from his glove and jimmies the padlock.

Karen: Just goes to show how differently people can interpret things. I took Batman's thoughts, where three times he says he can't help the old man, to indicate his frustration in his inability to save him.

Doug: I've included the panels in question, above. Upon a reread, I do see that Batman's comments about the homeless man seem filled with regret. My original take on it was that he was so focused on the mission at hand that he couldn't tolerate any deviation from the necessary. Readers?

Doug: We then cut to the apartment of Selina Kyle, who obviously shares it with the young prostitute Holly (and about two dozen cats). Holly is trying to awaken Selina to tell her about explosions and fires burning across the city. Selina reluctantly rises, but takes the time to feed her cats. She tells Holly to turn on the television news, and then they get dressed to check it out. At the scene, Gordon's pretty banged up. He barks out some orders as Detective Essen is loaded into an ambulance, having sustained injuries from last issue's high-speed accident. The sadist Branden and his SWAT commandos are going into the building. Of course it looks like a war zone, but you know what struck me immediately? Where's the fire?

Karen: I was struck by that too. Even if the fire was out (how?), it still should have been plenty hot in the ruins. But the SWAT team enters it almost nonchalantly. And after all these years, I still wonder about the relationship between Selina and the very young Holly. Nothing is shown exactly, but it still leaves me a bit creeped out.

Doug: Branden's men quickly deduce that the Batman must have gone into the steel trap door, so they pump it full of bullets first and then open it and proceed down some steps. But as they descend, a gloved hand emerges from a broken brick duct and lays a Vulcan nerve pinch on one of the police goons. Now in possession of the guy's radio, Batman tells Branden that he has him right where he wants him. Even at the earliest times, intimidation is a hallmark of a Batman adventure! Batman then drops some gas pellets down the shaft in which he was hiding, but Branden's men are prepared for it.

Karen: Yup, that was definitely a Vulcan nerve pinch. I smirked when I saw that. Although Batman is ordering Branden around, he's also trying to reason with him -"Too many people have died already." This Batman is still concerned about protecting lives, even those of crooked cops.

Doug: Surface-side, Selina and Holly arrive on the scene and Holly strays across the police line. In the sky the Commissioner circles in a helicopter wondering why this hasn't been ended yet. Inside the building, Batman puts a tourniquet around his thigh and takes cover in the shadows. With dawn coming and no roof on the structure, the sun now becomes his worst enemy. That, and a stray cat who suddenly leaps away from him, drawing attention. Well, desperate times require desperate measures, and as the situation is beginning to look hopeless, the Batman plays his final card -- an experimental sonic device that he's created for Wayne Electronics. The bats beneath Wayne Manor, in the cave. They will come to his aid.

Karen: The bat-signalling device in the heel of his shoe verges on Batman TV show territory. It's played very straight, and the imagery is great, so it works, but I felt that it was out of place. To connect Batman and Selina, we have both of them commenting on Siamese cats and how they won't be quiet. Nice touch.

Doug: Using a blow gun, the Batman puts a dart into Branden's neck. All that does is stir up his men, who now commence firing. This forces the Dark Knight from his hiding spot and puts him on a run for his life. Amazingly he picks up the cat that had tipped the cops to his whereabouts and shields it from the automatic gunfire. The cat is tossed out a window and soon leaps into the arms of Selina Kyle, near the police line. Back inside, Batman has taken shelter behind a large column. As the police move in, we see our hero reenact a scene from the first issue, when he was training himself on the grounds of Wayne Manor. He gives a mighty kick to the weakened beam, and literally brings the house down. Surprisingly there's still some fight in the GCPD thugs, but as Batman battles the bats arrive -- enough to blot out the sun. In the chaos, the Batman is able to commandeer a motorcycle and make his getaway.

Karen: I'm sure modern audiences would find Batman's rescuing the cat to be ridiculous, but I loved it. This Batman is a good guy, even if his methods are sometimes harsh. We saw him save the kid on the balcony in the last issue, and now, he saves the innocent cat -maybe because he could not save the poor homeless men who were squatting in the building. The visuals of the fight between Batman and the squad were very exciting. This whole series has had a cinematic feel to it.

Doug: While a fitting end to the story, Miller gives us quite a long coda. Gordon narrates the lion's share of it, debriefing the reader on the fall-out from the bombing/bats episode. We then see him working late (again), in his office with Det. Essen. Gordon's trying to find a way to pin the whole Batman thing on Bruce Wayne. Wayne, it seems, has left Gotham City and has been on a month-long ski vacation in the Alps. Allegedly he's broken quite a few bones in a bad fall. Essen puts it together quickly that the injuries sustained by Wayne would roughly match-up with injuries believed to have been sustained by the Batman. And, she knows the background on the murder of Wayne's parents and thinks he might have motive for his alleged vigilante behavior.

Karen: It's kind of funny, after so many years, to see the idea of Bruce Wayne is Batman laid out so easily. It does seem like any detective worth a damn could figure it out, especially since Batman's equipment would require considerable funds to obtain or build.
Doug: The way Gordon and Essen are on the case, Batman's about as thin a disguise as... oh, I don't know -- a guy wearing black-rimmed eyeglasses?

Doug: The book ends with five quick vignettes: Bruce Wayne is indeed skiing, but it's more to rehabilitate his injuries and his mind, and to refine his mission. He surmises that he cannot do what he wants without an ally -- Gordon. Selina Kyle punches out Holly's pimp and yanks her away by the hand -- Selina has an idea. Gordon and Essen do what they've been doing lately -- having coffee late into the evening, after work. It's becoming way too personal for Jim Gordon; as they leave out into the rainy night to catch a cab, they duck into a doorway where they exchange a mutual kiss. Selina has spent a bunch of money on a catsuit. She leaps out into the night despite Holly's protestations. Gordon sits at the foot of his bed, having had yet another fight with his very-pregnant wife Barbara. His life is not going well. He feels like he needs an ally -- the Batman.

Karen: I recall being so mad when Gordon crossed the line with Essen. With some years behind me though, I can look on this and see how Miller was showing us a Jim Gordon who wasn't perfect -or boring. The mutual realization that they need each other promises interesting developments.

Doug: I agree -- it was disappointing to me as well. I take it for what it's worth, and isn't this a heaping dose of Marvel into the formerly staid DC Universe? Talk about clay feet.

Doug: This story continues to pay-off. Miller's brought us deeper into the minds of Bruce Wayne and James Gordon. As one of our commenters remarked (was it sarcastically?) in our first review, this could just as easily be called "James Gordon, Year One". I don't have a problem with that. I used the line "parallel lives" last week -- it's all that. And it moves the story along quite nicely, seeing these two men working against each other but on a collision course where it's now evident that they must work together to accomplish each other's goals. I think this story holds up just fine.

Year One: Batman 405

Batman #405 (March 1987)
"War Is Declared"
Frank Miller-David Mazzuchelli

Karen: Although this four part series is called "Batman Year One," it could easily be called "Jim Gordon Year One" because the future commissioner Gordon gets equal time with the new-born Dark Knight. This issue opens with Gordon racing to a hostage situation. A mentally ill man with a gun is holding three children hostage. No one can really figure out what he wants, as he's not making any sense. As Gordon speeds through a downpour to get there, he hears over the radio that the SWAT team is on its way too. Like the rest of the Gotham police, the SWAT team is a collection of violent hooligans and Gordon fears that if they get there first, it'll be a massacre. Gordon pulls up quickly and by force of will, backs the SWAT leader off.
Doug: Miller does a good job of portraying Jim Gordon's personality -- his hopes and fears, his mental state as he speeds to this call. And is there no end to the corruption of the GCPD? So many twists and turns as Gordon feels his way through his new department. Mazzuchelli's pictures as Gordon floors it and then screeches to a halt at the crime scene are quite effective. Watching the bystanders scatter as Gordon careens nearly out of control adds a real sense of urgency to this situation.

Karen: Gordon looks up at the window where the gunman stands and pointedly drops his gun, so the man will see he is unarmed. He enters the broken-down tenement and approaches the crazed man, who is spouting nonsense while holding a gun to the head of a young girl. Gordon easily disarms the man and everyone survives. But he's made a lot of enemies on the force with his "white hat" behavior, and he knows it. He practices his marksmanship, all the while thinking how he hates his gun and he hates his job. At home a few nights later, his pregnant wife Barbara gives him a back rub, when suddenly he gets a phone call from the Commissioner. It's something about a giant bat.

Doug: This particular scene, in the way it plays out, definitely rocks a "parallel lives" vibe. If the artist had silhouetted Gordon's figure and left only the action and the speech balloons, it would be difficult to distinguish Gordon's disarming of the man and his driven determination at the shooting range from that of the Batman. And it's no secret that this is what Miller is going for, two sides of the same coin, wanting to do the right thing albeit with different approaches. Both meting out justice, one step at a time. It's interesting that as the commissioner keeps getting complaints from within the force, he is for the moment supporting Gordon -- after all, the press is on Gordon' side, and you don't mess with people who buy their ink by the barrel.

Karen: That 'giant bat', obviously our young Batman, is out testing his costume, and himself. He confronts a group of three young thieves on a fire escape. "The costume works," he thinks, as his appearance causes the three to freeze momentarily. Unfortunately, as he bounds into them , one falls over the rail, and Batman - thinking "I'm no killer" - has to grab the boy by the ankle while the other two pound on him. After getting bashed on the head with a TV, Batman finally manages to disable the two and pull the boy up. But it's obvious he has a long way to go in perfecting his methods.
Doug: This is a well-choreographed scene. I could really feel the tension as the battle escalated. But Batman held onto the kid's ankle, even while dispensing some pain. I'm not sure I was buying the last couple of panels that played out before the dropped television hit the concrete (20 stories below!).

Karen: A month later, Gordon is briefing a room of detectives. Three drawings on the wall behind him depict various descriptions of Batman -- one looks like Man-Bat, another is almost Zorro-like, and the third looks a lot like how Batman appeared in his earliest appearances. Gordon says that Batman has committed 78 acts of assault in five weeks -- so it's safe to say, he's been busy. This is also where we first meet Detective Essen -- a tall, attractive blond. We also see that Flass, the dirty thug cop that Gordon beat up in the last issue, is sitting in the briefing room with a cast on his arm and a neck brace. A smiling Gordon says that the Batman has graduated to taking down drug suppliers and any cops that might be helping them -- and then asks Flass to describe his encounter with the vigilante. Flass' narrative of what happened and the illustrations that accompany are of course at odds with each other. He claims he was about to take down some drug criminals when he heard "giant wings flap. It flew down from the sky... the wings were about thirty feet across..." The other cops chuckle at him. He says the 'creature' was hit point blank by bullets and just laughed. He describes how it took out the criminals and himself and his fellow cops just roast him.
Doug: This scene with Flass' narration of his exploits was really humorous. He was right in the thick of the dirty deed when the Batman showed up! What do you think of Miller's typical depiction of the Batarang as a small throwing star-type of weapon? It's sure a far cry from the old boomerang-type of Batarang that was hinged to fit in the utility belt.

Karen: Different, and probably more deadly. I assume it was due to Miller's fascination with martial arts movies. Four nights later, Batman lurks outside the Mayor's mansion. His Honor is hosting a party. After ensuring that the chauffeurs waiting outside will sleep through his coming activities, he hunkers down and listens to the guests inside. The Commissioner, seated at the dining table, gets a phone call from Gordon and afterward complains about the man. Batman keeps hearing that name -"All the right people seem to hate him" he notes. Besides the commissioner, crime boss Falcone is another guest, and he complains that Batman is hurting his business. He also complains about assistant district attorney Harvey Dent. Suddenly the lights go out, the room fills with smoke, and the wall opposite the diners blows apart, with the dark figure of the Batman standing there. "You've eaten well. You've eaten Gotham's wealth. Its spirit. Your feast is nearly over. From this moment on -- none of you are safe."

Doug: The smoke, the subterfuge, the fear tactics -- all of this became hallmarks of the Batman persona after Miller's handling of the character. We saw elements of this in the 1989 Batman movie as influenced by this very story. I liked the way the Batman moved along the circle drive in front of the mansion, disarming (!) chauffeurs left and right. It was pretty obvious even before we the readers got a peek inside that this was a shady gathering.

Karen: The commissioner is demanding that Gordon catch Batman, or he'll be axed. Gordon sets up some traps, using decoy cops apparently committing crimes, but Batman is on to him. While Gordon tries to catch him, he humiliates the crime lords. Gordon pays a visit to Harvey Dent,whom he suspects is actually Batman. But he can prove nothing. However, unknown to Gordon, Dent is working with the vigilante; the extent of this relationship is unclear.

Doug: I guess I was unaware "back in the day" at how noble a soul Harvey Dent was before he became Two-Face. Miller plays it up here, and of course the recent Christopher Nolan flick The Dark Knight was rife with this characterization of Harvey Dent, a "white knight". Miller must have had a soft spot for Dent, as he was a major player in the first issue of The Dark Knight Returns. I wonder why he never did a full-on Two Face story?

Karen: Gordon and Detective Essen are on patrol, cruising round, and it's clear there's some attraction, at least on Gordon's part. A delivery truck swerves in front of them and they go to chase it down. There's something wrong with the driver. Just as it appears that the truck is about to run down and old woman, Batman comes out of nowhere and grabs her, pulling her out of the way. At the same time, Gordon has jumped into the cab of the truck to bring it to a halt. Essen jumps from the car and pulls a gun on Batman. But as soon as she glances back to see how Gordon is, Batman disarms her and disappears. Other cops show up and Gordon points them down the alley where the vigilante just went, all the while thinking about how the mystery man saved the old woman. The police fire repeatedly at Batman and manage to wound his leg, and he makes his way into an abandoned building, heading for the roof and freedom. However, despite Gordon's protestations, the commissioner orders in the SWAT team. A helicopter appears and drops a bomb on the derelict building, creating a huge fireball, with Batman still inside.
Doug: I think the subplot with Gordon and Sarah Essen further adds to the parallel lives aspect of the story. As Bruce Wayne is driven and flawed, we now see Gordon with feet of clay. Through most of these first two issues, he's lamented bringing his pregnant wife and unborn child to live in Gotham City. Mazzuchelli draws Barbara Gordon as very attractive, even sexy. Yet Gordon talks about tasting Essen's lipstick on the cigarette she's lit for him, and how as they drive along her fingernails dig into his knee -- both of these things obviously turn him on.

Doug: The GCPD, and indeed the political machine that runs the city, is a mess, isn't it? We've gone, in the space of half of this book, from the guys in charge wanting to preserve Gordon to now doing whatever they can to embarrass him. And the Batman? From drawing public attention away from the corruption of Gotham to messing with the wrong people and now on the extermination list. The second half of this story promises to be exciting!

Karen: Doug and I have frequently complained that today's comics take all of five minutes to read. Well I have to tell you, this took me about 40 minutes to get through! There's so much going on here. It's amazing to see the story progression. The events in this issue alone would easily fill three issues in our current era of decompression. All in all, an exciting story, with some nice character introductions, and some real growing pains for Batman.

So, About This Bad Art Thing...

Doug: Last Monday's introductory post on the Frank Miller/David Mazzuchelli classic "Batman: Year One" brought about some discussion on line art and coloring, and to be honest it got a wee bit contentious. We've had these sorts of art/artist discussions in the past during various post-commenting, but what the heck -- let's have it again! Maybe some of you have updated thoughts, or just want the opportunity to put all of your opinions regarding comic book art down in one place. Certainly we hope to have some newcomers participate in the conversation. Overall, you know this may branch off in some tangential direction, and isn't that the beauty of a bunch of pals sitting around talking four-color shop?

Doug: There's no doubt that once the cover of your favorite mag is peeled back you're going to be faced with what some of us consider a better-than-50% element of the story, and that's the pictures. As I've remarked many times, the art is slightly more important to me than the writing. I've said that I can still look at and admire the pretty pictures, even if I don't want to read the story again. A great case would be the first issue of Neal Adams' recent effort Batman: Odyssey. After reading the premiere, I didn't care if I saw issue #2 or not -- Adams' writing was off-putting to me, and I did not at all care for the graphic violence. But there are panels and pages in that book that are wonderful!

Doug: Many of you sing the praises of Gil Kane; you also like John Buscema and Jack Kirby. These masters' work, laid side-by-side, couldn't be more different. Yes, there are similarities in terms of cinematic storytelling, but the detail of the figurework is what separates them. All quality, but all recognizable in their uniqueness. But there are others of you who dig Kane yet don't like Ross Andru. For me, there are definite similarities!

Doug: So today we want you to lay it all out -- what do you like and not like? How important is coloring? Who can surpass any inker's line, and who needs some help? Do certain artists excel at creating moodiness, or do others suffer in that regard? Why is Sal Buscema "steady" and many of us denigrate Al Milgrom? Today is "put your money where your mouth is" day on the BAB.

Year One: Batman 404

Batman #404 (February 1987)
"Who I Am, How I Came To Be"
Frank Miller-David Mazzuchelli

Doug: From Batman: Year One through the events of The Dark Knight Returns, did the Batman make a difference in Gotham City? That's a question we'll ask you again at the conclusion of this 4-part series of posts. Beginning today, we'll spend a month with Frank Miller's and David Mazzuchelli's stand-out mini-series that gave the post-"Crisis" Batman a detailed backstory. At the conclusion of this run, we'll also give a review of the feature-length DVD by the same name that came out shortly before Christmas 2011.

Doug: We've discussed Frank Miller around here before, both the man and his work as well as his most famous book, the aforementioned Dark Knight. Everyone knows his penchant for writing noir tales, of crime and criminals at their seediest. When going back through Batman: Year One, it's pretty obvious the seeds that were being planted that would grow into Miller's notorious Sin City series. The Gotham City that we meet on the first page is torn right from Miller's later Dark Horse work.

Karen: Just want to say here that I dug out my copies of these books and I realized I haven't read them in probably over a decade.

Doug: We begin with a dual narrative, of two men arriving in Gotham City at the same time, with the same mission -- to clean up the corruption, crime, and general hopelessness of one of America's largest morasses. Lt. James Gordon arrives on an elevated train, wishing he were in an airplane and pledging to make sure his wife does indeed fly in when she comes to join him. Twenty-five year old Bruce Wayne arrives on an airplane, and while impressed with the scope of the city wishes he were on a train so he could be closer to the filth. Gordon seems a reluctant hero, second-guessing himself and all the while wondering what he's gotten himself into. Wayne exudes ambitious self-confidence, and is eager to get to his work. Wayne is greeted by the media who question where he's been the past 13 years; Gordon is met by a Detective Flass, a cop worth keeping an eye on.

Karen: It's an interesting contrast. One thing I noticed was how Gordon's narration is written in very orderly, basic block letters, while Wayne's are in a tight cursive. It adds a little more depth to the story, although it's kind of surprising to see Wayne using the more personal handwriting. The letterer was Todd Klein, who has always treated his lettering as another aspect of the art.

Doug: The early part of the story deals a lot with characterization. Gordon meets Commissioner Loeb, and Wayne meets Alfred (again). Wayne describes Wayne Manor as a "fortress", Gordon goes on patrol with Flass -- and watches him virtually destroy some street punks. Police brutality? You betcha. Bruce works out on the grounds of his estate, obliterating a pile of bricks and halving a full-grown tree with a series of kicks -- yet he's not ready. Gordon begins to clean up his department, punishing rogues and making rules. Wayne prepares to go on his first patrol, to the worst part of Gotham. And both men will meet their matches.

Karen: At this stage, I'm actually more interested in Gordon than Wayne. We're given a lot of clues as to what's going on with him -he's not happy about his wife's pregnancy, he had some trouble in the past that involved bringing down a fellow cop - and he's obviously not going to fit in with this corrupt Gotham police force.

Doug: Bruce shows what we've known about him for years -- that he is a master of disguise. In yet another mask episode, Wayne applies make-up and a fake scar to his face and then wades into the Lower East Side of Gotham. It's a land of strip joints, bars, and hookers. Bruce is hit on by what appears to be a 12-year old girl, whose pimp is none-too-happy that she doesn't score the way he taught her. As he talks down to her, Bruce gets agitated and picks a fight. When I was reading this, I kept seeing the hitman from the Costner/Connery flick The Untouchables -- anyone else see that film and think the guy pictured (see below) looks like him? Observing all of this is some dominatrix with a crew cut... named Selina. Wow. So much for the socialite jewel thief from 1940!

Karen: It's been a long time since I saw The Untouchables, so I don't recall the character you mention. What I thought of was the Joker! In the original comic, the guy has white skin; not the pink that denotes caucasian, but milk-white flesh, and a purple suit! I can't help but think this was done on purpose, yet I don't think it's supposed to be the Joker, either. I recall being shocked that Catwoman was depicted as a possibly lesbian dominatrix too.

Doug: Yeah, as we go through the story, Selina's relationship to the child prostitute in this scene is somewhat ambiguous. Say, did you happen to notice the homages to the Golden Age Batman creators as Bruce Wayne enters this quagmire? Various landmarks are named Robinson, Sprang, and Finger. Nice touch. No Kane, though?

Karen: I did indeed notice that. And yes, Selina and Holly's connection is worrisome, if Holly is as young as we think she is, and their relationship is more than friendly.

Doug: James Gordon is also getting some trouble. Leaving his apartment for work, leaving his newly pregnant wife, Gordon's accosted by four men in ski masks -- with baseball bats. Gordon's no fool -- he recognizes mannerisms and voices and knows who his assailants are, why they're there, and what they're in for. Holding his own, Gordon gives out some punishment. But he succumbs to the superior numbers, who beat him within an inch of the hospital and leave him with a warning. Their mistake.

Karen: They've established that Gordon won't be corrupted, so we're rooting for him. He's a brave man but he's no Batman, and four men with baseball bats are nothing to laugh at. It's interesting that most of the violence here is really suggested, rather than shown.

Doug: The creators get a ton of mileage out of the coloring in this series. It really is a color version of Sin City.

Doug: Bruce is now in a full-fledged melee. Selina has hit the ground, and she's tough. A knife to the thigh limits Bruce's mobility, and when the heat shows up, Bruce is winged. Down, he's cuffed and put in the squad car. Drifting in and out of consciousness, he musters enough of his senses to threaten the cops and tell them to pull over. They don't and it's their trouble now. Bruce snaps his cuffs and creates enough chaos in the car to get it to crash. As the vehicle bursts into flames, Wayne rescues the cops and deposits them a safe distance from the inferno. He then finds his way back to his Porsche (really? You're going undercover, in a Porsche?) and winds back toward the Manor.

Karen: It's pretty impressive how he snaps the chain on those cuffs! I kind of doubt an unenhanced human could do it, actually. The panels where Bruce is climbing out of the flaming car are really well done.

Doug: On the way home, Wayne's in really bad shape. Swerving all over, he has a chance encounter with Gordon and about runs him off the road. Gordon's on a mission of his own. He's called into the station for Flass; Flass is out, with the boys. Gordon goes to one of his cop's house and waits. Flass is the last to leave. Gordon tails him, and when the time is right he runs Flass into a tree. Gordon gets out of his car with a baseball bat and a gun; he drops the gun, as does Flass. Gordon tosses the bat to Flass and then proceeds to kick the crap out of him. Flass is big, and with Green Beret training; Gordon's just bad. Flass ends up naked, bound by his own cuffs. He'll tell no one.

Karen: Gordon's 'justice' was definitely cathartic, at least for me. He doesn't kill Flass, he utterly humiliates him, which might even be worse for Flass. Again, most of the panels are in silhouette so the violence is really more suggested than shown.

Doug: Bruce has made it back to Wayne Manor, crashing his Porsche in the garage. Staggering up to his father's study, he bleeds. And bleeds. And laments calling Alfred, who could make it all better. Bruce seems to pray to his father, asking him for a sign, wanting to do this right. We see the scene yet again, of the Wayne family at a showing of The Mark of Zorro, and of Joe Chill's double homicide. As Bruce broods, dangerously close to passing out, a giant bat bursts through the window and lights on a bust. I shall become a bat...

Karen: He must have 20 gallons of blood in him, to have an arterial bleed and still be alive after two car rides and two car crashes. The one page recap of how Bruce's parents were killed is a great example of how concisely a story can be told -5 panels! And that closing page is extremely cinematic.

Doug: I really liked this issue. After I read it, and as I began to type this I decided to revisit our previous Miller/Dark Knight posts. Many who left comments moaned that Miller caught lightning in a bottle with Dark Knight and never gathered it again. But I think here we have all of what was good about that first issue of Dark Knight -- the pace is fast, the dialogue snappy, the situations grim but not too much. David Mazzuchelli's minimalist art seems perfect here, and the coloring really adds to the mood. This book is a near-perfect meshing of all of the integral elements of a good comic book.

Karen: It still holds up. It's still sort of jarring to me to see streetwalker Catwoman, but it's a well-told story and it nice to see Gordon getting some development. Hard to believe it has been 25 years since this came out!