Actually, this is Batman: Year One

Hey, you guys, you screwed up the title. The Batman book that Miller and Mazzuchelli did was Batman: Year One. I'll be reviewng that, just to let all you confused people know.

Batman: Year One came out I think a year after Batman: THe Dark Knight Returns, and they were both written by Frank Miller. It seems to me that since DKR was about pretty much the end of Batman's career that Frank figured the next logical step would be to revise the beginning of Batman's career. It was also kind of necessary because in DKR he had revised who Batman was; he made him a dark, brooding character bordering on the edge of sanity. Therefore, he probably felt he had to show that Batman had always been that way, we had just never noticed. What better way to do that then show us his first year of crimefighting?

This book is largely about the psyche of Bruce Wayne, as was Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, but the spotlight in this story is shared. Lieutenant (soon to be Commisioner) James Gordon has an equal share of the action and scenes in this book, and, coincidentally, it's his first year in Gotham City too. This four part book shows both of them learning their trade: Batman learning how to efficiently fight crime, and Gordon learning how to apply his already honed skills in a city as corrupt as Gotham is.

The book shows the power of Batman; reminds us that the true reason Bruce Wayne dresses as a bat is to strike fear into the heart of criminals. As stories of him spread, the details get blown way out of proportion until he becomes not a man in spandex, but a creature to be feared. At the same time, it illustrates the weaknes that Batman is hiding. His weakness is that initially he doesn't really know what he's doing. Because of this, Batman gets hurt. A lot. As the year progresses, though, Batman gets better and better at his trade.

I love David Mazzucheli's pencils in this book. Dare I say, I wish he had been the artist on The Dark Knight Returns rather than Miller himself, because he draws exactly like Miller writes: stripped down, but complex and realistic. Nobody in this book defies the laws of the human body with their muscle mass. The colors by Richmond Lewis are, in fact, watercolors. This is great because it brings more subtlety to the book. The colors are very subdued, as opposed to other comic books of the time, which were bright and colorful (and this story was definetly not bright and colorful). They mesh together well, which can give us the mood for a scene or an entire issue. The painting also fits the writing and pencilling in that it is, well, stripped down but at the same time giving an impression of realism. Artistically, I think this book is miles ahead of THe Dark Knight Returns.

I've read a couple of interviews and introductions to other trade paperbacks, and it seems to me that comic book insiders (i.e. the writers, artists) think that this was Frank Miller's crowning achievement on the Batman title, not the Dark Knight Returns. I disagree. I think it could have been, had it been just a little longer. DKR was a four part story, but each issue was 46 pages; every issue of B:Y1 is only 24. There are many great ideas that I think could've been expanded on, had the story lasted more issue or had the issues been longer. Nevertheless, it is a great book, and a must read for anyone who digs Batman.