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Batman (1940-2011)
Batman: Year One, Part 1
Frank Miller (THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, Sin City) and David Mazzucchelli (Daredevil) deliver the acclaimed, four-part origin of Batman! Witness Bruce Wayne’s transformation into The Dark Knight as he combats his own demons while struggling to topple the corrupt political system infesting his home.
Paperback
Published February 1, 1987
9 people are currently reading
92 people want to read
About the author
Frank Miller
1,360 books5,397 followersFrank Miller is an American writer, artist and film director best known for his film noir-style comic book stories. He is one of the most widely-recognized and popular creators in comics, and is one of the most influential comics creators of his generation. His most notable works include Sin City, The Dark Knight Returns, Batman Year One and 300.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
October 7, 2023
Here i am at long last reading batman from a very good starting point , i tried to search a little this time to know where exactly i can start batman and don't feel like i am in over my head.
The atmosphere of this story is very tense, which is really hard to do and make your reader feel that way.
we see young bruce wayne returning to gotham, was it from training?
he checks out the city, checking his enemy and gets into a fight where the person he tried to save stabs him !
in the end of the issue bruce gets the idea of becoming a bat to strike fear into his enemies.
we also see james gordon arrive to gotham for the first time, he gets there by train to check his enemy up close, he is expecting a baby and hoping it doesn't come, cause gotham is not a place to raise a family, talk about tension everywhere.
I am really excited to move on with my batman reading project, probably into next year as well.
i just hope all the projects i left half done doesn't spoil my plans for batman.
The atmosphere of this story is very tense, which is really hard to do and make your reader feel that way.
we see young bruce wayne returning to gotham, was it from training?
he checks out the city, checking his enemy and gets into a fight where the person he tried to save stabs him !
in the end of the issue bruce gets the idea of becoming a bat to strike fear into his enemies.
we also see james gordon arrive to gotham for the first time, he gets there by train to check his enemy up close, he is expecting a baby and hoping it doesn't come, cause gotham is not a place to raise a family, talk about tension everywhere.
I am really excited to move on with my batman reading project, probably into next year as well.
i just hope all the projects i left half done doesn't spoil my plans for batman.
February 20, 2021
Such an experience. The dark aesthetic of Gotham during the day contrasting with the bright neon signs of the city’s nights, the different letterings of the P.O.V.s (for Bruce and Gordon) giving you one more piece of information about them, Selina being integrated in the story, and the corruption of the police. Miller and Mazzucchelli did an outstanding job with this first issue of Year One.
March 17, 2022
Year One chapter one
Not only Batman’s year one, but also Gordon’s first year in Gotham. The narrative follows them both through a year’s time. Learning and adapting to their new roles.
Story is great, art is great. One challenge I had was the script they used for Bruce’s thoughts; it wasn’t always easy to read.
Not only Batman’s year one, but also Gordon’s first year in Gotham. The narrative follows them both through a year’s time. Learning and adapting to their new roles.
Story is great, art is great. One challenge I had was the script they used for Bruce’s thoughts; it wasn’t always easy to read.
January 15, 2026
And so my Batman readthrough has started. I've read very little featuring the Caped Crusader but have watched the movies and TV series, so I'm not going in totally blind.
I have to say #404 was superb. Thriller noir with a young Bruce Wayne and Jim Gordon taking their first steps within a corrupt Gotham City.
Gordon's story is immediately more interesting to me, with his worry about bringing a child into such a crime ridden world whilst obviously hiding secrets himself. Several gorgeous panels show this man can handle himself.
Wayne's story is as I'd expect so far. I did like how his protecting the dubiously young prostitute went wrong and Selina (Catwoman?) interrupted her work as a dominatrix to get involved. Otherwise, this was Bruce grieving his parents and discovering the bat.
Artwork and colouring were very nice. I liked the switch in palettes as Gotham moves from day to night.
Lettering was solid although I did struggle a bit with the font choice for Wayne's dialogue.
The writing was great. A little cliché with Bruce being linked to Princesses and Hollywood scarlets perhaps but the gritty crime drama was written so well I can let small annoyances pass.
Batman: Year One (Part 1) was a solid, exciting and surprisingly tense introduction.
I have to say #404 was superb. Thriller noir with a young Bruce Wayne and Jim Gordon taking their first steps within a corrupt Gotham City.
Gordon's story is immediately more interesting to me, with his worry about bringing a child into such a crime ridden world whilst obviously hiding secrets himself. Several gorgeous panels show this man can handle himself.
Wayne's story is as I'd expect so far. I did like how his protecting the dubiously young prostitute went wrong and Selina (Catwoman?) interrupted her work as a dominatrix to get involved. Otherwise, this was Bruce grieving his parents and discovering the bat.
Artwork and colouring were very nice. I liked the switch in palettes as Gotham moves from day to night.
Lettering was solid although I did struggle a bit with the font choice for Wayne's dialogue.
The writing was great. A little cliché with Bruce being linked to Princesses and Hollywood scarlets perhaps but the gritty crime drama was written so well I can let small annoyances pass.
Batman: Year One (Part 1) was a solid, exciting and surprisingly tense introduction.
August 1, 2025
This was really my first comic I’ve ever read. Or at least the first I’ve read all the way through and been fully engrossed in it. I didn’t fully understand the comic style so don’t know if I read the comic in the right order etc but I still appreciated what I read.
A good introduction to Batman in comic form and honestly had a really compelling beginning to Batman’s character. Never really been one for comics but thought I’d give them a try now so it’s a good start.
A good introduction to Batman in comic form and honestly had a really compelling beginning to Batman’s character. Never really been one for comics but thought I’d give them a try now so it’s a good start.
May 15, 2020
It’s refreshing to see a Bruce that’s impatient and messes up, it makes him more human and reminds you that he learned to be precise and perfect. Trial and error and all that.
December 12, 2020
The watotos and I ended up at Crossroads Comics today. I like that store. But I won't buy physical comic books for myself. Tried to get Fritz on board with selecting a new series we could read together. No dice. He got a couple things. Me? I got interested in reading comics.
Came home and made another attempt at finding a reading list to follow. I succeeded. I also discovered that DC Universe is not expired; I have until June. So, I am beginning . . . again.
Really, this is a well written comic. Love the art. Love the lettering. Love the story.
Gotham is dark. Jim Gordon is new to town. His wife, Barbara, is pregnant. Bruce Wayne is recently returned after a dozen abroad after his parents' death. He has a plan for his vigilantism. He'll be a bat. And Alfred will be helpful. Good thing as Holly, the young hooker, stabbed him during the skirmish where we met Selina.
Came home and made another attempt at finding a reading list to follow. I succeeded. I also discovered that DC Universe is not expired; I have until June. So, I am beginning . . . again.
Really, this is a well written comic. Love the art. Love the lettering. Love the story.
Gotham is dark. Jim Gordon is new to town. His wife, Barbara, is pregnant. Bruce Wayne is recently returned after a dozen abroad after his parents' death. He has a plan for his vigilantism. He'll be a bat. And Alfred will be helpful. Good thing as Holly, the young hooker, stabbed him during the skirmish where we met Selina.
August 24, 2022
I'm reading the Year One graphic novel, which collects four sequential comics, and this is the best of them: three and a half stars, rounding up to four.
The comic follows Jim Gordon's arrival in Gotham, alongside Bruce Wayne's return to that city and his taking on the role of Batman. In one sense the stories are the same - they certainly reflect each other - but that reflection is one of opposites. Gordon has a family, is not very well-off, and is constrained to working within the law while being surrounded by cops who are entirely corrupt. Wayne is alone, enormously wealthy, and works outside the law while being surrounded by law-makers who are also entirely corrupt. It's a very well-structured set-up, and although I'm honestly pretty indifferent to the art, that structure is what's giving this the highest rating of the four.
The comic follows Jim Gordon's arrival in Gotham, alongside Bruce Wayne's return to that city and his taking on the role of Batman. In one sense the stories are the same - they certainly reflect each other - but that reflection is one of opposites. Gordon has a family, is not very well-off, and is constrained to working within the law while being surrounded by cops who are entirely corrupt. Wayne is alone, enormously wealthy, and works outside the law while being surrounded by law-makers who are also entirely corrupt. It's a very well-structured set-up, and although I'm honestly pretty indifferent to the art, that structure is what's giving this the highest rating of the four.
March 12, 2024
Twenty five year old Bruce Wayne and how he first gets inspired to become Batman after fighting a John and his prostitute party in a real seedy part of Gotham is given equal time to Jim Gordon’s Lieutenant start with GCPD while being shown the ropes by rough guy former Green Beret Detective Flass. Flass works in conjunction with crooked Commissioner Loeb to straighten law abiding Gordon.
Two men looking to make Gotham a better place amidst heavy odds. Miller and Mazzucchelli work their magic in the opening of a four part storyline.
Two men looking to make Gotham a better place amidst heavy odds. Miller and Mazzucchelli work their magic in the opening of a four part storyline.
October 6, 2022
An amazing start to the year one Batman. This origin story of Batman is well written and introduces Bruce Wayne and Lieutenant Gordon. They both are so incredible in the story and I can't wait to read more about them.
October 23, 2020
Masterpiece
February 12, 2023
My first step into the world of the Batman
It's so interesting seeing his mindset and watching him make VERY big mistakes struggling with this self prescribed mission
It's so interesting seeing his mindset and watching him make VERY big mistakes struggling with this self prescribed mission
February 10, 2024
tremendo
El mejor reinicio que una saga como Batman podría tener. Miller un grande como siempre. Muy recomendado para iniciar las historias del mejor detective de los cómics
El mejor reinicio que una saga como Batman podría tener. Miller un grande como siempre. Muy recomendado para iniciar las historias del mejor detective de los cómics
June 10, 2024
This story changed how we look at Batman forever. More than an origin story, this redefined the portrayal of Batman and set a new course for comic story-telling.
December 23, 2025
finally getting into batman
January 11, 2026
esta genial, para la epoca esta muy bueno el comic, ahora entiendo porque hacen novios a Bruno y a Gordon
April 15, 2023
"I have to make them afraid".
Throughout my childhood, I enjoyed seeing Batman in cartoons. It's incredibly intriguing now to see him in this very adult origin story. The art is wonderful. It has that gorgeous vintage feel to it.
Throughout my childhood, I enjoyed seeing Batman in cartoons. It's incredibly intriguing now to see him in this very adult origin story. The art is wonderful. It has that gorgeous vintage feel to it.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews