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Batman (2011) (Single Issues)
Batman (2011-2016) #22
Delve into Bruce Wayne’s past with the Red Hood Gang and his run-ins with aspiring District Attorney Harvey Dent. “Zero Year” part 2. Plus, in the backup story, a secret moment from Bruce’s training abroad is revealed for the first time.
32 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 10, 2013
4 people are currently reading
87 people want to read
About the author
Scott Snyder
1,780 books5,170 followersScott Snyder is the Eisner and Harvey Award winning writer on DC Comics Batman, Swamp Thing, and his original series for Vertigo, American Vampire. He is also the author of the short story collection, Voodoo Heart, published by the Dial Press in 2006. The paperback version was published in the summer of 2007.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 23, 2023
Bruce is revealed to be alive, and then the red hood gang bombs him, obviously he will live but we will know how next issue.
the red hood is really interesting specially in that way which is even better than the movie as far as i can remember.
Scott snyder is revolutionizing the batman series and for me it starts with zero year.
the red hood is really interesting specially in that way which is even better than the movie as far as i can remember.
Scott snyder is revolutionizing the batman series and for me it starts with zero year.
August 31, 2016
Red hood's the worse character, the worse --'
March 31, 2017
I want to knoe who's that guy. Yesterday is too late.
And those little stories at the end are really awesome.
And those little stories at the end are really awesome.
July 29, 2014
Zero Year seems to get better every issue. I'm loving what Snyder has to offer so far, especially since the scope of this Batman origin story goes beyond what is expected that it truly gives us something with the same level of quality and integrity that Frank Miller did when he wrote Year One yet it still manages to tell that story with its own unique voice.
It's amusing to see Bruce Wayne pursue the Red Hood gang viciously and yet he still fails to disband them or break down their systematized criminal operations that seem pretty basic enough. Batman would have had them running scared and badly injured in no time, but Snyder shows us that this Bruce Wayne acting as a vigilante without his iconic mask and trademark theatrics is less effective and does not produce real results at all. It's also worth noting that, just like the previous issue, the second part of Secret City is a non-linear story where we also get snippets of Bruce's childhood. In this case, we see him falling into a cave and facing an attack from a swarm of bats that surrounded that place. It's a familiar image from anyone who watched Nolan's Batman Begins movie. Snyder was not afraid to apply the same atmospheric condition for that scene.
It cuts back into the present with Bruce and Alfred and we get my favorite scene of this issue yet. We all know that Alfred will always be there for Bruce, no matter what. But I can understand his trepidation and anxiety over Bruce's reckless endangerment, and that he is slowly losing himself to the absurdity of his goals especially when his actions are less than heroic than what we have come to expect and love from Batman now.
I like the fact that Alfred calls him out on his cowardice. He spoke up to tell Bruce one and for all that what he's doing is shameful. He desires to win a war in anonymity while also refusing to identify himself as a Wayne, the very legacy his parents has left to the world. He is running away from what he is supposed to represent foremost in the city, something his parents has worked hard for, all for the sake of putting ahead his single-minded pursuit to punish criminals without even understanding that he has the capacity to do so much more than becoming a vigilante. And Bruce's harsh response to Alfred has earned him a smack to the face. It was surprising for both parties but Alfred is the one who raises the white flag and leaves. That small panel of him pulling out a hanky, supposedly because he was hurt by Bruce's words and the fact that he lashed out, shows that he may have been wiping his tears away. I felt really bad for him at that moment, considering he is all the family Bruce's got and Bruce is so consumed by righteous rage that he ended up pushing Alfred away like that.
Speaking of family, we get another scene with Bruce and his uncle, who threw a surprise party in his name, and is just as forceful in making sure Bruce takes his place as the heir of his parents' enterprise. A few moments later we get Edward Nygma who had a verbal altercation with Bruce himself which resulted into an intriguing dialogue that is visually appealing at the same time, especially that full page design of dialogues being outlined in circular panels. Nygma, ever the enigmatic, leaves Bruce more than just a riddle but a taste of what this future villain is capable of, but Bruce was once again distracted and impatient, eager to get back to his own solitary pursuit of the Red Hood gang; only this time they find him first.
The closing pages showcase yet another flashback of one of Bruce's adventures in a foreign country with another 'teacher' who imparts him with an important lesson about being able to wield the impossible. I think that resonated in this issue through Bruce's outright refusal to embrace his own fears, to kill the boy and let the man live; and in doing so he will always continue to find himself entrapped and pushed against a wall. We see him making the same mistakes with the Red Hood gang. We see him fighting with people like Alfred and his uncle with a misdirected anger and a false sense of entitlement. And we see him ignore the evil that's about to come. All because he is trapped within the limitations of his mind, preventing him from achieving a clearer sight of his goals and the perils he must undertake. Bruce falls into a cave once and continues to fall again every time he couldn't differentiate between who he wants to become and who he was always meant to become--and be able to reconcile how they sometimes aren't the same thing at all times.
RECOMMENDED: 9/10
*An evolution that examines the psyche of Bruce Wayne before he becomes Batman. A well-paced, beautifully executed and very insightful narrative all throughout.
[DO READ MORE ABOUT MY BATMAN REVIEWS IN http://batman-comics-geek.blogspot.com/]
It's amusing to see Bruce Wayne pursue the Red Hood gang viciously and yet he still fails to disband them or break down their systematized criminal operations that seem pretty basic enough. Batman would have had them running scared and badly injured in no time, but Snyder shows us that this Bruce Wayne acting as a vigilante without his iconic mask and trademark theatrics is less effective and does not produce real results at all. It's also worth noting that, just like the previous issue, the second part of Secret City is a non-linear story where we also get snippets of Bruce's childhood. In this case, we see him falling into a cave and facing an attack from a swarm of bats that surrounded that place. It's a familiar image from anyone who watched Nolan's Batman Begins movie. Snyder was not afraid to apply the same atmospheric condition for that scene.
It cuts back into the present with Bruce and Alfred and we get my favorite scene of this issue yet. We all know that Alfred will always be there for Bruce, no matter what. But I can understand his trepidation and anxiety over Bruce's reckless endangerment, and that he is slowly losing himself to the absurdity of his goals especially when his actions are less than heroic than what we have come to expect and love from Batman now.
I like the fact that Alfred calls him out on his cowardice. He spoke up to tell Bruce one and for all that what he's doing is shameful. He desires to win a war in anonymity while also refusing to identify himself as a Wayne, the very legacy his parents has left to the world. He is running away from what he is supposed to represent foremost in the city, something his parents has worked hard for, all for the sake of putting ahead his single-minded pursuit to punish criminals without even understanding that he has the capacity to do so much more than becoming a vigilante. And Bruce's harsh response to Alfred has earned him a smack to the face. It was surprising for both parties but Alfred is the one who raises the white flag and leaves. That small panel of him pulling out a hanky, supposedly because he was hurt by Bruce's words and the fact that he lashed out, shows that he may have been wiping his tears away. I felt really bad for him at that moment, considering he is all the family Bruce's got and Bruce is so consumed by righteous rage that he ended up pushing Alfred away like that.
Speaking of family, we get another scene with Bruce and his uncle, who threw a surprise party in his name, and is just as forceful in making sure Bruce takes his place as the heir of his parents' enterprise. A few moments later we get Edward Nygma who had a verbal altercation with Bruce himself which resulted into an intriguing dialogue that is visually appealing at the same time, especially that full page design of dialogues being outlined in circular panels. Nygma, ever the enigmatic, leaves Bruce more than just a riddle but a taste of what this future villain is capable of, but Bruce was once again distracted and impatient, eager to get back to his own solitary pursuit of the Red Hood gang; only this time they find him first.
The closing pages showcase yet another flashback of one of Bruce's adventures in a foreign country with another 'teacher' who imparts him with an important lesson about being able to wield the impossible. I think that resonated in this issue through Bruce's outright refusal to embrace his own fears, to kill the boy and let the man live; and in doing so he will always continue to find himself entrapped and pushed against a wall. We see him making the same mistakes with the Red Hood gang. We see him fighting with people like Alfred and his uncle with a misdirected anger and a false sense of entitlement. And we see him ignore the evil that's about to come. All because he is trapped within the limitations of his mind, preventing him from achieving a clearer sight of his goals and the perils he must undertake. Bruce falls into a cave once and continues to fall again every time he couldn't differentiate between who he wants to become and who he was always meant to become--and be able to reconcile how they sometimes aren't the same thing at all times.
RECOMMENDED: 9/10
*An evolution that examines the psyche of Bruce Wayne before he becomes Batman. A well-paced, beautifully executed and very insightful narrative all throughout.
[DO READ MORE ABOUT MY BATMAN REVIEWS IN http://batman-comics-geek.blogspot.com/]
July 14, 2013
Loving Zero Year. It's a fresh take on the origin that doesn't focus on what happened, but why. A blast from top to bottom.
December 26, 2016
Sad was the exchange between Bruce and Alfred. The reinvention of Nygma has been a good addition as well.
December 31, 2013
You can read the full review over at my blog:
http://sonsofcorax.wordpress.com/2013...
This also includes #22.
Scott Snyder, following on from his epic crossover “Death of the Family” and the 2-part cool-off arc with the Clayface, launched Batman into “Zero Year“. The new arc, which crossovers with several other titles such as The Flash, Nightwing, Batgirl, Action Comics and others is about fleshing out how Bruce Wayne became Batman. In a way, its the comics equivalent of Batman Begins, the first in Christopher Nolan’s highly lauded Batman movie trilogy. We get to see the origins of one of DC’s most popular and oldest characters, in a vision of the character and his allies and the city of Gotham that Scott Snyder has built up through successful issue after successful issue in the New 52 relaunch of the DC Universe. It is certainly an exciting time to start reading some Batman comics, make no mistake.
The first in the new arc, #21 (review), launched the entire story in a most spectacular way, and introduced to us Bruce’s uncle Phil Kane and the latter’s business advisor, Edward Nygma (better known as the Riddler, another classic Batman villain). Without all the usual trappings, Batman was very unlike Batman because he wasn’t Batman yet. He was just a rich kid who grew up with an internal need for vengeance following the murder of his parents, and who has traveled (relatively incognito) all over the world to bring his body to the peak of physical martial perfection.
For someone who has already delivered three powerful arcs in the series already, Snyder’s “Zero Year” promises to raise the game once again. Issues #22 and #23 are certainly among the best that Snyder has written to date on the title.
Batman 22Issue #22 is about limits. And not just any limits, but limits imposed on the self. One of the highlights of this issue was a verbal exchange between Alfred and Bruce that gets quite heated. The subject: Bruce fighting from the shadows while his parents fought for the city in public. We saw in the previous issue that Phil Kane had reached out to Bruce and offered him a position at Wayne Enterprises in order to reintegrate him in the family business (Phil Kane is Bruce’s mother’s brother and took over Wayne Enterprises in the years Bruce was… gone). But Bruce isn’t interested. He is fixated on doing things his own way, he is not interested in having a public life.
In essence, he is limiting himself, and this issue is all about him realising that. And the backup, written by Snyder and his former student James Tynion IV, goes a few steps further in exploring that very concept. Before he came to Gotham for good, Bruce sought out people of exceptional skills all over the world because he wanted to learn what they had to teach. One of these is Sergei, an old Russian scientist from the Cold War era. From him, Bruce learns to break outside the limits of convention and implement the impossible.
And in both a metaphorical and literal way, both stories come together much more strongly than with just that concept. In the main story, Bruce meets E. Nygma and their exchange was a thing of beauty. Told in a single page, the entire conversation is represented by a board-game. The visual effect is just out of this world. You have to see it to appreciate it. All I can say is that this was the absolute highlight of this issue.
As usual, Greg Capullo (main story) and Rafael Albuquerque (backup) outdo themselves on the pencils. Greg Capullo has been absolutely terrific on the series so far, and his work has been one of the main reasons why I love it so much. And all the backups that Rafael Albuquerque has done have been astounding as well. His best work was for the “Night of the Owls” event, in which he tackled the last moments of Alfred’s father, before he was killed by the Court of Owls. And as for the colours and inks, Fco Plascensia and Danny Miki are a formidable team as always. Their… colourful vision of Gotham is something that we haven’t seen outside of this arc since the series has been rather heavy on the doom and gloom of Gotham, so it makes for a great change of visual pace. And I like this a lot. It reflects the transition point in Bruce’s life since he isn’t the Batman yet. Once he becomes Batman, that’s when everything is dark and shadowy. Right now, that’s not the case. Oh and Dave McCaig doing the colours on the backup was a joy as well. Completely different approach, and just as great. All the yellows and browns he uses fit together like a great puzzle into what is Tynion’s story, and its just as good as what we see in the main issue.
Outstanding all around. Oh and we even get to see the Penguin early on, which was great fun. Too bad about his character though. Poor Penguin. Hah!
Rating: 9.5/10
Batman 23Much as Gail Simone’s Batgirl #23 (review) marks a seminal moment in the character’s history within the New 52, so does Snyder’s Batman #23. Unlike the transition between #21 and #22, this issues follows on directly from the previous one as Bruce gets a lesson in madness and violence the likes of which he is not going to be forgetting any time soon. Quite possibly, this is the bloodiest issue in the series yet, and that’s saying something, given all of Joker’s antics in “Death of the Family“.
Where the previous issue was about recognising and understanding limitations, this issue is about the consequences of that realisation. This is the issue which really rams home the third and final act of Batman Begins. I’m given to believe, following some discussions on forums and Twitter, that this issue is also a homage to Frank Miller’s Year One graphic novel, but since I haven’t read it, I can’t comment on that fact. I’ve seen the animated adaptation I think, but that was quite a while ago and I barely remember it, unfortunately. Either way, its not really a spoiler to say that this issue is the one where Bruce decides that he needs to become Batman. The cover says it all really, and the previous two covers have been building up to this.
On a first read, this was a somewhat confusing issue since there are two ongoing narratives. It took me a while to figure that out, but I don’t really have a complaint since this allowed me to really observe all the neat little things in the issue. Snyder has done a great job in showing how this inexperienced would-be vigilante becomes THE vigilante, what finally sets him on that path, what contributes to his renewed determination to make Gotham a safe place in a way that only he can.
All the praise that I had for Capullo, FCO and Danny in the previous issue’s commentary bears repeating here. These guys are getting better and better, no small feat considering that Batman has been a visual treat since the beginning and that both Capullo and FCO have been a huge part of that. All the explosive colours early on in the issue are perfect for the scenes they are trying to capture, and even later, the subdued tones and pencils do a great job of guiding Bruce to his destiny as Batman, and the final piece of dialogue in the main issue.
The backup, once more written by James Tynion IV and drawn by Rafael Albuquerque and coloured by Dave McCaig, is yet another cool moment in the early years of Bruce Wayne’s training across the world. This time, he is in a fight to the death somewhere in Norway, and things are going not that great for him. That’s aside from the fact that things are going worse for the people challenging him. This story is set 3 years after the previous one in #22, and the change in Bruce is immediate and striking. Where before he was a tinkerer and an innovator, now he is a fighter. It was a cool story that shows he can take a beating. Not all that subtle in its message, but still, it fits thematically with the first few pages of the issue. So that’s great.
Overall, another solid entry.
Rating: 9/10
Merged review:
You can read the full review over at my blog:
http://sonsofcorax.wordpress.com/2013...
Scott Snyder, following on from his epic crossover “Death of the Family” and the 2-part cool-off arc with the Clayface, launched Batman into “Zero Year“. The new arc, which crossovers with several other titles such as The Flash, Nightwing, Batgirl, Action Comics and others is about fleshing out how Bruce Wayne became Batman. In a way, its the comics equivalent of Batman Begins, the first in Christopher Nolan’s highly lauded Batman movie trilogy. We get to see the origins of one of DC’s most popular and oldest characters, in a vision of the character and his allies and the city of Gotham that Scott Snyder has built up through successful issue after successful issue in the New 52 relaunch of the DC Universe. It is certainly an exciting time to start reading some Batman comics, make no mistake.
The first in the new arc, #21 (review), launched the entire story in a most spectacular way, and introduced to us Bruce’s uncle Phil Kane and the latter’s business advisor, Edward Nygma (better known as the Riddler, another classic Batman villain). Without all the usual trappings, Batman was very unlike Batman because he wasn’t Batman yet. He was just a rich kid who grew up with an internal need for vengeance following the murder of his parents, and who has traveled (relatively incognito) all over the world to bring his body to the peak of physical martial perfection.
For someone who has already delivered three powerful arcs in the series already, Snyder’s “Zero Year” promises to raise the game once again. Issues #22 and #23 are certainly among the best that Snyder has written to date on the title.
Issue #22 is about limits. And not just any limits, but limits imposed on the self. One of the highlights of this issue was a verbal exchange between Alfred and Bruce that gets quite heated. The subject: Bruce fighting from the shadows while his parents fought for the city in public. We saw in the previous issue that Phil Kane had reached out to Bruce and offered him a position at Wayne Enterprises in order to reintegrate him in the family business (Phil Kane is Bruce’s mother’s brother and took over Wayne Enterprises in the years Bruce was… gone). But Bruce isn’t interested. He is fixated on doing things his own way, he is not interested in having a public life.
In essence, he is limiting himself, and this issue is all about him realising that. And the backup, written by Snyder and his former student James Tynion IV, goes a few steps further in exploring that very concept. Before he came to Gotham for good, Bruce sought out people of exceptional skills all over the world because he wanted to learn what they had to teach. One of these is Sergei, an old Russian scientist from the Cold War era. From him, Bruce learns to break outside the limits of convention and implement the impossible.
And in both a metaphorical and literal way, both stories come together much more strongly than with just that concept. In the main story, Bruce meets E. Nygma and their exchange was a thing of beauty. Told in a single page, the entire conversation is represented by a board-game. The visual effect is just out of this world. You have to see it to appreciate it. All I can say is that this was the absolute highlight of this issue.
As usual, Greg Capullo (main story) and Rafael Albuquerque (backup) outdo themselves on the pencils. Greg Capullo has been absolutely terrific on the series so far, and his work has been one of the main reasons why I love it so much. And all the backups that Rafael Albuquerque has done have been astounding as well. His best work was for the “Night of the Owls” event, in which he tackled the last moments of Alfred’s father, before he was killed by the Court of Owls. And as for the colours and inks, Fco Plascensia and Danny Miki are a formidable team as always. Their… colourful vision of Gotham is something that we haven’t seen outside of this arc since the series has been rather heavy on the doom and gloom of Gotham, so it makes for a great change of visual pace. And I like this a lot. It reflects the transition point in Bruce’s life since he isn’t the Batman yet. Once he becomes Batman, that’s when everything is dark and shadowy. Right now, that’s not the case. Oh and Dave McCaig doing the colours on the backup was a joy as well. Completely different approach, and just as great. All the yellows and browns he uses fit together like a great puzzle into what is Tynion’s story, and its just as good as what we see in the main issue.
Outstanding all around. Oh and we even get to see the Penguin early on, which was great fun. Too bad about his character though. Poor Penguin. Hah!
Rating: 9.5/10
http://sonsofcorax.wordpress.com/2013...
This also includes #22.
Scott Snyder, following on from his epic crossover “Death of the Family” and the 2-part cool-off arc with the Clayface, launched Batman into “Zero Year“. The new arc, which crossovers with several other titles such as The Flash, Nightwing, Batgirl, Action Comics and others is about fleshing out how Bruce Wayne became Batman. In a way, its the comics equivalent of Batman Begins, the first in Christopher Nolan’s highly lauded Batman movie trilogy. We get to see the origins of one of DC’s most popular and oldest characters, in a vision of the character and his allies and the city of Gotham that Scott Snyder has built up through successful issue after successful issue in the New 52 relaunch of the DC Universe. It is certainly an exciting time to start reading some Batman comics, make no mistake.
The first in the new arc, #21 (review), launched the entire story in a most spectacular way, and introduced to us Bruce’s uncle Phil Kane and the latter’s business advisor, Edward Nygma (better known as the Riddler, another classic Batman villain). Without all the usual trappings, Batman was very unlike Batman because he wasn’t Batman yet. He was just a rich kid who grew up with an internal need for vengeance following the murder of his parents, and who has traveled (relatively incognito) all over the world to bring his body to the peak of physical martial perfection.
For someone who has already delivered three powerful arcs in the series already, Snyder’s “Zero Year” promises to raise the game once again. Issues #22 and #23 are certainly among the best that Snyder has written to date on the title.
Batman 22Issue #22 is about limits. And not just any limits, but limits imposed on the self. One of the highlights of this issue was a verbal exchange between Alfred and Bruce that gets quite heated. The subject: Bruce fighting from the shadows while his parents fought for the city in public. We saw in the previous issue that Phil Kane had reached out to Bruce and offered him a position at Wayne Enterprises in order to reintegrate him in the family business (Phil Kane is Bruce’s mother’s brother and took over Wayne Enterprises in the years Bruce was… gone). But Bruce isn’t interested. He is fixated on doing things his own way, he is not interested in having a public life.
In essence, he is limiting himself, and this issue is all about him realising that. And the backup, written by Snyder and his former student James Tynion IV, goes a few steps further in exploring that very concept. Before he came to Gotham for good, Bruce sought out people of exceptional skills all over the world because he wanted to learn what they had to teach. One of these is Sergei, an old Russian scientist from the Cold War era. From him, Bruce learns to break outside the limits of convention and implement the impossible.
And in both a metaphorical and literal way, both stories come together much more strongly than with just that concept. In the main story, Bruce meets E. Nygma and their exchange was a thing of beauty. Told in a single page, the entire conversation is represented by a board-game. The visual effect is just out of this world. You have to see it to appreciate it. All I can say is that this was the absolute highlight of this issue.
As usual, Greg Capullo (main story) and Rafael Albuquerque (backup) outdo themselves on the pencils. Greg Capullo has been absolutely terrific on the series so far, and his work has been one of the main reasons why I love it so much. And all the backups that Rafael Albuquerque has done have been astounding as well. His best work was for the “Night of the Owls” event, in which he tackled the last moments of Alfred’s father, before he was killed by the Court of Owls. And as for the colours and inks, Fco Plascensia and Danny Miki are a formidable team as always. Their… colourful vision of Gotham is something that we haven’t seen outside of this arc since the series has been rather heavy on the doom and gloom of Gotham, so it makes for a great change of visual pace. And I like this a lot. It reflects the transition point in Bruce’s life since he isn’t the Batman yet. Once he becomes Batman, that’s when everything is dark and shadowy. Right now, that’s not the case. Oh and Dave McCaig doing the colours on the backup was a joy as well. Completely different approach, and just as great. All the yellows and browns he uses fit together like a great puzzle into what is Tynion’s story, and its just as good as what we see in the main issue.
Outstanding all around. Oh and we even get to see the Penguin early on, which was great fun. Too bad about his character though. Poor Penguin. Hah!
Rating: 9.5/10
Batman 23Much as Gail Simone’s Batgirl #23 (review) marks a seminal moment in the character’s history within the New 52, so does Snyder’s Batman #23. Unlike the transition between #21 and #22, this issues follows on directly from the previous one as Bruce gets a lesson in madness and violence the likes of which he is not going to be forgetting any time soon. Quite possibly, this is the bloodiest issue in the series yet, and that’s saying something, given all of Joker’s antics in “Death of the Family“.
Where the previous issue was about recognising and understanding limitations, this issue is about the consequences of that realisation. This is the issue which really rams home the third and final act of Batman Begins. I’m given to believe, following some discussions on forums and Twitter, that this issue is also a homage to Frank Miller’s Year One graphic novel, but since I haven’t read it, I can’t comment on that fact. I’ve seen the animated adaptation I think, but that was quite a while ago and I barely remember it, unfortunately. Either way, its not really a spoiler to say that this issue is the one where Bruce decides that he needs to become Batman. The cover says it all really, and the previous two covers have been building up to this.
On a first read, this was a somewhat confusing issue since there are two ongoing narratives. It took me a while to figure that out, but I don’t really have a complaint since this allowed me to really observe all the neat little things in the issue. Snyder has done a great job in showing how this inexperienced would-be vigilante becomes THE vigilante, what finally sets him on that path, what contributes to his renewed determination to make Gotham a safe place in a way that only he can.
All the praise that I had for Capullo, FCO and Danny in the previous issue’s commentary bears repeating here. These guys are getting better and better, no small feat considering that Batman has been a visual treat since the beginning and that both Capullo and FCO have been a huge part of that. All the explosive colours early on in the issue are perfect for the scenes they are trying to capture, and even later, the subdued tones and pencils do a great job of guiding Bruce to his destiny as Batman, and the final piece of dialogue in the main issue.
The backup, once more written by James Tynion IV and drawn by Rafael Albuquerque and coloured by Dave McCaig, is yet another cool moment in the early years of Bruce Wayne’s training across the world. This time, he is in a fight to the death somewhere in Norway, and things are going not that great for him. That’s aside from the fact that things are going worse for the people challenging him. This story is set 3 years after the previous one in #22, and the change in Bruce is immediate and striking. Where before he was a tinkerer and an innovator, now he is a fighter. It was a cool story that shows he can take a beating. Not all that subtle in its message, but still, it fits thematically with the first few pages of the issue. So that’s great.
Overall, another solid entry.
Rating: 9/10
Merged review:
You can read the full review over at my blog:
http://sonsofcorax.wordpress.com/2013...
Scott Snyder, following on from his epic crossover “Death of the Family” and the 2-part cool-off arc with the Clayface, launched Batman into “Zero Year“. The new arc, which crossovers with several other titles such as The Flash, Nightwing, Batgirl, Action Comics and others is about fleshing out how Bruce Wayne became Batman. In a way, its the comics equivalent of Batman Begins, the first in Christopher Nolan’s highly lauded Batman movie trilogy. We get to see the origins of one of DC’s most popular and oldest characters, in a vision of the character and his allies and the city of Gotham that Scott Snyder has built up through successful issue after successful issue in the New 52 relaunch of the DC Universe. It is certainly an exciting time to start reading some Batman comics, make no mistake.
The first in the new arc, #21 (review), launched the entire story in a most spectacular way, and introduced to us Bruce’s uncle Phil Kane and the latter’s business advisor, Edward Nygma (better known as the Riddler, another classic Batman villain). Without all the usual trappings, Batman was very unlike Batman because he wasn’t Batman yet. He was just a rich kid who grew up with an internal need for vengeance following the murder of his parents, and who has traveled (relatively incognito) all over the world to bring his body to the peak of physical martial perfection.
For someone who has already delivered three powerful arcs in the series already, Snyder’s “Zero Year” promises to raise the game once again. Issues #22 and #23 are certainly among the best that Snyder has written to date on the title.
Issue #22 is about limits. And not just any limits, but limits imposed on the self. One of the highlights of this issue was a verbal exchange between Alfred and Bruce that gets quite heated. The subject: Bruce fighting from the shadows while his parents fought for the city in public. We saw in the previous issue that Phil Kane had reached out to Bruce and offered him a position at Wayne Enterprises in order to reintegrate him in the family business (Phil Kane is Bruce’s mother’s brother and took over Wayne Enterprises in the years Bruce was… gone). But Bruce isn’t interested. He is fixated on doing things his own way, he is not interested in having a public life.
In essence, he is limiting himself, and this issue is all about him realising that. And the backup, written by Snyder and his former student James Tynion IV, goes a few steps further in exploring that very concept. Before he came to Gotham for good, Bruce sought out people of exceptional skills all over the world because he wanted to learn what they had to teach. One of these is Sergei, an old Russian scientist from the Cold War era. From him, Bruce learns to break outside the limits of convention and implement the impossible.
And in both a metaphorical and literal way, both stories come together much more strongly than with just that concept. In the main story, Bruce meets E. Nygma and their exchange was a thing of beauty. Told in a single page, the entire conversation is represented by a board-game. The visual effect is just out of this world. You have to see it to appreciate it. All I can say is that this was the absolute highlight of this issue.
As usual, Greg Capullo (main story) and Rafael Albuquerque (backup) outdo themselves on the pencils. Greg Capullo has been absolutely terrific on the series so far, and his work has been one of the main reasons why I love it so much. And all the backups that Rafael Albuquerque has done have been astounding as well. His best work was for the “Night of the Owls” event, in which he tackled the last moments of Alfred’s father, before he was killed by the Court of Owls. And as for the colours and inks, Fco Plascensia and Danny Miki are a formidable team as always. Their… colourful vision of Gotham is something that we haven’t seen outside of this arc since the series has been rather heavy on the doom and gloom of Gotham, so it makes for a great change of visual pace. And I like this a lot. It reflects the transition point in Bruce’s life since he isn’t the Batman yet. Once he becomes Batman, that’s when everything is dark and shadowy. Right now, that’s not the case. Oh and Dave McCaig doing the colours on the backup was a joy as well. Completely different approach, and just as great. All the yellows and browns he uses fit together like a great puzzle into what is Tynion’s story, and its just as good as what we see in the main issue.
Outstanding all around. Oh and we even get to see the Penguin early on, which was great fun. Too bad about his character though. Poor Penguin. Hah!
Rating: 9.5/10
March 27, 2019
This was better. More of the Red Hood gang in action, plus some drama between Bruce and Alfred. I was a bit surprised by Philip Kane's actions at the museum.
March 29, 2020
Zero Year Secret City part-2
March 27, 2024
2024 - Year of The Bat (366 Days of Batman)
Day 86
Day 86
August 2, 2025
bruce wayne is back from the dead thanks to his uncle philip, meanwhile Bruce meets Edward Nygma…
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 12, 2013
A lot of people frowned at the idea of Scott revisiting Batman's origin. Many thought he'd be spitting in the face of Frank Miller's brilliant Year One story.
What's so surprising is how different this story is to that one. That story focused a lot more on Jim Gordon while this seems to be more of an origin story of batmans whole world, including his rogues gallery. It looks like we're going to get the joker origin which makes sense as neither one is complete without the other. The red hood leader, who has to be joker right, is definitely one of the most intriguing parts of this story What an interesting origin to give him... he almost seems to lacks one... he just appears to be the joker fully formed or I'm I alone on this? Gotham is also very different, it's better! Clearly whatever happens in this story shakes it up so much that it never really recovers. A problem with comics series is that the storied tend not to have consequences because they have to keep these series continuing so to see that there is something very large looming fills this story with an escalating sense of forboding.
Never has Alfred's relationship with Bruce been so edgy. It'll be interesting to see how they get to the relationship we're use to.
In terms of art Capullo brings in his A-Game. Two scenes really stick out; the one with the Riddler which was such an intelligent use of the medium and the last scene in the book which was reminiscent of the haunting scenes we saw in the Death of the family arc.
I know we will see the inception of Batman in the next issue and so far we haven't been given any clear signs of how that idea comes about so that will be interesting to see unfold.
I remember vividly how I felt reading every issue of the Death of the family story arc. An instant classic.
I can see this easily trumping that largely because I think the consequences of this story will be profound which is something i think DotF fell short on. Can't wait for the next one.
What's so surprising is how different this story is to that one. That story focused a lot more on Jim Gordon while this seems to be more of an origin story of batmans whole world, including his rogues gallery. It looks like we're going to get the joker origin which makes sense as neither one is complete without the other. The red hood leader, who has to be joker right, is definitely one of the most intriguing parts of this story What an interesting origin to give him... he almost seems to lacks one... he just appears to be the joker fully formed or I'm I alone on this? Gotham is also very different, it's better! Clearly whatever happens in this story shakes it up so much that it never really recovers. A problem with comics series is that the storied tend not to have consequences because they have to keep these series continuing so to see that there is something very large looming fills this story with an escalating sense of forboding.
Never has Alfred's relationship with Bruce been so edgy. It'll be interesting to see how they get to the relationship we're use to.
In terms of art Capullo brings in his A-Game. Two scenes really stick out; the one with the Riddler which was such an intelligent use of the medium and the last scene in the book which was reminiscent of the haunting scenes we saw in the Death of the family arc.
I know we will see the inception of Batman in the next issue and so far we haven't been given any clear signs of how that idea comes about so that will be interesting to see unfold.
I remember vividly how I felt reading every issue of the Death of the family story arc. An instant classic.
I can see this easily trumping that largely because I think the consequences of this story will be profound which is something i think DotF fell short on. Can't wait for the next one.
August 10, 2013
Another great Batman comic! This plot is captivating. Artwork amazing as always. Especially liked the touch with Enigma's and Batman's interaction where the panel was in the form of an ancient Egyptian game. Later I went to look up that game. The poster with the bats when he was a child in the flashback was were nice as well. In the flashbacks, you clearly see how he became what he is now, the influences of his character and how he himself went to search for knowledge and experience. The channel 52 news story is hilarious as usual.
When Alfred and Bruce fight, I cannot stand it though. It's real, but Bruce needs to realize the help that Alfred it more often! That his uncle outed him instead of killing him, was good and a twist, for a moment I actually thought he would try.
Cannot wait for the next one!
When Alfred and Bruce fight, I cannot stand it though. It's real, but Bruce needs to realize the help that Alfred it more often! That his uncle outed him instead of killing him, was good and a twist, for a moment I actually thought he would try.
Cannot wait for the next one!
July 28, 2013
So this is the second issue of the Zero Year event which all takes place before Frank Miller's Year One. While kind of had low hopes for this just based on the stupid cover of Batman #21 and the fact that Scott Snyder has to hit a creative wall soon, my hopes have been raised quite high based on the first two issues. Not only goes Scott Snyder finally focus on the origin of my favorite Bats villain, The Riddler, he also is attempting to show the origin of the ultimate Bats villain, The Joker. Whoa! On top of all this, mind, is the origin of Batman himself. Scott Snyder must have a captured muse somewhere is my only explanation. The first encounter between Bruce and Edward Nygma is the standout panel in this amazing issue!
August 3, 2013
Me parece brillante el tratamiento que se le esta dando al mito del mundo de Batman, sin duda es uno de los personajes que permiten mejores historias.
April 28, 2014
Such a good retelling of the Batman origin. Cannot wait for more. Scott Snyder has been killing it on this book since he started. Definitely a must read!!
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