The Bat-Man: First Knight (2024-) #1

by Dan Jurgens, Mike Perkins (cover_art), Mike Spicer (cover_art)

The year is 1939. The world, still reeling from the horrors of the First World War, is on the brink of tipping into an even more gruesome conflict, as fascism is on the march-and gathering strength in America’s darkest corners. Against this backdrop, a series of violent murders has begun in Gotham, and the recent emergence of the mysterious vigilante known as The Bat-Man has the power brokers of the city living in fear of institutional collapse. All of the evidence in the murder investigation defies the perpetrators are all men who died in the electric chair. But when the Bat- Man comes face to face with one of these sickening anomalies, he barely escapes with his life-throwing into question his ability to survive in a world that is brutally evolving around him! Legendary writer Dan Jurgens and superstar artist Mike Perkins return to the earliest days of the Dark Knight, retelling one of his most infamous cases through an acutely modern lens, depicting a world paralyzed by anxiety and a desperate populace crying out for release!

Genres: Comics, Dc Comics, Batman, Graphic Novels, Graphic Novels Comics, Crime

51 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 5, 2024

About the author

Dan Jurgens is an American comic book writer and artist. He is known for his work on the DC comic book storyline "The Death of Superman" and for creating characters such as Doomsday, Hank Henshaw, and Booster Gold. Jurgens had a lengthy run on the Superman comic books including The Adventures of Superman, Superman vol. 2 and Action Comics. At Marvel, Jurgens worked on series such as Captain America, The Sensational Spider-Man and was the writer on Thor for six years. He also had a brief run as writer and artist on Solar for Valiant Comics in 1995.

Reviews

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a case where they nail what they're going for but not really sure I love it. There's a reason I don't consume much media from this time period. Because people sound dumb as shit saying "hubbub" and "kerfuffle". I get you're trying to be authentic but it's still very stupid. Again, it's intentional. I just don't love it.

The art is the entire draw for me here. It's a style that transcends time period and just looks excellent. I also appreciate the giant ears on the Batsuit.

[Etienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very nice! Sure it's another Batman origin story which have been done a billion times over, but it was dark, had good art, a sweet old school vibes and the ending!!! I loved it so much and i can't wait for the next one!

[James DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great art, interesting setting, but overall dialogue feels stilted and a tad boring at times. I think the overall mystery is a unique set up but the storybeats feel WAY to similar to everything else we've read/watched/played for a Batman title. Kudos though to a cool old school suit.

[S · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugly art. Boring story.

[Cybernex007 · Rating 4 out of 5]

As part of the DC Comics official discord September book club, I read this issue and answered these questions:

1. Bat-Man: First Knight transports us to a 1930s Gotham drenched in noir atmosphere and real-world tensions. What were your initial impressions of this version of Gotham, and how does it compare to the modern interpretations we usually see?

I immediately got the old school feel of the 1930s. From the cars, to the feel of the city, and especially for all the technology they are using. Flash bulb cameras, bells that ring when a specific doorbell is rung, the works! This is a completely different Gotham, and with real world events being referenced I actually thought it was New York City before double checking. Compared to a modern interpretation, it feels like a big city drenched in the great depression.


2. Bruce Wayne’s early days as Bat-Man are depicted as raw and unrefined. How does this portrayal of a more vulnerable, less experienced Batman shape your view of his character? What drives him at this stage?

It’s still very clear that no matter what setting you place Batman, he will fight for the exact same things. To keep the darkness away so that others don’t suffer the same way he did. This is shown very clearly through the conversation he had with the Rabbi who pulled him out of the alley and saved him from the undead monsters hunting him down. But this portrayal also has me a lot more worried about his safety, he makes mistakes very eagerly and with good intentions…but could lead to his downfall all the same. Such as using a flash pellet to lead the monsters away from their victims and to the roof so he can take them on directly, he figured that he had the upperhand…only to run smack into one of them and end up getting hurt in the process. Or like the shocking ending of this issue, where his quick drastic actions to save the prisoner in the electric chair from becoming a monster, ends up with Batman strapped in and electrocuted. There is clearly a lot more he needs to learn and I hope it doesn’t end up being too late before he does.


3. Corruption and political extremism are already surfacing in the background of this first issue. What parallels do you see between this fictional Gotham and the real-world 1930s America? How does the historical setting amplify the stakes?

To be honest, my knowledge of real world 1930s America is a bit limited. I know a lot of the general information this story gives us about the time period as a backdrop. Everyone is still reeling from the horrors of the great war, while politics in Europe are raging back up for an even bigger war. The roaring 20s are over and the great depression has struck, leaving everyone fighting for pieces. This idea is amplified by the actions we see Batman takes when it comes to people trying to get by. For example, at one point Batman visits a brothel to try and get more information. He is successful but is also wildly aware of how illegal the establishment is…on the other hand, if he were to take them down he is very aware another would pop up in its place and the treatment of the women employed trying to provide for their families could be way worse. It’s very clear that due to this historical setting and the problems Batman is very aware everyone is dealing with, he is more than willing to look the other way on certain aspects as long as no one is seriously hurt. But on the subject of real historical settings amplifying the stakes, one thing that is looming over the great depression is the threat of facism and racism. They make a direct reference to the Madison Square Garden rally, and with all the talk from the big bad lurking in the shadows about the great war being nothing compared to what is happening, I can’t help but fear and feel that behind the scenes supremacist forces are moving to take control and kill anyone in their way.

4. Commissioner Gordon and other familiar characters are introduced through a period-accurate lens. How do these reinterpretations influence your expectations for their roles in this version of the story?

Looking at our familiar characters' overall roles, I don’t see much difference from what we usually know. Gordon is still the only trustworthy cop on the force that bat-man can turn to for assistance, and has been at Bruce’s side since the death of his parents. My expectations remain the same, and we can already see how fast the relationship between Bat-man and Gordon develops in this issue as they already work together to help solve this case. All of that aside, the BIG change we have to address: they changed Batman's name to BAT-MAN. What in the spider-man change is this?! I think this is a clear sign that bat-man will end up dying and Batman will swoop in to take his place. LOL, of course I am just kidding around.


5. What stands out to you about the art and color palette in Issue #1? How does the visual style support the noir tone and the time period? Are there any panels or sequences that left a strong impression?

As you start this issue you get beautiful gloomy landscapes of Gotham, this immediately left an impression on me and convinced me that this is a city drenched in the great depression. When I read that the roaring 20s were over, it invoked imagery of bright colors, champagne spraying, and trumpets blaring…all of that went away as you look at this city. That is a distant memory now. Every aspect of this color pallet screams grimey, scarred, and rigid.


Notes on the issue:

This is such an interesting start to this series. From the time period, to the great callback to batman's original suit with those beautiful purple gloves, and costume that just feels put together. From that awesome page where he is busting through the skylight, it legit looks like you can see the material his suit and cape are made out of, this art style rocks. Now I do have to admit this noir story feels like it moves a bit too fast and cliche at times. For instance, the start of this issue is great. It gives us a whole slew of newspaper clippings and a monologue from the supposed big bad behind the scenes moving his forces to take the world as their own as they move into the 1940s. With WW2 on the horizon, given the historical context, I can't help but feel there are supremacist forces at play here, and if that is the case I can't wait to see their heads bashed in. But for now we set ours sites on the current string of crimes facing Gotham and keeping Gordon up all night with the flash-bulbs from reporters in his face...dead politicians. Tonight a councilman was found beheaded in a diner, and like she walked out of a noir novel at double speed a mistress to the congressman happened to still be at the cop closed off restaurant. How incompetent are the police forces? First they don't even notice the head is gone, then they miss a whole person standing in the back! But she is helpful in the fact she was there when the congressman was killed, and witnessed the big men rush in and beat the congressman before killing him. Gordon's current job is to catch these guys and send them to blackgate, although he very publicly doesn't agree with the Warden's comments on sending them to the electric chair. Not everything can be solved that way.

But what a surprise, from the murder scene past the wave of cops...it's Gordon's good friend Bruce Wayne here to pick him up in a sport's car that no doubt cost more than all the reporter's salaries combined. We already know Bruce is the bat-man, but his relationship with Gordon just make his job way easier with how much Gordon is willing to talk to him about the happenings of the world. It also allows Bruce every chance he can to tell Gordon he suspects a cop is the so called "bat-man" and that he should look that way instead of anywhere else, lol. Gordon hasn't even seen the bat-man in person at this point and it's very clear how early into his career we are. But even in this time period the story remains the same, as Gordon has known Bruce since the tragic death of his parents. And while on the surface it seems he is content to send his family fortune down the drain, Gordon suspects there is a serious man sitting just below the surface waiting to emerge.

And it is very clear when that version of Bruce appears, as we get a first hand look at the bat-man when the Mayor becomes the next target on the chopping block. The mayor really needs to learn to listen when he is on the phone with Gordon, because when Gordon says not to open the door or to run...do it. Instead your butler ends up letting in a few machete wielding deformed monster men into in the house hell bent on killing you. No clue how often bat-man listens in on Gordon's conversations, or if he figured out a connection and the mayor would be the next target...but it's a good thing he did. As bat-man crashing through the skylight to protect the mayor is the only thing that saved him from their grotesque clutches. I mentioned it before, but i love how bare bones and brutal batman's suit and fighting style is. He has a utility belt, but it's only full of a few capsules that need to be broken in his hand before they can be used, and it's very clear that he isn't constantly paying attention to every aspect of his surroundings or he wouldn't be caught off guard so much when someone comes from behind or circles around him. To get the mayor to safety, bat-man ended up using a flash capsule to distract the monster men and lead them to the roof. That part was successful, unfortunately the raw strength of the monster overpowered him and threw him off the roof! Even going so far as jumping off and surviving the fall after him! Luckily a nearby rabbi heard the commotion and was able to drag bat-man inside and to safety before the monsters hunting him caught up. This leads to a pretty emotional scene between bat-man as the rabbi, with the horrors they have both experienced they know the worst is possible and both seek to prevent it in their own ways. Which gives the rabbi a chance to lend out a helping hand and offer to bat-man if he would ever wish to come by and talk about the heartache that infect his soul and drives him to fight so others don't suffer the same way he has.

Bat-man was able to get one thing out of that fight...one of the murder weapons. But no mobile crime lab in the red supercar acting as a bat-mobile for our hero, he has to drive all the way back to the manor for those kinds of resources. But right as he does, he sees an alert from the front doorbell of someone wanting to see him. There he is basically pounced on by two actors who demand to know why they can't shoot their movie because he pulled funding. Bruce really doesn't handle his own investments so this is news to him, but he calls up his employees who do handle that, and found that due to the recent attacks insurance is too high to film. Really they should be at no risk at all, but the easy solution is to hire security and continue the shoot. Bruce was going to say that is what he planned on doing, but the female actress, a Miss Julie Madison, wouldn't let him get a word in before storming off, lol. All the better for him, he didn't plan on unexpected guests and that gives him the chance to go back to the lab and dust the weapon for prints. And wouldn't you know it...he found one. But now he needs the resources to match it to a suspect, and that requires a bit of help. We now jump over to the office of Commissioner Gordon awaiting a call from the governor in case their is a delay in tonight's execution. Instead Gordon gets a different kind of caller, the kind that climbs through the window and freaks him out all while using his cape to cover the few visible spots on his face from Gordon. Gordon was ready to call the forces to lock bat-man up, but bat-man, for all the good he has done, was given a chance to convince Gordon they can help each other...and that's when bat-man hands over the fingerprint and the chance to serve Gotham by catching this killer together.

While Gordon works on getting a match, bat-man goes out to check in on other sources of information in the shadier parts of Gotham. Including the owner of a brothel he could easily turn in. The owner didn't know anything...but one of the girls does, and in exchange for not busting the place she uses to secure her livelihood, she is able to tell him that a man who works for Johnny the Whip who has his own set of super-strong soldiers doing all their work. And even though it seems insane, she hears they are giant strong men that can't be hurt...because they were already dead and brought back to life. Although this sounds ridiculous, things start to add up to that outcome as bat-man learns from Gordon that the fingerprint is impossible...because it belongs to a dead man, specifically one who was executed. That's when bat-man realizes there is to be another execution at the prison tonight, and if he has any chance of figuring this out he has to put a stop to the stream of soldiers...which means delaying the execution. He does this by sneaking into the prison and taking down the maintenance staff before flipping off the power completely right before the electric chair is to be activated. Bat-man then snuck into the execution room and began freeing the prisoner, only to be caught by the guards. Just to continue to show how early in his career bat-man is, he is overwhelmed by the guards and then ordered into the electric chair himself! While this should be completely illegal, no one is slowing down as they strip him in and flip the switch for a truly electrifying ending! Could things get any worse?!

[Ziyad Baksh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Back to the past.

A homage/reimaging of Batman's early days in the 1930s. It's an oversized issue and costs more, but it's a solid debut.

[Jordan Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant!!!

I am pretty meh when it comes to Dan Jurgen’s work. However BOY is this a brilliant first issue!! The art is brilliant and I love everything about the world that Jurgens sets up. I read the original 1930s run when I was a kid. So I am so excited to see where this goes!! I would read an entire ongoing series just on 1930s Batman. I just want to know when the next issue comes out???? I would pre order it now if I could.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cliffhanger here is awfully pulpy, which costs it a star. However, Jurgens managed to surprise me with how good and taut the writing is here -- he's taking the earliest Batman stories (those familiar with Hugo Strange's zombified brutes will recognize the killers here) and running them through a very real-world historical filter, so the Bat-Man is facing not only increasing criminality and weird murder, but the rise of fascism, an impending world war, and worse. He's also doing it without Alfred, as in the early stories, as the unnamed "family butler" -- presumably Jarvis -- left when Bruce grew up -- Jurgen introduces Julie Madison to the tale midway through the first issue, and she pretty much sets up the introduction of Alfred (whether Alfred Beagle or Alfred Pennyworth remains to be seen.)

Goofy cliffhanger aside, I'm looking forward to more of this. I hope DC decide to do ongoing albums like this, as it's a nice break from the regular run of Batbooks.

[Matt Graupman · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like so-called “old timey” historical periods - Victorian England, Depression-era, etc. - work really well for alternative Batman stories. So well that writers often think the time period alone will do all the narrative heavy lifting. Dan Jurgen’s “The Bat-Man: First Knight #1” is really nothing readers haven’t seen before. I mean, we even get another retelling of the Wayne murders in Crime Alley. An even bigger problem with the writing, in my opinion, however, is how unnatural some of it is. There’s a conversation between the Dark Knight and a rabbi that is so stilted and awkward that I couldn’t believe it wasn’t addressed during the editorial process. I appreciated the somewhat ham-fisted way Jurgens drew parallels between Great War fascists and the modern-day MAGA kind, but overall the issue just felt unfocused. Mike Perkins’ art had a nice noir-ish quality, though.

[RubiGiráldez RubiGiráldez · Rating 4 out of 5]

¿Merece la pena volver a un ejercicio Elseworld ya tan repetido como es recontar los orígenes de Batman en un entorno totalmente noir?... Pues al menos este primer número de The Bat Man: The First Knight, sale ciertamente bien del paso. Dan Jurgens contextualiza por completo el momento histórico de esta Gotham pre-2º Guerra Mundial, donde parece que el ascenso del n*zismo encuentra un perfecto representante del inquietante "freakismo" habitual Gothamita que tanto suele romper la cabeza a Batman y la parte más noble del GCPD. El propio Bruce de esta línea alternativa, también se descubre como alguien que puede acabar siendo más vulnerable de lo que cree, siendo una presencia hostigada y mucho por más que las fuerzas del orden. El Bat-Man nunca se ha visto como un mito urbano totalmente terrorífico como en esta historia increíblemente defendida en lo gráfico por Mike Spicer.

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh wow. Oh yes.
Okay, good. The inside cover is pretty wonderful just by itself.
This is one of those where they aren't pretending history didn't happen. Gordon is a good narrator in a way, to explain what's going on in the world.
The Hollywood interruption, let's call it, was also a fantastic piece of work. It's nice to see people actually doing a good job when looking at history vs. making a mess.

I look forward to the next issue, I can't quite imagine how Bruce is going to survive this one.

[John Parungao · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gritty film noir, pulp magazine version of Batman in the style of the Golden Age of comics. This is a period piece taking place in 1939 and treating Batman and Jim Gordon as if they were a product of the early 20th century. Gotham is in the grip of the Great Depression and echos of the coming war can be seen in what is happening around Gotham.

This has the feel of a mix of Year One and Year Two storylines from the Batman mythos. It's not a story for younger readers as there are a lot of mature images and themes. It is definitely a story I will enjoy as it unfolds.

[C.A. A. Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved everything about this graphic novel. Set in 1939 - giving the whole saga a complete art-deco flavour. The story was splendid with villain types giving us a Frankenstein/horror slant. Thoroughly enjoyable with superb artwork. This goes back to the time when Bob Zane's original Batman character was first brought to the comic world. An absolute peach of a read. This would make for a dynamic film with such a 1930s retro setting.

[Tina]

I didn't love this. I like a good origin story, especially where Batman is concerned, and I like fiction that takes place in this period. However, with that being said, I found this to be slow. It took forever to get to the point, and I think it could've been about 10 pages shorter. The ending was a predictable cliffhanger, so now I feel like I have to read the next issue or it'll drive me crazy wondering what happens next.

It just wasn't great.

[Jack Mulcahy · Rating 5 out of 5]

READ this one!!

This is as close as we're going to get to the original Bat-Man concept. Dan Jurgens weaves a tight, taut adventure tale. Historical references are first rate and help to contrast the world of Gotham with events in prewar Germany. Art is beautifully moody, and the blacks are nicely spotted.

[Susanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone who has previously liked Batman in non-comic media and picked this to get started because the translation of this was one of the comic shops standout releases of the month by a well respected author i was pretty disappointed
Art is very nice, but the story is slow moving without the subtlety a slower pace allows
One part a Rabbi talking to Batman about America First standing behind Hitler being a threat is so on the nose it feels like an educational flyer aimed at teenagers, which really took me out of the story
As soon as the story feels like it's getting started the volume ends

[Garth · Rating 5 out of 5]

2024 - Year of The Bat (366 Days of Batman)

Day 144: 4.5⭐️ rounded up. Love the setting, the art, good start to the story. Bruce looks like Gregory Peck to me. Intentional? And that ending! Glad I waited for issue three to drop before I started.

[DylandDS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting era for another origin story of the caped crusader.
Nice build-up of the story and a really nice representation of the setting. Looking forward for the next parts as i just read issue one only.

[Steven Shinder · Rating 5 out of 5]

The art in this one feels so beautiful. Also sets out to use the 1939 era as a backdrop.

[alejandro galvez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story and art.

Very very good! I am so hooked on this series. The art and story are all great and top-notch. Read it today. Such a great Batman book.

[Austin Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Maria González · Rating 3 out of 5]

Esperaba mucho mas de esta historia. Principalmente porque dicen que esta ambientada en las primeras aventuras de Batman y, como escritor, tienes una libertad casi incontrolable para hacer lo que te de la gana cuando Batman no esta aferrado a su lore pero resulto siendo una historia muy similar a las de James Bond con una trama mediocre y una resolucion aun mas mediocre. Lo rescatable de esta historia es, como siempre, el arte y tal vez una que otra escena

Debo agregar tambien que el interes amoroso de Bruce en esta trama esta extremadamente forzado y que no siempre es necesario

[RunningRed NightBringer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got the issue that was released to comic shops on March 6th. But since Goodreads was consumed by Amazon, a lot of listings are messed up and inaccurate.

Picked this up on a whim. It's an oversized comic in the Black Label imprint, the one DC decided to use instead of Vertigo or Elseworlds, cause DC execs are morons.

Like Matt Wagner's Batman and the Monster Men, it's a re-telling of a Golden Age Batman story, but set in 1939.
Jurgens writes an excellent story and fleshes out the character and the era. The prominence of the Great Depression, corruption and fascism remind us this age wasn't as Golden as people claim.

And Mike Perkins art is amazing. A gritty noir realism and he depicts Batman's original costume design so it looks believable.

I'm definitely asking my comic shop to snag issues 2 and 3 for me when they come out.

[Mik Cope · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review covers all three issues of the mini series. It's a well told, tense retelling of the old "Monster Men" story with impressive artwork that feels appropriate to the 1930s setting. Amidst the mass of Batman versions out there, this is a positive addition.