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DC Comics Absolute Edition
Absolute Batman: Year One
One of the most important and critically acclaimed graphic novels of all time is now presented in a stunning Absolute edition.
In 1986, Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli produced this groundbreaking reinterpretation of the origin of Batman--who he is and how he came to be. Written shortly after THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, Miller's dystopian fable of Batman's final days, YEAR ONE set the stage for a new vision of a legendary character.
This oversize Absolute edition includes artist David Mazzucchelli's original pencil pages, sketches and script pages from Frank Miller, along with other bonus materials, all presented in a gorgeous slipcase. Collects BATMAN #404-407."
In 1986, Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli produced this groundbreaking reinterpretation of the origin of Batman--who he is and how he came to be. Written shortly after THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, Miller's dystopian fable of Batman's final days, YEAR ONE set the stage for a new vision of a legendary character.
This oversize Absolute edition includes artist David Mazzucchelli's original pencil pages, sketches and script pages from Frank Miller, along with other bonus materials, all presented in a gorgeous slipcase. Collects BATMAN #404-407."
224 pages, Hardcover
Published November 8, 2016
3 people are currently reading
64 people want to read
About the author
Frank Miller
1,356 books5,351 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 - 21 of 21 reviews
March 22, 2021
It's OK. I read this twice since two books were included with the Absolute edition; one is printed with nice, glossy pages while the other one is designed to look like the original comic pages. So I read the glossy version first and I was pretty unaffected by everything here. The drawings were OK as was the story. I found the character development to be very underwhelming. It's really hard to understand Batman in this book. Jim Gordon gets most of the story limelight. I love some Lieutenant Gordon BUT if I'm reading a Batman graphic novel I want to learn about Batman. There's very little insight into his crime fighting, tactics, or mindset. I like how he looks though; he kind of looks like Adam West's Batman. This caped crusader doesn't have hulking muscles or a slick costume. He looks like a fit guy who's making it up as he goes-which he is.
The special edition had a lot of letters from people praising the book as being "grounded" or "realistic". How so? Batman gets shot 4 times (by my count) in this book. One time, by Jim Gordon, is protected by body armor, but the other three are fatal looking. This guy blacks out after the two instances, but somehow gets back up? After the first time he gets shot he pulls handcuffs apart- yes, he is handcuffed and somehow just pulls them apart. Another time he is severely wounded after being shot. The police have him cornered and he ends up splitting a stone pillar in half with the leg that's been shot! Come on. He picks a lock as a building is collapsing. The most egregious though, the one that literally defies the laws of physics, is the ending. Jim Gordon's kid is thrown off a bridge and Bruce jumps off the same bridge a second later in pursuit of baby Gordon. The kid was thrown off like twenty feet below Bruce, so the question is, How did he catch up? We all know how the laws of gravity work. I'm not trying to be nit-picky, but if you are trying to be the "grounded" Batman guys then don't put in things that are so unrealistic that I can't get past it.
So when I re-read the book I had an even lesser opinion of it. The comic-book page edition does not do it justice. Sometimes I couldn't get tell what was happening. The colors were all weird and the drawings were pretty basic. Looking at the comic in its' original form made it less impressive and that's NOT a good thing. I may bump it down a star the more I think about it. Catwoman is in this and her character comes to absolutely nothing. She's a prostitute that is jealous of the attention Batman is getting? What's going on? I liked "The Dark Knight Returns" comic from Frank Miller. I loved "The Long Halloween", but this was really underwhelming. Batman is my favorite superhero too; I can see a lot of Nolan's "Batman Begins" inspiration coming from pieces of this book. Those stories deal with the dark knight's machinations far more nuanced then this underwhelming graphic novel.
The special edition had a lot of letters from people praising the book as being "grounded" or "realistic". How so? Batman gets shot 4 times (by my count) in this book. One time, by Jim Gordon, is protected by body armor, but the other three are fatal looking. This guy blacks out after the two instances, but somehow gets back up? After the first time he gets shot he pulls handcuffs apart- yes, he is handcuffed and somehow just pulls them apart. Another time he is severely wounded after being shot. The police have him cornered and he ends up splitting a stone pillar in half with the leg that's been shot! Come on. He picks a lock as a building is collapsing. The most egregious though, the one that literally defies the laws of physics, is the ending. Jim Gordon's kid is thrown off a bridge and Bruce jumps off the same bridge a second later in pursuit of baby Gordon. The kid was thrown off like twenty feet below Bruce, so the question is, How did he catch up? We all know how the laws of gravity work. I'm not trying to be nit-picky, but if you are trying to be the "grounded" Batman guys then don't put in things that are so unrealistic that I can't get past it.
So when I re-read the book I had an even lesser opinion of it. The comic-book page edition does not do it justice. Sometimes I couldn't get tell what was happening. The colors were all weird and the drawings were pretty basic. Looking at the comic in its' original form made it less impressive and that's NOT a good thing. I may bump it down a star the more I think about it. Catwoman is in this and her character comes to absolutely nothing. She's a prostitute that is jealous of the attention Batman is getting? What's going on? I liked "The Dark Knight Returns" comic from Frank Miller. I loved "The Long Halloween", but this was really underwhelming. Batman is my favorite superhero too; I can see a lot of Nolan's "Batman Begins" inspiration coming from pieces of this book. Those stories deal with the dark knight's machinations far more nuanced then this underwhelming graphic novel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 10, 2024
I am a big Batman fan, but somehow i never owned a edition of Batman Year one, one of the most revered Batman classics, ofcourse i had read it before, but i finally have my own edition now. I found it time to revisit this classic and i opted for the Absolute, its a fairly thin book with just 4 issues, but i decided with all the talk about the previous hardcover (where David Mazzucchelli was extremely dissapointed with the coloring or something to go the Absolute route. There are two books in its sleeve, a recolored one with the approval or Mazzucchelli, and a sort of facsimile edition to make the book like it was in 1986. I read the older looking one, with oldskool paper and everything, and it was nice! Some of the dialogue was pretty hard to read, but the look and feel was great, they even includee the original letter pages. David Mazzucchelli's artwork is still stunning especially oversized, Frank Miller's story is still very cool, it could be a bit longer, but itd also part of the charm that the story is so compact. Anyway, very happy with this new addition to the collection.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars.
December 20, 2025
An okay story, though a bit underwhelming. I guess I went into this with a lot of expectations, and it didn’t turn out quite as I expected.
Some things bothered me: it's much more a story about Jim Gordon than Bruce or Batman. Bruce feels a bit like a side character and we don't get a lot of insight into his life aside from the usual, and I really missed that, especially since I didn't quite connect with Gordon. But it's a cop tale, basically, and Jim gets more of the limelight. Can't say I felt much sympathy towards him, especially with the cheating storyline; he felt like a douchebag. And, to worsen things, all the women depicted in the story serve only to spice up Jim's narrative; except maybe for Selina, who's there with little purpose. Also, that font for Bruce's thoughts...
As for a few things I enjoyed: I liked the idea of contrasting Batman's and Gordon's beginnings in Gotham (though in an unbalanced way) and the way that they're fighting against are everyday life enemies, nothing more fantastic or unusual yet. I like that Batman is shown as more of a regular man, not looking extremely bulky, and seeming worried but resilient and determined despite the odds. I really liked the artwork (feels like old comics, more retro-looking), the coloring and the extra pages showing the designs, sketches, etc; I even used some of them to study a bit of drawing. It was my favorite part, really.
Overall, not very exciting, but at least I learned a few things about Gordon and Selina that I didn't know of. And it's okay as an introduction to Gotham's rampant corruption and Batman and Gordon's stance against it. But I wish I had liked it more.
Some things bothered me: it's much more a story about Jim Gordon than Bruce or Batman. Bruce feels a bit like a side character and we don't get a lot of insight into his life aside from the usual, and I really missed that, especially since I didn't quite connect with Gordon. But it's a cop tale, basically, and Jim gets more of the limelight. Can't say I felt much sympathy towards him, especially with the cheating storyline; he felt like a douchebag. And, to worsen things, all the women depicted in the story serve only to spice up Jim's narrative; except maybe for Selina, who's there with little purpose. Also, that font for Bruce's thoughts...
As for a few things I enjoyed: I liked the idea of contrasting Batman's and Gordon's beginnings in Gotham (though in an unbalanced way) and the way that they're fighting against are everyday life enemies, nothing more fantastic or unusual yet. I like that Batman is shown as more of a regular man, not looking extremely bulky, and seeming worried but resilient and determined despite the odds. I really liked the artwork (feels like old comics, more retro-looking), the coloring and the extra pages showing the designs, sketches, etc; I even used some of them to study a bit of drawing. It was my favorite part, really.
Overall, not very exciting, but at least I learned a few things about Gordon and Selina that I didn't know of. And it's okay as an introduction to Gotham's rampant corruption and Batman and Gordon's stance against it. But I wish I had liked it more.
January 2, 2026
Starting 2026 off with an easy comfort read. The Absolute edition brings the dimensions of the book up to 14 inches tall and 10 inches wide so you get a great look at some beautiful artwork. The recolor of the art looks great and although I am usually one to prefer the original coloring when printed on newspaper, this recolor on the glossier pages might be my preferred way to read it. Great story. Really enjoyed reading the supplementary materials with interviews from the writer Frank Miller and penciler David Mazzucchelli, one neat piece of info being that neither consider Batman’s whole crusade to be out of vengeance but mitigation and prevention of crime. That is a much preferred motivation to me personally. A great moment where crooked cops are shooting at Batman and he goes out of his way to save a cat that one cop was intentionally shooting at with the excuse that Batman was nearby, then Batman clocks him right in the jaw and says “YOU were the one trying to shoot that cat”. If I were to recommend any Batman story to anyone I know and even people I don’t know, this would be the one. You can read it in about an hour and some change. Every Batman movie since this came out in 1986 has been chasing the dragon of making the story as good as this by using elements from Year One and none (even the ones I like) have gotten it quite right.
October 15, 2018
Batman: Year One is a four-issue comic book story arc that takes recounts the first year of Batman's crime-fighting career and simultaneously examines the life of recently transferred officer James Gordon – eventually building towards their partnership.
This particular trade paperback, Absolute Batman: Year One collects all four issues (Batman #404–407) of the story arc in a remastered and original version of the story written by Frank Miller and illustrated by David Mazzucchelli with original pencil pages, sketches, and script pages, along with other bonus materials.
The story recounts the beginning of Bruce Wayne's career as Batman and Jim Gordon's with the Gotham City Police Department. Bruce Wayne returns home to Gotham City at the age of twenty-five from training abroad in martial arts, man-hunting, and science for the past twelve years, and James Gordon moves to Gotham City with his wife, Barbara, after a transfer from Chicago.
Both are swiftly acquainted with the corruption and violence of Gotham City, with Gordon witnessing his partner Detective Arnold John Flass assaulting an African-American teen for fun. While Bruce Wayne is reluctantly drawn into a brawl with a pimp, attacked by several prostitutes, and is severely beaten. He reaches Wayne Manor barely alive and sits before his father's bust, requesting guidance in his war on crime. A bat crashes through a window and settles on the bust, giving him the inspiration to become the Batman.
Gordon soon works to rid corruption from the force, but, on orders from Commissioner Gillian Loeb, several officers attack him, including his partner, Arnold John Flass, who personally threatens Gordon's pregnant wife. In revenge, the recovering Gordon tracks his partner down, beats him, and leaves him naked and handcuffed in the snow.
As Gordon becomes a minor celebrity for several brave acts, Batman strikes for the first time, attacking a group of thieves. Batman soon works up the ladder, even attacking Arnold John Flass while the latter was accepting a drug dealer’s bribe. After Batman interrupts, a dinner party attended by many of Gotham's corrupt politicians and crime bosses to announce his intention to bring them to justice, including Carmine "The Roman" Falcone. Commissioner Gillian Loeb orders Gordon to bring Batman in by any means necessary, which proves rather futile.
This story arc reintroduces many key players, District Attorney Harvey Dent becomes Batman's first ally, Sarah Essen has correctly deduced the identity of Batman, but has no proof, and Selina Kyle becomes Catwoman after witnessing Batman in action. Furthermore, the partnership between Batman and recently promoted Captain James Gordon is established and the Joker is mentioned trying to poison the reservoir as their first collaborative case.
Frank Miller penned the entire story arc and for the most part, it was written phenomenally well. It is really two stories in one – James Gordon weeding out corruption of the Gotham City Police Department and the man to myth story of Batman – an origin story that would cement Batman to near apotheosis. It is written and paced rather well with enough darkness, grittiness, and noir to make it an enjoyable read. The new remastered version is simply wonderful, darker, and expanded just a tad that kept the spirit of the original story.
David Mazzucchelli penciled the entire trade paperback and because he was the main penciler, the artistic flow of the trade paperback flowed exceptionally well. For the most part, I rather liked his penciling – it was simply wonderful and stood out rather well. It adds to the detective noir and gothic atmosphere of the text extremely well.
All in all, Batman: Year One is conceived and illustrated extremely well. It is an interesting story recounting Batman's first year and James Gordon's first year on the Gotham City Police Department.
This particular trade paperback, Absolute Batman: Year One collects all four issues (Batman #404–407) of the story arc in a remastered and original version of the story written by Frank Miller and illustrated by David Mazzucchelli with original pencil pages, sketches, and script pages, along with other bonus materials.
The story recounts the beginning of Bruce Wayne's career as Batman and Jim Gordon's with the Gotham City Police Department. Bruce Wayne returns home to Gotham City at the age of twenty-five from training abroad in martial arts, man-hunting, and science for the past twelve years, and James Gordon moves to Gotham City with his wife, Barbara, after a transfer from Chicago.
Both are swiftly acquainted with the corruption and violence of Gotham City, with Gordon witnessing his partner Detective Arnold John Flass assaulting an African-American teen for fun. While Bruce Wayne is reluctantly drawn into a brawl with a pimp, attacked by several prostitutes, and is severely beaten. He reaches Wayne Manor barely alive and sits before his father's bust, requesting guidance in his war on crime. A bat crashes through a window and settles on the bust, giving him the inspiration to become the Batman.
Gordon soon works to rid corruption from the force, but, on orders from Commissioner Gillian Loeb, several officers attack him, including his partner, Arnold John Flass, who personally threatens Gordon's pregnant wife. In revenge, the recovering Gordon tracks his partner down, beats him, and leaves him naked and handcuffed in the snow.
As Gordon becomes a minor celebrity for several brave acts, Batman strikes for the first time, attacking a group of thieves. Batman soon works up the ladder, even attacking Arnold John Flass while the latter was accepting a drug dealer’s bribe. After Batman interrupts, a dinner party attended by many of Gotham's corrupt politicians and crime bosses to announce his intention to bring them to justice, including Carmine "The Roman" Falcone. Commissioner Gillian Loeb orders Gordon to bring Batman in by any means necessary, which proves rather futile.
This story arc reintroduces many key players, District Attorney Harvey Dent becomes Batman's first ally, Sarah Essen has correctly deduced the identity of Batman, but has no proof, and Selina Kyle becomes Catwoman after witnessing Batman in action. Furthermore, the partnership between Batman and recently promoted Captain James Gordon is established and the Joker is mentioned trying to poison the reservoir as their first collaborative case.
Frank Miller penned the entire story arc and for the most part, it was written phenomenally well. It is really two stories in one – James Gordon weeding out corruption of the Gotham City Police Department and the man to myth story of Batman – an origin story that would cement Batman to near apotheosis. It is written and paced rather well with enough darkness, grittiness, and noir to make it an enjoyable read. The new remastered version is simply wonderful, darker, and expanded just a tad that kept the spirit of the original story.
David Mazzucchelli penciled the entire trade paperback and because he was the main penciler, the artistic flow of the trade paperback flowed exceptionally well. For the most part, I rather liked his penciling – it was simply wonderful and stood out rather well. It adds to the detective noir and gothic atmosphere of the text extremely well.
All in all, Batman: Year One is conceived and illustrated extremely well. It is an interesting story recounting Batman's first year and James Gordon's first year on the Gotham City Police Department.
July 21, 2020
An excellent classic book which I enjoyed the heck out of.
Let me begin with the quality of this absolute edition.
As you know, DC has printed some stories in the over-over-sized absolute format.
This absolute comes in two separate books which are both stored in one slip-case.
Each book contains the exact same Story. However, Book 1 features the version that is known today which is the re-colored version newly scanned in superb quality. This book has an extremely high quality matte (i.e. non-glossy) paper which fits the colours and story well.
Book 2 contains the original newsprint version. This version is printed on newspaper-style paper that looks and feels much like old newspaper, down to the texture and brownish color.
Upon comparison, the re-colored version is a bit tighter and more brown in color. When reading, the difference isn't immediately noticeable but in direct comparison the difference is striking.
Having both versions in one edition is an absolute dream for me. Printing the versions in two separate books however has some consequences. The binding isn't as great as other editions, because they are so thin. My book 2 has some binding issues which does not affect the stability but is not that great.
The reason, I believe, is that there is not enough material for the binding to form a proper eye.
On to the story:
Batman: Year One was first published in 1987 in Batman #404–407 and is the second home run for Frank Miller shortly after landing the largely successful The Dark Knight returns in 1986.
So here you have two hugely influential stories written by the same man and published within such a short period of time. One reason why Frank Miller is regarded as the best writer, presumably.
I agree to his praises, Batman: Year One is testimony to a solid and mature style of comic book writing but there are other writers out there that deserve to be looked at. Nevertheless, this book is a no brainer for everyone interested in Batman.
It is gritty, mature and similar in tone to the highly acclaimed The Dark Knight Returns.
For some modern readers the story might seem a little bland because much of this has been seen or heard before. However, this is the origin of the origin as we know it. This is where the current story of how and why Batman came to be which was iterated numerously afterwards was shaped. Not invented, mind you, but shaped.
Personally, I liked this story better than The Dark Knight returns. Especially the art is more convincing
Let me begin with the quality of this absolute edition.
As you know, DC has printed some stories in the over-over-sized absolute format.
This absolute comes in two separate books which are both stored in one slip-case.
Each book contains the exact same Story. However, Book 1 features the version that is known today which is the re-colored version newly scanned in superb quality. This book has an extremely high quality matte (i.e. non-glossy) paper which fits the colours and story well.
Book 2 contains the original newsprint version. This version is printed on newspaper-style paper that looks and feels much like old newspaper, down to the texture and brownish color.
Upon comparison, the re-colored version is a bit tighter and more brown in color. When reading, the difference isn't immediately noticeable but in direct comparison the difference is striking.
Having both versions in one edition is an absolute dream for me. Printing the versions in two separate books however has some consequences. The binding isn't as great as other editions, because they are so thin. My book 2 has some binding issues which does not affect the stability but is not that great.
The reason, I believe, is that there is not enough material for the binding to form a proper eye.
On to the story:
Batman: Year One was first published in 1987 in Batman #404–407 and is the second home run for Frank Miller shortly after landing the largely successful The Dark Knight returns in 1986.
So here you have two hugely influential stories written by the same man and published within such a short period of time. One reason why Frank Miller is regarded as the best writer, presumably.
I agree to his praises, Batman: Year One is testimony to a solid and mature style of comic book writing but there are other writers out there that deserve to be looked at. Nevertheless, this book is a no brainer for everyone interested in Batman.
It is gritty, mature and similar in tone to the highly acclaimed The Dark Knight Returns.
For some modern readers the story might seem a little bland because much of this has been seen or heard before. However, this is the origin of the origin as we know it. This is where the current story of how and why Batman came to be which was iterated numerously afterwards was shaped. Not invented, mind you, but shaped.
Personally, I liked this story better than The Dark Knight returns. Especially the art is more convincing
October 11, 2023
"Without warning it comes... crashing through the window of your study... and mine... I have seen it before... somewhere... it frightened me... as a boy... frightened me... Yes, father. I shall become a bat." - Bruce Wayne
Batman: Year One by Frank Miller, David Mazzucchelli and Richmond Lewis is a four-issue story arc of the regular Batman title (issues 404 through 407), published in 1987 by DC Comics. The storyline follows the first year Batman begins to operate in Gotham, from his disastrous first attempt in Gotham's red-light district to the battles with crime lords and corrupt cops alike, and even the first appearance of other people in tights and masks in Gotham. It also has (in Batman #404) the first appearances of mob boss Carmine "The Roman" Falcone, who would go on to have prominent roles in The Long Halloween, and Catwoman's protégée Holly Robinson, who would later become a future legacy character. This storyline was so successful that it kicked off the various "Year One" storylines in DC and Marvel.
Artist David Mazzucchelli has expressed distaste and regret, in an afterword to later collected editions of the story, for its controversial "Post-Crisis" origin for Catwoman as a former sex worker. He now considers that it adds unduly sleazy and adolescent content to a genre essentially aimed at children (although this is a bit ahistorical, as Catwoman was created in the Golden Age at a time when superhero comics were intended for both a child and adult audience and often contained quite a bit of sex and violence, and she was exiled from continuity for much of the Silver Age precisely because she was considered too sexualised for children.)
I feel like the most definitive Batman story of all time is Batman Begins... there's nothing better out there. Of course, Miller's Year One is as good as it gets in the comics. But having a deep character study of Bruce, Batman and Gotham are what truly mattered. Gordon's perspective as the only average cop in the insane, wretched hive city is a great perspective to work with...it has a significant alteration between Gordon, Bruce and Batman.
Batman: Year One by Frank Miller, David Mazzucchelli and Richmond Lewis is a four-issue story arc of the regular Batman title (issues 404 through 407), published in 1987 by DC Comics. The storyline follows the first year Batman begins to operate in Gotham, from his disastrous first attempt in Gotham's red-light district to the battles with crime lords and corrupt cops alike, and even the first appearance of other people in tights and masks in Gotham. It also has (in Batman #404) the first appearances of mob boss Carmine "The Roman" Falcone, who would go on to have prominent roles in The Long Halloween, and Catwoman's protégée Holly Robinson, who would later become a future legacy character. This storyline was so successful that it kicked off the various "Year One" storylines in DC and Marvel.
Artist David Mazzucchelli has expressed distaste and regret, in an afterword to later collected editions of the story, for its controversial "Post-Crisis" origin for Catwoman as a former sex worker. He now considers that it adds unduly sleazy and adolescent content to a genre essentially aimed at children (although this is a bit ahistorical, as Catwoman was created in the Golden Age at a time when superhero comics were intended for both a child and adult audience and often contained quite a bit of sex and violence, and she was exiled from continuity for much of the Silver Age precisely because she was considered too sexualised for children.)
I feel like the most definitive Batman story of all time is Batman Begins... there's nothing better out there. Of course, Miller's Year One is as good as it gets in the comics. But having a deep character study of Bruce, Batman and Gotham are what truly mattered. Gordon's perspective as the only average cop in the insane, wretched hive city is a great perspective to work with...it has a significant alteration between Gordon, Bruce and Batman.
July 10, 2023
Batman: Year One, a classic Batman origin story, has been widely celebrated for its grounded and realistic approach to the caped crusader's beginnings. However, while it has many strengths, the story is not without its flaws.
The narrative follows Batman's early career, showcasing his unwavering determination and focus to uphold justice. The use of narration to delve into Batman's psyche is an effective storytelling technique, allowing readers to see the vigilante struggle and make mistakes as he navigates his newfound role.
Despite its strengths, the story could have benefited from more fleshing out. At times, the plot feels rushed, and some of the side characters, such as Jim Gordon and Catwoman, don't receive as much development as they deserve. Miller's portrayal of Catwoman, in particular, is lackluster, falling short of other iterations of the character in different story arcs.
However, the artwork by David Mazzucchelli is outstanding. From the character designs to the stunning depictions of Gotham City, the art captures the gritty, atmospheric essence of the Batman mythos. The coloring is also worth mentioning, as the original coloring in Book 2 gives it an old-school comic book vibe that adds to the overall experience.
Batman: Year One has undoubtedly left an indelible mark on the Batman canon and has influenced countless adaptations in various media. However, it's crucial to remember that it's just one interpretation of the character and that its influence should not overshadow the potential for other types of Batman stories.
In conclusion, Batman: Year One is a classic Batman origin story that has its strengths and weaknesses. While the story could have been fleshed out more and some of the side characters could have received more development, the artwork is stunning and captures the essence of the Batman mythos. Batman: Year One has undoubtedly influenced the canon but should not overshadow other types of Batman stories waiting to be told.
The narrative follows Batman's early career, showcasing his unwavering determination and focus to uphold justice. The use of narration to delve into Batman's psyche is an effective storytelling technique, allowing readers to see the vigilante struggle and make mistakes as he navigates his newfound role.
Despite its strengths, the story could have benefited from more fleshing out. At times, the plot feels rushed, and some of the side characters, such as Jim Gordon and Catwoman, don't receive as much development as they deserve. Miller's portrayal of Catwoman, in particular, is lackluster, falling short of other iterations of the character in different story arcs.
However, the artwork by David Mazzucchelli is outstanding. From the character designs to the stunning depictions of Gotham City, the art captures the gritty, atmospheric essence of the Batman mythos. The coloring is also worth mentioning, as the original coloring in Book 2 gives it an old-school comic book vibe that adds to the overall experience.
Batman: Year One has undoubtedly left an indelible mark on the Batman canon and has influenced countless adaptations in various media. However, it's crucial to remember that it's just one interpretation of the character and that its influence should not overshadow the potential for other types of Batman stories.
In conclusion, Batman: Year One is a classic Batman origin story that has its strengths and weaknesses. While the story could have been fleshed out more and some of the side characters could have received more development, the artwork is stunning and captures the essence of the Batman mythos. Batman: Year One has undoubtedly influenced the canon but should not overshadow other types of Batman stories waiting to be told.
September 1, 2024
Batman: Year One Deluxe Edition
Batman: Year One Deluxe Edition calificación 4/5 estrellas de lo que he leído es la mejor historia de Batman aunque el protagonista no era Batman sino James Gordon.
Es el pináculo de la carrera de Frank Miller tal vez el mismo debió haberla dibujado pero con la calidad artística de cuando dibujo Daredevil, Wolverine o Sin City, aunque David Mazzucchelli hizo gran trabajo, tiene esta edición gran material extra del arte de Mazzucchelli.
Es esta historia es la cúspide de Batman hasta el momento.
Es recomendable leerla la versión de comic y ver la versión de película animada Batman Year One (2011).
Batman: Year One Deluxe Edition calificación 4/5 estrellas de lo que he leído es la mejor historia de Batman aunque el protagonista no era Batman sino James Gordon.
Es el pináculo de la carrera de Frank Miller tal vez el mismo debió haberla dibujado pero con la calidad artística de cuando dibujo Daredevil, Wolverine o Sin City, aunque David Mazzucchelli hizo gran trabajo, tiene esta edición gran material extra del arte de Mazzucchelli.
Es esta historia es la cúspide de Batman hasta el momento.
Es recomendable leerla la versión de comic y ver la versión de película animada Batman Year One (2011).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 5, 2024
This review is for the Artist Edition version of the book, which reproduces David's original art at a 1:1 size, approximately 11 x 17. (David still owns most of the originals, and he provided the majority of the scans for this book.)
Batman Year One is considered one of the great masterpieces of comic book storytelling, and this book, in this format is, simply, ESSENTIAL for anyone interested in the visual possibilities of the medium.
It belongs in every "graphic novel" section of every library around the world.
It's not inexpensive, nor should it be.
Batman Year One is considered one of the great masterpieces of comic book storytelling, and this book, in this format is, simply, ESSENTIAL for anyone interested in the visual possibilities of the medium.
It belongs in every "graphic novel" section of every library around the world.
It's not inexpensive, nor should it be.
December 18, 2018
The story was really good although I thought it could have been a bit longer. Anyway it gives nice detail about the early days of Batman and Commissioner Gordon. As a piece of history this is a must have for all Batman fans.
The art does its job and we must remember the book is pretty old all ready.
What is great about this absolute edition is that there is the original art included in the other book and the other book includes an enhanced version.
The art does its job and we must remember the book is pretty old all ready.
What is great about this absolute edition is that there is the original art included in the other book and the other book includes an enhanced version.
March 1, 2020
Non so, si possono dare sei/sette stelle su cinque? Tutto è perfetto. La sceneggiatura di Miller ha una sintesi perfetta, come il tratto e i layout di Mazzucchelli. L'origine di Batman era già perfetta, eppure Miller riesce nell'impresa dell'"improving on perfection". Una pietra miliare del fumetto popolare, uno di quei miracoli che in certe carriere riescono una volta sola. Miller ci è riuscito più volte, tra il Dark Knight, Sin City, forse anche Ronin e sicuramente Year One. Grazie, Frank.
August 24, 2022
I mean the absolute just ramps the art up to 1000. And having the script and a reproduction of what it may have originally released like is very much appreciated. I appreciated this book in absolute more than I ever have before. As with films, I am convinced that quality, surroundings and circumstance and possibly also context, contribute to the enjoyment of all media.
October 13, 2023
This will always be one of my favorites as it is directly attached to my 7th grade brain in '89. I obviously didn't read it as it was coming out, but boy did I catch up when I could. Reread this when I got the beautiful giant absolute format to really appreciate David Mazzucchelli's artwork.
April 19, 2025
This is the closest I’ll ever come to owning any original art from these books unless I win the lottery. But it’s a great substitute. Top notch presentation from IDW as usual. Very pricey but if you appreciate this sort of thing it’s a great addition to your library.
April 20, 2025
At times the cursive writing for Batman got a little tough for me to read, that didn’t take away from the amazing art style and story that was Batman Year One. This glimpse into the early career of Bruce Wayne was fantastic. Overall a great read
July 6, 2025
this is my comfort reading. I love this comic and how well it basically re-imagined Batman, gave him depth and complexity and inspired a whole new era for him (and Batman Begins). Just an absolute blast to read and the art is amazing, too.
September 10, 2025
Beautiful art which compliments this grounded but very personal origin story retold for Batman. Glad to have finally been able to read it after watching all the several Batman movies it has greatly inspired
December 18, 2020
The rest of Miller's work keeps sinking in my estimation, but this only gets better. Shame it was only 4 issues.
September 8, 2024
Coole Art von Comic, hat mich aber nicht so richtig gepackt.
March 27, 2025
Read the original colours. Sometimes lettering hard to read lol but always a banger (had to squint eyes sometimes)
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