Batman: Year One

From DC Database

Contents 1 History 1.1 Synopsis 1.2 History 2 Issues 3 Paraphernalia 4 Notes 5 Trivia 6 Recommended Reading 7 Links and References

History

Synopsis

Police Lieutenant James Gordon arrives in Gotham City from Chicago. He joins the GCPD, and is immediately put under the tutelage of Commissioner Gillian B. Loeb and his Detective Arnold Flass. Gordon quickly learns that the Gotham City Police Department is a virtual seabed of corruption tandem with Gotham's head organized crime families, the "Roman Empire" run by Don Carmine "The Roman" Falcone.

Meanwhile, billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne returns to the United States after twelve years abroad. While he plays up the role of an aloof eccentric bachelor, he secretly embarks upon a plan to rid the city of injustice. Training his body to physical perfection, Bruce disguises himself as a homeless vet and begins patrolling the seedy avenues of Gotham’s East End.

Lt. Gordon struggles with the corruption of his fellow officers, who freely deal out beatings on the street to those who they feel merit it, and regularly let the true criminals by while dipping in the till. Finally, uneasy around him, the other cops led by Flass gang up on him and subdue him with numbers despite his superior combat training, giving him a vicious beating but keeping him out of the hospital. Later, Gordon catches Flass alone. He gives Flass a baseball bat to defend himself with, and then gives Flass the beating of his life, also, keeping him out of the hospital, knowing that Flass will never tell another soul.

His first foray into crime fighting nearly ends in disaster as he runs afoul of an angry pimp and agile prostitute named Selina Kyle. He returns to stately Wayne Manor to recover from his wounds. While sitting in his late father's study and trying to figure out how to better go about his mission, Bruce sees a large vampire bat crash through the window. The terrifying visage inspires Bruce to forge a new identity for himself – that of Gotham’s rooftop avenger, the Dark Knight, Batman.

While attempting to stop crimes as the Batman, he finds that his most tenacious foe is actually the Gotham City Police Department. After wrecking one of Falcone's dinner parties with Gotham's elite, the Batman finds an almost city-wide vendetta set against him by the upper class. Commissioner Loeb places Gordon in charge of a special task force aimed at bringing down the Batman. Gordon pursues the investigation relentlessly, but soon learns that the Batman is in fact a champion for good, especially when he sees Batman risk his own life and freedom to save an old lady from an oncoming truck.

Afterwards, Batman is trapped in an abandoned tenement, and the GCPD surrounds him. Despite the derelicts and squatters inside, Loeb has the establishment firebombed, and then sends in multiple full SWAT Strike teams to murder Batman. Batman manages to escape yet again, with a sonic gadget that calls all of the bats from his cave to his location and masks him. Although the police give pursuit to the cloud of bats, when it disperses, they find that there's no longer anyone within it.

Later, after his son is born, James Gordon is forced to leave the boy and his wife home alone when he's called out to investigate a robbery early in the morning. Noticing a suspicious car, he thinks better and runs back to his apartment's garage, where he finds two cops kidnapping his wife. Although he's able to protect her, the men escape with his son, and he's forced to give pursuit. Also in pursuit is Bruce Wayne in street clothes and a biker helmet on a motorcycle. Gordon confronts the abducter on a bridge, and despite his best efforts, his baby is flung over the side into the water. Bruce dives through the air and rescues it before it hits, then after Gordon has subdued the other man returns it safely to him. Although Gordon realizes it's the Batman he's with, his glasses have been smashed, and he (possibly even purposely) is unable to clearly make him out when they talk.

Eventually, with Batman's help, Loeb goes under investigation and is removed from office, and although the new Commissioner, Grogan, is reportedly worse, and many criminals still walk the streets of Gotham, Gordon at least knows that he has a true ally in his war on crime. As the story ends, Gordon stands gallantly on the rooftop next to the newly installed Bat Signal waiting for Batman to show up. There's a new villain in town, some guy calling himself "The Joker."

History

Batman: Year One was published from February to May of 1987 and ran through issues #404-407 of the regular Batman comic book series. In 1985, DC Comics sought to streamline a shared continuity which had become bogged down by over sixty years worth of stories. This ambitious initiative culminated in a company wide "cosmic reboot" which took place in the twelve issue maxi series Crisis on Infinite Earths. As such, many of DC’s more infamous characters were provided with new, updated origins – Batman included.

Written by Frank Miller with artwork by Dave Mazzucchelli, Batman: Year One takes place approximately ten to twelve years in the past. The story is revealed from the perspective of young Lt. James Gordon, and begins on the night that he first arrives in Gotham City. It introduces several key characters including Detective Sarah Essen, who will later return to continuity as Gordon's second wife and future commissioner of Gotham City. It also introduces Carmine "The Roman" Falcone, Commissioner Gillian B. Loeb, and Detective Arnold Flass – all of whom will become key characters in follow up storylines such as Batman: The Long Halloween and Batman: Dark Victory. A modernized version of Catwoman is likewise introduced, revealing that prior to becoming a cat burglar and nemesis to the Batman she was a prostitute working in Gotham’s East End. The details surrounding Catwoman’s early years are expanded upon in greater detail in the 1989 Catwoman limited series.

The origin of Batman remains true to the original vision first scribed by writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane. It briefly recaps the events which led to the deaths of his parents Thomas and Martha Wayne, while adding a psychological imbalance to the character that had not existed in previous origin stories. Bruce Wayne’s loyal butler Alfred Pennyworth is likewise re-introduced, however the character is shown to be more acerbic and sarcastic in demeanor than longtime readers may remember – a trait that has been maintained in both comics and external media throughout the years.

The popularity of Frank Miller's work inspired other creators to expand upon the Year One concept. Two in-series stories were published aptly titled Batman: Year Two and Batman: Year Three. Robin and Batgirl have both had their own Year One limited series, and Nightwing had a four-issue Year One story within his own title. In 1995, all of the DC Comics Annuals for that year featured a singular Year One story. Between Batman, Robin and Catwoman, six Year One annuals were published between them. Other projects have been helmed which helped to flesh out the story of Batman's early years including Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight, Batman: The Man Who Laughs, Batman: The Long Halloween and Batman: Dark Victory.

The 2005 feature film Batman Begins borrowed many elements from Frank Miller's Year One story including characters such as Commissioner Loeb and Detective Flass.

Issues

• Batman #404
• Batman #405
• Batman #406
• Batman #407
  

Paraphernalia

Items: None known.
Vehicles: None known.
Weapons: None known.

Notes

• Also collected in "Absolute Batman: Year One," and the "'Complete Frank Miller Batman" hardcover editions.
  

Trivia

• No trivia.
  

Recommended Reading

• Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
• Batman: The Long Halloween
• Batman: Dark Victory
• Batman: The Man Who Laughs
• Batman and the Monster Men
• Batman and the Mad Monk
• Legends of the Dark Knight
• Batman Confidential

Links and References

• Batman: Year One at Wikipedia.org
  

The Batman Family's Early History
Main Storylines	Batman: Year One | The Long Halloween | Dark Victory | The Man Who Laughs | Batman and the Monster Men | Batman and the Mad Monk | Untold Legend of the Batman
Supporting Cast	Robin: Year One | Batgirl: Year One | Nightwing: Year One | Huntress: Year One | Gordon of Gotham | Two-Face Year One
Titles	Legends of the Dark Knight | Batman Confidential
Others	Batman: Year Two | Batman: Year Three | Year One: Batman/Ra's al Ghul | Year One: Batman/Scarecrow | Batman Family Year One Annuals | Batman: Blind Justice
Other Media	Batman Begins
Characters	Thomas and Martha Wayne | Joe Chill | Carmine Falcone | Sal Maroni | Tony Zucco | Lew Moxon | Commissioner Loeb | Detective Flass | Kirigi | Henri Ducard
See Also	Batman (Golden Age) | Batman (Silver Age) | Batman (Modern Age) | Year One
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