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jpdunday's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
clarks_dad's review
2.0
So the Earth One series is picking up the mantle of the old school What if... series in the DC universe. Here we have a re-imagined and updated origin story for Batman set in an entirely different continuity. Is it plausible? Yes. Is it good? Not really. I like Geoff Johns a lot and he definitely can write. It's just incredibly difficult when you mess with the staples of a beloved franchise and try to make them different. Example: In Earth One, Alfred is not the humble Wayne family butler. He's a veteran hired by Thomas Wayne as security for his mayoral campaign. When the Waynes are murdered, he stands in as foster parent for Bruce and gives him training to defend himself and avenge his parents while sporting a goatee and talking trash. No. Just, no. The fact that Bruce never meets Alfred until the night of his parents' murder removes the solitary "close" person the character could hope to have.
On top of that, the whole thing just has an overly militaristic feel. There's no depth of character here. Instead, it feels like a trial-and-error-ooooh-this-would-be-so-cool-if-it-happened montage. Skip it. Go read Scott Snyder's take on the Batman franchise instead.
On top of that, the whole thing just has an overly militaristic feel. There's no depth of character here. Instead, it feels like a trial-and-error-ooooh-this-would-be-so-cool-if-it-happened montage. Skip it. Go read Scott Snyder's take on the Batman franchise instead.
cassie_grace's review
3.0
Really enjoyable. I didn't think another retelling of Batman's origins would be compelling but it really is. I particularly enjoyed the twist on Harvey Bullock.
diewachen's review
3.0
Every time I see trailers for the next batch of movies arriving in theaters, I inevitably find myself thinking, "Does anyone want to put out an original idea anymore? Are we really so desperate to earn an easy buck that we can't try something new?" I say this fully realizing that I love stories that make use of old and existing characters in new ways. I just get so tired of hearing the same story told by another storyteller. It gets boring.
When it comes to comics, there seems to be a desire to retell the origins of characters before getting into the plot--even with characters where we have seen the origins told countless times... especially with those characters.
So, when it comes to Batman: Earth One, I'm a bit torn. It isn't new ground. It's the most worn path in most of comics (maybe second to Superman or Spider-Man's origin stories). I'm tired of it. I know where it's going, how it's going to end, and what the costume is going to look like. I know the characters. I'm not surprised by how they act or react, because their future has already been foretold.
Yet, Johns has created a significantly more interesting Alfred--one hardened by war and stronger in many ways than Bruce Wayne. He's introduced a jaded Gordon that seems more believable than ever before. And he's made a Batman that's more man and less superhero. The characters are more interesting than the original ingredients (whether it's because they are more complex, or because I've lost my taste for the tired old recipe, I don't know). Overall, however, it's just a bit more spice to something I'm a little sick of eating.
If these stories continue, they could provide a more mature storyline for those disappointed by the sadly immature "New 52". If this is the birthing pain of something great, that's fantastic. Otherwise, it seems like a bit of a waste.
When it comes to comics, there seems to be a desire to retell the origins of characters before getting into the plot--even with characters where we have seen the origins told countless times... especially with those characters.
So, when it comes to Batman: Earth One, I'm a bit torn. It isn't new ground. It's the most worn path in most of comics (maybe second to Superman or Spider-Man's origin stories). I'm tired of it. I know where it's going, how it's going to end, and what the costume is going to look like. I know the characters. I'm not surprised by how they act or react, because their future has already been foretold.
Yet, Johns has created a significantly more interesting Alfred--one hardened by war and stronger in many ways than Bruce Wayne. He's introduced a jaded Gordon that seems more believable than ever before. And he's made a Batman that's more man and less superhero. The characters are more interesting than the original ingredients (whether it's because they are more complex, or because I've lost my taste for the tired old recipe, I don't know). Overall, however, it's just a bit more spice to something I'm a little sick of eating.
If these stories continue, they could provide a more mature storyline for those disappointed by the sadly immature "New 52". If this is the birthing pain of something great, that's fantastic. Otherwise, it seems like a bit of a waste.
ericbuscemi's review
4.0
Did Batman's origin need another retelling? No, of course not. Does that mean this one isn't really good? No, it doesn't. I liked a lot of twists they took with the supporting cast of Gotham, and am seeing a bit of this in the new Gotham television show.
modkuraika's review
2.0
Lack's the originality and punch that Superman: Earth One gave out in spades with Straczynski behind it. Geoff Johns and Gary Frank are always a great combo, and while this book starts off well, it quickly becomes formulaic, and the poignancy in the introduction is all but lost.
bengriffin's review
3.0
I only read this two months ago and still had to go back and flick through it to remember anything that happened. It was an okay reboot story. Some good flaws to the Batman character, some interesting variations on the grizzled old men characters, and okay artwork. Entertaining enough but very forgettable.
midnighterbae's review
4.0
Definitely better than Superman: Earth One, this is DC's version of the Ultimate Universe. I enjoyed the cinematic panels of Gary Frank, and his fight scenes were riveting. However,some of his figures needed improvement. Batman is a lot more "human" in this story and makes many mistakes but hopefully there will be sequels that show him mature into the Dark Knight we see in the Scott Snyder comics. Even with Batman's weaknesses, Johns does a great job fleshing out the supporting characters. Jim Gordon gets the best story arc by far, and Alfred is re-imagined as Thomas Wayne's friend from the army, who actually teaches Batman how to fight and gives him purpose. Even Harvey Bullock was an interesting character as a "celebrity" cop who is surprised by the crime and corruption of Gotham. The plot is a solid detective story with flashbacks to Bruce's past, and even threads for later storylines. All in all, this the best Batman "origin" story since Batman: Year One and is good for comic fans and people who are just familiar with the character through the films. But there are differences...
helpfulsnowman's review
4.0
Really good re-imagining of the Batman origin. Actually, more than anything, it turns Alfred into a real dude, which might only SOUND exciting for fanboys like myself, but non-bat-fans might dig it too.
This book is a big departure from most of the Batman books from this time. The default Batman had become what comic nerds refer to as Bat-God. This is the Batman who is an unbeatable, untouchable force of nature.
The first memory I have of reading Bat-God was from the JLA relaunch of the late 90's. I'm sure this isn't where he first started, but it was the first time I really noticed. After a group of baddies beats up Superman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Green Lantern, and Aquaman, AND Martian Manhunter, who is the one person who takes them down single-handedly? Batman.
I don't want to spoil this if you haven't read it. I really think it's one of the best Batman stories ever. Pick it up, JLA: New World Order.
And somewhere around here, we got a Batman that I like. But a Batman who is so exacting, so perfect, that he comes up with a contingency where he splits his own personality. Y'know, just in case.
So Earth One presents a much more fallible, real Batman. If you're a person who dabbles in comics, this one is probably a great choice. But it works as a fanboy nerd who hotly debates the value of Frank Miller as a human too.
This book is a big departure from most of the Batman books from this time. The default Batman had become what comic nerds refer to as Bat-God. This is the Batman who is an unbeatable, untouchable force of nature.
The first memory I have of reading Bat-God was from the JLA relaunch of the late 90's. I'm sure this isn't where he first started, but it was the first time I really noticed. After a group of baddies beats up Superman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Green Lantern, and Aquaman, AND Martian Manhunter, who is the one person who takes them down single-handedly? Batman.
I don't want to spoil this if you haven't read it. I really think it's one of the best Batman stories ever. Pick it up, JLA: New World Order.
And somewhere around here, we got a Batman that I like. But a Batman who is so exacting, so perfect, that he comes up with a contingency where he splits his own personality. Y'know, just in case.
So Earth One presents a much more fallible, real Batman. If you're a person who dabbles in comics, this one is probably a great choice. But it works as a fanboy nerd who hotly debates the value of Frank Miller as a human too.
caitcoy's review
5.0
This is easily one of my top five favorite Batman stories ever. I just finished it and still can't get over how much I loved it. Geoff Johns has really played with facets of Batman lore here and there were quite a few things that surprised the hell out of me reading it. I'm not going to spoil anything because the surprise is half the fun of reading it. But small nerdy things aside, what makes this story one of my absolute favorites is how very human it makes Batman. In the flashback scenes, he's kind of a spoiled, rich little jackass, and it's not a side that is often shown but really makes sense given his upbringing. Once his parents are dead, it's clear that Bruce's mission of vengeance to find who killed his parents and get justice has made him too emotional and too hasty. He gets himself in trouble a number of times and without Alfred would be totally lost. Alfred is one of the best surprises in the whole story and even knowing he was supposed to be badass in this comic didn't prepare me for just how awesome he would be. Alfred has always been one of my favorite side characters and seeing him as an ex-military all-around take-no-shit kind of guy was amazing. And Barbara Gordon was absolutely perfect, she's another favorite of mine and they really did her justice for as small a role as she plays. The artwork was gorgeous and there's honestly no part of this story that I didn't one hundred percent love. HIGHLY recommend it to any comic book fans and it's an absolute must-read for Batman fans!