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Batman, Volume 4: Zero Year - Secret City by Marguerite Bennett, Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV
michellewords's review
4.0
And so it continues. Batman on his adventures. This time Snyder, Capullo and company explore a different interpretation of Batman's origin.
Secret City is a great follow up to A Death in the Family. The first section is how Bruce Wayne becomes Batman while fighting the Red Hood (Joker). I love the idea of them creating each other.
Secret City is a great follow up to A Death in the Family. The first section is how Bruce Wayne becomes Batman while fighting the Red Hood (Joker). I love the idea of them creating each other.
coolnameguy's review
3.0
This is a really good few issues to be honest. The problem is, I'm sick of Batman's formative years. His backstory, his rise, they're all so over-done. This is among the best takes on it so far, but I still trudged through due to my lack of interest in the whole thing. I'd give it a 4 on its own merits and a 2 in my personal interest, so 3.
dantastic's review
3.0
This is the first half of the Snyder/Capullo Batman origin, Zero Year. The art and writing are top notch. I enjoyed the story of the Red Hood Gang overrunning Gotham and young Bruce Wayne becoming Batman but I don't think it's up to the standard of the first three Snyder and Capullo volumes and I already have two Batman origins that I like, Batman: Year One and The Untold Legend of The Batman. Is this even in continuity anymore? Three out of five stars.
tmwebb3's review
5.0
This is the modern version of Batman Year Zero, which is a very good thing. I think this is the best New 52 collection I have read. Art was splendid as always. More of a Bruce Wayne story than Batman, but I loved it!
clarks_dad's review
3.0
What comes before Year One, kids? That's right! Zero Year. After wrapping their wildly successful [b:Batman, Vol. 3: Death of the Family|17671913|Batman, Vol. 3 Death of the Family|Scott Snyder|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1376507913s/17671913.jpg|24171337] run, Snyder and Capullo turn inevitably, inexorably toward a retelling of Batman's origins. It's not a terrible retelling, but it doesn't really offer up much that's new. There are these great vignettes at the end of each volume showing Bruce receiving some form of specialized training either in combat or driving that were kind of cool, but this tale of becoming the Bat is nothing really special. Snyder tries his hand at restoring some of the long lost history of the title with the reintroduction of the Red Hood Gang, a band of faceless, nameless villains—some of whom are forced into service by Red Hood One— who are on a murder, larceny, and general mayhem spree in Gotham. The Gang becomes Bruce's first target and we see him learn the ropes of vigilantism in all of the usual patterned ways.
For people newer to the story of Batman, the ending of this arc provides a huge twist. For the long-timers, there's some familiarity with what Snyder does concerning the identity of Red Hood One that'll bring a smile to your face. Bruce is a lot younger. He sports a military style crew cut, drops f-bombs, and goes on self-righteous rants against corruption. It makes his growth into the eerily quiet and reserved Batman that we've grown accustomed to that much more layered and deep—a kind of growth in retrospect by taking the baseline Batman we're used to and showing how a much younger version was so different.
For people newer to the story of Batman, the ending of this arc provides a huge twist. For the long-timers, there's some familiarity with what Snyder does concerning the identity of Red Hood One that'll bring a smile to your face. Bruce is a lot younger. He sports a military style crew cut, drops f-bombs, and goes on self-righteous rants against corruption. It makes his growth into the eerily quiet and reserved Batman that we've grown accustomed to that much more layered and deep—a kind of growth in retrospect by taking the baseline Batman we're used to and showing how a much younger version was so different.
mash1138's review
5.0
Snyder's "Batman" is so damn great! What makes it great is not his characterization of Batman (though he does this well), but the fact that main character is, in fact, not a character at all; it's Gotham City. With the city as the centerpiece, Snyder weaves an intricate, nothing-is-wasted tale, in which we experience all of the characters as they have been affected by dark, corrupting force of Gotham. Also of note is Greg Capullo's amazing artwork, which is especially effective when it's offering us one or two-panel "Breaking Bad"-style teases, in which we are given a teasing glimpse of some event yet-to-be-revealed. I am still not in love with the coloring in this book, but it really doesn't detract too much.
cassie_grace's review against another edition
3.0
Not nearly as good as the last volume. I don't think anyway in the world was like "You know, I'd really like to see Batman's origin story. Again. For the 10th time."
jakewritesbooks's review
4.0
Year One will always be the gold standard of Batman origin stories but this one is really good in its own right. I love Scott Snyder's take on the character. He blessed us with the Court of Owls and this is great too.
modkuraika's review
4.0
Going back to my revisit, Zero Year was my favorite arc back when it first hit shelves, so it'll be interesting to see how I feel about it years after this run has wrapped up. There was certainly concerns going into it, as it'd be immediately compared to Year One, but Snyder's take on the origin is wholly its own and knows what iconography to pull and what to change with the times.