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twilliamson 's review for:
Batman: Year One
by Frank Miller
Frank Miller is not one of my favorite writers, and I find many of his stories to be overwrought and tone-deaf. Nevertheless, Year One is one of the most important re-imaginings of the Batman origin mythos, the singular origin story that would seem to define the Dark Knight for the next thirty years. Its importance to the development of Batman beyond the 1980s really can't be overstated, and alongside The Dark Knight Returns, it is one of the most important chapters of the reinvention of Batman as DC worked to redefine so many other of the company's characters.
Year One, however, is vastly superior (in my estimation) to the others of Miller's tales about the Caped Crusader, and continues to astound me with just how well-paced the narrative is. Perhaps what I like the most about this take is that it focuses much more on Batman's rich supporting cast, who are often more interesting than the superhero himself. Gordon, here, is a much more refined character than in other comics, and although Batman often saves the day, there is a fallibility to his character--a vulnerability--that makes him a more complex character than he would come to be toward the end of the '90s and beyond.
Even so, Miller still falls prey to many of the temptations of writing a serial character, which is to present stories that are only ever seemingly half-finished. As Year One closes, a number of questions still remain about this new status quo, and those questions don't quite ever feel as though they are answered. Numerous writers have stepped in to try to "fill the gaps" of Batman's history beyond Year One, but none have, in my opinion, come close to continuing on with the spirit of the character as it is explored here.
Nevertheless, I don't think it's surprising that Year One continues to rank among the greatest of Batman stories. It's a solid piece of work, and at the very least offers something more than many later Batman tales would.
Year One, however, is vastly superior (in my estimation) to the others of Miller's tales about the Caped Crusader, and continues to astound me with just how well-paced the narrative is. Perhaps what I like the most about this take is that it focuses much more on Batman's rich supporting cast, who are often more interesting than the superhero himself. Gordon, here, is a much more refined character than in other comics, and although Batman often saves the day, there is a fallibility to his character--a vulnerability--that makes him a more complex character than he would come to be toward the end of the '90s and beyond.
Even so, Miller still falls prey to many of the temptations of writing a serial character, which is to present stories that are only ever seemingly half-finished. As Year One closes, a number of questions still remain about this new status quo, and those questions don't quite ever feel as though they are answered. Numerous writers have stepped in to try to "fill the gaps" of Batman's history beyond Year One, but none have, in my opinion, come close to continuing on with the spirit of the character as it is explored here.
Nevertheless, I don't think it's surprising that Year One continues to rank among the greatest of Batman stories. It's a solid piece of work, and at the very least offers something more than many later Batman tales would.