Batman: Year One (1987)

Batman: Year One (1987) is a retelling of the Batman origin story with a larger focus on the origins of the legend Batman, more so than Bruce Wayne.  This book was written by Frank Miller, which is the first of the positives for this comic book. I personally find that I have loved every comic book that I've read that involved Frank Miller in the process. I really like his dark and gritty crime drama style and this book is just another example of that. This entails all the positives that I detailed in my review of The Dark Knight Returns. Just like that book, this is a must-read for any fan of the Batman. 

This book details the origin of Batman, but instead of seeing the boy in the alleyway whose parents were shot, we instead see the origin of the alter ego. The book starts with Bruce Wayne wearing a balaclava and eventually the start of the bat-themed suit and crime fighting vigilante. However, Batman is not the only one that gets an origin story in this book. The other half of the story focuses on a Jim Gordon who just recently transferred to Gotham City and is starting his journey as a police lieutenant. Honestly, the way that this book focuses on both of these men by getting rid of thought bubbles and instead having excerpts from their respective journals was a design choice that I really enjoyed. It really adds to the detective vibes that the book wants to communicate. 

I really think this is a great origin story and an amazing jumping on point for Batman for any reader, and for that it gets the Rayburn Seal of Approval.

Overall Score: 10/10