Batman Year One was first published in 1987 in Batman issues 404 – 407. It was later collected into a Trade Paper Back then as a Graphic Novel. It was written by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli. Batman Year One covers the first year of Bruce Wayne and his transition to becoming Batman. It is mostly told from the perspective of then Lt. Jim Gordon and his first year on the Gotham Police force. If you are a fan of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, this is a must read. You can see how almost all of both of these movies borrowed from this book for their inspiration.
I enjoyed reading this graphic novel immensely. I loved seeing Batman starting out and messing up, and trying again. It was also nice to see Jim Gordon starting out on the Gotham police and fighting the corruption clear up to the mayor and police commissioner. The story really did a good job on filling out Gordon’s past and his struggles. It also shows how smart Gordon is. I feel he always gets brushed off as a second rate character in the Batman story. He sees through Bruce Wayne’s alibis and figures him to be Batman.
I love the story telling in this novel. Frank Miller’s Batman is my favorite. Its very dark and gritty. It’s in your face all of the time. Batman is shot, stabbed, and beaten. He bleeds, a lot, and he still gets up and keeps going. This was always what made me interested in Batman. No matter how much you beat him down he still got back up.
If you want to read Batman Year one you can check it out in your local library if they have a Graphic Novel section, ask at your local Comic Book Store, or get it on Amazon.
Novel Novice 
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