Johns, Geoff: Batman: Earth One
Batman: Earth One (2012)
Written by: Geoff Johns
Illustrated by: Gary Frank
Genre: Graphic Novel
Pages: 144 pages
Why I Read It: After enjoying Superman: Earth One (review: LJ || WP), and being a self-professed fangirl when it comes to most things Batman, I couldn't wait to read this. While it was a little strange reading what is essentially a reboot of Bruce Wayne/Batman's story so soon after watching the concluding installment of Christopher Nolan's epic trilogy, I can never get too many different perspectives on Batman's origin, and was quite interested to see just where this story would go.
The premise: ganked form BN.com: Batman is not a hero. He is just a man. Fallible, vulnerable, and angry. In a Gotham City where friend and foe are indistinguishable, Bruce Wayne's path toward becoming the Dark Knight is riddled with more obstacles than ever before. Focused on punishing his parents’ true killers, and the corrupt police that allowed them to go free, Bruce Wayne's thirst for vengeance fuels his mad crusade and no one, not even Alfred, can stop him.
In the tradition of the #1 New York Times bestselling Superman: Earth One, writer Geoff Johns and artist Gary Frank re-imagine a new mythology for the Dark Knight, where the familiar is no longer the expected in this long-awaited original graphic novel from DC Comics.
Spoilers, yay or nay?: Yay. Because while it's a short graphic novel, I want to talk about the details of how this origin differs from others and how it utilizes familiar faces in Batman's universe. For those of you avoiding spoilers, please skip to "My Rating" and you'll be just fine. Everyone else, onward!
The Story: So the story opens with something we don't see very often: Batman fucking up. His grappling hook goes awry, and when he tries to jump buildings, he falls spectacularly into a heap of junk. At first, I wondered if we were meeting Batman as an elderly man. Then I realized this was a Batman who didn't have a clue what he was doing. Then the story flashes back to his origin story, and I wondered if perhaps we would see a Batman who didn't lose his parents after all, and therefore, his impetus to be a vigilante is gone, which would explain why he currently sucks at it.
No dice. But what's interesting is that even though Bruce's parents are killed, there's so many more interesting things about his origin. Let's start with Alfred, who isn't a butler. Instead, he's a soldier who saved Thomas Wayne's life once upon a time ago, and Thomas Wayne gave Alfred back the use of a leg (it makes sense in the story). When the Waynes are murdered, Alfred finds out he has sole custody of their son Bruce, which throws him for a loop. When young, traumatized Bruce asks Alfred who he is (mind you, Bruce has never met Alfred before), the man answers, "Your butler."
Awesome.
Bruce's actual decision to become Batman is a little glossed over. You can put the pieces together from flashbacks to his past: his mother's ties with Arkham (she was an Arkham before she married Wayne), and Bruce's discovery of various things around the manor. We get Bruce's childhood connections to Harvey Dent (and his sister Jessica, haven't heard of her, before); we meet Oswald Cobblepot, who happens to be the Mayor of Gotham. And the book's end, which naturally leads into a sequel? So fluidly logical.
We learn how Bruce has to toughen up, how he gets his technology working; we meet Gordon and learn how Gotham has shaped him as a cop, we meet his daughter Barbara (yay!) and see the seeds sown for her eventual rise as Batgirl. We even meet Detective Bullock, and I loved his origin in this.
In short, there's a lot to admire and enjoy. A nice reboot that combines the familiar into strange but fascinating configurations. But it is dark, make no mistake. There's a particular thread that's particularly disturbing.
The Art: The art is good, no doubt. But it's also jarring. For starters, it's a version of Alfred I've never seen before. Not because the artist is different, but because Alfred is built like a soldier and dresses like one besides. Without naming his character, you'd be hard pressed to guess who he is based on appearance, and that's kind of awesome. Though sometimes I found myself confusing Alfred and Gordon, despite neither of them being in the same scenes. I also found the portrayal of Bruce Wayne/Batman, while handsome, a little too Superman-ish for my tastes. It was the tossled hair and the bright blue eyes. Sometimes, I'd blink and have to remind myself I was reading Batman, not Superman. Strange experience. But the art is very good.
My Rating: Good Read
I loved the alternate take on Batman's origin and the way Geoff Johns is utilizing the various characters from Bat-verse to create a new spin on an already very familiar story. The ending definitely leaves room for a sequel, one which I look forward to getting, especially since it's fun to see Batman learn how to be Batman. Because I'm a fangirl, I'm always up for whatever interpretations people have to throw at me regarding this character, and this one could easily win my heart with time and a few more installments. I find the character of Bruce Wayne to be fascinating on a psychological level, which is probably why I find his Rogue's Gallery equally fascinating: they tend to be symbols for various psychological states of mind (especially in Nolan's trilogy). At any rate, it's a good read with good art, and I think Bat-fans will be pleased.
Cover Commentary: Now that I've read the book, it makes sense. Originally, I thought it was Gordon with young Bruce, but that's not the case. The cover really doesn't do a lot for me, in all fairness. There's something about the Batman head in the background that just doesn't sit well with me. No matter! This isn't something that's dependent on an awesome cover to begin with!
Next Up: Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore