BATMAN: EARTH ONE, VOLUME 1 by Geoff Johns, writer and Gary Frank, art. (DC Comics, July 2012) Hardcover, 142 pages. ISBN # 1401232086 / 9781401232085
Summary on the Goodreads website . . . . .
A #1 New York Times bestseller.
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, Volume 1, 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.
My Five-Star Review on the Goodreads website . . . . .
Johns tweaks a couple things in the Batman origin and the result is a gritty, compelling story. Frank's art is gorgeous. One of the Top Ten Batman stories for sure, a must read. If you don't have a copy, you can order online from your local comics shop (please support them during the coronavirus pandemic).
In John's hands, Batman/Bruce Wayne is a selfish grown-up brat (but not too nasty, Johns reins this in a bit) driven solely by vengeance and a determination to find the killer or killers of his parents. There's a tweak to that origin, and a different reason for the murder. There are more twists related to this before the story ends.
In this story, kind of a Year One for Batman in a different universe (DC's Elseworlds), Bruce Wayne is inexperienced and does not have the street smarts or tech gadgets to help him out. It makes him more human that he is not perfect and easier to empathize with.
Alfred also has a spin put on his background and relationship to the Waynes, and this makes for some engaging and heartening exchanges between Alfred and Bruce. Jim Gordon begins his career with the GCPD a bit apathetic and corrupted, with a handsome Harvey Bullock more principled and moral (except for a desire to promote himself).
The main villain here is not some costumed criminal with a fancy name, but Oswald Cobblepot (aka The Penguin, but never referred to here as such) who is the corrupt mayor of Gotham (also looking a lot like actor Joe Pesci).
The story is suspenseful and packs more pleasant surprises. I haven't read Volume Two but I'm certainly going to look for it.
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