Batman: Year One is an American comic book story arc written by Frank Miller and illustrated by David Mazzucchelli. Year One was originally published by DC Comics in Batman #404-407 in 1987. The story recounts Batman's first year as a crime-fighter as well as exploring the life of recently transferred Gotham police detective Jim Gordon, building towards their first encounter and their eventual alliance against Gotham's criminal underworld.
Publication history Development In an effort to resolve continuity errors in the DC Universe, Marv Wolfman and George Pérez produced the 12-issue limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths. Wolfman's plans for the DC Universe after Crisis on Infinite Earths included relaunching every DC comic with a new first issue.
The contract Frank Miller signed to produce The Dark Knight Returns (1986) also required him to write a revamped Batman origin story. "Year One" was originally conceived as a graphic novel. Dennis O'Neil, who had been asked to edit several issues of Batman, was friends with Miller and learned of the story. Reflecting on poor sales of Batman, O'Neil caught Miller one day while on a walk in Los Angeles and convinced him and David Mazzucchelli to serialize the story in the ongoing series. Miller was initially reluctant; he felt this would be hard because he had to ensure the story stayed canonical to the DC Universe, something he did not have to worry about when writing Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. In addition, Miller's pacing would have to be altered because of ongoing series' relatively small page counts. O'Neil reasoned that Crisis on Infinite Earths had completely remade the DC Universe, so Miller would be able to have the same creative freedom that Dark Knight Returns provided. He also reassured Miller that he and Mazzucchelli "weren't going to lose anything" by serializing it.
Miller has said he kept Bob Kane and Bill Finger's basic story for Year One but expanded it. In writing the story, Miller looked for parts of Batman's origin that were never explored. He left the core elements, such as the murder of Bruce's parents, intact, but reduced them to brief flashbacks. Bruce's globe-trotting adventures were removed, as Miller found them uninteresting. Rather than portraying Batman as a larger-than-life icon as he had in The Dark Knight Returns, Miller chose to characterize Batman in Year One as an average, inexperienced man trying to make a change in society because Miller believed a superhero is least interesting when most effective. Examples of this include Batman underestimating his opponents, getting shot by police, and his costume being too big. The story's violence was kept street-level and gritty, emphasizing noir and realism.
Artwork
For Year One, Miller wrote the story and the script, and Mazzucchelli illustrated, Mazzucchelli's wife Richmond Lewis was in charge of coloring, Todd Klein was the story's letterer, and O'Neil edited.
In illustrating, Mazzucchelli sought to make Year One look grimy, dark, and muted. His interpretation of Gotham City was designed to symbolize corruption, featuring muddy colors that gave the impression of the city being dirty and needing a hero, so Mazzucchelli took on Year One with a more grounded and darker approach. Mazzucchelli envisioned Year One as one full story published in graphic novel. He specifically opted to use the process color paper that was used in Miller's Dark Knight Returns as printing paper rather than the usual newsprint paper used in most Batman titles because this paper material is designed to print lots of colors, more than what newsprint was capable of. There was a sudden change to what Mazzucchelli initially had planned out when O'Neil convinced him to serialize the story into the monthly issues run and retain newsprint as the printing paper. In 1988, Year One was published in the collected edition. DC gave Mazzucchelli the approval of using the process color paper as printing paper. With many sets of color available from the color hue, Lewis recolored the entire story in order to match the visuals printed on the paper.
Publication In accordance with Wolfman's plans, O'Neil initially saw "Year One" as the start of the second volume of Batman and expected the first part to be its first issue. However, Miller rejected this idea. He explained: "I don't need to slash through continuity with a sharp blade as I thought. Doing The Dark Knight Returns has shown me there's been enough good material... I didn't feel that fleshing out an unknown part of Batman's history justified wiping out 50 years of [adventures]." Thus, the four "Year One" issues bear no continuity to past issues of Batman.
Title Issue Cover date "Chapter One: Who I Am – How I Come to Be" Batman #404 February 1987 "Chapter Two: War Is Declared" Batman #405 March 1987 "Chapter Three: Black Dawn" Batman #406 April 1987 "Chapter Four: Friend in Need" Batman #407 May 1987
Collected editions Following the completion of the 404–407 monthly issues run, Year One received several reprints over the years: collected editions in hardcover and trade paperbacks, several deluxe editions in hardcover and paperback format, an Absolute Edition, and an Artist's Edition published by IDW Publishing.
In 1988, Year One was published as collected edition in hardcover () and trade paperback (). Both Warner Books () and Titan Books () also published trade paperbacks in 1988.
In 1989, Longmeadow Press published The Complete Frank Miller Batman (), collecting Year One, Wanted: Santa Claus - Dead or Alive!, and The Dark Knight Returns.
In April 2005, DC released the "Deluxe Edition" of Year One in hardcover () to coincide with the release of Batman Begins. This edition reuses the printing paper from the 1988 collected edition with Mazzucchelli supplying the promotional and unseen Batman art, Lewis' color samples, some of the original penciled artwork, and some pages of the original script as bonus materials. The cover was designed by Mazzucchelli and graphic designer Chip Kidd. The trade paperback () was published in February 2007.
The hardcover deluxe edition () was re-released in March 2012. Mazzucchelli clarified that DC never contacted him to design this edition. Having been sent a copy of the book by DC, Mazzucchelli was unhappy with the quality.
In November 2014, to celebrate Batman's 75th anniversary, DC released a sample of Year One as a part of its DC Comics Essentials line of promotional comics.
In 2015, DC released a hardcover () of Year One which included its 2011 animated film adaptation on both DVD and Blu-ray.
In November 2016, DC released a 288-page Absolute Edition of Year One (). This edition comes in a slipcase with two hardcover books. Book One features a whole new scanning from the original artworks by Mazzucchelli and remastered coloring by Lewis, while Book Two features scanning pages directly from the physical copies of the 404-407 monthly issues. Over 60 pages of bonus materials are also included, including Miller's complete scripts in Book Two.
In September 2017, the hardcover deluxe edition () was re-released again, this time with the same printing paper and coloring as Book One of the 2016 Absolute Edition.
In March 2022, to coincide with the release of The Batman, DC released The Batman Box Set (), collecting trade paperbacks of Year One, The Long Halloween, and Ego and Other Tails in a slipcase with art by Jim Lee. Director Matt Reeves cited the three graphic novels as the major influences for the film.
In August 2024, IDW Publishing published the Artist's Edition () of Year One in a 144-page hardcover. Mazzucchelli personally supplied the artworks for scanning with Chip Kidd serving as the designer of the book. The 250 copies limited edition () was exclusively available only for pre-ordering on the IDW's official website; this version includes a slipcase, a variant design of the front cover, and Mazzucchelli's personal signature printed in an interior page.
TitleMaterial collectedFormatPublisherRegionReleased datesISBNBatman Year OneBatman #404-407HCDC ComicsUSTPBWarner BooksTitan BooksUKBatman Year One: Deluxe EditionHCDC ComicsUSTPBHCAbsolute Batman Year OneBatman Year One: The Deluxe EditionDavid Mazzucchelli's Batman Year One Artist's EditionIDW PublishingStandard edition: Limited edition:
Plot Billionaire Bruce Wayne returns home to Gotham City after twelve years abroad, training for a one-man war against crime. James "Jim" Gordon moves to Gotham with his pregnant wife, Barbara, after a transfer from Chicago. Both are already acquainted with the corrupt and violent atmosphere of the city, but because Jim assaulted a corrupt officer without obtaining evidence, he is so disgraced that no other police force will take him. Jim focuses on purging corruption from the Gotham City Police Department after witnessing his partner, Arnold Flass, abuse his power. Several officers led by Flass beat him on orders from his superior, Commissioner Gillian Loeb, and threaten to do the same to Barbara if he continues cracking down on corruption. In revenge, Jim tracks Flass down, beats him, and leaves him naked and handcuffed in the snow.
Bruce believes he is still unprepared to fight crime despite the skills he learned abroad. He goes in disguise on a surveillance mission in Gotham's red-light district but is drawn into a brawl with several prostitutes, including Holly Robinson and Selina Kyle. Police officers shoot Bruce and take him away in their patrol car. Bruce breaks free, subdues the cops, flees from the scene, and returns to Wayne Manor barely alive. He sits before his father's bust, requesting guidance in his war against crime. A bat crashes through a window and settles on the bust, inspiring Bruce to save Gotham as Batman.
Jim diffuses a hostage situation without any deaths or injuries, leading the press to hail him as a hero, which inhibits Loeb and his cronies from acting against him. With Bruce striking as Batman, street crime significantly declines. Flass is attacked while accepting a bribe from Jefferson Skeevers, a drug dealer of Carmine Falcone. Jim becomes obsessed with apprehending Batman. Batman infiltrates the mansion of Gotham's mayor and threatens all the dinner party guests, including Loeb and Falcone. Jim and GCPD Sergeant Sarah Essen witness Batman save an old lady from a runaway truck and summon more GCPD officers to the scene, forcing Batman to flee into an abandoned building. Loeb personally deploys in a police helicopter and drops bombs onto the building. A SWAT team led by a trigger-happy commander, Branden, is sent in to continue the manhunt. Batman uses a signal device to attract a swarm of bats from the Batcave, concealing his escape.
Jim and Essen have an affair for two months, before Jim finally ends it out of guilt. Weeks later he confesses the affair to Barbara. Jim apprehends Skeevers, but Batman persuades Assistant District Attorney Harvey Dent to let him out on bail. Batman uses the opportunity to terrorize Skeevers into testifying against Flass.