Batman: Year One (2011)

Batman: Year One (2011)

Dirs. Sam Liu + Lauren Montgomery

Year One is Batman's origin story retold yet again, this time based on Frank Miller's 1987 story arc of the same name (in Batman #404–407).

Visually, it closely resembles David Mazzucchelli's character designs, which I was very pleased about.

It's a surprisingly faithful adaptation, with instances of dialogue and scene setting lifted directly (and at times almost verbatim) from the source text. The perspective is split primarily between Batman/Bruce Wayne and Lieutenant James Gordon, with occasional input from Selina Kyle. Both men provide a rather dry but useful v/o, offering insight into their private thoughts.

Ben McKenzie is okay as Batman, but Bryan Cranston steals the show as a Jim Gordon who has to work hard to win his battles and fix his mistakes. Eliza Dushku is pretty weak as Selina, but the character is very underdeveloped, so she didn't have much to work with, to be fair.

At various times the city is perceived almost as a punishment, while at others it functions as a kind of crucible, but it never once feels like Gotham. It's like a generic video game world, empty, devoid of the gothic characteristics that have been associated with it for the longest time.

When Gordon is centre stage, Year One is an accomplished and engaging drama, but elsewhere it was less convincing; e.g., Bruce kicking a tree in half was ridiculous and idiotic.

Heresy to some it may be, but, as successful as the adaptation is, an alternate version focussing solely on an expanded Gordon narrative — excluding Selina completely and including Batman only when he crossed over into the newly relocated lieutenant's world — could've been fantastic.