DC- Batman Earth One: Vol. 1

It will be a process over the following months to transfer and update old blog posts here. I had thought of starting fresh, but linking to the old blog didn’t sit right. So I am taking the chance to clear up old blogs and give them a refresh. Thanks for putting up with it.

First comic review on the new blog!

​​Today we are instead looking at the DC franchise starting with Batman Earth One: Volume One. For those who didn't know (me included until I found this), Earth One is an alternate series to the DC lineup. The idea behind the series is to modernize the Superhero storylines with DC retelling the earliest adventures of popular DC characters. The series takes place in a new continuity on an all-new Earth separate from the DC Universe, freeing it from continuity restraints and giving the writers and artists more freedom.

So far in the Earth One series, we have the following heroes:

Superman, Batman, Teen Titan, Wonder Woman, Aquaman and The Flash.

I hope to cover the other titles and heroes shortly. But this review is all about the Bat! So let us look at Batman Earth One Volume One and jump in.

Comic Details

Title: Batman Earth One: Volume One

Writer: Geoff Johns

Artist: Gary Frank

Publisher: DC Comics

Release Date: July 4, 2012

Amazon Affiliate link: Thanks for supporting me! Disclaimer it gives me a kickback but doesn't cost you extra.

Blurb: "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"

Review

A spoiler alert is in effect, so please be wary - Peps

The comic is set during the early stages of Batman's career. We meet Bruce Wayne, who is haunted by the unsolved death of his parents and is attempting to solve the case himself. This is a real highlight of this Earth One comic. Unlike our well-known Batman, we are following an ill-prepared, under-trained Batman. Who lacks body armour and has experimental equipment that is more likely to fail than succeed.

The story progresses steadily and can be split into two parts. The first part is the flashbacks; through these, we learn of Bruce's past in this reality. In these moments, we learn that his father, Thomas Wayne, was running for Mayor of Gotham against Mr. Cobblepot and his mother, Martha, was an Arkham (a family renowned for being Gotham's creators and also a family of madmen!). We also meet Alfred, an ex-military friend of Thomas Wayne, called in to act as a bodyguard for Thomas, who has received death threats leading up to the mayoral vote. This ultimately leads us to the night of the Wayne couple's murder, which is all Bruce's fault in this universe! As a young Bruce mouth off to a criminal/street scum about how his parents rule Gotham and are super rich. This is an excellent twist as it shows us Bruce, that is a spoiled child and the cause of his pain and guilt. Unfortunately for this Bruce, he is too young and naive to understand cause and effect and how his actions lead to the death of his parents; instead, he believes it was all some part of a conspiracy to remove Thomas Wayne from the Mayoral race. Alone and now an orphan, young Bruce Wayne is left with a man called Alfred, who he has never met. Struggling to explain his role, Alfred calls himself Bruce's butler and begins to assume this role.

As Bruce ages in the flashbacks, so does his need for vengeance. Following an accident involving Bats (surprise!), Bruce is soon on the path to becoming Batman and is determined to discover his parent’s killer. During this time, Alfred has revealed his true identity to Bruce and starts training him in military fighting styles. The two butt heads over how to deal with criminals, with Bruce believing in not using guns and causing death, whilst Alfred feels the best cure for Gotham is to cut the poison out permanently.

This leads us nicely to part two, Modern/now time Batman. With Alfred's training and guidance in his early twenties/mid-twenties, Bruce has adopted the Batman persona. Batman is hunting the city's criminals to find answers to his parent’s death. Bruce isn't the only one changed by the death of his parents. Gotham is now a changed place. Under Cobblepots leadership, the city has fallen to the criminal organizations, and the government-run institutions like the police, judges etc., are just as bad as the mob. It's now that we also get to meet the real characters of Batman Earth One, so let us look at each of the main characters:

Batman

Batman of this timeline didn't travel the globe training with combat masters, League of Shadows, or even learning basic cop skills. His only tutor for fighting skills was Alfred Pennyworth which leaves us with a barely competent Batman. What we come to see from this tale is a Batman who relies too much on luck and others to save his life and avenge the death of his parents.

Alfred Pennyworth

In Earth One, Alfred isn't a butler but is an ex-Royal Marine and an old friend of Thomas Wayne. Thomas calls in Alfred to act as security, but on his first night on the job, the Waynes are killed and is left as the sole protector of Bruce. It's an exciting reimagination of the character, explaining his abilities and medical knowledge nicely.

James Gordon

Detective Gordon is a broken and defeated cop. When we first meet him, he is a coward turning a blind eye to crime and taking bribes from the criminal organizations of Gotham. During this comic, we get to watch Gordon grow as a character as he returns to the heroic cop role we need and expect him to be. The best part about Gordon in this version is the fact he is willing to get his hands dirty and now and again sink to the criminal’s level to get the job done. Reminding me more of Jim Gordon of the Gotham TV show.

Harvey Bullock

Bullock is a slim, fit and handsome (not what I was expecting) cop—having transferred to Gotham from the west coast, where he was also a tv star. His early motives in the comic are to solve the Waynes Murder in hopes of regaining his tv career. But Gotham has other plans for poor Bullock. By the end of the comic, Bullock is a broken man, his hopes and positive attitude destroyed by Gotham's darkness. Leading us to character heading towards our standard Bullock persona.

Mayor Oswald Cobblepot

Don't expect a classic Penguin villain here. Instead, we have a corrupt Mayor who has positioned his allies to posts of power and cut deals with the mobs to gain a controlling influence over a now rotten Gotham. Not an overly exciting character, but good enough to be a focal point of the comic.

The rest of the story is almost a coming-of-age tale for Batman, Alfred, Gordon and Bullock as their accounts merge into one story. The main villains, Cobblepot and Birthday Boy, are ultimately a letdown as they are overcome too quickly. Still, they lead to good character development (especially for Bullock). The final page leads us to the plot of Volume Two, which seems to be Riddler focused.

Overall I enjoyed this retelling. Is it a groundbreaking retelling? No. But it is a well-constructed darker, more believable version of Batman. He isn't good at what he does. He isn't well trained. He is just a man wanting to be a vigilante because he is angry. Are the villains over-the-top comical madmen? No, instead, they are a byproduct of times and are greedy, power-hungry individuals using positions of power to get rich in the real world. The highlight of this comic, for me, is the artwork. It is lovely and fully immersive. Gotham has a dirty, brooding aspect, like a 90's New York before the clean-up. Batman's costume looks realistic and homemade, constantly getting ripped and damaged. The gangsters look like real people and not punks/comical re-imaginations. It gives it a nowadays look, which I feel is essential for a Batman setting.

This is an excellent beginning to a new series, and I will post the subsequent two volumes after this.

As always, I appreciate you stopping by to read my little blog. I would love to hear your thoughts, so please drop a comment below or sign-up for the newsletter (currently working on that).

If you want to be a “Super Supporter,” head over to my YouTube Adventures with Peps and give me a follow and a hello!

Until next time. Cheers!