Batman: Year One [Englisch] [Taschenbuch]

If any comic has a claim to have truly reinvigorated the genre then The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller--known recently for his excellent Sin City series and, previously, for his superb rendering of the blind superhero Daredevil--is probably the supreme contender. Batman represented all that was wrong in comics and Miller set himself a tough task taking on the camp crusader and turning this laughable, innocuous children's cartoon character into a hero for our times. In his introduction the great Alan Moore (V for Vendetta, Swamp Thing, the arguably peerless Watchmen) argues that only someone of Miller's stature could have done this. Batman is a character known well beyond the confines of the comic world (as are his retinue) and so reinventing him, while keeping his limiting core essentials intact, was a huge task.

Miller went far beyond the call of duty. The Dark Knight is a success on every level. Firstly it does keep the core elements of the Batman myth intact, with Robin, Alfred the butler, Commissioner Gordon and the old roster of villains, present yet brilliantly subverted. Secondly the artwork is fantastic--detailed, sometimes claustrophobic, psychotic. Lastly it's a great story: Gotham City is a hell on earth, streetgangs roam but there are no heroes. Decay is ubiquitous. Where is a hero to save Gotham? It is 10 years since the last recorded sighting of the Batman. And things have got worse than ever. Bruce Wayne is close to being a broken man but something is keeping him sane: the need to see change and the belief that he can orchestrate some of that change. Batman is back. The Dark Knight has returned. Awesome. --Mark Thwaite -- Dieser Text bezieht sich auf eine vergriffene oder nicht verfügbare Ausgabe dieses Titels.

Whether you grew up reading Batman comics, watched the campy television show, or eagerly await each new movie, this is the book for you. A retelling of the events that led to Bruce Wayne's becoming Batman, this book combines Frank Miller's tight film-noir writing with David Mazucchelli's solid artwork. -- Dieser Text bezieht sich auf eine vergriffene oder nicht verfügbare Ausgabe dieses Titels.

Grade 4 Up–In the late 1980s, DC Comics revamped many superheroes but realized that Batman should remain true to his 1939 history. According to the introduction, the editors also decided that the public needed to know more about Batman's early life as a vigilante, and Miller and Mazzucchelli came together to produce Batman: Year One. Originally released in 1988 in four parts, the stories have been combined into one book. Opening with the arrival of Lieutenant James Gordon in Gotham's police force, the story goes on to inform readers about the level of corruption permeating the force. They also witness Bruce Wayne's first encounter with the prostitute named Selina, who will become Catwoman. Wayne speaks to his dead father, asking for guidance, and is answered with a bat on the windowsill, and Batman is born. The remaining chapters highlight Gordon's continuing difficulties with the corrupt police force, Batman's early difficulties in protecting and using his arsenal of weapons, and the first villains he chooses to pursue. At the end of the book, readers are treated to some background on Mazzucchelli's art, the production of Year One, and details on Richmond Lewis's coloring techniques. Both beginning and devoted Batman fans will enjoy this edition.–Sarah Krygier, Solano County Library, Fairfield, CA
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Frank Miller (geb. am 27. Januar 1957) ist einer der einflussreichsten US-Comic- Autoren und -Zeichner, erfolgreicher Schriftsteller, Drehbuchautor und Regisseur. Während der Highschool begann er mit dem Schreiben, veröffentlichte erste Comics und arbeitete bald für große Verlage wie Marvel und DC. Millers Werke werden durch starke bis überzeichnete grafische Kontraste geprägt, er bevorzugt schwarz-weiß, mit punktuell eingesetzten Farbelementen. Große Bekanntheit erlangte Frank Miller vor allem durch seine Neuinterpretationen von Comic-Ikonen wie Batman und Daredevil, Sin City machte ihn schließlich unsterblich. Miller prägte sowohl den Stil der Superhelden-Comics, als auch die Charaktere: zynische Außenseiter, von fragwürdigen Idealen geleitet, zwischen gut und böse - richtungweisend für eine ganze Generation Comic-Schaffender.David Mazzucchelli wurde 1960 geboren. Seine Karriere als Comic-Zeichner und Illustrator begann in den frühen 1980ern bei Marvel Comics, wo er zunächst ganz klassisch mit den bekannten Superhelden sein Geld verdiente. Bekannt wurde Mazzucchelli durch seine Kollaborationen mit Frank Miller und mit Paul Karasik . Seit 1991 wurden seine Comic-Kurzgeschichten weltweit in Magazinen und Büchern publiziert.