Graphic Novel Reads: Batman: Year One by Frank Miller, David Mazzucchelli, Richmond Lewis

The darker, edgier Batman origin story that inspired the superhero crossover from frivolous teenage stuff to grim adult themes, Frank Miller's Batman: Year One (1987) remains a kickass, gold standard graphic novel, an ultra-engaging retelling of Batman/Bruce Wayne's error prone, almost fatal first steps to becoming Gotham's vigilante no.1.

Miller sticks to the fabulous story and dialogues, lets David Mazzucchelli travel the classic comic book illustration road, while Richmond Lewis splashes textured, layered colouring.

Miller, against the tide

Miller had already made a name for DC Comics with the formula defying Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (1986), featuring a 55-year-old Bruce Wayne returning from retirement to fight off mutants and Harvey Dent.

Already obliged by contract to work on a Batman origin revamp series, Miller makes the crucial decision to not illustrate, the elaborate Mazzucchelli drawings are now legendary, especially the Sergio Leone-like close profiles. This is more like a perfect tweaking of Batman's origins, relatedly-human, grimy, frizzling with big city blues.     

James Gordon, badass!

A modern parallel to Batman's first year on the job, is not exactly like Peter Parker's almost embarrassing teenage errors in Spider-Man: Homecoming, but is no smooth sailing either. 

Bruce Wayne's first crime-fighting attempt almost ends in disaster, leading to his arrest and a close call to exposing his secret identity.   

Apart from a wonderful Catwoman origin story, corrupt policemen, fiendish villains, my utmost favourite is James Gordon, the incorruptible, courageous policeman, who is not without his faults.

In fact, the compelling parallel monologues are of Wayne and Gordon, letting us see things from their perspective, their nature to do good and what they have to sacrifice to rid Gotham of crime.  

Miller gives Gordon a badass persona - vulnerable, noble, headstrong, and the daring of giving it back as good as he gets! By his protective air, Gordon can easily be mistaken for Batman-in-standing.

The breathtaking bridge climax is one among many stellar moments. The siege to worm out Batman, the spectacular action centerspread.

Realism rocks! 

The tragedy of living in corruption-ridden cities, greed, depression, paranoia, Gotham is a mirror to a world where laughter and carefreeness are mega casualties.

That Bruce Wayne is extremely vulnerable is neatly conveyed, causing instant audience connect with Batman's failures, frustrations and victories. 

This is no superpower-blasting, alien nemesis world, but a world we identify with, a world that is coming apart in chaos and crime, a world we live and breathe in every day.  

But for some illustrated wee bits that are not detailed, can't find many glitches in this telling, still awed on repeat reads, by the imaginative, sturdy storyboarding, crunchy realistic dialogues, melancholy setting, and almost pitch perfect characterization.

Definitive, iconic, Batman: Year One remains a pathbreaking classic that led to the gritty Christopher Nolan Batman movie trilogy.

(Article by Snehith Kumbla)

Comic Book Reads: Batman - The World of the Dark Knight

Batman - The World of the Dark Knight is a 200-page odd hardcover encyclopedic compilation of all the things you wanted to know about Gotham's caped crusader. Published in 2012, the mesh of well-designed content, collected artwork and boggling details is a sweet addiction for the trivia-gobbling Batman fanatic. Hold your breath while I take you on a brief tour:

• When and how did Batman make his Detective Comics (DC) debut - Check. 
• Detail of every inch of the Batsuit, its accessories and alterations over the years - Check. 
• A magnifying glass view of the Batcave - Check.
• Detailed descriptions of the Batmobile and Bat-Vehicles - Check.
• The Batman origin story - Double Check.
• Batman's diet, training and physical attributes - Yes.
• The best Batman quotes - Totally.
• Bruce Wayne's character profile - Aha!
• All you wanted to know about Wayne Manor, Arkham Asylum, Wayne Enterprises and Gotham City - Yeah.
• How about Robin? - His whole file is laid out here.
• Alfred, Commissioner Gordon and Lucius Fox - Laid bare.
• Batman's friends, allies, villians, love life - All there.
• Batman's comic book evolution from his 1937 debut to the landmark comic issues that defined him - Spread out nicely. 

I hate to word it in cliche, for the book contains - a lot more...

Even if you are delirious about Batman, there is too much here to imbibe in one sitting, this is more like a sturdy thing you can pick from the bookshelf, whenever the trivia mood takes over.

(Review by Snehith Kumbla)

Comic Book Reads: Watchmen by Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons and John Higgins

Comic books are not meant for children alone.

Ask the creators of Watchmen: Writer Alan Moore, illustrator Dave Gibbons, and colorist John Higgins. There is violence, sex, numerous brutal deaths and superheroes who come off worse than humans. The cruelty of war and supplementary text adds more steel to this graphic novel/comic book.

First released as a 12-issue series between 1986 and 1987 by DC Comics; the complete Watchmen was published soon after.

Engaging, disturbing and the darkest comic book I have yet read, Watchmen triumphs in telling a complex story with astonishing effectiveness.

Legend has it that the writer’s (Moore) proposed plot would have ended the career of established comic heroes. He was thus asked to create new, original superheroes.

The story? In an alternate take on American history, a rising band of superheroes during the 1940′s and 1960′s help the US win the Vietnam war. But their unpopularity during the 70′s leads to the 1977 Keene Act, declaring all superheroes illegal.

Set during the cold war period of the mid-eighties, the book starts with the murder of one Edward Blake. Wanted masked vigilante Rorschach makes his own investigations. He discovers that Blake was none other than The Comedian, a former superhero who was still working for the US government.

Meanwhile, with US superhero Dr.Manhattan (The only one in the book with superpowers) forced to self-exile, war clouds loom large. The Soviet Union has entered Afghanistan. This is just the gist of a plot that has various threads, characters and grimness, and yet there is a convincing completeness rarely seen in a comic book story of such ambitious stature.

Of all the various strands, bordering on devilry is the ‘comic book within the comic book’ story of Tales of the Black Freighter. A sole survivor of a decimated ship rushes back to save his town from a pirate ship invasion, only to be felled by his inner demons.

One hell of an achievement in its writing and apt in its old-school illustrations, Watchmen is a path-breaking comic book.

Devoid of lightness and easy humor, the creators of Watchmen walk a less trodden path in robust, layered, grim comic book storytelling and surprisingly makes it through in grand style.


(Article by Snehith Kumbla)