Batman Year One, written by Frank Miller and pencils done by David Mazzucchelli, documents the first year of the Batman from the perspective of both Bruce Wayne and James Gordon, and their journey from enemies with shared ideals to secret allies. A mere two years after Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns shocked readers with a grim new take on the hero, DC put him in charge of writing the new origin for Batman in the newly established post-crisis universe, but sometimes the best solution is the most obvious one. This is the perfect starting point for Batman. Before, we were just told people were afraid of Batman. In Year One, we’re shown WHY. This can be largely attributed to Mazzucchelli’s vision of the Dark Knight being one that hides in the shadows, appearing as just a dark mass to criminals, a far cry from the man in spandex he depicts when no one is around. Batman is essentially a magician, using smoke and mirrors to appear like a demon, even while he’s bleeding out. This vulnerability also helps keep the tension in every single fight scene. This is a Batman who, in a head on fight, would absolutely be murdered by a dozen men with firearms. He’s not some super ninja as he would later be portrayed, he’s just resourceful, and that helps to make him engaging. This is also my favorite iteration of James Gordon. Having a Batman story told from his point of view is fantastic, and feels like an actual character, rather than some guy who just waits to turn on the Bat-Signal. He’s a deeply flawed, but likable character, a lone honest cop in a precinct of crooks. This is probably one of, if not my favorite Batman stories, and I would recommend it to anyone with even a passing interest in the character.