Monday, September 24, 2012

Batman: Earth One/Geoff Johns

Batman:  Earth One by Geoff Johns (story) and Gary Frank (art); graphic novel; 144 pages

Earth One retools both Batman's origin story and his "year one" into something much darker than what we've come to know as cannon. Bruce Wayne here is a spoiled, self-absorbed child whose temper tantrum results in his parents' death; Alfred is a grizzled war veteran who specializes in personal security, and trains a teenage Bruce in how to fight a war; and Bruce himself--well, he starts out as the noble, idealistic hero we all know, but one of the first things he learns is how to be cruel and cunning, and not always fight fair.  It's an interesting take on the Dark Knight, but I found myself really enjoying it.  Johns changes enough to make a familiar story fresh and exciting, and Frank's art is a perfect fit for the dark, brooding story.  This isn't Batman for the whole family--with serial killers, guns, and more, it's definitely better for mature fans who are looking for something a little darker, but not as heavy-handed as, say, Frank Miller.  

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