Saturday, June 15, 2013

Batman #21

Batman is such a compelling character, it's no surprise that writers want to look back at his early years.

When he first appeared, his origin was very straightforward - a boy sees his parents killed and vows to dedicate his life to fighting crime. He uses his vast family fortune to study and train himself to physical perfection, dons a costume to confuse criminals, and becomes The Batman.

It allows a lot of room to explore, as Frank Miller famously did in his classic "Year One" story.

Now it's Scott Snyder's turn in this "Zero Year" story, and he's focusing on several moments in Bruce Wayne's career, including his childhood encounters with his father, his initial return to Gotham (pre-Batman) and (perhaps) some of Batman's earliest adventures.

Continuity fans can rest assured that (as near as I can tell), this story doesn't contradict any of the existing lore about Batman's origins.

It's a sharp, fast-moving story, and features terrific art by Greg Capullo and Danny Miki - a great start to a tale that manages to be bold, even when walking gingerly on hallowed ground.

Grade: A

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