Batman: Earth One HC [2012] by Geoff Johns | Gary Frank

BATMAN: EARTH ONE HARDCOVER

Batman: Earth One hardcover is released the same month as Christopher Nolan’s final installment of his Batman epic The Dark Knight Rises. The success of J. Michael Straczynski’s Superman: Earth One raised the expectations for writer Geoff Johns and artist Gary Frank’s Batman: Earth One graphic novel.

The first 10 pages have only a few words of dialogue which were used to showcase Gary Frank’s art as well as Geoff Johns’ storytelling and pacing. Mayor candidate Thomas Wayne meets with Alfred Pennyworth who once saved Thomas’ life. Alfred is hired for security after the upcoming election. But now the Thomas wants him family and his son Bruce to enjoy a normal life and goes to the movies. Shortly afterwards Bruce witnesses the murder of his parents. After 20 years Bruce is seeking closure for the death of his parents by going after the people responsible.

In the present Detective Gordon meets his new partner Harvey Bullock who wants to solve the 20 year-old murder of the Waynes. Bruce seeks the help of Lucius Fox to help rebuild his gadgets and goes to the party hosted by Mayor Oswald Cobblepot.

The city of Gotham is unforgiving. They have killed the Waynes, Gordon’s wife, and now have kidnapped his daughter Barbara. The kidnapper is the Birthday Boy who resides in the Arkham home where Martha Arkham lived. The basement of Arkham is home to deceased teenage girls killed by the Birthday Boy who is hired by the Mayor. Batman goes after Mayor Cobble Pot who defeats him and unmasks him. Alfred arrives and ends his life.

Alfred and Bruce build up the legend of the Batman as a new villain asks the question ‘Who is Batman?’ foreshadowing the coming of the Riddler in Batman: Earth One Volume 2.

Geoff Johns attempts to cram so much mythology within the 130 pages of the book without having to explain to the reader how or why. What is the connection between the Arkham house and the Birthday Boy? Majority of the characters within the Batman mythos are emotionally weak except for Alfred who appears as the mentor for Bruce. Johns takes for granted the upcoming The Dark Knight Rises film will raise interest in his book. Besides Green Lantern and the Flash, Johns has a hard time establishing other DC characters in his other titles including his previous work on Superman, Aquaman, and recently Batman: Earth One.

NEEDS IMPROVEMENT – 3 OUT OF 5