Review of Batman: Year One (2011) by Matthew D — 21 Jun 2017

A story still considered holy by fans, it feels a little strange following Batman Begins, which took many elements from the comic this is based on. Unlike the hero's journey in Nolan's film this direct adaptation doesn't dive deep into the psychological and technical aspects of who titular hero and how he came to be.

In fact, what's striking here is how little we see of not just Batman but Bruce Wayne too, and how little investment we have in them and this is not helped by Ben McKenzie who underwhelms as the Dark Knight.

It's also surprising how little we see of Batman's costumed rogue's gallery, a Catwoman with great potential is sorely underused. However, this really a tale about Jim Gordon and the state of a city that requires a caped crusader, we're seeing the appearance of the masked hero through the eyes of an unmasked one and once you adjust to the idea it works wonderfully.

Bryan Cranston is a much stronger casting choice and combined with perfect writing and the comic's iconic imagery lovingly transferred panel-for-panel onto the screen, his origin story as Gordon is an extremely compelling one, and one that is rightly revered.