GO BULLDOG! I AM A SSC COLLEGE STUDENT AND THIS IS MY COLLEGE BOOK REVIEW ASSIGNMENT.

                                                  

                                             Batman Year One    

            At the South Suburban College library check-out a graphic novel called Batman Year One by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli.  The story revolves around two protagonists, Lieutenant Detective, Jim Gordon and millionaire Bruce Wayne. Jim Gordon arrives in Gotham City by an overcrowded train while corrupt, Lieutenant Detective, Arnold Flass eagerly awaits him. Flass shoves and pushes his way through the crowd to escort Jim Gordon too, Police Commissioner, Gillan B. Loeb, a corrupt political official. In a few months on the job Jim Gordon disciplines the terrible conduct of his officers, and willfully refuses any suggestion of criminal activity by Loeb and Flass. As a result, Flass with other officers in disguise attack him beating him brutally with baseball bats in the parking lot of him and his wife home. He doesn’t take this lying down and retaliates leaving only Flass beaten, broken, and naked in the outskirts of Gotham City. Sometime after that Brandon, the psychotic leader of the swat team, confronted with a hostage situation involving children wants to charge in blasting, but is stopped by Jim Gordon disarming the assailant without his weapon and saving the children. Then out of nowhere enters Batman. On that very same day of Jim Gordon’s arrival, Bruce Wayne returns after the murder of his parent’s fourteen years ago. In addition, this motivates him to take on a personal mission to stop the degradation of his city but doesn’t have the means to do so despite his fortune and legacy. Confronted with this problem he searches in the worst hit areas of Gotham City, disguised as a normal man, for answers. He finds all sorts of degenerates then a fight ensues with a pimp, Vice, and his prostitutes including Selina Kyle, cat women, being stabbed by Holly, a teen prostitute, and shot by none other than the police. After a daring escape from the cruel police officers, his injures leave him on the verge of death with a decision to make. To die or go on to save his broken city? Then suddenly crashing through the window of his study a bat perches itself on a statue of his father. He takes this as a sign from his father that to put the fear of God into the elite’s and criminals of Gotham City, he must become a bat

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As both stories intertwine, Gordon hunts for the vigilante whom Flass fearfully names Batman after his personal experience with him at an illegal cartel operation he was running. Under fire Batman and Jim Gordon bring hope back to Gotham City by bringing down Flass, Brandon, Loeb, and anyone else connected to their criminal activities. At the end, another challenge eagerly awaits them the Joker

. Batman Year One is a perfect attempt of re-telling the 1939 original by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. This reboot differentiates itself by giving more depth and complexity to the story unlike the usual batman’s out there. For example, Flass, as he is taking Jim to see Loeb, stops and physically assaults a young black teenager tossing him in a garbage bin. When Jim asked him, “Was that necessary”, Flass tossed him a flip knife. However, it wasn’t a flip knife at all it was a flip comb, so Jim stares at him then Flass responds, “He’s only human.” After recovering from the surprise attack Jim waits for Flass, under the shadow of night, in his car with a baseball bat. As Flass leaves the poker game he runs him off the road, gives him the bat, and proceeds to beat him into the ground. If you are looking for more realism in your graphic novels this gives it to you. Even the tone gives you a feeling that the characters are grounded in reality, for example, when Bruce Wayne disguises himself as a normal person and enters Gotham’s seedier side on a reconnaissance mission he states this, “It’s been educational. I was sized up like a piece of meat by the leather boys in Robison Park. I waded through pleas and half-hearted threats from junkies at the Finger Memorial.” While you don’t see this happening the narration plays with your imagination making you think you there. If you have a desire to kick butt and write wrongs although you don’t want to go to jail, nor do you have the millions of dollars of resources at your disposal. I would put that dream to the side for now. Until then Batman Year One can certainly give you that thrill, so go quickly to the South Suburban College library and pick-up their only copy. It’s tough. It’s grim. You will never regret reading it.     "