Batman: Year One is not my favorite version of Bruce Wayne’s origin. There are two major sticking points with me and they’re both personal. This was BEFORE Frank Miller lost his mind, after all. I can appreciate the quality of the story and how well it’s told. Still, I didn’t need Jim Gordon having an affair that for the most part has little impact on events and there’s no reason for Selina to have started out as a prostitute except Frank Miller. For the most part, I’d still call it good. I just have my preferences and I will not apologize for them.
Since this is Free Comic Book Day, or Comics Giveaway Day depending on which distributor your local comic store went with, in the US (I don’t know about other countries…maybe Canada?), I wanted to use YouTube doing free with ads postings of Warner Animation’s DC movies by doing a comic adaptation, not just a story with the characters. Year One just happened to win the lottery. It’s still not my favorite adaptation. There’s some great acting, but Alex Rocco as Falcone is the only real standout. Brian Cranston’s Jim Gordon is okay but he won’t replace the late Bob Hastings in my head. Ben McKenzie isn’t a bad Batman and we see little of his Bruce Wayne, but he’s competing with Adam West, Kevin Conroy, and Diedrich Bader, though the best currently alive Batman might be Troy Baker. He’s also a good Joker. I’d throw Rino Romano but he’s my favorite Spider-Man, so if I had a choice, Baker would be Batman and Romano would be Spider-Man if they ever adapted my favorite crossover of the two.
Again, I’m not saying it’s terrible. It’s just not the origin I would go with. It’s still a good Showcase for the occasion. Enjoy.
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