Until the arrival of the New 52, the gospel of Batman’s early days was Batman: Year One, Frank Miller’s mini-series that ran in Batman issues #401-405 (it was not originally a graphic novel, as is usually assumed). Now that the entire DC Universe is hinged on a different timeline, Batman’s origin needs a bit of tinkering. Not an easy task. Year One is not just a fan favorite; it’s also one of the best Batman stories ever written. Still, DC Comics felt it needed to be done, so they placed it on the shoulders of current Batman scribe Scott Snyder. Cue Batman #21, “The Zero Year,” the first installment in a not-so-subtle update of how Bruce Wayne went from angry brawler to symbol of justice.
We open in Gotham City six years ago, right before the rush of powered crime fighters hit the DC Universe full swing. Gotham City is a jungle – a literal jungle. Vines growing all over, giant vegetation, the people of the city hunting like animals. A young boy manages to catch a fish for dinner before being apprehended by two men wearing masks of giant teeth. Just as they catch up to the boy, Batman arrives, dressed in his costume, but fitted for jungle life. He tells the boy “He’ll never see me coming.”
What the hell is going on? No idea. Snyder jumps back in time a few weeks before that scene, and Gotham is its normal, crime-ridden self. Bruce Wayne, sporting normal clothes and a “human” mask, is facing off against the Red Hood Gang, a crime collective lead by a man just as sinister as he is mysterious. Bruce manages to rescue his prey, but his hamfisted way of doing it nearly kills them all. This is not the slick crime fighter we love – this is a man searching for an identity. There is no bat. In fact, there is no Bruce Wayne. The world thinks he’s dead, and Bruce is fine staying dead. He wants nothing to do with his former life, or the business that stands behind his family name.
Snyder plays it very smart with this story. He grabs you with the mysterious opening, and then bamboozles you with multiple plot points. It’s fascinating to see Bruce relying only on muscle, shock and awe, instead of the steely tactician we all know. Bruce is selfish here; he only wants to punch through the bad guys. He has yet to understand that he needs to be a symbol of hope, a guardian for his beloved city, not just a vigilante. We also meet a corrupt uncle who runs Wayne Corp, as well as a pre-Riddler Edward Nygma. By the close of issue #21, Snyder has successfully baited us for the story and separated his work from Year One. Miller’s story featured no real villains, and was more the story of Jim Gordon. Snyder’s work is about Bruce Wayne’s struggle, and brings in not just a villain, but one who’s been largely underutilized in the past.
Greg Capullo’s masterful art continues to bring Snyder’s words to life. Zero Year is wonderful to look at. The detail is staggering and the action is always filled with exciting movement, but that’s not the key to Capullo’s work. It’s his ability to use light pencil strokes to create weight and character. Often, when not using solid, harsh lines, the work feels too breezy, the action has no kick to it. By applying light strokes with a wash of busy detail, Capullo gives a certain life to every panel. You can see people walking, the breeze blowing, cars riding by, the creak of the buildings as they settle. It’s the movement of Gotham City from every angle. It’s a trick of the eye, but one you get because of Capullo’s particular attack to the art.
Batman: Zero Year is well on its way to establishing itself as the new origin gospel in the new DC Universe.
(4.5 Story, 4.5 Art)
