In a Gotham City where friend and foe are indistinguishable, Bruce Wayne's path toward becoming the Dark Knight is riddled with more obstacles than ever before. Focused on punishing his parents’ true killers, and the corrupt police that allowed them to go free, Bruce Wayne's thirst for vengeance fuels his mad crusade and no one, not even Alfred, can stop him.
In the tradition of the #1 New York Times bestselling Superman: Earth One, writer Geoff Johns and artist Gary Frank re-imagine a new mythology for the Dark Knight, where the familiar is no longer the expected in this long-awaited original graphic novel from DC Comics.
The long-awaited "Batman: Earth One" was released a few weeks before "The Dark Knight Rises" and it proved to be a great primer. Although it's not a masterpiece, Geoff Johns' re-telling of the Bat legend is a bizarre, but entertaining take on the Caped Crusader's not-so-great beginnings. In this alternate universe, Alfred Pennyworth is a badass with a prosthetic leg and the Mayor of Gotham City is none other than The Penguin himself who is now a tall, slender man. There's also a new version of Harvey Bullock who seems to be modeled after Kevin Spacey's Det. Jack Vincennes of "L.A. Confidential". In this first volume of "Batman: Earth One", Bruce Wayne is out to solve the mystery of his parents' murders. Along the way, he befriends a young Lucius Fox, but constantly butts heads with Alfred and even socks Jim Gordon in the face as Batman (during an escape that is). The book gets ugly with the introduction of a serial killer named "The Birthday Boy" and the murder of a major villain, but it's still a fun alternative version of the Bat-verse with a good ending and the promise of a sequel. Additionally, the artwork by Gary Frank is quite magnificent. Overall, if you're a Batman fan, then consider "Earth One" to be a worthy purchase.
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