Rating: 
Summary: Better than Dark Knight Returns
Review: This is, quite simply, the best Batman story ever told. Miller, the definitive Batman writer, has crafted a story even better than his Dark Knight Returns. Mazzucchelli turns in one of the most realistic and beautiful renditions of Batman ever. The coloring firmly grounds this series in reality. If you can only own one Batman story, this one must be it. I wish there was a rating better than 5 stars that I could give this story.
Rating:
Summary: The Book of Genesis according to Frank
Review: It is a shame that, Tim Burton's excellent two outings notwithstanding, the Batman of film and television is the one that is most solidly rooted in the collective psyche of the public. What many current readers may not remember, however, is that the campiness of the 1966-68 TV show was reflected in, and fed off the Batman titles at the time.All of that changed when Dennis O'Neil took over the writing chores and returned the character to the dark roots laid out by the late, great, Bob Kane and Bill Finger. Dennis O'Neil brought Batman comics into and through puberty. Frank Miller brought them into adulthood. Along with the brilliant "Dark Knight Returns," "Year One" bookends the saga of Bruce Wayne by re-interpreting and sometimes redefining the character's roots. In so doing, Frank Miller laid the foundation for the character that today populates the monthly titles. Although not as grim as "Dark Knight," "Year One" nonetheless hits closer to home and is, in my opinion, the best introduction to the character for anyone unfamiliar with it outside of film and TV. The parallel struggles of Bruce Wayne and Jim Gordon to "clean up a city that likes being dirty" are brilliantly rendered by Miller, possibly the finest comics writer EVER. Miller's Jim Gordon is a far cry from the incompetent beat cop shown in movies and TV. He is a passionate, crusading man, the sort of cop Bruce Wayne might have been in another reality. Opinions have always been strong one way or the other about the art in "Year One." For my money, you couldn't ask for more. Mazzucchelli's pencils work wonders even beyond what he did in "Daredevil: Born Again," and the coloring is particularly striking in its subtlety, even more so when you consider the "beat you over the head" standards of late-'80s comics. All in all, this is the definitive Batman origin story. That Miller, Mazzucchelli and Lewis also manage to turn it into one of the finest Batman stories ever told is evidenced by the lasting impact it had on all subsequent interpretations of the characters involved. An all-around winner.
Rating:
Summary: Batman, in the beginning ...
Review: I have never been much of a Batman fan since the TV show went off back in the late sixties; however, this collection from the late eighties shows a lot of the promise the character has always contained, but seldom realized. Frank Miller is certainly one of the finest writers to emerge from comics in the last generation of so, and this is a fine example of his work. His conception of Batman and the entire body of Bat-lore is unique, while remaining respectful, if not cloyingly faithful, to the years of prior continuity. This story within is of parallel obsessions: Bruce Wayne's passionate promise on his parents' grave to rid his city of the criminal element and James Gordon's equally ardent impulse to do much the same, only through traditional law enforcement means. The portrayal of Selina Kyle as the incipient Catwoman is particularly poignant and gripping as is the long-suffering portrait of Barbara Gordon, the quintessential cop's wife. While the art is interesting in a primitive, naive mode, David Mazzuchelli and Richmond Lewis seem an unfortunate choice of artists for the work that relaunched the entire Batman franchise. Perhaps, however, it is a testament to the strength of Miller's writing, that the art neither detracts nor distracts from the story.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent companion to "The Dark Knight Returns"
Review: I didn't know what to make of this when I read it in the original serialized form - I didn't initially enjoy the story or the art. A distinct departure from his work on "Dark Knight", Miller's writing is nonetheless effective in portraying the first adventures of Batman. Mazzucchelli's art is actually quite fitting for the story: very simple, but heavy on lines and shadows, sort of like Alex Toth. I've grown to treasure this book. Plus, the storyline with Jim Gordon is very good.
Rating: 
Summary: As the dark night begins...
Review: A surprising book. Frank Miller told the end of the Dark Knight, he had to tell his birth. The story-telling is good just as David Mazzuchelli's drawings. Readers might be disappointed for the role of the Batman in the story, in fact he shares the stage with Jim Gordon (not yet Commissioner Gordon). Anyway, it's a nice touch to show Batman's world as a realistic one and Batman just as... a man. Maybe four issues were not enough to chronicle "Year One". Until the end, I was waiting for something that never happened. But after all it was just a Year One : many years had to come 'til the Dark Knight Returns...
Rating:
Summary: Transcendent
Review: I had been dabbling in comics for a couple of years when I first picked up "Year One", and it has had me hooked on comics ever since. Going far beyond whimsy and caprice that most people ascribe to comics, it introduced me to the power of comics as a storytelling medium. Also, its a compelling introduction to one of comics most compelling characters, The Dark Knight. Read this book!
Rating:
Summary: Up there with Dark Knight Returns
Review: One of the best comic stories of all time, with excellent artwork, Batman: Year One really stands out as a milestone. This realistic, definitive origin is how Batman began his career, and the only Batman story that rivals this one in quality is Dark Knight Returns, which is how Batman's career should end. Both the story and the artwork are dripping with mood, and are well paced and well delivered. Keep an eye out for the Edward Hopper allusion. Batman is portrayed very realistically, and James Gordon is no longer a one dimensional character. He actually steals the spotlight and is both a very sympathetic and cool character. If you've never read a comic, start here, and then get Batman: Dark Knight Returns.
Rating:
Summary: Miller Time
Review: Miller and Mazzuchelli have a great understanding of film noir and apply it to one of the most popular comic characters. More so than the popular Dark Knight Returns, this is a gritty, down to earth look at Batman's early days. Very highly recommended reading and what comics should be about.
Rating:
Summary: It begins here
Review: With "Dark Knight Returns", Frank Miller ended the Batman saga. With "Batman:Year One" he begins it again. Exploring Batman's origin and chronicling his first adventures, we are introduced for the first time to Detective James GOrdon (eventually to become Commissioner Gordon), Selina Kyle (Catwoman), and Harvey Dent (soon to become Two Face). Year One explores Gordon's relationship with Batman and is a great tale of police corruption which justifies the existence of a Batman. The artwork is fantastic and Miller's writing is in peak form. It's a shame he never returned to Batman after this. If you are a fan of Miller's writing, also worth checking out would be Daredevil and Elektra, two other great titles.
Rating:
Summary: Pretty good, but...
Review: This is great story from Frank Miller and company. I bought it mainly because I was impressed by The Dark Knight Returns, and have to say that I was a little disappointed. This is really more the story of how Batman and Gordon became friends than it is the story of Batman's early adventures. It is a good read, but doesn't live up to Dark Knight.
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