A reinterpretation of the origin of Batman - who he is and how he came to be. Written shortly after THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, it is a dystopian fable of Batman's final days.
Thirty years after its debut, DC Comics is proud to present the definitive Absolute Edition of this modern comics classic. Together with a wealth of behind-the-scenes material from its creators-including the complete scripts and pencil breakdowns for all four issues-ABSOLUTE BATMAN: YEAR ONE offers two distinct versions of the legendary story: Book One features the acclaimed single-volume graphic novel edition with every page newly rescanned and remastered by Mazzucchelli and Lewis from their original boards, while Book Two features the never-before-collected process color edition of the original newsprint comics, sourced from all-new scans made by Mazzucchelli and Lewis from their personal copies of BATMAN #404-407.
Originally published over four issues of the monthly BATMAN title in 1986 and 1987, BATMAN: YEAR ONE has gone on to become one of the most popular and influential graphic novels in the history of American comics. Written by Frank Miller and illustrated by David Mazzucchelli with colors by Richmond Lewis, this masterful reimagination of Bruce Wayne's first year as the Dark Knight Detective has electrified generations of readers with its unprecedented fusion of gritty realism and elegance of form.
"A gritty and atmospheric retelling of Batman's earliest days, as told by the author of the seminal DARK KNIGHT RETURNS. Mazzucchelli's art brings a new level of emotional intensity and realistic, muscular action." --
Booklist"If there is one book that deserves mention in the same breath as WATCHMEN or THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, it's BATMAN: YEAR ONE." --
Miami Herald"This is a story no true Batman fan should be able to resist." --
School Library Journal"You know that saying, 'If you read just one book, this is the one to read'? Well, that applies to BATMAN: YEAR ONE. It's not only one of the most important comics ever written, it's also among the best." --IGN
"There's never been storytelling quite like this. It took someone who views comics as an art to create it." --
The Washington Post