COMIC BOOK: Batman Year Two

Mar. 4—Thirty-five after its publication, "Batman Year One" remains a landmark miniseries in a world inundated with Batman stories.

Frank Miller followed up his even better known "The Dark Knight Returns," about an aged, retired Batman returning to action, with "Batman Year One," a tale of Bruce Wayne's first year of fighting crime in Gotham City.

DC Comics soon offered a sequel, "Batman Year Two," by writer Mike W. Barr and artists Alan Davis and Todd McFarlane. It is a far less memorable story than "Year One," but definitely worth another look three decades later. DC must have agreed, having offered "The 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition" a few years ago.

That said, "Year Two" is more memorable for the image of Batman wielding a handgun and wearing a holster — Batman doesn't kill and Batman doesn't use guns (though he did carry one during the early months of his creation in the late 1930s) — and early art by a young Todd McFarlane rather than the storyline or the creation of the Reaper, a lesser member of Batman's rogues gallery.

"Year Two" is more like the Batman stories of the 1970s and 1980s — far more than the timeless quality of "Year One." The plot, writing, art, characters and bad guy clearly identify "Year Two" as a 1980s Batman story.

"Year Two" won't be for everyone. But for some older readers, it will be an interesting visit years later, as long as comparisons to "Year One" and some more recent Batman stories are kept in check.