BATMAN: YEAR ONE - The Legend Begins Again

[@Xehanort10]

"Ladies, gentlemen. You have eaten well. You have eaten Gotham's wealth, its spirit. Your feast is nearly over. From this moment on none of you are safe."

[@themadtitan7603]

That quote till now stays with me.

[@GhostOfBilly]

"I touched mother's breast... ...it bled on me." -Batman Same writer, same continuity, same character. What even is this world?

[@MrMoros1]

Don't forget the part they edited out: "Because I'm gonna jump down from rooftops and break your fucking bones!"

[@ianmcneely2446]

Xehanort10 I love Frank Miller’s dialogue, at least for Year One and TDKR, haven’t read any of his other work, but it sounds like something out of a noir monologue, because most of it is.

[@GhostOfBilly]

@@ianmcneely2446 You should check out some "snip-it"s of All Star Batman and Robin. After the sadness passes, you'll laugh like a mad man.

[@rcbmmines4579]

In my opinion this is Frank Miller’s best work on Batman. Even more so than TDKR. Easily up there with some of the best Batman comics in general.

[@MattDraper]

Agreed! But my favorite Miller story overall is Born Again.

[@rcbmmines4579]

Matt Draper will give it a read when I can! Keep up the great videos.

[@CybermanKing]

Matt Draper I absolutely agree. He captures Catholicism’s emphasis on forgiveness incredibly well. Aside from Watchmen, I would say it’s my favorite graphic novel

[@TheSefirosu200x]

I've only ever seen the animated movie, which was largely good except holy shit the voice actor for Batman sucks, so hard.

[@Thanhhuy-bj6gt]

Yeah, I like some of his comic like the Dark Knight Return but Batman all star completely screwed up

[@vincentfranklin17]

Batman: Year One, and The Dark Knight Returns, made me a lifelong Batman fan!

[@MattDraper]

Then I think you’ll like the next video!

[@Zuper-Zentai]

i like the frank miller art

[@vincentfranklin17]

Matt Draper I'm sure I will! Did you like the animated film based on it? I rather enjoyed it.

[@MattDraper]

I liked it. Not the best DC animated film, but a solid adaptation.

[@kendallmoore4826]

Have you tried reading the Batman run done by Neal Adams and Dennis O‘Neil? That run was what Miller used as his creative inspiration for his tenure on the character.

[@ridge825]

And then Matt went "Yes father, I shall become a KZbinr"

[@MattDraper]

Yes, I was inspired one night when Logan Paul came crashing through my window.

[@ridge825]

Matt Draper 😂😂

[@ЖудаМ]

@@MattDraper Like the bat in Dark Knight Returns

[@Jack-mh2vn]

@@ЖудаМ that's the joke buddy.

[@vincentfranklin17]

😆😆😆😆

[@DAVO25008]

"Nothing harms me, but i know pain, i know pain. Sometimes i share it, with someone like you..."

[@Megared82]

Alfred: "Why bats, Master Wayne??" Bruce: "Bats frighten me. It's time my enemies shared my dread..."

[@joshuabessire9169]

"I am JOHNSON'S WIFE-MAN!"

[@DevonPalmer98]

And frank miller was never the right choice again

[@MattDraper]

Yeah, let’s not even get started on DKSA or All-Star ...

[@johnathonhaney8291]

Matt Draper I found DKSA tolerable. I found All-Star inexcusable.

[@MattDraper]

DKSA is interesting for sure in a “what is this?” kind of way. All-Star is a huge mess.

[@vincentfranklin17]

Matt Draper All -Star Batman was the only book that features Bats that I HATED. He was a total prick!

[@vincentfranklin17]

DK 2 was disappointing to me.

[@rantmilk]

I love this story, it’s so short and simple. It isn’t anything like “Batman takes on a load of villains” it’s just Batman becoming batman. I also gotta say I love his suit even though it’s a bit simple it’s just really good looking. But I’m also pretty sure that’s because it reminds me of the bvs batsuit, regardless of how bad bvs is I will never deny that batman has a great suit visually.

[@Tuckbro]

I think the batsuit in Year One is the best one of all time. It has a perfect balance between the classic first appearance costume of the late 30s while giving it a modern touch. The standard for all Batman suits tbh .

[@joeker5208]

@@Tuckbromy favorite is his suit as seen in Robin Year One/Robin Annual #4 and the Man of Steel mini series. Jon Byrnes especially just draws him so damn good

[@lewisaino]

The Return of a Beloved Character

[@johnathonhaney8291]

If I may be permitted a little leeway to rant, I am firm in my belief that Denny O'Neill does not get nearly enough credit for shaping Batman. Not only did he make the right call to bring Miller for Year One, he also, as you alluded, Matt, did some seminal work on the character himself with Neal Adams. In fact, he did far more definitive work on Batman than Miller ever did: created Ra's Al Ghul, Arkham Asylum and Bane, was editor over Bats during 1980s and 1990s (in between self-confessed bouts of alcoholism) and wrote the kickoff storyline for Legends of The Dark Knight, "Shaman", still one of his best stories. He did all that over the course of three decades and several comic issues. Miller, by contrast, was eight issues in one decade and he managed to get most of the credit owed to O'Neill. Drives me bananas... All that said, Year One is one of the best stories Miller ever wrote and deserves most (maybe not all) the accolades it's gotten. He just didn't do it alone is all.

[@MattDraper]

Yeah O’Neill did fantastic work on Batman, too! I’d like to give his work a spotlight of its own in a video at some point.

[@johnathonhaney8291]

Matt Draper You have my full support for such a video. O'Neill deserves it!

[@MutantsInDisguise]

O'Neil was the true savior of Batman.

[@ryzojc6090]

Shaman is apart of Year one basically. They should relise a new version of Year One with shaman apart of it and a few other legend of the dark knight storylines from Batman’s first year in a OHC or something.

[@captainjakemerica4579]

Daredevil Born Again is another one of Miller's best comics

[@vicenteortegarubilar9418]

I wanted to read this comic since some time. This channel always makes me appreciate more the comics I readed as a child and teen, so after reading this I will come back to this essay.

[@MattDraper]

That’s great to hear! Hope you enjoy it.

[@themadtitan7603]

Same

[@BearIslandComics]

I love the choice of background music for this video. Fits the time period of the story perfectly, setting just the right mood.

[@CoinOpTV]

nice recap - def classic Batman stuff there!

[@thegadflygang5381]

Miller has had such a profound impact on my life as BORN AGAIN's resilience and Faith helped lift me from a dark dark place while DKR has guided me about aging and staying motivated... But Year One was the first one I read as a teen and left me with that memory that great things start from less than stellar roots sometimes... GREAT VID MY FRIEND. YOU NAILED IT

[@AldenRDavis]

"I swear by the spirits of my parents to avenge their deaths by spending the rest of my life warring on all criminals." - Bruce Wayne

[@mitchellradspinner4491]

I am so confused why you don't have more subs. Your content is solid and consistent.

[@v.4412]

I love year one. Probably one of my favourite batman comics I've ever read

[@MattDraper]

Definitely one of my favorites, as well.

[@markmolino6091]

Great video bro ,you help me understand the different layers of Batman:Year One quite expressly.

[@Dale_The_Space_Wizard]

This is still one of the best comicbooks of all time.

[@digioverlord]

Ah back before Frank Miller turned nuts xD great video man as always!

[@MattDraper]

Hahaha thank you!

[@johnathonhaney8291]

digioverlord Do you often wonder, as I frequently do, what the actual fuck happened to him? I always trace the dousing of his creative spark to his 2002 divorce from frequent colorist Lynn Varley. You'll notice that everything from him after that was offensive, bughouse cubed or both.

[@digioverlord]

Johnathon Haney yeah i would say that’s when it started :/ I guess she was the barrier of his insanity

[@vincentfranklin17]

Frank is a bit... Odd now.

[@johnathonhaney8291]

Vincent Franklin Word I hear is that he's dying. The merciful little I read of DK3 seems to back that up, as it reads like an angry suicide note. Another thing I saw was him on camera during a Batman retrospective last year. He looked and sounded so worn out and frail.

[@henoch-schoenleinpurpura718]

One of the high quality video essays out there! Please make more vids like this.

[@MattDraper]

Thanks! My next video is a sequel to this one.

[@SnapperChannel]

Great video as always Matt. It’s interesting how Frank Miller went from one of the most celebrated Batman writers with Year One and Dark Knight Returns to “What are you doing Frank?” with All-Star Batman and Robin and Dark Knight Strikes Back. Still, Year One is still of the best Batman stories ever made. Also, what do you think of Superior Spider-Man?

[@MattDraper]

Thank you for the support as always! I really enjoyed it! Probably the most recent Spider-Man story I’ve really liked. I’ve been thinking about doing a video on it, but probably need to give it a reread first.

[@SnapperChannel]

If you do a video on it in the future, a good video title for it could be “The Superior Spider-Man: Getting a Second Chance” since Doc Ock is try to better himself as Spider-Man. Can’t wait for the next video

[@johnathonhaney8291]

Snapper Reviews As I said to someone else, his divorce from frequent colorist Lynn Varley in 2002 seems to have been his breaking point. He'd spent the previous decade and a half making great creator-owned stuff like Sin City, 300 and (my personal favorite) Give Me Liberty with Dave Gibbons. Hell, I even got published a few times in his letter columns. But after the divorce, it was just like "what the actual fuck?" He didn't even want to do the Sin City film until Rodriguez snookered him and won him over with "test shots".

[@imjmar]

I love seeing new videos on my sub feed. By far my favorite channel

[@MattDraper]

Thank you for the constant support!

[@TaylorTano98]

Dude, you're my favorite comic-related KZbinr on this platform. Would you ever make a vid on Tom King's "The Vision"? It's, in my opinion, a godamn masterpiece.

[@TaylorTano98]

A review/analysis of Alias would also be cool, especially given that, even with the Jessica Jones Netflix show, it still isn't that well known of a series.

[@MattDraper]

Thank you! I’m planning on doing a Vision video sometime this year. No Alias plans yet, but I would like to cover it at some point.

[@TaylorTano98]

Matt Draper My brother: Sis, you gotta read this... Me: Pssshhh, I don't care about the Vision Brother: Come on, just read it Me 12 Issues Later: *bawling* HE JUST WANTED TO BE HUMAN

[@MattDraper]

Hahaha Yeah I definitely didn’t care about Vision before that comic. Amazing work by King!

[@johnathonhaney8291]

Matt Draper I always have a soft spot for the Geoff Johns-penned Vision miniseries, which did a fantastic job in showing both the character's chilling inhumanity (helped by the artwork which his parts as he phased) and desire to be more human (his small speech about why he hates death still gets to me). But I recognize that I may be a minority opinion here.

[@deathlocker142]

Amazing review. And the jazz is so fitting

[@VogtTD]

That saxophone has me reminiscing about the 90s and Mask of Phantasm.

[@VeXeDZERO]

As soon as the video hit and youre playing The Midnight. Well played sir, well played.

[@dumisa7]

Batman: Year One always reminds me of Seven with its grim feel...

[@applesaucelarry813]

Mabusha Masekela there’s a theory that seven takes place in a Gotham before Batman

[@ansgar4052]

@@applesaucelarry813 that's cool

[@ansgar4052]

@@applesaucelarry813 what if the bad guy in seven is victor Zsasz

[@applesaucelarry813]

40watt he’s too smart to be zsasz

[@georgesutton3288]

Favourite video essay channel with my favourite kind of content. Batman year one is the best!

[@BenjiDWJ]

Awesome video and content as ever Matt! Always really entertaining, engaging, interesting & fun to watch :). As always I continue to love the way in which you document your thoughts and the way that you go through and not only give a structured & well-balanced analysis, but also taking the time to further explain and justify your reasons behind your opinions and conclusions. Once again the sheer level of love, care, attention to detail, time & effort that you put into making & editing each and every video that you continue to produce & publish is absolutely phenomenal keep up the stellar work man!.

[@Carlos-np7du]

"Yes, father... I shall become a Bat"✊🦇👌

[@form_7wrestlingman810]

Batman never goes out of style! Out of style

[@spondonkashyap3949]

So hyped to see how matt reeves adapts this comic in the batman

[@matheuszache7943]

Excellent video, man. I was hoping you would do an essay for this comic book. Year One is my favorite Batman story arc and your video honors it's everlasting quality. Shame that the character is driving away from this path since Tom King entered.

[@MattDraper]

Thanks! I can’t quite decide whether I like Kong’s run or not. I love most of his other stuff, but something just feels ... odd about his Batman run.

[@matheuszache7943]

Exactly. I think they put him on the title to give a more fallible Batman because Morrison's and Snyder's run were all about Batman as the pinnacle of human capabilities and I understand that. But I think the problem was never about a stronger Batman, in my opinion both writers (specially Morrison) justified pretty well Batman's strength. What really bothers me on King's run is that Batman is betraying his beliefs: marrying a criminal, attempting to kill Riddler and Deadshot, this whole suicide thing. For me this just feels wrong, like you said on the video: past should not be forgotten, but improved. I can't recognize him anymore.

[@MattDraper]

Very, very good points!

[@cosmicdream17]

One year later, and this is still true. Tom King's Batman is still trash, and he ruined Wally West as well with Heroes in Crisis.

[@MtnDewGuy100]

Dude I truly dig your channel ! My fav stories you talk about ! 👍

[@psyrolz1626]

I love that shot of Batman in 3:22 - he looks like Zorro, one of my childhood heroes.

[@user-mf8oy4xd8i]

looks like he has a mustache tho

[@mpaulm]

I just finished the comic today and it’s so good!

[@KillerTacos54]

Fan-fking-tastic video Matt!

[@MattDraper]

Thank you!

[@charliemessano2128]

Please never stop making these videos

[@xeditionstarwars6011]

That’s why spidey and Batman r the greatest comic characters of all time both had traumatic events that lead to them fighting for the justice and having good reason ls why

[@cosmicwizard11]

DD Born Again and Batman Year One are millers best work

[@steve_en5903]

I enjoy your work and I’m glad I’ve discovered you. Giving me inspiration to start my own channel. Keep it up, the rest of the world will notice you soon

[@shawnswint1521]

Despite How Some Felt. Batman Begins was the Closest we Ever Got to a Batman: Year One Movie, Due to Some of the Scenes in Year One were Used in Begins!!!

[@lewisaino]

What about the Animated?

[@jokoney9318]

Imagine if this was turned into a film with Robbert Patterson and Gary Oldman. That would be perfection.

[@captainjakemerica4579]

Nah we need a better actor than Pattinson

[@captainjakemerica4579]

@Sergio Balaguera yeah and he's disrespected Batman a lot

[@freddie.c86]

@@captainjakemerica4579 Just curious but when? The movie isn't out yet.

[@captainjakemerica4579]

@@freddie.c86 When he said Batman isn't a superhero and with how he's been an absolute diva on set and refused to work out

[@freddie.c86]

@@captainjakemerica4579 I hadn't heard about that.

[@edward2962]

Great video! I totally love your analysis! It's interesting how the animated version of this story felt kind of flat while the elements of it that appeared in the live action Batman Begins works better there.

[@MattDraper]

Thank you! It’s interesting to see how sometimes a straight adaptation can fall short despite the source material being amazing while something that takes liberties with it can work better.

[@McDermottYT]

Every video you make is a banger. God damn Matt keep it up

[@MattDraper]

Thank you very much!

[@theyakkoman]

Year One is my favourite Batman story. I especially like the Darkest Moment when he's trapped and the police are closing in. Because, man, the scene with the bats is just epic (and it's understandable why Nolan decided to use it in Batman Begins). Speaking of Year One, will you ever do a video on Green Arrow: Year One? Naming Green Arrows origin story after the much-beloved Batman one is pretty cocky, but Andy Diggle and Jock pulls it off with flying colours. I personally rank it higher than both Longbow Hunters and Snowbirds don't fly (but that might just be me) and think it's a masterpiece, so hearing your thoughts on it would be interesting.

[@Christ2010Grad]

theyakkoman What do you think of the tv show Arrow?

[@GreenArrowHunter]

My all time favorite Batman story to this day.

[@AldenRDavis]

Fantastic, Matt. Batman: Year One is great. What about Batman: Year Two?

[@MattDraper]

Thank you! I haven’t read Year Two in a long, long time. I’ll have to give it another read, especially since they have a new edition of it out now. What do you think of it?

[@vincentfranklin17]

Matt Draper I thought Year Two was good, but not quite as good as One. Every time I watch Mask of The Phantasam, I'm reminded of The Reaper!

[@captainjakemerica4579]

I'd say it's worth a video as it influenced The Phantasm in Batman Mask of The Phantasm

[@markburns4837]

Great video and good summary overall😃.

[@shadesofblack7401]

" I know pain.. Sometimes i share it with someone like you..."

[@ginofrancejr555]

One of my favorite batman stories of all time one of my favorite frank Miller stories of all time. Excellent video review. I like 80s era to mid 90s frank Miller than current frank Miller

[@Xehanort10]

I'm guessing Year One's ending was setting up The Man Who Laughs the chronologically first Post Crisis Joker story.

[@BowarePL]

great comic, great vid. keep it up boi

[@MattDraper]

Thank you thank you!

[@thomasd3146]

1988 and still the best batman ever. I want just this style to continue as a neverending run.

[@danwin9986]

Probably my favourite Batman.

[@captainjakemerica4579]

Gosh I love this story!!!

[@danielvaldivia6171]

I love the soundtrack in this. A jazzy 80's noir.

[@MrMoros1]

I just have to ask: What's the music you've got playing in the background for the video? It suits the video itself perfectly and sounds great besides, which is rare to me because I usually don't like music with this kind of tempo. Edit: ..................Never mind, I just found the music in the description. Can't believe I missed it at first.

[@evan8542]

Love this video

[@MattDraper]

Thank you!

[@tingdzinkochu]

1:57 30th Street Station, upper platform, Philadelphia.

[@thedarklord1964]

The best batman story in my opinion

[@Nic_03_21]

Ahh, yes. One of my personal favorites.

[@Xehanort10]

In the Year One animated film Ben McKenzie voices Batman. He'd go on to play Jim Gordon in Gotham.

[@joeyjguerrero]

Great video!

[@CapNemoSan]

7:15 that kinda reminds me of Miller's art. Does anyone know if he contributed to the story in that department other than with the script only?

[@Nexion3653]

YES NEW VIDEO

[@LegendaryAntiHero]

Now that Transformers One is in theaters, Id like to see you do a video on the Transformers War Within comic and how it influenced the movie as well as other works like War for Cybertron.

[@bigb0y4life]

Im here after Matt Reeves posted the picture at 2:40 on Bruce's fictional bday

[@se7entv261]

Batman year one reminds me of Batman Begins

[@MrDudoma]

The only problem with Year One is that there is no nore realistic stories like it really. Maybe some of Legends of the Dark Knight, but I'd really wish for something like Year One.

[@excelsiorcomics9860]

Do a video on Zero Year! Such a great Batman story that doesn’t get enough attention

[@scientifico]

I remember first purchasing Batman:Year one way back in the day. It was the art, so much awesomeness. Without good art, I'm not spending my money. B:YO led me to discover Alex Toth and ever since I've been a more discerning comic fan. Had to dig deep in the stacks to find my bagged up, first run Batman:Year One series. Reading it real soon.

[@luisfelipesilvasampaio7922]

in war of jokes and riddles batman while talking to catwoman he mentions that only a year before the war he was kicking trees, a direct reference to year one!! so along with zero year, year one is back as part of batman official origin story!!

[@j-money2295]

Luis Felipe Silva Sampaio I don’t think Zero Year and Year One can fit together

[@mrdgenerate]

This is my like 6th video of yours... I'm subscribed your channel is pretty dope man.

[@hyperiondragon]

Thank you for your beautiful composition of narration and description. The music was very nostalgic for me. It reminds me of late night basic TV from the 80s and 90s?

[@Nexion3653]

SO GOOD

[@donaldmcauliffe7653]

Batman year one than the long Halloween.

[@MutantsInDisguise]

This is the best Miller's work with Batman to date, one of my favorite Batman stories, and the definitive origin story of the Dark Knight, much better than Snyder's disastrous Zero Year.

[@space.pirate481]

but court of owl is good,is of snyder too

[@Xehanort10]

Batman Arkham Origins should have been Year One styled to fit with it being early in Batman's career. He should have fought only common criminals and gangsters in it and Black Mask should have been the main villain not Joker.

[@mangrove]

Fun fact: The drawings of Bruce were modeled after Gregory Peck. Also, Batman is an animal-lover of sorts, as he gets so pissed at a SWAT cop for shooting at a cat that he kicks the guy through a brick wall.

[@jlogsdon3779]

The soundtrack for this video....SERGIO!

[@Christ2010Grad]

You should do Long Halloween, Tower of Babel, the Killing Joke, Death in the Family and Dark Victory.

[@hotcoldman]

Frankly, I still get second hand embarrassment that Snyder and Capullo even TRIED to retell Batman's origin. Year One and Zero Year are absolutely night and day in quality. Year One is understated and low stakes, Batman taking on the mob instead of costumed villains is wholly appropriate, and Joker's tease at the end sets the stage for the rest of the Batman mythos to follow. You can also fit bits and pieces of Golden Age stories within that timeframe like Morrison and Wagner did. Meanwhile Zero Year is bloated and high stakes, with Batman's first outing being against the Joker as the Red Hood, and later Riddler turns Gotham into a post apocalyptic jungle in Batman's first goddamn year. The ending in groan inducing too, when after making us look at Capullo's embarrassing attempt at modernizing the Detective Comics 27 costume for several issues, they end the series with Batman fucking off into the skyline in Jim Lee's equally grotesque New 52 suit.

[@phantomy8941]

Dude chill, both are perfect origins stories for Batman. Both are written well, drawn to perfection and enjoyable. But they both go for different things. Year one is more of a smaller scale, dirty crime drama with Batman and Gordon as the main characters while Zero Year is this big, epic event that shapes Bruce life and his later career as Batman. Both comics really showcase Batman's human side and how he learns from his mistakes to eventually grow into the BATMAN. I myself prefer Year one but Zero Year is just as good and easily in the top 25 Batman comics

[@hotcoldman]

@@phantomy8941 Nah. Zero Year has good art in places but it's too bloated. It got too big too quick. I would have liked it as a modern setting Riddler story, but even then I've read too many Batman comics in my life to place it even in my top 50.

[@lancetruong3075]

So what happened to Gordon's son? He wasn't mentioned in later Batman stories.

[@MisterFantastic61]

Batman Year One is a fantastic comic but it isn't the only Year One that was good, there is another one called Green Arrow Year One by Andy Diggle and Jock which needs a Matt Draper analysis video!

[@the2tribesofisrael69]

ComicBookCast2 says they're adapting this...

[@jerseyheller2263]

Great story next to The Long Halloween, Under The Red Hood, & The Dark Knight Returns in my own opinion

[@driveasandwich6734]

Batman is dabbing in the thumbnail.

[@archan6el774]

Batman, Bruce Wayne, is lit

[@alexanderboyd14]

DO SIN CITY!!!!!! Either the Hard Goodbye or The Yellow Bastard id love to see your take on it and I know youll do a great job

[@badgerproductions24]

I’m having a hard time finishing it maybe because of the animated film

[@adamosborne685]

What about the Superman story, 'For The Man Who Has Everything'

[@MattDraper]

Great story. Would love to cover it someday

[@adamosborne685]

Matt Draper or how about the Punisher story, The Slavers

[@johnathonhaney8291]

Adam Osborne Slavers is another good pick, though I'd also recommend Born and its companion storyline Valley Forge, Valley Forge.

[@MattDraper]

I’d like to cover Punisher at some point. Not sure what precisely just yet.

[@adamosborne685]

Johnathon Haney Agreed, both are amazing and very good at taking apart the Punisher

[@Eben6795]

Tied with the long halloween the best ever batman story’s

[@jeffreyjaudian8671]

I just finished the movie i want my batman year 2 right now :(

[@WHR17]

Christopher Nolan's blueprint for Batman Begins.

[@jorts_master69]

Let's not forget that Merkel was the MVP in this comic. Before Gordon had first crossed paths with Batman, Merkel was the one giving him information and helping him out on the down-low despite fully knowing corruption and violence the GCPD of the time was capable of.

[@LegendaryAntiHero]

Year One and DKR are the best Miller Batman books by far and Y1 is easily the most lighthearted of them. Why doesn't Miller write more mainstream Batman stories? I know Miller is known for shock value and gritty stories but darker writing didn't make his other Batman stories good.

[@logandotson5600]

The Midnight fits way to well with Batman: Year One. At least in my opinion.

[@solidsnake2177]

“Injured by pre selina Kyle and police. No as I recall the comic, he was smacking the shit out of everyone before he got shot, don’t discredit my boy

[@kinggrimlock311]

Can you do a video on Watchmen???