My second graphic novel after Watchmen earlier in the year and I think I could really get to like these!

My biggest gripe is that, compared to a “normal” book, they aren’t as good value for money from a longevity point of view. Of course the time that has gone into not only developing the story but also bringing it to life in the illustrations can’t be questioned and as a bit of a change from the norm, they also provide welcome relief.

The more recent Batman films have made me a bit of a fan and as it all started in the realm of the graphic novel (or comic as they used to be called!) I was interested to see just how much I enjoyed this - needless to say, I enjoyed it a lot!

Everyone knows roughly the story of how Bruce Wayne came to take on the persona of the Batman, but Year One attempts to provide a fuller explanation in order to give the franchise a bit more depth. Obviously this means it is set further in the past than the relatively modern or even futuristic cityscapes shown in the recent series of movies.

The story and action is none the worse for this though, and it’s perhaps a good sign that when the book is over I was disappointed that I had reached the end - this wasn’t a slur on the book itself, rather it was a compliment that I wanted it to continue for a while yet!

This is definitely one I would recommend, even if you aren’t normally one for books like this, and it definitely won’t be my last graphic novel.