![[Miller's Batman]](images/batman_miller.jpg)
Published the culminate the 50th Anniversary of Batman!
Batman: Year One
Originally Presented in Batman #404-407; 1986-1987
Whether you grew up reading Batman comics, watched the campy television show, or eagerly await each new movie, this is the book for you. A retelling of the events that led to Bruce Wayne's becoming Batman, this book combines Frank Miller's tight film-noir writing with David Mazucchelli's solid artwork. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
--review from Amazon.com
Miller, author of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, and Mazucchelli present an exciting new volume recounting the early beginnings of Bruce Wayne, and how he came to be one of the greatest superheroes of all time--the Batman.
--This text refers to the Paperback edition, Ingram from Amazon.com
Frank Miller revolutionized comics in America, and quite possibly the world. With sophisticated plots and absorbing artwork, the reader becomes in tangled with the characters as much as he or she would with any play, movie, or novel. This collection, has two of Miller's greatest works: The Dark Knight Returns and Batman: Year One. The third story is cute and works well in the collection as a bridge between the other two stories.
"Batman: Year One" is the first story in the collection (actually the last one of the three written) and it is a story that many Batman fans had hoped the fist Batman movie would have been based on. It is well told, and the major players in the Batman saga are introduced: Batman, Gordon, Alfred and Selina Kyle (Catwoman). It is a well written story and as good as any in the last 20 years of any genre.
The second story in this special is Wanted: Santa Claus-Dead or Alive.
Originally Presented in DC Special Series #21 (Holiday Special); Spring, 1980
The Batman must deal with two mysteries on Christmas Eve... A star which has vanished from a nativity scene and a missing department store Santa. Follow the Darknight Detective as he learns the true meaning of "Wanted: Santa Claus -- Dead or Alive!"
The Darknight Detective swings through the streets of Gotham City on Christmas Eve. Holiday or no, he sees that someone has stolen the star from a nativity scene. Even so, the Batman has bigger things on his mind.
--Steve Chung
The last is Miller's magnum opus, The Dark Knight Returns.
Originally Presented in a Four Part Prestige format; 1986
This four chapter story is spectacular and a great piece of work: both in story telling and various artist expression. This psychological drama deals with an aging Batman, who at the age of 55, comes back to fight crime after a ten year absence. Miller insightfully deals with many subjects now addressed by our popular media. For example, the idea of a liberal society blaming crime on the agents of heroism instead on personal evil. Miller writes and demonstrates that victims are innocent people who try to live a virtus life, and Batman fights to protect a city dying of a cancer.
Comic collectors need this special leather bound book with commentaries by Richard Burning and Alan Moore. Frank Miller himself writes some notes which personalizes this special edition that much more.
--from Amazon.com