So I’ve just finished reading Batman: Earth One. And after some “ooh’s,” a few “ahh’s” and more than one uncontrollable fit of maniacal laughter I absolutely had to post some reasons why everyone, especially YOU should read this book.

A Fresh Start

First off, as the title of the book implies, this book takes place on Earth One which is outside of the main continuity or “Universe” of DC Comics whereas (presumably) most of what is taking place in the New 52 books is occurring on Earth Zero. What this means for you is that you don’t have to have read anything prior to this to be able to enjoy it. Earth One is a brand spanking new Universe where DC’s characters are being completely reintroduced and reinvented for the 21st century. (Superman: Earth One came out a few years back and introduced this universe to readers however it doesn’t tie into Batman: Earth One at all so if you haven’t read it then don’t worry.) Whether you’re a fan of The Dark Knight movies who has never read a comic and are looking to start reading or are a long time Batman fan looking for a new spin on the classic character, this book is for you.

A Very Different Yet Familiar World

So, unless you live under a rock, you are probably familiar with the basics of Batman. If not, you are doing it wrong. And by “it” I mean your life. Soooo…you should fix that by reading this book. See? I’m not only a blogger, I’m a salesman too. All joking aside, Geoff Johns and Gary Frank take many of the familiar trappings that go along with the Batman mythos and tweak them in such a way that makes this a Batman that is brand new yet still completely recognizable. The best part of this is that Batman isn’t the only character to get this treatment. Alfred is made into a complete bad-ass and the relationship between him and Bruce is redone is such a way that, in my opinion, makes much more sense than it ever has and is even more meaningful than in any previous incarnation. Jim Gordon gets a terrific reintroduction as well to the extent that at one point I actually gasped to see how this version of Jim reacts to the criminals of Gotham. We also get very fresh takes on Harvey Bullock, Lucius Fox and some fan favorite Bat-villains as well, among others. Last, but not least, the city of Gotham itself gets a very interesting reintroduction that you absolutely must see for yourself.

This Batman Sucks

Wait…what? Maybe I should rephrase that. This a brand new Batman in more ways than one since he’s just starting out. Much like in Batman Begins or Batman: Year One, this is a Batman who is new to the streets, or in this case, roofs of Gotham. We get to see a young and inexperienced Batman who gets his ass kicked on more than one occasion. On top of that his gadgets don’t work, his Batmobile is just a regular mobile…mobile, and he doesn’t even have a cave. All of this amounts to a very human portrayal of the Dark Knight. It’s unbelievably fun to get the chance to read a Batman who isn’t always a super bad-ass because it makes those moments of bad-assery that much more bad-ass. Have I overused the term bad-ass yet? No? Okay, then. Bad-ass! In all seriousness, Batman: Earth One gives us the chance to start over with Bruce Wayne and watch as he progresses from an inexperienced hero to an unstoppable legend!