Well, Batman: Year One clearly must have done something right. Apart from being one of the most loved Batman stories ever, Frank Miller’s and David Mazzucchelli’s story inspired a new variant of story, one where readers witness the Dark Knight in his early days before the likes of Robin. After the huge success of Batman: Year One both creatively and financially, it was obvious that they were keen to repeat that success, but in Detective Comics. Mike W. Barr, Alan Davis and Paul Neary had been working on the title for less than a year before they were given the huge task of creating a sequel to one of the most critically acclaimed comics of not just the decade, but history. Well, things don’t always turn out the way we hope and the creative team on the story broke down very quickly. I’m not certain, but I believe it was Davis’s decision over a minor art detail. But, before I get onto that later, this story may be remembered by some for Davis’s successor, one Todd McFarlane, a relatively new artist with dreams of changing the comic book industry. Like that was going to happen. Oh, wait…
Detective Comics 575-578 was published from June to September 1987. It was written by Mike W. Barr with art by Alan Davis, Paul Neary, Todd McFarlane and Alfredo
Alcala. I have read the story in the Batman: Year Two trade paperback.
Batman: Year Two has been given numerous names, but the one it was actually given is the most inappropriate one. Year? Not only does this story not take place during a whole year, but, unlike Batman: Year One, parts of the story aren’t told with a date, showing the progression of time. True, this story may take place in Bruce Wayne’s second year as Batman, but the story itself takes place in a few days, not months. I prefer the secondary title to this story, that being Fear the Reaper. Not only is it far more suited to what actually happens in the story, but it reminds me of an old-fashioned early Batman story from the late 1930s or early 1940s. Like I said earlier, this is the beginning of a new breed of Batman story. Following on from Year: One, DC very much began to focus on Batman’s past, and they discovered how much creative potential there is there, especially since they launched Legends of the Dark Knight in 1989. Anyway, as a supposed sequel to Batman: Year One, does Year Two hold up or come close, or does it fall into a pile of mediocre and mildly forgettable other stories featuring the dark knight? With James Gordon now Commissioner of the GCPD, he is invited to talk on live TV about his partnership with Batman, with many worrying that Batman may turn out like the Reaper, an old vigilante who stalked Gotham’s streets before Batman. I don’t know why he hasn’t been mentioned before, especially by Batman, but that’s just one of your usual inconsistencies in the world of comics. Meanwhile, Batman takes out some thugs stealing some electronics, before responding to the bat signal. At the same time, Rachel Caspian greets her father, Judson, home, before heading out with Dr Leslie Thompkins. The two of them meet Bruce Wayne at the Wayne Tower construction site, where Bruce turns on his charm and greets Rachel. Over dinner, she and Bruce speak about her commitment to helping the poor, before she tells Bruce that they can’t see each other anymore as she will soon be taking her vows to become a nun. Or that is an excuse, and she knows that Bruce gets through girlfriends as quickly as Jack Nicholson gets through Peruvian marching powder. Either way, things seem to be over before they have started. When Rachel returns home, she finds that her father has gone out. Meanwhile, Judson becomes the Reaper and patrols the streets. This always bothered me as Barr reveals far too quickly that Judson is the Reaper. This needed to be revealed during the second half of the story really, as it would have added more mystery to his character. Anyway, the Reaper violently murders some criminals, clearly showing how different from Batman he is. At the same time, Bruce becomes Batman, that is after Leslie begs him not to speak to Rachel anymore or respond to the bat signal as one day, he might not come home alive. Meeting with Gordon, he tells Batman about the Reaper and asks him to investigate. When Batman patrols the slums of Gotham, he finds the Reaper about to murder a prostitute (evidence that Year One has clearly had an effect on the editorship and creative team). However, Batman intervenes, but finds that the Reaper’s armour is made of leather. Despite his best efforts, Batman is beaten by the Reaper and he returns home bloody and bruised. As Leslie tends to his wounds, Bruce realises that he isn’t good enough and the only way to avenge his parents would be to fight his enemies with the gun that killed his parents. This makes for a shocking and actually rather controversial ending to the first part, since Batman’s vow to never use a gun is broken here. But, if that annoys you, then things get much worse. Now, its here where Davis and Neary leave, which is a great shame. I seem to recall reading once that Davis left due to the type of gun he had to draw in a story and when he was ‘overruled’ by an editor or someone, he quit on the spot. It’s a great shame, as his art is fantastic and it really fitted a story like this one. In to replace him is an artist who, well, isn’t a favourite of mine, but more on that later. At Gotham Criminal Detention Centre, the Reaper attacks a large group of police officers, killing two and injuring four. In the Batcave, Bruce fires the gun which Joe Chill used to murder his parents. This does explain why in Detective Comics 574, Bruce, as a child, found and kept the gun. Leslie tries to tell Bruce that his parents wouldn’t want him to use a gun to avenge them, but she admits defeat, knowing that Bruce is far too stubborn to listen to her. Meanwhile, as Rachel prepares to become a nun, her father reminds her that her mother would have been proud. Judson then remembers his wife and how she was shot and killed in front of Rachel’s eyes. Giving him an origin similar to Batman’s is clearly effective, but I was hoping for something different. I do however like the idea that the two characters have similar origins, but their methods are very different, or at least, they were. Anyway, Bruce meets with Rachel again, telling her that Leslie couldn’t make their appointment. Although weary of him at first, Rachel warms up to Bruce and realises that he is lonely like her father. Expectedly, they kiss as somehow Bruce is effectively a woman magnet. Later at night, Batman meets with Gordon, telling him that he has a plan to take out the Reaper, but he warns Gordon that he will want to come after him when it begins. At an airport, Gordon, Batman and the police wait for Johnny Heymer, a Metropolis mob boss, to arrive. When he does, the Reaper appears, but Batman intervenes. As Gordon prepares to shoot the Reaper, Batman uses his own gun to shoot Gordon’s out of his hand. Although Heymer escapes with Batman, the Reaper retreats and Gordon feels betrayed by Batman. Later at a criminal meetup to discuss how the Reaper’s presence has cut their profits on drugs and prostitution, Batman appears, telling the criminals that he wants to make a truce as they have a similar goal in wanting to take out the Reaper. Reluctantly, the gang agree with Batman and they send a gangster to stay with him until the Reaper is taken care of. That gangster is Joe Chill, the killer of Batman’s parents. This is a really great (continued)
ending to the second part, especially since you know that in the next two issues, something will happen, and Batman may kill him. However, my big issue is that Batman is working with a gang and the murderer of his parents. I don’t think that it is a particularly Batman-like thing to do. This is partly where the controversy of this story lies, along with Batman nonchalantly using a gun. That does bother me to a small extent, but his decision to work with criminals bothers me more, especially with the man who killed his parents. In doing so, Batman becomes the thing he swore to destroy. At the grave of his parents, Batman asks them whether he is doing the right thing. Leslie then appears, telling him that he will be dead if he works with criminals and the man who killed his parents. As Batman leaves, Leslie tells him that she will be praying for him. Later, Batman meets with Chill, where they prepare to recruit an undercover agent by force. As they carry out their mission, Batman uses his gun to simply disarm his enemies, but Joe Chill uses his gun to kill. Once they find and recruit their agent, Batman leaves, with Chill telling him that they make a good team. Batman is filled with rage. Why does he need to use a gun if he is simply just using it to disarm people? Surely his batarangs could do the job well enough. Also, instead of working with Chill and the mob, why didn’t Batman decide to work more closely with the police. Sure, the police may have been hostile towards him, but it is certainly more moral to work with them rather than a group of criminals. Anyway, Chill heads back to his boss, who tells him that when the Reaper is dead, he will pay him a bonus to kill Batman. Meanwhile, Gordon and the police learn of a drug deal in a few days, believing that the Reaper may appear there. Later, Bruce goes out to dinner with Leslie, Rachel and Judson, who is suspicious of Bruce due to his reputation as a playboy, an obvious character fault. However, Bruce reassures him that like Rachel, he too has been hurt by the world and that he will look after her. After the meeting, both Bruce and Judson leave to become their respective vigilante identities. Meeting with Chill, Batman watches as their agents create a trap using explosives for the Reaper. When he responds to it, the Reaper murders the agents. The police then appear as Batman and Chill try to find the Reaper. As Gordon wanders around on his own, he is found by the Reaper, who tries to attack him, but Batman saves him. Chill then attempts to shoot the Reaper, but he fails and hits one of the explosives, causing an explosion. With Chill holding on to the building for his life after falling, Batman thinks about his parents and how he should leave Chill to fall and die. But he reluctantly saves Chill, telling himself and his father that once the Reaper is dead, he will use the gun to murder Chill. One of the most interesting aspects of the story has to be the partnership between Chill and Batman. It’s something that isn’t explored all that often, but it really should be. This is the only time you’ll find the two of them teaming up with one another and although I do have my many criticisms of it, it is full of drama and intensity as you wonder what the ending of the story will be and whether Batman will kill Chill or revert back to is his old ways. Anyway, Chill returns to his boss where he is criticised for not killing the Reaper and due to the explosives, destroying a shipment of drugs. Chill promises that next time, both Batman and the Reaper will die. Meanwhile on the street, the Reaper attacks a police informer, ordering him to tell the police that a council of organised crime will meet on Friday at a warehouse. Call me insane, but I think that the Reaper had the potential to have his own miniseries. Scenes like that where he is on his own and we learn of his tactics and character, we see how a story can be told about him. When Friday comes, Bruce goes on another date with Rachel, this time giving her an engagement ring and asking her to marry him, despite just knowing each other for several days. But she accepts. Meanwhile, Gordon and his men wait near the warehouse for the organised crime meeting. As the police begin their attack, Joe Chill is ordered to fire back, while his boss is quickly murdered by the Reaper. Batman then arrives, but the warehouse explodes, and the Reaper is nowhere to be seen. As Batman escapes, Gordon speaks to a dying gangster, who tells him that Batman betrayed them and used them just to get to the Reaper. Afterwards, Bruce visits Rachel, telling her that he is going to do something that goes against the word of God, but when he returns, the two will be together forever. As Batman, Bruce visits Joe Chill and asks him to come with him. This is the moment that the story has been building up to. Batman takes him to Crime Alley, telling him that here twenty years ago, he killed Thomas and Martha Wayne. Batman then unmasks himself in front of Chill. But, as he prepares to shoot and kill Chill, the Reaper strikes and murders Chill. This raises the question whether Batman would have killed Chill or not, as Chill wondered if Batman could ever kill anyone. I personally think that if the Reaper didn’t appear, then Joe Chill would be on the (continued)
ground without a bullet in his brain. Anyway, as Batman and the Reaper duel it out for one final time, Batman manages to use one of the Reaper’s weapons against him. With the Reaper unmasked and Batman surprised to find him to be Judson, he tells Batman that he is glad that he isn’t a killer. Judson then falls to death from the top of the Wayne Foundation Building, with Batman throwing Joe Chill’s gun into the base of the building. Bruce then visits Rachel, who is distraught about her father as she tells him that she must make amends for what he did. The two say their farewells. Some time later, Bruce surprises Leslie by introducing her to the Thomas Wayne Memorial Clinic, where she can continue her work for the poor. After doing so, Bruce heads into the night as Batman once again, tying things up nicely with Detective Comics 574. Without that issue, a lot of the inclusions here just wouldn’t make too much sense. The gun is a prime example of that and so is the clinic at the end. I think the main message behind Batman: Year Two is similarities and differences between Batman and the Reaper. Batman could easily have become the Reaper and his presence in the story is why Batman begins a transformation. That being said, I don’t think that entirely adds up. Batman has been severely beaten in the past (Year One is a prime example) and in the future. I don’t know why it is the Reaper who changes his character and outlook dramatically. This story is one which many people like, many people hate, and a few love it. To me, it is a more than passable story, but it does have its problems, some of which are very significant. The gun issue here isn’t anything that major to me, but Batman deciding to team up with criminals is, particularly the one who murdered his parents.
As I have said here and before, Alan Davis and Paul Neary do an excellent job with Batman. They capture excellently how Batman should look, with his impressive cape in those dark shadows. Its just such a huge shame that they go after the first issue. Todd McFarlane’s art in the second and third issues is more than above average. Actually, its decent, but that’s only due to the inking style of Alfred Alcala, who can clean up any woeful penciller. He certainly improves McFarlane’s amateur style of art, but when McFarlane is given free range over the art like he is in the fourth and final part, everything looks plain awful. His inks over everyone look incredibly jagged, as if it was done by someone with Parkinson’s. It makes the overall appearance of the story look really shoddy. I guess McFarlane’s version of the Reaper is a more fearful one than that of Davis’s and Neary’s, but I might just be saying that as I see a look of what will become Spawn in McFarlane’s version of the Reaper. Overall, for the art, it is fairly mixed.
VERDICT
Overall, Batman: Year Two is a good story. Like I said, it does have its problems, particularly with the morality of Batman and his attitude to both guns and working with criminals. However, Year Two is just an exciting and very enjoyable story from Batman’s early career. The Reaper makes for a great villain, even if is identity is revealed far too quickly and the partnership between Batman and Joe Chill is very unique as it is something that hasn’t been explored before. It is a shame that Davis and Neary don’t complete the story as I think that it certainly would have made it better, but I we really have to thank Alcala for saving McFarlane for two whole issues, as without him everything just looks like trash. But, despite its name, this isn't a sequel to Batman: Year One. Its just a story that might take place in Batman's second year. It is very separate from Year One, but it works well as a story regardless.
Story: 7.5/10
Art: 6/10
Next Week: Batman: Full Circle. Written by Mike W. Barr with art by Alan Davis and Mark Farmer. Expected by 24/01/2021.
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