75 years ago Batman entered the public consciousness as he was splashed on the cover of Detective Comics #27. Two crooks look out over a rooftop as a winged creature swings across, holding their compatriot in a headlock with little difficulty. The image displays the strength and skill of The Bat-Man, as well as the fear he inspired in criminals. As iconic as the image is, however, very few suspected it would be replicated within the pages of Zero Year. The scene plays out similar to the original cover: Batman encounters a group of the Red Hood Gang and takes them out one by one, attaching them to a billboard in the shape of a bat. But, as Batman says, it's still missing the head and needs one more. Batman swings and grabs a Red Hood member as two other gang members look on, the setting sun illuminating the Dark Knight in all his glory. Artist Greg Capullo perfectly captured this scene with his beautiful splash page. The bright colours pop right out and is easily an updated form of the Detective Comics cover. This also marks the full debut of Batman's Zero Year costume which is very reminiscent of the original suit from 1939, purple gloves included. Capullo's costume is drawn with such great attention to detail that it is somewhat a shame it will be gone after Zero Year concludes.
Richard Church has a Bachelor of Arts in English and a diploma in Television Writing and Producing. He is an aspiring writer for short stories, novels and screenplays. He is also an avid fan of comic books and graphic novels.
