2. Batman Can Have Adventures Epic In Scope And Scale
Zero Year is a very, very big story. Easily Snyder and Capullo's grandest vision since they began, it is truly an epic tale. It is unusual for an origin story to be this large and operatic, but the creators clearly wanted to pull out all the stops and give the world a story for the ages. Separating the year long story into three shorter, but interlocking arcs was a smart idea, as it means Snyder could weave in running themes and build the action. Secret City is probably the closest to something like Year One, functioning as a crime story, only with more bombastic action scenes. When the story transitioned to Dark City, we were given a more horror based feel, a genre that Snyder has previously excelled in. Dr Death is a terrifying proposition and I would imagine this phase was the most fun for Capullo to draw, all monsters and bones and dark catacombs. Finally, Savage City saw the action reach it's crescendo and reads like a post-apocalyptic action movie. The influences are keenly felt, with elements of I Am Legend in the vision of Gotham, deserted streets overgrown with vegetation. We believe Snyder was also paying an homage to the third act of The Dark Knight Rises here, with Batman, Jim Gordon and Lucius Fox teaming up with a group of marines to try and overthrow the villainous dictator. Oh, and Batman totally fights lions in an underground parking structure that functions as a colosseum. Nice.
