Since Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli penned the Caped Crusader's definitive origin in Batman: Year One, dozens of other writers and artists have replicated that formula elsewhere. As such, the 'Year One' namesake has become something of a tradition for DC, with the likes of Green Arrow, Batgirl and even Robin all getting the 'Year One' treatment at some point or another.
Fortunately, most if not all have been fantastic. Robin's in particular stands out, with the work of Javier Pulido and Marcos Martín selling the book's visual dissonance expertly.
Year One showcases Dick Grayson's first adventures as the Boy Wonder, and also shows how he came dangerously close to death during his first encounter with Two-Face. Harvey Dent captures Grayson and beats him half to death, supposedly in revenge for Batman's failure to prevent his disfigurement, and he almost succeeds in killing him.
The event later convinces Bruce to abandon his plans for a sidekick altogether, and proves to be the catalyst that makes Dick prove his worth as his adoptive father's greatest ally, going so far as to nearly kill Two-Face in response.
WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well.
In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.
