Back Issues: "Batman: Year 100" (2006)

- by Ninja Ross, 26 August 2015

"Batman: Year One" is, of course, the definitive Batman origin story. Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli gave us a dark, gripping story that made Batman feel like more than just a nut in a cape. But what happens when you add a couple of zeros to the one? You get Batman Year Onezerozero. Or, to use the more official version, "Batman: Year 100" by Paul Pope and Jose Villarrubia.

Cover of #1. By Paul Pope. Click to enlarge.

Batman: Year 100 is set in 2039, 100 years after the original appearance of Batman in Detective Comics #27 in 1939. Gotham City is a police state, with privacy being a thing of the past. Cameras are everywhere, from street corners to, presumably, your bedroom.

The book opens with Batman racing across the rooftops, wounded, attempting to escape relentless police dogs with cameras implanted into their retinas.

But no dog is going to stop Batman, despite a horrible wound to his side. Batman loses them by jumping over a 25 foot gap between two buildings, leaving the dogs in his dust.

Meanwhile, at the White House!

Federal agents are gathered around screens, carefully watching Batman's getaway. All they get is brief glimpses before the final jump between buildings. As Batman continues to flee, avoiding everything the pursuing swat team can throw at him.

This whole scene is full of excitement and tension as we snap back and forth between Batman taking down swat team members to the federal agents trying to keep up with it on their screens.

The chase finishes with Batman taking down one last adversary, giving the agents their first clear look at his face. Since the federal agents believe Batman is just an urban myth created by drug dealers to scare each other, it helps really cement the idea that Batman is something to be scared of, almost seeming like a horror villain.

GAME OVER, MAN! GAME OVER!

But Batman isn't running around for kicks; he's been framed for the murder of a federal agent. And that tends not to go down well with other agents. But, more importantly to those in charge, he's a man who has almost completely evaded capture and identification, despite the constant surveillance.

Caught up in the whole thing is Detective Gordon, grandson of the original Jim Gordon. He's dragged into the case as the liaison between GCPD and the federal agents, helping to locate the Batman, since he's the closest they have to an expert. Except he's never even heard of the Batman! Grandpappy Gordon was clearly not big on sharing. But nobody in Gotham knows who Batman is, as he seems to have been deleted from history.

Gordon's ass is legendary.

This is easily one of the coolest reinventions of Batman. Not only is the conspiracy fuelled story a blast to read, but every aspect of the world Pope has created and it's inhabitants are fascinating. Everything from the technology to the dark yet neon environment is a joy to look at and learn about. It feels fleshed out, like there should be more books set there.

But, most important is Batman himself. Robin's identity is made a little more clear; he's a mechanic named Robin, who works on the Batmobile (actually a bike in this book, rather than a car) and occasionally helps out. Batman's identity, however, is never revealed. But that's not something we need to know. In fact, this adds to that legendary status that's built up within the first few pages.

Batman's arsenal is more realistic in this book, despite the sci fi setting. Most of his equipment is focused on theatrics, including ropes, smoke grenades and, the coolest thing of all, a set of fake monster teeth. Here we have a Batman that is putting his vampire influences to use.

VROOOOOM!

While Pope keeps things familiar, he's created something very original with Batman Year 100. It's full of fantastic imagery and amazing action sequences. His artwork is dark and gritty, but still keeps everything clear. Pope has a slightly distorted, loose style that gives the book a slight grotesque look, which fits Batman perfectly. He also has an incredible eye for detail, giving you a good reason to stop and stare at each panel.

As great as Paul Pope's art is, Jose Villarrubia's colours helps pull everything together. While Pope puts a lot of work into the darker side of the book, Villarrubia brings out the vibrancy and brightness. The block colours he uses are kind of reminiscent of the original Detective Comics #27 at times, but with a much darker pallet. Villarrubia's work compliments Pope better than pretty much any colourist probably could.

Batman: Year 100 is a fun, exciting read, full of style and mystery. It's one of the best reinventions of Batman out there and it's well worth checking out.


Have you ever thought about using big fake monster teeth? Or have you perhaps read Batman: Year 100? Let us know in the comments below!

Tagged: comics, Back Issues.

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