Batman: Earth One

     DC's Earth One series takes place in an alternate reality where the heroes are just starting out. The characters have no continuity with the regular DC universe so it's easy for new readers to jump into the story. The first Earth One comic released was Superman: Earth One in 2010 and now DC has just released Batman: Earth One in July of 2012.

     This graphic novel written by Geoff Johns is a retelling of the classic batman origin story with some original character development and design. The book offers gritty new takes on an unprepared Batman, a reluctant Alfred, a downtrodden James Gordon, a famous Harvey Bullock and a successful Penguin.

     The thing that really grabbed me about the graphic novel was the art. Artist Gary Frank did a wonderful job of bringing the characters to life. The world displays a gritty realism and the characters' faces express graphic pain, fear and anger.

     While the art is great and the story is well written it is still a slightly updated version of the same Batman origin that has been endlessly reprinted. Batman: Earth One was a good read but because it still produces a sense of deja-vu I give it a 7/10.