Review by Sabrina TVBand

Under Denny O’Neil’s editorship from 1986 the Batman line would reach new commercial heights. DC Finest: Batman – Year One & Two, which starts the month after the conclusion of the prior Red Skies volume, collects the first two years of O’Neil’s tenure.

It opens with two issues written by Barbara Kesel and Joey Cavalieri, illustrated by Trevor von Eeden and Klaus Janson respectively, with Von Eeden’s artwork notable for its stylistic similarities to Batman: Year One.

For the rest of the volume inclusions from Detective Comics are written by Mike W. Barr with artwork mostly by Alan Davis, and the Batman issues are written by Max Allan Collins with artwork by several pencillers. They never crossover, in stark contrast with how both comics segued into one another in a continuous serialised narrative in the preceding Red Skies.

Collins’ run on Batman never takes off. His writing is dry. In one story he introduces an evil headmistress who wouldn’t be out of place in the Adam West Batman show, but there are no good jokes relating to the character and she ends up a missed opportunity. Collins is most known for being a mystery writer, and bafflingly, none of his Batman stories genuinely contain mysteries.

It doesn’t help that Collins works with a variety of artists. Jim Starlin, Denys Cowan, Chris Warner, Ross Andru, and Dave Cockrum all pitch in as pencillers. These artists did great work in their careers, but most of them are poor fits for Batman, unable to capture a gritty and gothic ambiance. Ross Andru and Dave Cockrum especially turn in work that feels old hat for the 1980s.

Barr’s work on the other hand is immediately successful in featuring some of Batman’s most famous villains. These stories feel archetypal and definitive in the way the best episodes of the 1990s animated series do. Barr even manages to turn a story in which Catwoman becomes a villain again, something that could’ve been a nasty bit of lore maintenance, into a legitimately humorous yarn with a few poignant moments.

Davis’ artwork is perfectly suited to the stories Barr is telling. Whereas many other artists draw Batman in something approaching a house style, Davis has a clean and friendly visual aesthetic that’s a touch cartoonish. It’s a style that, even early in his career, feels fully realised. The featured image features pages by Davis and Andru respectively.

Batman: Year One and Batman: Year Two are in this book, as its title implies. Year One, by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli, is a masterpiece, and more information can be found in the linked review. This volume includes Richmond Lewis’ seldom-reprinted original colouring, which should provide some consolation for people who already own the recoloured Year One.

Batman: Year Two, written by Barr, is far from the creative success its predecessor was. It’s ill-conceived in having Batman use a gun and team up with the man who killed his parents. Davis leaves partway through and is replaced by a young Todd McFarlane, who isn’t able to make characters convey emotion with nuance.

Towards the end Norm Breyfogle’s first Batman art can be seen, and a memorable Clayface story written by Alan Moore with art by Davis is also included.

Batman: Year One & Two is definitely a mixed bag, but it’s also a great starting point for Batman fans who are dipping their toes into comics.