Batman: The Thrilling Conclusion.

When last we left out caped crusader he was feeling the heat and we were left to wonder if he would go to pieces. All those answers and more on today's exciting conclusion of Batman: Year One!

 

Introducing Sprinkles the Cat

 So, as our wonderful announcer mentioned, when last we left the Dark Knight he was about to become Bat-Flambe courtesy of Commissioner Loeb. So with things blowing up left and right, what's a poor costumed vigilante to do?! Well if you happen to be the God Damn Batman you tear through the building and find the hidden door that leads to the basement. Chains and a lock, is that a problem? Not when you're the God Damn Batman. So with Bats out of immediate danger we go back to outside as a corrupt swat team leader and his squad move in to kill our hero. Now, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt, cause this is supposed to be at the beginning of his career, but you would think, if several large explosions don't kill this man, that you probably don't want to be caught dead in his field of vision. So while the manhunt is going on, Batman gets a moment to reflect on his situation and make friends with a nearby cat, yeah, kinda some foreshadowing there, and Spoiler Alert!, it's one of the many that belongs to Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman.

No one takes a shot at Sprinkles.

 So Gotham's finest take the time to show us how awesome they are by shooting at Batman's new friend, Sprinkles the Cat, and this does not sit well with Bruce Wayne. Why not? Well for one, Bruce loves cats, he's like Dr. Dolittle, man just loves animals, and for two...He's the God Damn Batman, and no one, I mean NO ONE shoots at Sprinkles the Cat and doesn't get his comeuppance. So Bat's rescues his buddy by running through a hale of gunfire, scoops up the cat and chucks it through an open window, and about that time, everyone outside is thinking the same thing. It's about to go down.

 So the it didn't work out too well for the members of the Gotham Swat team, I mean, once you get thrown through a brick wall you're done. You're human and you just got put through a brick wall? Yep, you're done, clock out, call it a day, but make sure you stop and get some ice to help with that ass-whooping you just took. So Batman summons up a huge swarm of bats, just like in the scene from Batman Beings and make's his escape. Bruce spends some time in Europe to heal up and from taking a couple bullets during the whole ordeal, but it's just a scratch when you're one of the baddest men on the planet(And not some asshole from Krypton). Meanwhile, poor Jim Gordon is having some issues of the personal nature, but I'm not gonna spoil it, but I will say the conflict does add another layer to the already great character. That brings us to the end of the third issue and we're going to go ahead and rocket into the fourth

 

  Our final issue is a hell of a finale for the arc, it starts with Gordon dealing with some issues with his love life, and in my humble opinion he made the right choice, and did what an honorable man would do, but that not where I want you all to focus, where heading back to crime. So we cut to a scene where Gordon is beside himself that future Two-Face, Harvey Dent, did little to nothing to stop a corrupt judge from letting a notorious criminal back onto the street. What Gordon doesn't realize is that Dent wasn't doing this for nothing, and as we see the scum bag enjoying a few lines of nose candy while shooting the crap with his lawyer he's paid a visit by our the God Damn Batman.

 If you weren't aware already from issues of the past, Batman likes drugs about as much as you probably like having a finger nail ripped off. I got a bit of a chill when he's looking this scumbag in the face and says, "I know pain. I know pain. And sometimes, I like to share it."
Batman put the fear into this man, and gets him to turn against a high ranking crooked police officer, one Detective Flass, which starts things on a downhill slope for Gotham's corrupt higher ups. This comic also shows up the initial appearance of Catwoman, who is referred to as Batman's assistant when she shows up on a stakeout and proceeds to ruin the evening of Carmine Falcone. The action picks up to a frenzied pace when someone kidnaps Gordon's newborn son and after a chase and a brief scuffle with Gordon, falls off a bridge with the baby in his hands. However, thanks to his complete badassery, Batman, knowing this shit was gonna happen because of his Bat-Telepathy device, was there to jump off the bridge and save baby Gordon and secure the alliance with future Commissioner Gordon. This issue goes by fairly quick, ending with Gordon standing atop a building, recounting the fall of Commissioner Loeb and his rise to Captain in the Gotham City Police Department. He also makes mention of a lunatic who's threatening to poison the Gotham Reservoir, a man calling himself The Joker, but he tells the reading not to worry, cause he has a friend coming that can help. The scene was the basis for the last scene in Batman Begins.

So that's it folks, If you're into Batman and you haven't already ready this go get it and read it. It's almost required reading for any Batman fan. If you're new to comics and you like the new Batman movies, read the damn book, you'll enjoy it as much as the movies. Also, if there is one that you should take away from this it's this:

He's the God Damn Batman