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mysteryfan (mysteryfan) wrote in scans_daily,
@ 2009-10-11 10:37:00

Entry tags:

char: alfred pennyworth, char: batman/bruce wayne, creator: david mazzucchelli, creator: frank miller, publisher: dc comics, title: batman

Bruce and Alfred: Frank Miller's Batman Year One

In light of a recent discussion about Alfred and Alfred's influence, I put together these scans from Batman Year One. By Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli.

From Batman Year One: Chapter 1/Batman #404

And Batman Year One: Chapter 4/Batman #407

I know that Grant Morrison would like for Bruce to be 20 years old in Batman Year One, instead of 25 years old. I don't think that's been officially retconned, though.

But about Alfred and his influence: Is Bruce's whole '12 years abroad starting at age 13' referenced other places?

(Post a new comment)

	volksjager 2009-10-11 03:52 pm UTC (link)
	I had forgotten how good this book was . (Reply to this) (Thread)

	mysteryfan 2009-10-11 04:06 pm UTC (link)
	I don't like every single thing about it, but I do like a lot. And those last three pages of Chapter One... Wow. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	volksjager 2009-10-11 04:22 pm UTC (link)
	I really like the sense of Bruce just on the edge of being Bruce vs.the Batman. Like he is asking himself if he can really do this ? (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	mysteryfan 2009-10-11 04:23 pm UTC (link)
	Yes! And I like that too. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	filkertom 2009-10-11 05:32 pm UTC (link)
	I never have forgotten. Especially since Chris Nolan lifted so much of it for Batman Begins. I still hope that someday, someone will make a movie of this, using the mini-series itself as the storyboard. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

They almost did..

steverodgers5
2009-10-11 08:59 pm UTC (link)

It was so close to happening with Darren Aronofsky when instead Warner Brothers decided to go with Nolans take. Which is no bad thing, as I've enjoyed the last two movies. (Especially Batman Begins..And yeah it does borrow a hell of a lot from Year One..)

But man, I soooo miss the Frank Miller that wrote this, Elecktra lives again, Dark Night Returns, and Born Again. Wish we could have him back!

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	Re: They almost did.. filthysize 2009-10-12 02:37 am UTC (link)
	Actually, not really. The Aranofsky Year One was going to be something completely different, an original take by Frank Miller somewhat closer to what All-Star ended up being. Bruce Wayne is homeless, Alfred ia a big black mechanic and Gordon is suicidal (his first scene in the script is him sitting in his bathroom with a gun in his mouth). (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	Re: They almost did.. steverodgers5 2009-10-14 08:12 pm UTC (link)
	Ohhh.. Well in that case, 'There..but for the grace of God...' Don't quite feel so bad about us missing out on that now. (Reply to this) (Parent)

Re: They almost did..

thebat_man
2009-10-20 09:28 pm UTC (link)

Miller said "Darren and I had a blast on YEAR ONE but developed many a friendly difference. Mine lived in the subway and revealed Wayne Manor to Selina in time for a big climax with the Joker. Just to name a couple of the differences. We both submitted separate drafts but the whole works went south when Darren left as director and Warner cleaned house."
http://www.moebiusgraphics.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1534
Miller and Aronofsky were both doing different versions of Batman's origin. Neither of them were trying to do completely faithful adaptions of the Year One comic. The difference is Miller was embellishing Year One by adding more of Catwoman, the Penguin, the Joker, Batman moving temporary into the underground subway system below Gotham as the first Batcave with Catwoman which Batman references to in All-Star Batman 10. Aronofsky was just doing his own version of Batman. Aronofsky had no desire at all to be faithful to Year One.
Here's the Frank Miller version in a terribly written review which bashes the script for Gordon cheating on his wife with Sarah Essen which is from the Year One comic but it's Miller's script http://www.aintitcool.com/?q=node/9819
Director Aronofsky wanted a black Alfred and the director has all the power so Miller added that bit which would of course be changed. I'm certain Miller knew Warner would demand that Alfred be white and British. Aronofsky also wanted the film set in the 70s because Aronofsky wanted to give the film a feel similar to French Connection and Taxi Driver. Warners would of course want a more contemporary film so the 70s bit would have changed too.
Here's the radically different Aronofsky version, Miller's name is on because Miller was the official script writer for the project but this is actually Aronofsky's version http://leonscripts.users5.50megs.com/scripts/BATMANYEARONEscript.htm/
In Aronofsky's version he lives above a garage. Bruce Wayne raised in the garage by a mechanic called Little Al.
http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/09/script-review-batman-year-one.html
Miller said "Ideas pour out of him. In many ways I think I'm the lighter one of the team and I'm not used to that. I can't really talk about what's in the movie, though because I think Warner Brothers would have somebody beat me up. And asking a screenwriter what the movie's going to be like is like asking a doorman whether a building is going to be condemned."
Aronofsky said "I was never planning to direct Year One. I was more interested in writing a screenplay with Frank Miller on Batman. My pitch was always very realistic. I wasn't interested in fantasy I was interested in the psychology of a real man dressing in a disguise to pay out real vengeance. The batmobile was a souped up Lincoln continental with a bus engine. It was technical and rusty and extremely violent. They would have never let us have violence."
http://www.deadprogrammer.com/category/person/darren-aronofsky
Miller disagrees with a very realistic Batman. On the documentary Legends of the Dark Knight History of Batman Miller said "People are attempting to bring a superficial reality to superheroes which is rather stupid. They work best as the flamboyant fantasies they are. I mean, these are characters that are broad and big."
Aronofsky said, "It was a hard R-rated Batman. What I pitched them was Travis Bickle meets The French Connection - a real guy running around fighting crime. No super-powers, no villains, just corruption. For the Batmobile I had him taking a bus engine and sticking it in a black Lincoln. Real low-tech geek stuff."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2007/apr/27/1
Aronofsky also said, "I never really wanted to make a Batman film, it was a kind of bait and switch strategy. I was working on Requiem for a Dream and I got a phone call that Warner Bros wanted to talk about Batman. At the time I had this idea for a film called The Fountain which I knew was gonna be this big movie and I was thinking, 'Is Warners really gonna give me $80 million to make a film about love and death after I come off a heroin movie?' So my theory was if I can write this Batman film and they could perceive me as a writer for it."
http://www.cinemablend.com/new/EIFF-09-Darren-Aronofsky-On-Robocop-Batman-Year-One-13673.html

(Reply to this) (Parent)

	ex_stig213 2009-10-11 04:42 pm UTC (link)
	"Easy-Shatter Glass Substitute windows bought especially from Hollywood suppliers...yet another of your gifts to me, Father..." (Reply to this) (Thread)

	mcity 2009-10-13 09:31 pm UTC (link)
	Blood loss. Hallucination. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	sistermagpie 2009-10-11 04:43 pm UTC (link)
	No way it's been retconned. We don't need an official age for him when he started, but clearly he wasn't barely out of his teens. Nor was he just exploring being a grown up for the first time when Dick went to college. I do like this part of Year One. Alfred included. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	mysteryfan 2009-10-11 05:43 pm UTC (link)
	Clearly. Agreed, including Bruce not 'just now experiencing being a grown-up' when Dick went away to college. He'd been adult for quite a while. I like this part of Year One, as well. I love the second set of scans from Chapter 4, with Alfred reading aloud. (Reply to this) (Parent)

retro_nouveau
2009-10-11 04:58 pm UTC (link)

I prefer to think that Bruce would never, ever consider offing himself. He's been all about the mission since the alley, doesn't have time for introspection.

Bruce: (I shall become a bat.)
*ding ding ding ding ding*
Alfred: MY WORD, sir! Do you realize how hard it is to remove blood from this carpet? XD

That's totally Gregory Peck in the corner of the first page.

This I do like:
Alfred: [dry, witty zinger aimed at Bruce]
Bruce: Quiet, Alfred.
Alfred: [two dry, witty zingers aimed at Bruce] XD

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	mysteryfan 2009-10-11 05:44 pm UTC (link)
	I kind of took it as him just... reflecting. And blood loss. Lots of blood loss. And wow. That IS totally Gregory Peck. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	sailorlibra 2009-10-11 05:59 pm UTC (link)
	Yes, it is. The artist based the design for Bruce Wayne off of Gregory Peck. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	mysteryfan 2009-10-11 06:02 pm UTC (link)
	Huh. I have the weirdest feeling of deja vu right now, like I knew that and oh... no I didn't. Just remembering I saw some art where Superman looked like Gregory Peck. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	starwolf_oakley 2009-10-11 07:33 pm UTC (link)
	Alex Ross made Bruce Wayne look a lot like an older Gregory Peck in KINGDOM COME. http://fc09.deviantart.com/fs13/f/2007/101/4/5/Kingdom_Come_Batman_Sketch_by_theirishgrover.jpg http://www.filmdope.com/Gallery/ActorsP/13582-14333.gif (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	mysteryfan 2009-10-11 07:36 pm UTC (link)
	He sure did, didn't he? That's awesome! Thanks for the link! (Reply to this) (Parent)

	lightbrigade 2009-10-12 07:32 am UTC (link)
	Thanks for the links! I love Gregory Peck, and I can't believe I missed the similarities before :) (Reply to this) (Parent)

	jaybee3 2009-10-11 06:02 pm UTC (link)
	I could see a young Peck as Bruce Wayne, even more I can see Bruce with Gregory Peck's voice - the voice of a cultured American aristocrat. Too bad Frank Miller went from this to ASBAR. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	mysteryfan 2009-10-11 07:44 pm UTC (link)
	It's of course absolutely different, but so far I find ASBAR kind of fascinating. Glad it's not in continuity, though. (Reply to this) (Parent)

chipsnopotatoes
2009-10-11 11:17 pm UTC (link)

Yes it is!

I've always thought Gregory Peck was the perfect Bruce Wayne, much more so than Christian Bale. Right height, physique, hair color (hot topic nowadays!), ruggedly handsome face (vs. Cary Grant who was suavely handsome). But most of all, the way he carried himself with such dignity and substance.

As for Selina, I've always pictured Ava Gardner in that role, much more so than Audrey Hepburn who I think is too sweet and innocent for it.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	mysteryfan 2009-10-11 11:32 pm UTC (link)
	Chipsnopotatoes, I LOVE the way you think! Really really really! (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	chipsnopotatoes 2009-10-12 01:07 am UTC (link)
	hee! thanks. your posts always provoke interesting discussions so I'm happy to contribute... and couldn't resist the shameless plug for our girl :D If only Batman 3 were being made 50 yrs ago, we'd have the perfect cast! (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	mysteryfan 2009-10-12 01:09 am UTC (link)
	:) Good god, yes! I LOVE On the Beach, by the way. Just watched it the other day again. And YES! (Reply to this) (Parent)

	yaseen101 2009-10-11 05:32 pm UTC (link)
	There was another (don't remember which) that showed Alfred watching from afar before Bruce rang the bell. He got woken up by Bruce coming into the house and followed the blood trail to the Study. Of course the Bat already crashed through the window by the time he got there. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	sailorlibra 2009-10-11 06:00 pm UTC (link)
	Because Alfred is all knowing and all awesome, yes. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	yaseen101 2009-10-11 07:03 pm UTC (link)
	Y-y-yes...of course. Your icon is creeping me out more than it should. (Reply to this) (Parent)

earthelemental
2009-10-11 06:09 pm UTC (link)

Year One:

Alfred: "They want to know your age, sir."

Bruce: "Tell them I'm twenty-five."

Alfred: "But, sir! You're not even in your twenties, quite yet..."

Bruce: "After all my intense training abroad, don't I look twenty-five?"

Alfred: "Well. You do look quite a bit older, sir."

Bruce: "Tell them I'm twenty-five."

Alfred: "Sigh! Very good, sir!"

Several years later:

Alfred: "Sir! Your face! What happened? You look years younger!"

Bruce: "Yes. I fought Ra's Al Ghul. We both fell into a Lazarus Pit before I beat him. Then, upon my return to Gotham, I was kissed by Poison Ivy, just after she'd taken a highly toxic youth-extending potion. Apparently, this is the result."

Alfred: "Whatever shall I tell the press, this time?"

Bruce: "Tell them I got a face lift."

Alfred: "As you wish, sir..."

A few more years later:

Alfred: "Sir! You've become even younger! Why, you don't look much older than Master Dick, and he's been Nightwing for years now!

Bruce: "Another Lazarus Pit bath after a fall into toxic waste, courtesy of Talia. Then, our passion got the better of us."

Alfred: "Gasp! You actually slept with her, sir?"

Bruce: "I'm sure it'll produce nothing negative. You know the drill?"

Alfred: "Like clockwork, sir. Another face lift it is, then..."

A couple more years later:

Alfred: "Yet another rejuvenation. I'd wish for one myself, but..."

Bruce: "Don't. The whole JLA had to die and be resurrected, this time."

Alfred: "I know the routine now, yet another face lift announcement..."

Recently:

Damian: "Alfred, how old was my father when he became the Batman?"

Alfred: "As old or young as he wanted to be, Master Damian."

(Reply to this) (Thread)

mysteryfan
2009-10-11 06:41 pm UTC (link)

Hee! Oh, that's great!

I think part three's my favorite:

Alfred: "Sir! You've become even younger! Why, you don't look much older than Master Dick, and he's been Nightwing for years now!

Bruce: "Another Lazarus Pit bath after a fall into toxic waste, courtesy of Talia. Then, our passion got the better of us."

Alfred: "Gasp! You actually slept with her, sir?"

Bruce: "I'm sure it'll produce nothing negative. You know the drill?"

Alfred: "Like clockwork, sir. Another face lift it is, then..."

Especially because of the Nightwing comparison and the "Gasp!" followed by Alfred's "You actually slept with her, sir?" So much more sensible than certain other theories.

Nice work!

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	yaseen101 2009-10-11 07:07 pm UTC (link)
	Come to think of it, he actually did fall into a Lazarus Pit once, I believe it was during the 'Ras Al Ghul' origin story by Denny O' Neil. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	mysteryfan 2009-10-11 07:35 pm UTC (link)
	Birth of the Demon, maybe? (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	yaseen101 2009-10-11 09:21 pm UTC (link)
	I think that's the one. With the Norm Bregfoyle (sp?) art, correct? (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	mysteryfan 2009-10-11 09:32 pm UTC (link)
	Yes it is. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	mysteryfan 2009-10-11 11:03 pm UTC (link)
	So much more sensible than certain other theories. By which I mean theories on Damian's conception, nudge nudge wink wink. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	sistermagpie 2009-10-11 07:19 pm UTC (link)
	Alfred: "As old or young as he wanted to be, Master Damian." And one day he might be younger than you! (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	mysteryfan 2009-10-11 07:34 pm UTC (link)
	LOL! (Reply to this) (Parent)

	Hahahahaha! steverodgers5 2009-10-11 09:02 pm UTC (link)
	Brilliant! That's truly inspired. I can so see them having that type of conversation.. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	jedd_the_jedi 2009-10-12 06:21 am UTC (link)
	Whee! Bruce doing one-armed pushups. Go macho Bruce! (Reply to this)

	starwolf_oakley 2009-10-12 07:11 pm UTC (link)
	I read somewhere that Kirk Langstrom was experimenting on the bats near Wayne Manor, and that specific bat had its sonar messed up. Which would explain why it crashed through a closed window rather than flying through an open one. Anyone know the exact issues that was mentioned. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	mysteryfan 2009-10-13 12:26 am UTC (link)
	I think I've got that comic! Let me see if I can dig it out. It has really beautiful art. You want me to post it? (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	starwolf_oakley 2009-10-13 04:31 am UTC (link)
	Sure! (Reply to this) (Parent)