Batman: Earth One Vol. 2

Moderate Spoilers from Vol 1:Taking place 6 months after the events of Volume One, Bruce Wayne is in transition of becoming a fully fledged crime fighter, still making mistakes, still thinking irrationally, but with the continued help and guidance of Alfred, he's shown obvious physical improvements from when we last saw him, and with the uneasy alliance with Gordon & Bullock growing, Bruce Wayne/Batman is now tasked with bringing down the remaining players in Mayor Cobblepot's criminal organisation following his death; as well as a new enemy with a secret agenda behind his seemingly random attacks.If Johns has shown us anything from this arc, it's character driven, and the developments are noticeable. The growing relationship between Bruce and Alfred is superbly written and conflicting, their methods and beliefs clash from start to finish, same as Gordon's and Bullock's growing partnership within the GCPD. Gordon is now that boy scout we all know and love, albeit still doesn't shy away from kicking someones ass, and Bullock's slowly recovering from the horrors he witnessed in Volume One, and a full blown alcoholic. a nice throwback.Killer Croc's inclusion is a nice subplot and there's just enough there to keep us satisfied, Johns doesn't throw Waylon Jones in our face, clotting the story. As expected, Croc is given a makeover with his characteristics, shining him in a new light, as are all of Johns characters.He veers away from the camp, brightly colored cheese fest that is The Riddler, and replaces him with a cold blooded and calculated sociopath who isn't committing petty crimes for the sake of it. There's excellent foreshadowing and exposition that brings the stories previous subplots full circle and sets up future events brilliantly. New characters include a psychopathic Sal Maroni, a ruthless Harvey Dent (not new, just more involved), likewise with Jessica Dent, and of course Selina Kyle pops up just when things seem to be improving, as well as the returning young genius Lucius Fox; all play a hand in this gritty suspense story.I like Geoff Johns fresh approach with each character he sets his eyes upon. Gary Franks artwork is sublime also, and really takes some beating these days. I'm glad these aren't monthly issues as it gives both men a great deal of time to flush out everything they need and allows them to produce their absolute best work.This non-canon, continuity might not be for everyone, but it's one of my favourites in Batman lore. I can't wait for the next installment.

I love batman, common' everyone does. For those who don't understand how Batman is set-up in New 52 this may help. You may notice in all your googling and amazon searches that you have a huge amount of Batman types from standard and dark knight through to incorporated and so on. Whilst these pretty much all link together in the same universe, earth one doesn't. Like the earth 2 this is an alternative universe imagining of the general story so expect some similar and some huge differences to the standard. So, is it good? definitely. Is it printed/bound well? Yes, standard DC strong glossy interior with a hard cover, the design is actually printed onto the hard cover so which is different but nice. I would strongly recommend not just this book but all the other Batman ones which I can vouch for.As to writing, it is very well produced. Rather than being split into issues it is just one big story which flows from start to finish in such an enthralling way that you can't put it down. I read volumes 1-2 in the same afternoon as I just wanted to know what was going to happen. I am not sure when volume 3 and on wards will come out, or if there will be but fingers crossed.

If you liked Earth One volume 1, you'll love this - more of the same, but better. Enjoyable stuff, but I doubt it will stick with me for long, or that I'll return for a second read.

I really enjoyed this volume - it’s a refreshing take on existing characters that feels a bit more raw and real! It’s also a really accessible series for those who don’t read the normal batman comics. This Gotham is a much more frightening place than the Gotham we know in the normal DC timeline. Can’t wait to read the next volume!

With the death of corrupt mayor, Oswald Cobblepot, Jessica Dent is appointed to fill his post. However, the appearance of a diseased maniac who puts his victims lives at risk until they answer his twisted riddles causes Bruce Wayne to reevaluate his position as Gotham's self appointed guardian.Again, Johns' stunning story hits all the marks with more amazing artwork. Any fan of the Batman will enjoy this book.

A continuation of this re-imagining of the Batman lore. As we get deeper and deeper more begins to change as-well as the failure emerges. The names and places are the same but their approach and execution are different, but not in a change for change sake in a refreshing way. Some are well-thought-out others do seem a little more obscure, but remembering that this is part of a series you can endure them to see where they will lead.Johns is a clever writer and Gary Frank is a superstar artist, sparing no expense with all the intricate details of the character designs, expressions and backgrounds.

I could not put it down. A bold reimagining of my favourite universe and a phenomenal read.It seems every character has been given alternative traits and flaws. Batman is not the world's greatest detective, he's still figuring it out through making clumsy mistakes. He's more human than any other edition I've read and that's actually a refreshing turn.Being a massive bat-fan I dismissed vol 1 after the first read, feeling rather insulted that the writer didn't know the characters at all. But then I tried again and realised how wrong I was and then really appreciated what he was doing. I lived this one even more and therefore await vol 3 with eager anticipation.