Batman: Year Two
Encyclopedia
"Year Two" is the title of a four-part story arc
featuring Batman
, written by Mike W. Barr
and illustrated by Alan Davis
, Paul Neary
, Alfredo Alcala
, Mark Farmer
and Todd McFarlane
. It originally appeared in the American comic book
Detective Comics
#575-578, published by DC Comics
.
The story was initially a treatment by Barr titled "Batman: 1980", but was deemed unusable at the time. However, it was released as "Batman: Year Two" following the success of Frank Miller
's "Batman: Year One
".
This story was collected as a trade paperback in 1990. In 2002, DC Comics published a second printing of the trade paperback, this time with the addition of the one-shot sequel, Batman: Full Circle included, with the new edition retitled as Batman: Year Two - Fear The Reaper (ISBN 1-5638-9967-1).
, and is addressing local media stations on his new stature. The media also reflects on the anniversary of the final sighting of Gotham's first vigilante, The Reaper
.
Bruce Wayne, Batman's alter ego, in the meantime is visited by an old acquaintance, Leslie Thompkins
, the medic who helped to raise him after his parents were murdered, and knows all too well of his double life. She is joined by Judson Caspian and his daughter Rachel; the latter gradually develops a romantic infatuation with Bruce Wayne.
It soon comes to light that Judson is The Reaper, driven to his life by the tragic death of his wife. It takes only one stroll through Gotham to remind Judson of the horrors of crime he thought he had put to rest long ago in his dual identity; he returns to his apartment and dons The Reaper costume. He makes an immediate impact and leaves several criminals dead. Batman and The Reaper soon come face to face, but The Reaper's experience and weaponry prove too much for Batman, who is left bloodied, broken, and forced to flee before he is killed. Upon returning to Wayne Manor, Wayne angrily admits that his best was not enough, and that perhaps the only way to confront a killer with his measure of thinking head on is to become that which he loathes the most, prompting him to now bear a firearm, the gun that took the lives of his parents.
Batman's vendetta against The Reaper leads to a falling out with Gordon, whom Batman nearly wounds or kills to prevent him from getting closer to what he considers his prey. Gordon misinterprets this action as Batman following in The Reaper's murderous footsteps, and soon deploys his forces against both Batman and The Reaper. As The Reaper lays waste to Gotham's underworld, various crime lords assemble and discuss ways of defeating him. Batman eventually intervenes in the meetings, and proposes they join forces against The Reaper. The crime lords agree, but only if Batman cooperates with a hand picked agent of their choosing; that individual is Joe Chill
, the man who shot Thomas and Martha Wayne. Knowing his reason for being is working alongside him, Batman schemes to take Chill's life once The Reaper is disposed of, while at the same time he lays the groundwork for his life after Batman, asking Rachel not to convert to a nunnery and marry him. She accepts.
There is a battle which kills most of the underworld connections tied to Batman and Chill, as well as helping convince Gordon that Batman is not connected to The Reaper in his crimes. The Reaper is presumed dead, Batman and Chill escape separately, but meet up later at night at Batman's insistence. Batman takes Chill to a familiar alley... the alley where Chill took the lives of the Waynes. Batman reveals his identity to the shocked Chill and taunts him with the gun he used on them. Chill, stunned, remains composed, convinced that Batman will not pull the trigger; before Bruce can find out, The Reaper re-emerges and kills Chill point blank with a gunshot. Now knowing Bruce's identity, The Reaper beckons Batman to a final confrontation in the frameworks of the under-construction Wayne Foundation. There Batman and The Reaper fight to a standstill, and Batman eventually discovers The Reaper is Judson before he jumps and kills himself. Realizing that the way of the gun is not for him, Batman places Chill's gun in the cornerstone
of the Wayne Foundation building, to be sealed away when construction is completed.
Bruce returns to Rachel, who has heard the news from television. Her path is now clear: Judson was her father, and she must atone for his sins. She produces her nun dressings and calls off the engagement. Bruce returns to prowl Gotham's streets as its sole vigilante for the present.
(the Dick Grayson
version) into the story.
Emulating the Reaper's mission of zero tolerance towards criminals and using his original costume and weapons, Chill Jr., in collaboration with his sister Marcia, attempts to lure Batman into a confrontation where they would finally dispose of the Dark Knight with a very different kind of weapon. Chill's schemes are hampered by the arrival of his own son, Joey, whom Chill attempts to bond more with like his father did with him. It is revealed that Chill Jr. witnessed his father's death at the original Reaper's hands, though he could not make out Bruce Wayne's unmasked face. Overcome with grief, Chill seeks to gain revenge on Batman, hence the reason he has taken the Reaper identity. Batman in the meantime faces some personal issues with Rachel Caspian, who has returned to Gotham convinced The Reaper is her father reborn. Chill and his sister use this to their advantage, plaguing Rachel with encounters as a way to cast doubt in her and Batman's minds that he is the returned Judson Caspian. (It is also revealed in this story that Joe Chill Sr.'s body was stolen before it could be taken into custody at the end of Year Two). Reaper also uses an explosive to destroy the cornerstone of the Wayne Foundation building, freeing his father's old gun, which was used to murder Batman's parents.
Batman is eventually captured by Chill, who unmasks the unconscious crimefighter, but does not recognize him, because Batman applied elaborate makeup and hair dye to alter his physiognomy
. Chill subjects Batman to a video reel and a hallucinogenic drug that reduces Batman to a quivering wreck suffering from survivor's guilt. Chill has Batman posed at the top of a tall pedestal overlooking a pool of acid
, forcing him to watch a video where a young boy's parents are killed in front of him and then the boy subsequently thanks God he did not die himself, hoping that Batman will kill himself from the resulting guilt. When Marcia, who saw her father as nothing more than a thug who abused her mother, and cared nothing for the revenge plot, attempts to double cross Chill in order to deliver Batman to mob boss Morgan Jones, Chill slashes Marcia, apparently killing her. Robin arrives on the scene and coaxes Batman out of his hallucinogenic haze, spurring him to break free of his bonds. Batman and the Reaper fight, and Batman emerges victorious. As Batman holds the unmasked Chill over the acid pool, urged by Robin to drop him in, Chill's son Joey reveals himself and his father's identity. Deciding to act on the indecision that he faced when he had Joe Chill at his mercy years earlier, Bruce spares Chill Jr.'s life, reflecting that what began with Joe Chill and Thomas Wayne should end with their 'grandsons' of Joey and Dick. After the police arrive and Chill is taken away in an ambulance, Batman goes to a bridge and discards Joe Chill's firearm into the ocean.
, due to continuity revisions in the Batman universe as a result of the Zero Hour
storyline, by story editor Dennis O'Neil
.
After the events of Infinite Crisis
, Joe Chill's arrest has been restored into continuity.
from the animated movie Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
is based on the Reaper in terms of appearance and motives.
Story arc
A story arc is an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, boardgames, video games, and in some cases, films. On a television program, for example, the story would unfold over many episodes. In television, the use of the story...
featuring Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
, written by Mike W. Barr
Mike W. Barr
Mike W. Barr is an American writer of comic books, and mystery, and science fiction novels.-Biography:Barr's debut as a comics professional came in DC Comics' Detective Comics #444 , for which he wrote an 8-page back-up mystery feature starring the Elongated Man...
and illustrated by Alan Davis
Alan Davis
Alan Davis is an English writer and artist of comic books, known for his work on titles such as Captain Britain, The Uncanny X-Men, ClanDestine, Excalibur, JLA: The Nail and JLA: Another Nail.-UK work:...
, Paul Neary
Paul Neary
Paul Neary is a British comic book artist, writer and editor.His first work was for Warren Publishing in the 1970s before working with Dez Skinn at Marvel UK as well as work for 2000 AD...
, Alfredo Alcala
Alfredo Alcala
Alfredo P. Alcala was a Filipino comic book artist, born in Talisay, Negros Occidental in the Philippines. Alcala was an established illustrator whose works appeared in the Alcala Komix Magazine. His 1963 creation Voltar introduced him to an international audience, particularly in the United...
, Mark Farmer
Mark Farmer
Mark Farmer is a British comic book artist. He is best known as an inker, often working with Alan Davis.-Biography:Farmer got his start in the UK comics industry before becoming part of the British Invasion, the wave of UK creators that were an integral part of the DC Comics "new look" of the...
and Todd McFarlane
Todd McFarlane
Todd McFarlane is a Canadian cartoonist, writer, toy designer and entrepreneur, best known for his work in comic books, such as the fantasy series Spawn....
. It originally appeared in the American comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
Detective Comics
Detective Comics
Detective Comics is an American comic book series published monthly by DC Comics since 1937, best known for introducing the iconic superhero Batman in Detective Comics #27 . It is, along with Action Comics, the book that launched with the debut of Superman, one of the medium's signature series, and...
#575-578, published by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
.
The story was initially a treatment by Barr titled "Batman: 1980", but was deemed unusable at the time. However, it was released as "Batman: Year Two" following the success of Frank Miller
Frank Miller (comics)
Frank Miller is an American comic book artist, writer and film director best known for his dark, film noir-style comic book stories and graphic novels Ronin, Daredevil: Born Again, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Sin City and 300...
's "Batman: Year One
Batman: Year One
"Year One", later referred to as "Batman: Year One", is an American comic book story arc written by Frank Miller, illustrated by David Mazzucchelli, colored by Richmond Lewis, and lettered by Todd Klein...
".
This story was collected as a trade paperback in 1990. In 2002, DC Comics published a second printing of the trade paperback, this time with the addition of the one-shot sequel, Batman: Full Circle included, with the new edition retitled as Batman: Year Two - Fear The Reaper (ISBN 1-5638-9967-1).
Synopsis
Batman by now is an established vigilante in Gotham City. Captain Gordon has recently succeeded Loeb as Police CommissionerPolice commissioner
Commissioner is a senior rank used in many police forces and may be rendered Police Commissioner or Commissioner of Police. In some organizations, the commissioner is a political appointee, and may or may not actually be a professional police officer. In these circumstances, there is often a...
, and is addressing local media stations on his new stature. The media also reflects on the anniversary of the final sighting of Gotham's first vigilante, The Reaper
Reaper (DC Comics)
Reaper is the name of three characters in the DC Comics universe.-Publication history:Created by writer Mike W. Barr, and designed by artist Alan Davis, the Judson Caspian version of Reaper first appeared in Detective Comics #575 , the first part of the four-part Batman: Year Two storyline...
.
Bruce Wayne, Batman's alter ego, in the meantime is visited by an old acquaintance, Leslie Thompkins
Leslie Thompkins
Dr. Leslie Thompkins is a fictional character from the Batman mythos. Created by writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Dick Giordano, she first appeared in Detective Comics #457...
, the medic who helped to raise him after his parents were murdered, and knows all too well of his double life. She is joined by Judson Caspian and his daughter Rachel; the latter gradually develops a romantic infatuation with Bruce Wayne.
It soon comes to light that Judson is The Reaper, driven to his life by the tragic death of his wife. It takes only one stroll through Gotham to remind Judson of the horrors of crime he thought he had put to rest long ago in his dual identity; he returns to his apartment and dons The Reaper costume. He makes an immediate impact and leaves several criminals dead. Batman and The Reaper soon come face to face, but The Reaper's experience and weaponry prove too much for Batman, who is left bloodied, broken, and forced to flee before he is killed. Upon returning to Wayne Manor, Wayne angrily admits that his best was not enough, and that perhaps the only way to confront a killer with his measure of thinking head on is to become that which he loathes the most, prompting him to now bear a firearm, the gun that took the lives of his parents.
Batman's vendetta against The Reaper leads to a falling out with Gordon, whom Batman nearly wounds or kills to prevent him from getting closer to what he considers his prey. Gordon misinterprets this action as Batman following in The Reaper's murderous footsteps, and soon deploys his forces against both Batman and The Reaper. As The Reaper lays waste to Gotham's underworld, various crime lords assemble and discuss ways of defeating him. Batman eventually intervenes in the meetings, and proposes they join forces against The Reaper. The crime lords agree, but only if Batman cooperates with a hand picked agent of their choosing; that individual is Joe Chill
Joe Chill
Joe Chill is a fictional character in the DC Comics Batman series. He is best known for murdering young Bruce Wayne's parents , thus making him indirectly responsible for Batman's existence....
, the man who shot Thomas and Martha Wayne. Knowing his reason for being is working alongside him, Batman schemes to take Chill's life once The Reaper is disposed of, while at the same time he lays the groundwork for his life after Batman, asking Rachel not to convert to a nunnery and marry him. She accepts.
There is a battle which kills most of the underworld connections tied to Batman and Chill, as well as helping convince Gordon that Batman is not connected to The Reaper in his crimes. The Reaper is presumed dead, Batman and Chill escape separately, but meet up later at night at Batman's insistence. Batman takes Chill to a familiar alley... the alley where Chill took the lives of the Waynes. Batman reveals his identity to the shocked Chill and taunts him with the gun he used on them. Chill, stunned, remains composed, convinced that Batman will not pull the trigger; before Bruce can find out, The Reaper re-emerges and kills Chill point blank with a gunshot. Now knowing Bruce's identity, The Reaper beckons Batman to a final confrontation in the frameworks of the under-construction Wayne Foundation. There Batman and The Reaper fight to a standstill, and Batman eventually discovers The Reaper is Judson before he jumps and kills himself. Realizing that the way of the gun is not for him, Batman places Chill's gun in the cornerstone
Cornerstone
The cornerstone concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.Over time a cornerstone became a ceremonial masonry stone, or...
of the Wayne Foundation building, to be sealed away when construction is completed.
Bruce returns to Rachel, who has heard the news from television. Her path is now clear: Judson was her father, and she must atone for his sins. She produces her nun dressings and calls off the engagement. Bruce returns to prowl Gotham's streets as its sole vigilante for the present.
Batman: Full Circle
The story was soon followed up in a one-shot sequel, Batman: Full Circle, also written by Barr, and illustrated by Alan Davis. It was set many years later, and centered on the son of Joe Chill assuming the mantle of The Reaper. The story reunited most of the cast of Year Two and incorporated RobinRobin (comics)
Robin is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson, as a junior counterpart to DC Comics superhero Batman...
(the Dick Grayson
Dick Grayson
Dick Grayson is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger and illustrator Jerry Robinson, he first appeared in Detective Comics #38 in April 1940....
version) into the story.
Emulating the Reaper's mission of zero tolerance towards criminals and using his original costume and weapons, Chill Jr., in collaboration with his sister Marcia, attempts to lure Batman into a confrontation where they would finally dispose of the Dark Knight with a very different kind of weapon. Chill's schemes are hampered by the arrival of his own son, Joey, whom Chill attempts to bond more with like his father did with him. It is revealed that Chill Jr. witnessed his father's death at the original Reaper's hands, though he could not make out Bruce Wayne's unmasked face. Overcome with grief, Chill seeks to gain revenge on Batman, hence the reason he has taken the Reaper identity. Batman in the meantime faces some personal issues with Rachel Caspian, who has returned to Gotham convinced The Reaper is her father reborn. Chill and his sister use this to their advantage, plaguing Rachel with encounters as a way to cast doubt in her and Batman's minds that he is the returned Judson Caspian. (It is also revealed in this story that Joe Chill Sr.'s body was stolen before it could be taken into custody at the end of Year Two). Reaper also uses an explosive to destroy the cornerstone of the Wayne Foundation building, freeing his father's old gun, which was used to murder Batman's parents.
Batman is eventually captured by Chill, who unmasks the unconscious crimefighter, but does not recognize him, because Batman applied elaborate makeup and hair dye to alter his physiognomy
Physiognomy
Physiognomy is the assessment of a person's character or personality from their outer appearance, especially the face...
. Chill subjects Batman to a video reel and a hallucinogenic drug that reduces Batman to a quivering wreck suffering from survivor's guilt. Chill has Batman posed at the top of a tall pedestal overlooking a pool of acid
Acid
An acid is a substance which reacts with a base. Commonly, acids can be identified as tasting sour, reacting with metals such as calcium, and bases like sodium carbonate. Aqueous acids have a pH of less than 7, where an acid of lower pH is typically stronger, and turn blue litmus paper red...
, forcing him to watch a video where a young boy's parents are killed in front of him and then the boy subsequently thanks God he did not die himself, hoping that Batman will kill himself from the resulting guilt. When Marcia, who saw her father as nothing more than a thug who abused her mother, and cared nothing for the revenge plot, attempts to double cross Chill in order to deliver Batman to mob boss Morgan Jones, Chill slashes Marcia, apparently killing her. Robin arrives on the scene and coaxes Batman out of his hallucinogenic haze, spurring him to break free of his bonds. Batman and the Reaper fight, and Batman emerges victorious. As Batman holds the unmasked Chill over the acid pool, urged by Robin to drop him in, Chill's son Joey reveals himself and his father's identity. Deciding to act on the indecision that he faced when he had Joe Chill at his mercy years earlier, Bruce spares Chill Jr.'s life, reflecting that what began with Joe Chill and Thomas Wayne should end with their 'grandsons' of Joey and Dick. After the police arrive and Chill is taken away in an ambulance, Batman goes to a bridge and discards Joe Chill's firearm into the ocean.
Canonical status
This story has since been deemed non-canonicalCanon (fiction)
In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
, due to continuity revisions in the Batman universe as a result of the Zero Hour
Zero Hour (comics)
Zero Hour: Crisis in Time is a five-issue comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by DC Comics in 1994. In it, the former hero Hal Jordan, who had until then been a member of the intergalactic police force known as the Green Lantern Corps, mad with grief after the destruction of...
storyline, by story editor Dennis O'Neil
Dennis O'Neil
Dennis J. "Denny" O'Neil is an American comic book writer and editor, principally for Marvel Comics and DC Comics in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, and Group Editor for the Batman family of books until his retirement....
.
After the events of Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis is a 2005 - 2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, and a number of tie-in books...
, Joe Chill's arrest has been restored into continuity.
Adaptation in other media
The character of the PhantasmAndrea Beaumont
Andrea Beaumont, also known as The Phantasm, is a fictional character in the DC animated universe. Conceived by Alan Burnett and Paul Dini, she first appeared in the 1993 animated film Batman: Mask of the Phantasm as the ex-fiancé of Bruce Wayne/Batman and one of the film's primary antagonists...
from the animated movie Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is a 1993 animated superhero film based on the fictional DC Comics character Batman, and is a spin-off of the Emmy Award-winning Batman: The Animated Series...
is based on the Reaper in terms of appearance and motives.