In most corners of the DC Universe, Batman is typically portrayed as a well-trained, formerly globe-trotting and vastly experienced fighter who pushes these skills to expert level in his quest to rid Gotham City of crime. That was definitely not the case, however, in Geoff Johns and Gary Frank's Batman: Earth One. Set in the early years of an alternate version of the Caped Crusader, the Earth One books were a sharp contrast to the fantastical modern version of the character.
While it started off with the Dark Knight in a much different place than usual, the Earth One series has been very influential in Batman adaptations ever since. Before the long-awaited third volume, here's a look back at how Earth One tore down the legend of Batman before building him back up again.
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Batman: Earth One Volume 1
The first volume of the Batman: Earth One books put several unique spins of the Dark Knight's mythology. For one, a young Bruce Wayne is portrayed as being more spoiled than ever, with his flaunting his wealth literally leading to the death of his parents. Where most versions of the character travel the world and receive martial arts training from various teachers before returning to Gotham City and becoming Batman, the Earth One incarnation had comparatively next to no training, having only received instruction from Alfred.
Batman's trusty butler was also much different in this universe, being characterized as a grizzled former veteran as opposed to a kindly old man. This version, which was drawn to resemble Sean Connery, has since influenced Alfred's depiction on Gotham, Beware the Batman, the DCEU and the upcoming film The Batman.
The plot of the first volume has Bruce Wayne first becoming the urban legend known as Batman amid the rise of a serial killer nicknamed "Birthday Boy." Also on the case are curmudgeonly detective James Gordon and his new partner, the former reality TV cop Harvey Bullock. This reverse that pair's usual characterization, with Gordon now being the world-weary "bad cop" and Bullock being an optimistic yet attention-grabbing rookie.
Besides the aforementioned Birthday Boy, another "villain" is Mayor Oswald Cobblepot, who's just as shady as his usual depictions despite his professional role. In fact, this title of the mayor of Gotham City is the fruition of similar stories in the Silver Age, the Adam West show and Batman Returns. Lucius Fox is also changed to be far younger than usual, and he is portrayed as an overly gleeful nerd.
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Batman: Earth One Volume 2
The second Earth One volume has a slightly more experienced Batman taking down a version of the Riddler who's targeting Gotham's wealthiest citizens, all while another urban legend lurks in the sewers of the city. This turns out to be Killer Croc, who's far more heroic than usual and actually ends up helping Batman. Batman also deals with his attempted romance with Jessica Dent and her brother Harvey, who still harbors an intense grudge against Bruce stemming from Bruce's deceased mother's relationship to the Arkham family.
The volume notably set up a much different version of Two-Face for future installments, as well as hinting at the presence of a very familiar cat burglar. The aforementioned The Batman will also feature The Riddler in a way similar to the story of this book. The upcoming third and possibly final entry in the series from Johns and Frank will pick up on these themes, featuring Catwoman and Killer Croc in substantial roles as well as further highlighting Bruce's Arkham heritage. While the series is notable for being one of the most radically different takes on the Dark Knight in recent years, it's also one of the most successful and well-received.