Examples of Pre-Flashpoint Canon Reasserting Itself in the DC Universe

[The Darknight Detective]

I know what you're saying, but in my opinion, trying to merge Year One with any elements from another writer's story would just degrade and cheapen it

Just pretend it's like the Multiverse merging into a single universe, Zee.

[Frontier]

I know what you're saying, but in my opinion, trying to merge Year One with any elements from another writer's story would just degrade and cheapen it, especially if we're gonna merge it with Snyder's Zero Year, which is much more swashbuckling adventure than it is gritty street-level crime noir. YO works because its not flashy or over-the-top in the way that Zero Year is. That's why YO is the perfect Batman origin story on its own as it is. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Maybe one way to look at it is that Year One is the start of Batman's war on crime but Zero Year is the start of his battles with colorful and crazy Supervillains.

[Green Goblin of Sector 2814]

Maybe one way to look at it is that Year One is the start of Batman's war on crime but Zero Year is the start of his battles with colorful and crazy Supervillains.

The thing is that stories like Prey, Long Halloween, and Dark Victory accomplished that goal much more effectively than Zero Year did. While he's a good writer, it's becoming more and more clear that Snyder's vision for Batman is not one that I find sustainable or true to the character's roots.

[Frontier]

The thing is that stories like Prey, Long Halloween, and Dark Victory accomplished that goal much more effectively than Zero Year did. While he's a good writer, it's becoming more and more clear that Snyder's vision for Batman is not one that I find sustainable or true to the character's roots.

Well, really, you could have Long Halloween and Dark Victory (or some semblance of both) follow Zero Year and I think it would work fine.

[Green Goblin of Sector 2814]

Well, really, you could have Long Halloween and Dark Victory (or some semblance of both) follow Zero Year and I think it would work fine.

I don’t think that’s the case, because Long Halloween and Dark Victory take place in a darker, more street-level Gotham. That Gotham hasn’t been literally transformed into an post-apocalyptic wasteland in its recent past. But, either way, that doesn’t address the fact that Year One is just a better origin story in general. There’s a reason people think it was essentially sacreligious to replace it.

[The Darknight Detective]

There’s a reason people think it was essentially sacreligious to replace it.

I believe Bob Kane and Bill Finger would have something to say about that, Zee.

[Green Goblin of Sector 2814]

I believe Bob Kane and Bill Finger would have something to say about that, Zee.

I think even they’d agree that Year One is the best origin story ever written for Bruce.

[The Darknight Detective]

I think even they’d agree that Year One is the best origin story ever written for Bruce.

That might be, but if anybody has a right to cry sacrilege about anything, it would be the original creators.

[Green Goblin of Sector 2814]

That might be, but if anybody has a right to cry sacrilege about anything, it would be the original creators.

The fans also have a right to do that. Either way, it was an unpopular move on DC’s part and I’m happy to see them at least somewhat reversing course on it.

[The Darknight Detective]

The fans also have a right to do that.

Again, that may be, though I have to think a similar percentage of fans, if not greater, thought Year One (not me, BTW) was "sacrilegious" 30 years ago.

[Green Goblin of Sector 2814]

Again, that may be, though I have to think a similar percentage of fans, if not greater, thought Year One (not me, BTW) was "sacrilegious" 30 years ago.

I wouldn't be so sure to jump to that conclusion, if only because I'm struggling to think of a single story arc that really held the place as the definitive and undisputed best Batman origin story arc before Year One. Batman's origin had been revised a bit from its original telling in Detective #33 before Year One came along, but YO was the first time I believe that an origin arc for Batman was 1) an actual arc spanning several issues as opposed to flashbacks in a single issue and 2) so universally well-received and deemed essential to the character.

But that's just my takeaway on the matter.

[phantom1592]

For me "Untold Legend of the Batman' will always be my one true origin. Batman Year One never felt like a Batman origin... it felt like a prequel to Dark Knight Returns. ULotB took all the backstories we were familiar with and wove them into a complete narrative... Year One took what it liked and tossed out the rest. Miller didn't like Batgirl, so he cut her from the lore and created a huge mess when people tried to work her back in...


It was Okay for what it was... but I hardly think it's 'sacriligeous. More of a solid Gordon origin than Batman.

[The Darknight Detective]

For me "Untold Legend of the Batman' will always be my one true origin.

Yeah, it was great and easily my favorite mini-series.

[Frontier]

I don’t think that’s the case, because Long Halloween and Dark Victory take place in a darker, more street-level Gotham. That Gotham hasn’t been literally transformed into an post-apocalyptic wasteland in its recent past. But, either way, that doesn’t address the fact that Year One is just a better origin story in general. There’s a reason people think it was essentially sacreligious to replace it.

I mean, Gotham can carry with it a lot of different tones and events.

I think it can seep back into it's street-level, noir, side after an apocalyptic event because Gotham is made of multitudes .

I'm not arguing against Year One as a definitive origin, I'm just saying you can potentially have your cake and eat it too without getting rid of Zero Year, which with Snyder's current position in editorial is unlikely to be completely erased anytime soon.

[Green Goblin of Sector 2814]

I'm not arguing against Year One as a definitive origin, I'm just saying you can potentially have your cake and eat it too without getting rid of Zero Year, which with Snyder's current position in editorial is unlikely to be completely erased anytime soon.

I would just rather it not be Batman's origin. Retcon it into being a story that happened later on in Batman's career. I don't see a lot of point to keeping it as the origin, even with Snyder's position at DC, especially since the current Batman writer seems to gravitate more towards Year One.