Paul Pope's "Batman: Year 100"

[HaroldAllnut]

I just finished rereading Paul Pope's masterful Batman: Year 100. The art and concepts are great, but I think there are a few questions that still need answering.

Primarily, is this Batman actually a 100-year-old Bruce Wayne, kept alive and fit by advanced medical science, like the story seems to suggest? Is it maybe a descendent of the first Bruce Wayne?

Overall, what do you guys think? How did you interpret the story?

[Ironman2978]

I feel there is a new batman every year when the old batman die but any opinon matter

[nepenthes]

I just finished rereading Paul Pope's masterful Batman: Year 100. The art and concepts are great, but I think there are a few questions that still need answering.

Primarily, is this Batman actually a 100-year-old Bruce Wayne, kept alive and fit by advanced medical science, like the story seems to suggest? Is it maybe a descendent of the first Bruce Wayne?

Overall, what do you guys think? How did you interpret the story?

this bugged me to no end when I first finished the book...such an awesome comic letdown by not revealing the mystery. but later on I realized that's the whole point and it puts a better spin on everything. I stopped trying to tease out an interpretation. I'm not sure there's supposed to be any one true identity, he just keeps running and being unknown in a world where privacy is basically illegal

I still wish Pope included a few references to other classic villains or characters though. what happened to Robin, Catwoman Joker etc. just a hint would've been nice.

a Top Ten Batman book for me

[doctrinedee]

This bugged the hell out of me too, until I had to just let it go. But in retrospect, I think that's what made the book so memorable - as with a film like Donnie Darko or the Prestige, the plot tends to swirl around your head for weeks after, until you realsie that the missing pieces aren't meant to be filled in.

Which is a good thing, I guess...

[NickGuy]

the whole comic read to me too much like DKR and DK2 and about a ton of other stories ive read. the art was awesome, though. worth it just for that. the punk colors, the MAD-magazine-like feel he gave bats....great book.

[nepenthes]

the whole comic read to me too much like DKR and DK2

what because they're all set in the future? I don't see much else in common in terms of style or content

[HaroldAllnut]

the whole comic read to me too much like DKR and DK2 and about a ton of other stories ive read. the art was awesome, though. worth it just for that. the punk colors, the MAD-magazine-like feel he gave bats....great book.what because they're all set in the future? there's pretty much nothing else in common in terms of style or content

Interestingly enough, early on in the book, the Gordon character and some other members of the GCPD are discussing what little historical evidence there is for the "Bat-Man of Gotham," and some of the events and photos they mention and show are actually supposed to be from The Dark Knight Returns. One of the characters mentions the former Commissioner Yindel, who I imagine is supposed to be Ellen Yindel.

[Mac]

Probably on of my favorite Bat stories ever.
Definitely top 5.

The art was spectacular and the story was brilliant.

It's the kind of stuff that makes you want Pope to do another story, but at the same time, it does just the opposite. Like it was too good to have a sequel.

[Bat-Reader]

Great read. absolutely, One of my favorite Batman stories.

[NickGuy]

what because they're all set in the future? I don't see much else in common in terms of style or content

no not just because of the future...i dunno it just felt like i had read or seen the story before. not that i didnt enjoy it, just that it felt very familiar to me.

[mosdef]

I've never read this, but I've read a lot of good reviews. I may check for this. Are there any talks of a sequel since the identity of Batman is not known? Would you all want a sequel?

[Hair]

I think Year 100 is one of the greatest artistic works of mankind. Ever. No joke. Call me silly, but I am serious.

As for the unanswered questions in the book, well, it happens in the far future, think of it like an Elseworlds tale. I think the story is much sleeker without references to old villians, or explanations as to who this Batman is and where he came from. V for Vendetta didn't explain the protagonist. I am glad there are no Riddler Jr. or Joker-Bots. No "twists" about who Batman really is. The son of Robin? Gordon's nephew? Who cares. Is Batman a fountain-of-youth-using Bruce Wayne, a descendant, or just a copy-cat? Did any of the "existing"... "official" Batman continuity even actually happen? Or matter?

If you are a fan of Year 100 and want more Paul Pope Batman, he does a short story in Batman Black and White Vol 2 called Broken Nose, and it is not a disappointment.

[40footwolf]

I was disappointed. It felt kind of condescending to the Batman stories that came before it, the threat was sort of generic and I wasn't satisfied with the resolution.

LOVED that artwork, I have to say.

[Ironman2978]

I like the who laughing terrorist with pancake comment made by Batman refferencing the Joker

[Trey]

Its not Bruce Wayne. There is no evidence to support any type of long life thing going on. Also his associates are just common people, whereas a Long Life Wayne would still be with the Jet set.

As mentioned, there is evidence from DKR

Its just some kid who dons the cape. Gotham will always have a Dark Knight protector, even 100 years after the original. We can figure Year 1, Bruce is 24-25, so this takes place 75 years later.

Commissioner Gordon is the grandson of Jim Gordon.

A very cool story. At first I thought the art style was ugly, but as a reader you just work past it and then you can see how cool it is.

[nepenthes]

The way Pope draws normal Batman in his issue of Turning Points is also really cool. Batman crouches on the ground like a child and fidgets with his hands in his mouth. he has a weird little smirk and a funny way about him.

[Abraxas]

I take it like a Kubrick movie. It can be interpreted many ways. It just takes how you view it.

[Hair]

I was disappointed. It felt kind of condescending to the Batman stories that came before it, the threat was sort of generic and I wasn't satisfied with the resolution.

LOVED that artwork, I have to say.

Fair enough, to each his own. I don't think the point of the B&W stories was to do what has been done before in terms of villains or style. I don't think Broken Nose would be better with The Joker, or with a more traditional conclusion. It was a "slice of life" showing Bruce dealing with day-to-day pain such as a broken nose. It's very visceral and shows the physically painful "reality" of a costumed vigilante. The mental and emotional takes have been done before. It is a very "small" story, not just in size but in intent and scope as well, but I think it is a beautiful small little story.

Again, to each his own; I do not mean to imply that you are "wrong". You are certainly right that to some (maybe many) Batman or Paul Pope fans, Broken Nose is disappointing. I would still highly recommend all of the Batman Black and White collections, especially Vol 2.

[40footwolf]

Fair enough, to each his own. I don't think the point of the B&W stories was to do what has been done before in terms of villains or style. I don't think Broken Nose would be better with The Joker, or with a more traditional conclusion. It was a "slice of life" showing Bruce dealing with day-to-day pain such as a broken nose. It's very visceral and shows the physically painful "reality" of a costumed vigilante. The mental and emotional takes have been done before. It is a very "small" story, not just in size but in intent and scope as well, but I think it is a beautiful small little story.

Again, to each his own; I do not mean to imply that you are "wrong". You are certainly right that to some (maybe many) Batman or Paul Pope fans, Broken Nose is disappointing. I would still highly recommend all of the Batman Black and White collections, especially Vol 2.
Whoa, whoa.

I was talking about "Batman Year 100".

[earl]

Batman's motorcycle is rad. I'd definitely think that would work well in a regular continuity storyline as superheroes on a motor cycle just looks cool.

I'd have to pull it out again, but there is a panel somewhere in there that kind of alludes to that he has something to do with Dick Grayson. His identity is a bit of MacGuffin, like the briefcase in Pulp Fiction, not knowing 'is the stuff dreams are made of'.

The cityscape, the costume and how the people react to seeing Batman in a repressive society is the cool part of the book. In that it is a thematic sequel to The Dark Knight Returns.

I tend to doubt there would be a sequel by Paul Pope, but I think that future world of Batman was definitely interesting and could work if explored further. Batman is a character that works in a future dystopian setting, even Morrison brought it up in his run with the Damian issue Batman #666. (I'd love to see Morrison and Frank Quitely do a future Batman story. Quitely did a scifi story in a series called 2020 visions that kind of gives you an idea of what kind of artwork he could do for such a Batman story.)

I think Batman Year 100 is one of the better stories with the character of the decade and well worth reading.

[Hair]

My bad. The last thing I said was "it does not disappoint" in reference to Broken Nose, so when you said you were disappointed I thought you were referring to it.

[Tobias March]

I really enjoyed this book. For one thing the premise I fell was just Pope's means of transporting the Bat to an era were he could just have fun with the concept of a vigilante who dresses like a bat and not have to worry about rival costumed figures showing up (see DKR). I also enjoyed his WWII era Batman story.

Basically this was 'what if Batman existed in a universe like Heavy Liquid', with the cyberpunk tech and authoritarian society...still great fun.

[MikeCr]

I take it like a Kubrick movie. It can be interpreted many ways. It just takes how you view it.
Yes, definately. I thought the non-reveal was great and was prepared to "just go with it" until I stumbled across a more satisfying insight while talking about the book with some co-workers My (refined) reading is a little different and the key clue is in the title. Follow with me here:

When Batman first appeared in 1939 how old did the character of Bruce Wayne appear to be?

Now that we're here in 2009 how old does he appear to be?

In comics produced in 2039 how old will he appear to be?

Just like now I'd presume that after 100 years of publication Batman will be roughly the same age as he always has been. Just like now readers will just accept it was one of the trappings of the character and, importantly, the comics themselves won't spend time being hung-up about it.

Thus, my conclusion is that isn't a comic ABOUT the future; it's a comic FROM the future. It doesn't ask "what if Batman was in a Heavy Liquid world?" Instead the what if is "what if you got to read a Batman comic from a world like Heavy Liquid?" It's an attempt to imagine what Batman stories will be like after 100 years of publication. That's why it doesn't bother explaining an answer to the "mystery." In 2039 Batman not having aged won't be a mystery.

And yeah, it's great for the art, stylishness, and mood alone. Even if my reading doesn't work for you "just go with it" and don't get hung-up on something as banal as Batman's age.

And I really need to scrounge some money to buy that Heavy Liquid hardcover.

[Lew Moxon]

When Batman first appeared in 1939 how old did the character of Bruce Wayne appear to be?
.

In 1939, he seemed to be in his early twenties, 23-25. Which means, that Bruce Wayne would be around 95 years old now. If he wasn't dead already. In 2009 he seems to be n his mid thirties, so he has aged by abut ten years.

[HEROHOUSE]

Pope is a genius

[HaroldAllnut]

Thus, my conclusion is that isn't a comic ABOUT the future; it's a comic FROM the future. It doesn't ask "what if Batman was in a Heavy Liquid world?" Instead the what if is "what if you got to read a Batman comic from a world like Heavy Liquid?" It's an attempt to imagine what Batman stories will be like after 100 years of publication. That's why it doesn't bother explaining an answer to the "mystery." In 2039 Batman not having aged won't be a mystery.

That is a brilliant, Warren Ellis-esque observation.

[Hair]

Yes, definately. I thought the non-reveal was great and was prepared to "just go with it" until I stumbled across a more satisfying insight while talking about the book with some co-workers My (refined) reading is a little different and the key clue is in the title. Follow with me here:

When Batman first appeared in 1939 how old did the character of Bruce Wayne appear to be?

Now that we're here in 2009 how old does he appear to be?

In comics produced in 2039 how old will he appear to be?

Just like now I'd presume that after 100 years of publication Batman will be roughly the same age as he always has been. Just like now readers will just accept it was one of the trappings of the character and, importantly, the comics themselves won't spend time being hung-up about it.

Thus, my conclusion is that isn't a comic ABOUT the future; it's a comic FROM the future. It doesn't ask "what if Batman was in a Heavy Liquid world?" Instead the what if is "what if you got to read a Batman comic from a world like Heavy Liquid?" It's an attempt to imagine what Batman stories will be like after 100 years of publication. That's why it doesn't bother explaining an answer to the "mystery." In 2039 Batman not having aged won't be a mystery.

And yeah, it's great for the art, stylishness, and mood alone. Even if my reading doesn't work for you "just go with it" and don't get hung-up on something as banal as Batman's age.

And I really need to scrounge some money to buy that Heavy Liquid hardcover.

Pretty cool theory! I wonder if Paul Pope was really considering that when he wrote it.

[nepenthes]

Yes, definately. I thought the non-reveal was great and was prepared to "just go with it" until I stumbled across a more satisfying insight while talking about the book with some co-workers My (refined) reading is a little different and the key clue is in the title. Follow with me here:

When Batman first appeared in 1939 how old did the character of Bruce Wayne appear to be?

Now that we're here in 2009 how old does he appear to be?

In comics produced in 2039 how old will he appear to be?

Just like now I'd presume that after 100 years of publication Batman will be roughly the same age as he always has been. Just like now readers will just accept it was one of the trappings of the character and, importantly, the comics themselves won't spend time being hung-up about it.

Thus, my conclusion is that isn't a comic ABOUT the future; it's a comic FROM the future. It doesn't ask "what if Batman was in a Heavy Liquid world?" Instead the what if is "what if you got to read a Batman comic from a world like Heavy Liquid?" It's an attempt to imagine what Batman stories will be like after 100 years of publication. That's why it doesn't bother explaining an answer to the "mystery." In 2039 Batman not having aged won't be a mystery.

And yeah, it's great for the art, stylishness, and mood alone. Even if my reading doesn't work for you "just go with it" and don't get hung-up on something as banal as Batman's age.

And I really need to scrounge some money to buy that Heavy Liquid hardcover.

nice idea, i like it. I'm with the "just go with it" philosophy as well and I also think the non-reveal adds mountains to the book, however in the actual story there are specific mentions to time frame so it isn't as simple as maybe you'd like it to be. It mentions the first Batman appearing in 1939 "a hundred years ago" and events of Dark Knight Returns occurring more recently. I think overall a story from the future could've been very close to what Pope had in mind though, his whole sensibility bought over to batman comics matches that quite well.

IMO the non-reveal is just the victory of privacy and mystery, simple as that. in this story that's what batman is all about, defying the authority that says everyone must do this or that and everything must be known. well screw that batman, don't even tell the readers :cool: