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Batman: Miniseries
Batman: Two-Face and Scarecrow - Year One
In a volume starring two villains from the movies The Dark Night and Batman Begins, the dark secrets of the Scarecrow are revealed, and, during election season, District Attorney Harvey Dent, a cop named Jim Gordon, and Batman struggle to keep Gotham from collapsing into chaos. Original.
200 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
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459 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
June 3, 2011
I only give this book five stars for the Scarecrow origin story. The Two Face origin is unoriginal( a copy of Loeb and Sale's The Long Halloween, but not done as well, and the art just doesn't cut it for me). On the other hand, the Scarecrow origin story is handled very well and makes total sense considering the character's drives and actions in other comics. Instead of liking birds, something that never really clicked for me, he was terrorized into submission with them by his tyrannical great-grandmother. I won't spoil it any further for anyone who hasn't read it, but I highly recommend reading it. If you like Scarecrow, buy it; but don't expect much from the Two Face story.
June 22, 2019
Two well-told two-part stories to add to the "Year One" mythos. The Scarecrow begins a chain of revenge against those who have wronged Jonathan Crane, and Harvey Dent's life unravels and he descends into the role of Two-Face. A good exploration -- although not the best that I have seen -- of the psychological issues, anger, and villainy of these two super-criminals, with some. The Scarecrow tale has an interesting take on Robin that I really liked.
February 16, 2021
Scarecrow's tale is a better one - possibly because he rarely gets a long arc for himself so it's fresher - but both are entertaining.
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April 9, 2019Conceived during the release of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight respectively, these two miniseries were obviously cash grabs. Scarecrow’s origin had been told at least a few times, and aren’t we familiar with how Harvey Dent became Two-Face by now?
That said, both stories are surprisingly good. The Scarecrow one has some striking imagery, courtesy of Sean Murphy (his first work for DC, I believe). The story is very dark - I ended up feeling for Crane more than I ever have. It’s also a showcase for Batman and Robin in prime detective mode, which is always great to see. Scarecrow’s evil villain monologuing gets old after a while, but overall this is a solid origin story, probably the best Scarecrow has gotten.
The Two-Face origin is played like a police procedural mixed with courtroom drama. In fact, it reminds me of Gotham Central, which makes sense because several characters in that series are featured here. There’s a good amount of continuity from The Long Halloween and Dark Victory, but the story gets convoluted in the second issue, often skipping through scenes that seem like they should have gone on longer. Still, it’s a decent character study for Dent, just nothing that hasn’t been done before.
That said, both stories are surprisingly good. The Scarecrow one has some striking imagery, courtesy of Sean Murphy (his first work for DC, I believe). The story is very dark - I ended up feeling for Crane more than I ever have. It’s also a showcase for Batman and Robin in prime detective mode, which is always great to see. Scarecrow’s evil villain monologuing gets old after a while, but overall this is a solid origin story, probably the best Scarecrow has gotten.
The Two-Face origin is played like a police procedural mixed with courtroom drama. In fact, it reminds me of Gotham Central, which makes sense because several characters in that series are featured here. There’s a good amount of continuity from The Long Halloween and Dark Victory, but the story gets convoluted in the second issue, often skipping through scenes that seem like they should have gone on longer. Still, it’s a decent character study for Dent, just nothing that hasn’t been done before.
April 14, 2022
Two depictions of two of the deadliest and dreadful villains in the Batman-rogue’s gallery; Scarecrow and Two-Face, both in their earlier days of criminal rampages, that is, their first encounters with both, Batman and Robin. Essentially, as the title suggest, both writers (Bruce Jones and Mark Sable) attempt at crafting the depths, psychology and motivations of these two characters, managing to expose the presented narrative with the respective artist in turn, being Sean Murphy and Jesus Saiz, the ones chosen for the job, to represent the “origins” of the two villains in the best way possible.
I was intrigued by this, in all honesty, because this is one of Sean Murphy’s earliest jobs, and it shows, since his style exposes a “cartoon-like” approach, and a less “sketchy” over-use of shadows and detail. In fact, I was surprised myself by being mostly captivated by Saiz’s art than Murphy’s (since the latter is one of my favorite comic book artists), as a matter of fact, I did enjoy the better out of Two-Face’s Year One than Scarecrow, even if I did like both in the same book; I thought both stories were-in a way-, on point with the objective of delivering this modern “reinterpretation” of character origins, but I have the feeling Sable did a better job at nailing Two-Face, and I believe that task was the hardest, since this story needed to be hand-in-hand with the events presented in ‘The Long Halloween’, and Scarecrow delivered, but strangely enough not in the same way.
Both depictions of the villains have plenty enough substance to be intriguing and interesting, and again, they go pretty well by the side of the actual origin stories, originally conceived in oldest comics, but Bruce Jones’ take on Jonathan Crane’s first appearance as the villainous alter-ego left a little more to expect; this is the villain that uses a “fear inducing hallucinogen” to terrorize his victims, and I felt we had way too little of that to be exploited in both ways: present day and flashback sequences. Regarding his origin, the stuff about his family, especially his grandmother, was interesting and creepy enough to work as a plot-point for his motivations, but again, Jones could’ve done better, mostly in the “horror” element that his story promised, perhaps because of the strange choice of adding Robin to the script, which comes a little too odd, considering Robin originally came afterwards, at least, in the ‘Post-Crisis’ timeline.
Sable, on the other hand, knew how to take advantage of the story Loeb conceived in 1996, to reinvent the origin of the Batman villain that started his crusade as a maskless hero, so when it comes to dig deeper on Havey Dent’s psyche, he explores the duality of the man during his days as a mob-fighter, and D.A. I guess what I appreciated the most out of the Two-Face story was the take on his friendship with Bruce Wayne, which I felt ‘The Long Halloween’ let slip. Sable also delivers a clever series of therapy sequences that works for the sake of understanding Harvey’s obsession with number “two”, which will also play an important role at the moment of developing his criminal persona, and his rivalry towards Jim Gordon and Batman.
I liked this compilation of stories-one better than the other-, but for what it is I’m always going to be attracted by “origin stories” of characters I find fascinating such as these two villains, and the fact that this offers a more dedicated look at them, with a modern-narrative perspective, and an adult and clever tone, it’s always a welcoming experience to get through, despite this title being a rather harmless but inconsequential page-turner.
I was intrigued by this, in all honesty, because this is one of Sean Murphy’s earliest jobs, and it shows, since his style exposes a “cartoon-like” approach, and a less “sketchy” over-use of shadows and detail. In fact, I was surprised myself by being mostly captivated by Saiz’s art than Murphy’s (since the latter is one of my favorite comic book artists), as a matter of fact, I did enjoy the better out of Two-Face’s Year One than Scarecrow, even if I did like both in the same book; I thought both stories were-in a way-, on point with the objective of delivering this modern “reinterpretation” of character origins, but I have the feeling Sable did a better job at nailing Two-Face, and I believe that task was the hardest, since this story needed to be hand-in-hand with the events presented in ‘The Long Halloween’, and Scarecrow delivered, but strangely enough not in the same way.
Both depictions of the villains have plenty enough substance to be intriguing and interesting, and again, they go pretty well by the side of the actual origin stories, originally conceived in oldest comics, but Bruce Jones’ take on Jonathan Crane’s first appearance as the villainous alter-ego left a little more to expect; this is the villain that uses a “fear inducing hallucinogen” to terrorize his victims, and I felt we had way too little of that to be exploited in both ways: present day and flashback sequences. Regarding his origin, the stuff about his family, especially his grandmother, was interesting and creepy enough to work as a plot-point for his motivations, but again, Jones could’ve done better, mostly in the “horror” element that his story promised, perhaps because of the strange choice of adding Robin to the script, which comes a little too odd, considering Robin originally came afterwards, at least, in the ‘Post-Crisis’ timeline.
Sable, on the other hand, knew how to take advantage of the story Loeb conceived in 1996, to reinvent the origin of the Batman villain that started his crusade as a maskless hero, so when it comes to dig deeper on Havey Dent’s psyche, he explores the duality of the man during his days as a mob-fighter, and D.A. I guess what I appreciated the most out of the Two-Face story was the take on his friendship with Bruce Wayne, which I felt ‘The Long Halloween’ let slip. Sable also delivers a clever series of therapy sequences that works for the sake of understanding Harvey’s obsession with number “two”, which will also play an important role at the moment of developing his criminal persona, and his rivalry towards Jim Gordon and Batman.
I liked this compilation of stories-one better than the other-, but for what it is I’m always going to be attracted by “origin stories” of characters I find fascinating such as these two villains, and the fact that this offers a more dedicated look at them, with a modern-narrative perspective, and an adult and clever tone, it’s always a welcoming experience to get through, despite this title being a rather harmless but inconsequential page-turner.
April 13, 2017
I'm apparently in the minority opinion with this one. I felt it was a laborious slog through the Scarecrow (two stars) while I really enjoyed Two Face (four stars). Stranger still, Batman was certainly more present / active in the first story than the second. Jim Gordon and a 'Mod Squad' of incorruptible officers are effectively portrayed in the Two Face storyline, and there was a nice "The Dark Knight" (the '08 movie) vibe throughout it as well.
March 7, 2025
Temos aqui mais um encadernado da boa iniciativa da PaniniTM de trazer os diversos encadernados de Ano Um da DC Comics. Este aqui, que junta as minisséries da gênese do Espantalho e do Duas-Caras é mais um exemplar dessa empreitada. São poucas as histórias Ano Um que eu não havia lido, mas estas aqui são duas delas. Começando pelo Ano Um do Espantalho, desenvolvido por Bruce Jones e Sean Murphy, temos a parte boa das duas faces, com o perdão do trocadilho, deste especial. A forma como os pesadelos e medos atormentam o garoto Jonathan Krane vão moldar a sua personalidade para se tornar o terrível Espantalho. Os desenhos de Sean Murphy neste trabalho estão mais estilizados que o comum, mas ainda assim são muito bons. Já o Ano Um do Duas-Caras, feito por Mark Bright e Jesus Saiz, uma história já explorada de trocentas maneiras, dessa vez é apresentada pelo viés do Departamento de Polícia de Gotham City. Ela é pior que a do Espantalho, mas tem seus momentos, como por exemplo a bela arte noir que Jesus Saiz confere às histórias.
May 13, 2024
If I grew up like Crane, yeah that'd be my fucking villain origin story too.
The first short story, detailing Scarecrow's origin and crime spree up to meeting Batman and Robin is a great dive into Crane's story that we don't get to see very often, the second story about Dent, while nothing really new, is still an interesting story giving us a further look into Dent's personal affairs leading up to his psychological break and both pair as an interesting non-canon companion to The Long Halloween.
The first short story, detailing Scarecrow's origin and crime spree up to meeting Batman and Robin is a great dive into Crane's story that we don't get to see very often, the second story about Dent, while nothing really new, is still an interesting story giving us a further look into Dent's personal affairs leading up to his psychological break and both pair as an interesting non-canon companion to The Long Halloween.
January 9, 2023
Great updated origin tales of Scarecrow and Two-face and laughed at the panel which shows Alfred installing the classic giant cent in the batcave.
July 26, 2012
This whole "Year One" stuff is getting really old, and quite frankly, who cares what Two-Face and Scarecrow did their first year? I sure don't.
October 19, 2009
I liked the Scarecrow's origin, but how many retelling's of Two-Face's do we need?
December 6, 2020
Batman: Two-Face/Scarecrow: Year One is a bind-up of two comic book limited series: Two-Face: Year One and Year One: Batman/Scarecrow. It describes Bruce Wayne as Batman's interactions with these villains during their first year of the criminal careers. Batman: Two-Face/Scarecrow: Year One collects both issues of the 2008 limited series Two Face: Year One and both issues of the 2005 limited series Year One: Batman/Scarecrow.
Two Face: Year One (★★★☆☆) is penned by Mark Sable and penciled by Jesús Saíz and Jeremy Haun. It goes into greater details of Harvey Dent's transition into the crime lord known as Two-Face. After being scared by Sal Maroni, Dent falls deeper into the tragedy and soon he begins a campaign to get his old job back as district attorney with the help of several Arkham Asylum inmates.
Year One: Batman/Scarecrow (★★★★☆) is penned by Bruce Jones and penciled by Sean Gordon Murphy. It recounts Jonathan Crane life and his first year as being the Scarecrow. As Jonathan Crane goes after the people who scared him for life, his backstory is revealed via flashbacks when his great-grandmother tortured him as a child. Meanwhile, Batman and Robin are after the mysterious murderer that is haunting Gotham City. As the Dark Knight and Boy Wonder track Crane down, he continues his spree of torturing his victims with his iconic fear gas.
Batman: Two-Face/Scarecrow: Year One is written and constructed rather well. This trade paperback includes two limited series in the Year One series dealing with Bruce Wayne as Batman's interactions with Harvey Dent's as Two-Face and Jonathan Crane as The Scarecrow during their first year of villainy.
The narrative around Scarecrow is remarkably better than the Two-Face one as it shows new insights to the psyche of Jonathan Crane as his backstory isn't explored as much as Two-Face, which is better known, which is perhaps, the weakness to his series – his well known origin story.
Jesús Saíz and Jeremy Haun (Two Face: Year One) and Sean Gordon Murphy (Year One: Batman/Scarecrow) penciling captured the mood and setting of the stories rather well.
All in all, Batman: Two-Face/Scarecrow: Year One is a mediocre bind-up of two limited series that explored the first years of Harvey Dent as Two-Face and Jonathan Crane as Scarecrow and their interactions with Bruce Wayne as Batman as they commit their crimes in Gotham City.
Two Face: Year One (★★★☆☆) is penned by Mark Sable and penciled by Jesús Saíz and Jeremy Haun. It goes into greater details of Harvey Dent's transition into the crime lord known as Two-Face. After being scared by Sal Maroni, Dent falls deeper into the tragedy and soon he begins a campaign to get his old job back as district attorney with the help of several Arkham Asylum inmates.
Year One: Batman/Scarecrow (★★★★☆) is penned by Bruce Jones and penciled by Sean Gordon Murphy. It recounts Jonathan Crane life and his first year as being the Scarecrow. As Jonathan Crane goes after the people who scared him for life, his backstory is revealed via flashbacks when his great-grandmother tortured him as a child. Meanwhile, Batman and Robin are after the mysterious murderer that is haunting Gotham City. As the Dark Knight and Boy Wonder track Crane down, he continues his spree of torturing his victims with his iconic fear gas.
Batman: Two-Face/Scarecrow: Year One is written and constructed rather well. This trade paperback includes two limited series in the Year One series dealing with Bruce Wayne as Batman's interactions with Harvey Dent's as Two-Face and Jonathan Crane as The Scarecrow during their first year of villainy.
The narrative around Scarecrow is remarkably better than the Two-Face one as it shows new insights to the psyche of Jonathan Crane as his backstory isn't explored as much as Two-Face, which is better known, which is perhaps, the weakness to his series – his well known origin story.
Jesús Saíz and Jeremy Haun (Two Face: Year One) and Sean Gordon Murphy (Year One: Batman/Scarecrow) penciling captured the mood and setting of the stories rather well.
All in all, Batman: Two-Face/Scarecrow: Year One is a mediocre bind-up of two limited series that explored the first years of Harvey Dent as Two-Face and Jonathan Crane as Scarecrow and their interactions with Bruce Wayne as Batman as they commit their crimes in Gotham City.
March 17, 2023
Since there are two completely unrelated stories here I'll review them individually.
Scarecrow Year One
This takes place sometime after Dick Grayson first becomes Robin, he's settled into the role but I feel like it's still within his first year of being on the job. This is only relevant to myself since I'm trying to put these books into some kind of chronological order as I go.
I love Sean Murphy's art, although his Robin outfit with the super short cape is a very odd choice.
My favourite part of the story is the interaction between Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson. I love their dynamic, and it's nice to see a Batman who can praise Robin when he does good work. It's also nice to see a Dick Grayson who figures out how to get a better outcome by flirting than Bruce Wayne's annoyed demands.
The storyline involving Jonathan Crane's origin has obvious parallels to Bruce Wayne, but the strength of the story for me really comes down to Batman and Robin knowing they can rely on each other. Okay, that sounds really cheesy but it works for the story.
I'm just a sucker for any Dick Grayson story that feature a wholesome relationship with Bruce or Alfred.
Two-Face Year One
This is an interesting one because it takes place during "The Long Halloween" rather than completely reinventing an origin story.
I do like that it respects earlier continuity but it didn't really add much to Harvey Dent's story that wasn't already on the page or otherwise implied in the earlier story.
Still, it does have some nice artwork.
Scarecrow Year One
This takes place sometime after Dick Grayson first becomes Robin, he's settled into the role but I feel like it's still within his first year of being on the job. This is only relevant to myself since I'm trying to put these books into some kind of chronological order as I go.
I love Sean Murphy's art, although his Robin outfit with the super short cape is a very odd choice.
My favourite part of the story is the interaction between Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson. I love their dynamic, and it's nice to see a Batman who can praise Robin when he does good work. It's also nice to see a Dick Grayson who figures out how to get a better outcome by flirting than Bruce Wayne's annoyed demands.
The storyline involving Jonathan Crane's origin has obvious parallels to Bruce Wayne, but the strength of the story for me really comes down to Batman and Robin knowing they can rely on each other. Okay, that sounds really cheesy but it works for the story.
I'm just a sucker for any Dick Grayson story that feature a wholesome relationship with Bruce or Alfred.
Two-Face Year One
This is an interesting one because it takes place during "The Long Halloween" rather than completely reinventing an origin story.
I do like that it respects earlier continuity but it didn't really add much to Harvey Dent's story that wasn't already on the page or otherwise implied in the earlier story.
Still, it does have some nice artwork.
April 26, 2024
Two twisted origin stories for some of Gothams most well known characters. Starting off with The Scarecrow’s tale of fear and woe; the stronger of the two shines brightly and is extremely captivating, explaining both Johnathan Crane’s dysfunctional upbringing in a puzzled piece-by-piece way, and Batman/Robins rigorous attempts to put the pieces together.
Two-Faces origin is one that is more familiar to myself and most likely the majority of readers/viewers, as in most cases his story is told in almost the same linear and sturdy way it always is; a few flashbacks help out with narrative but overall it is almost dull and lifeless compared to Scarecrows - even with a large cast of other “Villians” being shoehorned in at the very end, with almost no soul being given to any of them.
Two-Faces origin is one that is more familiar to myself and most likely the majority of readers/viewers, as in most cases his story is told in almost the same linear and sturdy way it always is; a few flashbacks help out with narrative but overall it is almost dull and lifeless compared to Scarecrows - even with a large cast of other “Villians” being shoehorned in at the very end, with almost no soul being given to any of them.
August 12, 2020
Two decent origin stories for Bat-villains!
Sean Murphy's art is the star in the Scarecrow half of this book. Batman's voice seems a little off in this one, though it could be forgiven as "early days" Batman in the first years of his career. The Scarecrow origin here is moody and spooky.
The Two-Face origin is part Batman: The Long Halloween, with greater emphasis on Harvey Dent's psychology and campaigns for the DA office. It retreads a lot of familiar ground, but the presentation is interesting and worth a look for any Bat-fan.
Sean Murphy's art is the star in the Scarecrow half of this book. Batman's voice seems a little off in this one, though it could be forgiven as "early days" Batman in the first years of his career. The Scarecrow origin here is moody and spooky.
The Two-Face origin is part Batman: The Long Halloween, with greater emphasis on Harvey Dent's psychology and campaigns for the DA office. It retreads a lot of familiar ground, but the presentation is interesting and worth a look for any Bat-fan.
August 13, 2019
These "Year One" books have plenty of material to work with but most them time they veer of course and try to get to cutesy. I feel like that exactly what happened here. Both stories added too much without actually adding anything substantial to the characters. The Scarecrow story was fine but his history was bananas and Batman acting totally out of character. The Two-Face story trying to involve Holiday in the background was pointless. The art was the shining star here though. Overall, the stories were lacking but great art.
September 14, 2022
I wanted to like this...
The Scarecrow story seemed awkward, and both rushed and drawn out at the same time. It was a little hard to follow, and just kind of uninteresting. The artwork was well done though.
The Two-Face story was more fluid and fleshed out, however, it was basically an expanded retelling of the Long Halloween with some additions thrown in. It was less interesting than the full Long Halloween, and if you've read that, you can easily skip this. Again, decent artwork, but overall, just mediocre.
Easily skippable as a collection, read other, better stories instead.
The Scarecrow story seemed awkward, and both rushed and drawn out at the same time. It was a little hard to follow, and just kind of uninteresting. The artwork was well done though.
The Two-Face story was more fluid and fleshed out, however, it was basically an expanded retelling of the Long Halloween with some additions thrown in. It was less interesting than the full Long Halloween, and if you've read that, you can easily skip this. Again, decent artwork, but overall, just mediocre.
Easily skippable as a collection, read other, better stories instead.
November 29, 2019
(3.5 stars) Really liked the first part with Scarecrow, but the second part with Two-Face was kind of all over the place. The timeline was off (how did Scarecrow show up in Two-Face’s origin story when he clearly came after Two-Face chronologically?) and the plot was really just a knock off of The Long Halloween/Dark Victory. However, these are two fascinating villains, and their origins were somewhat compelling. Overall, meh. I did love the art in both stories though!
July 25, 2019
The Scarecrow story and art was not very good. Two-Face story and art are excellent.
June 1, 2022
Orígenes del Espantapájaros y Dos Caras. El problema es que la historia de Dos Caras ya se ha contado en "El Ojo del Observador" y "El Largo Halloween", por lo que no sorprende.
May 30, 2023
Two Face: 3.5/5
Scarecrow: 3/5
Scarecrow: 3/5
September 1, 2016
4.5/5 Stars
This comic book is actually 2 separate origin stories. The first half of the comic is an origin story for Scarecrow and the second is on for Two-Face. Each story takes a closer look into the past of these famous villains. Scarecrow’s story takes us back to when he was just a young kid and the traumatizing events that lead to his life of crime. Two-Face’s story doesn’t go back quite as far, but instead focusses on the story that anyone who is a fan most-likely already knows.
I’m really glad that I picked this book up from the Library. This was such a fun and interesting read. However, even though I haven’t read many Batman comics, I knew the gist of Two-Face’s general background.
But, I’m getting ahead of myself. Since Scarecrows story is first, let’s start with that one.
Scarecrow’s backstory gets a 5/5 star rating from me. I absolutely loved it. I thought the plot was wonderful and paced really well. It kept me flipping pages quickly to find out what was going to happen next. Scarecrow doesn’t seem to have too much space in the great world of Batman, so it was very cool to read an origin story.
And, when it ended, I was left wanting more (because it was such a good story of course!) yet feeling oh so satisfied. The story was so interesting, and, most importantly, it made sense. It completely fit his character and gave valid reasons that lead him to his current situation.
Plus, the artwork was SO PRETTY. I loved everything about it. It was simple, but had such a wonderful mystical air about it. The artwork really contributed to the story.
Everything about the Scarecrow origin story was perfect.
The Two-Face origin story, though, was a different story (quite literally, I guess). The premise of this story seemed to be overdone and not as well executed as the previous story in this bind up. I give the Two-Face story 3.5/5 stars. Even though it doesn’t balance out perfectly with the overall rating, this second story is the reason for the docked .5 star.
I found this story to be more unoriginal and, frankly, overdone. I wanted something more from it. It seemed to be incredibly reminiscent of The Long Halloween. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but I wanted more from this specific comic.
It was also a bit wordy for my taste, and the action never seemed to fully take off. Overall, it was fun to read, but nothing spectacular. I also didn’t like the artwork as much. It was all right, but nothing that blew my mind. (This coming from someone who can barely draw a stick figure…sorry!) It’s not that the art was bad; I honestly didn’t mind it and applaud the effort, but it just didn’t add anything to the story for me. Still, it’s not a bad read and totally worth any fan’s time
If you find this story elsewhere, definitely pick it up–especially if you’re a Batman or DC comic fan. This was a great read!
Review originally published on my Wordpress blog Dreaming Through Literature.
This comic book is actually 2 separate origin stories. The first half of the comic is an origin story for Scarecrow and the second is on for Two-Face. Each story takes a closer look into the past of these famous villains. Scarecrow’s story takes us back to when he was just a young kid and the traumatizing events that lead to his life of crime. Two-Face’s story doesn’t go back quite as far, but instead focusses on the story that anyone who is a fan most-likely already knows.
I’m really glad that I picked this book up from the Library. This was such a fun and interesting read. However, even though I haven’t read many Batman comics, I knew the gist of Two-Face’s general background.
But, I’m getting ahead of myself. Since Scarecrows story is first, let’s start with that one.
Scarecrow’s backstory gets a 5/5 star rating from me. I absolutely loved it. I thought the plot was wonderful and paced really well. It kept me flipping pages quickly to find out what was going to happen next. Scarecrow doesn’t seem to have too much space in the great world of Batman, so it was very cool to read an origin story.
And, when it ended, I was left wanting more (because it was such a good story of course!) yet feeling oh so satisfied. The story was so interesting, and, most importantly, it made sense. It completely fit his character and gave valid reasons that lead him to his current situation.
Plus, the artwork was SO PRETTY. I loved everything about it. It was simple, but had such a wonderful mystical air about it. The artwork really contributed to the story.
Everything about the Scarecrow origin story was perfect.
The Two-Face origin story, though, was a different story (quite literally, I guess). The premise of this story seemed to be overdone and not as well executed as the previous story in this bind up. I give the Two-Face story 3.5/5 stars. Even though it doesn’t balance out perfectly with the overall rating, this second story is the reason for the docked .5 star.
I found this story to be more unoriginal and, frankly, overdone. I wanted something more from it. It seemed to be incredibly reminiscent of The Long Halloween. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but I wanted more from this specific comic.
It was also a bit wordy for my taste, and the action never seemed to fully take off. Overall, it was fun to read, but nothing spectacular. I also didn’t like the artwork as much. It was all right, but nothing that blew my mind. (This coming from someone who can barely draw a stick figure…sorry!) It’s not that the art was bad; I honestly didn’t mind it and applaud the effort, but it just didn’t add anything to the story for me. Still, it’s not a bad read and totally worth any fan’s time
If you find this story elsewhere, definitely pick it up–especially if you’re a Batman or DC comic fan. This was a great read!
Review originally published on my Wordpress blog Dreaming Through Literature.
July 27, 2013
With a Batman film, there must be a focus on the popular villains making cinematic appearances. This tome looks at the early days of Professor Jonathan Crane and District Attorney Harvey Dent. Bruce Jones handles the writing act of the Scarecrow origin. Set early in the Batman/Robin partnership, the Dynamic Duo finds themselves chasing a killer who preys on fear. As they hunt down the elusive "Ichabod" terrorizing Gotham, Professor Crane opens up about his early years to his selected victims. Stories of grandmotherly beatings and crow attacks help set the scene for a future professor of fear. The true apex of this tale is the artwork by Sean Murphy, which paints a unique and skewed childlike version of Gotham. Seeing as how the book focuses on Robin's aid and Scarecrow's youth, the visuals provide an excellent compliment to the prose. Mark Sable has the hard task of exploring Two-Face's creation. The simple jar of acid to the face is layered with Dent's underlying anger issues; ones that were brought to light by the Animated series and incorporated into the Long Halloween epic. As such, Sable attempts to meld all of those ideas together - along with Batman Year One - to create a cohesive story. Much like the villain himself, the result is both good and bad. Artist Jesus Saiz attempts to help with his depictions of both the real and implied monster, but good art can only go so far. A fine book for those who wish to know more about their favorite Bat-villains, but otherwise, flip a coin.
December 19, 2016
Batman: Year One was amazing. This is not.
This volume contains origin stories for Scarecrow and Two-Face. (And in the opposite order of the book's title because why not?) Scarecrow's story is similar to Batman's, with family trauma being the main driver in his life. Bruce Wayne struggles with the similarity, which I get, but I felt like he struggled more than he should have.
Two-Face's story is a retelling of events from Batman: The Long Halloween. Do yourself a favor and read that and the follow-on Batman: Dark Victory instead.
Also, it is worth pointing out that these two stories don't occur back-to-back chronologically. (The Scarecrow story, which is printed first here, must be later because Robin is around and he wasn't in Batman: The Long Halloween.)
Borrowed from my library (thankfully!).
This volume contains origin stories for Scarecrow and Two-Face. (And in the opposite order of the book's title because why not?) Scarecrow's story is similar to Batman's, with family trauma being the main driver in his life. Bruce Wayne struggles with the similarity, which I get, but I felt like he struggled more than he should have.
Two-Face's story is a retelling of events from Batman: The Long Halloween. Do yourself a favor and read that and the follow-on Batman: Dark Victory instead.
Also, it is worth pointing out that these two stories don't occur back-to-back chronologically. (The Scarecrow story, which is printed first here, must be later because Robin is around and he wasn't in Batman: The Long Halloween.)
Borrowed from my library (thankfully!).
Read
May 8, 2010This is the story of how a skinny and uncoordinated youth became a homicidal murderer and how a regular good looking grade-A walking business suit became a modern day Jekyll and Hyde. In one story, we learn the mysterious mystery behind Jonathan Crane's twisted past and how he was tortured daily by the ruffians at his school and endlessly ravaged upon by an overly religious grandmother, eventually culminating to a breakdown of mass proportions and that triggered the creation of ... The Scarecrow, a symbol of poverty and fear; two things young Jonathan knew very well. On a similar note, we learn that Jonathan earned the nickname "scarecrow" from the old story "Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving. I find that people act very similarly outside these colorfully animated pages; For example, many people in a school near where I live constantly fight and argue over menial matters, much like the way poor Jonathan was bullied by his granny if he did something ridiculous wrong or non religious. In short, I found the origin of both characters amazing, but a bit bland. The books good, but at the same time it could have used more fear gas.
February 14, 2017
There's two stories here by two different teams. The first is Scarecrow's origin. And I was really looking forward to this one, but it just wasn't very well-written. While I liked that it had Batman and Robin trying to solve a mystery, the writing was sloppy. There are long sections where Jonathan Craine is explaining away his mental problems. It's terribly slow moving. The art was ok, a little different, but always too dark, even if the scene didn't call for darkness.
The other is Two-Face, and this one was much better. Maybe because Harvey Dent is simply a more interesting character. Flashbacks are handled much more effeciently. The progression of Dent to Two-Face is shown really well--even if relies a bit too much on Batman: The Long Halloween and Batman: Dark Victory. Art is pretty good here too.
The other is Two-Face, and this one was much better. Maybe because Harvey Dent is simply a more interesting character. Flashbacks are handled much more effeciently. The progression of Dent to Two-Face is shown really well--even if relies a bit too much on Batman: The Long Halloween and Batman: Dark Victory. Art is pretty good here too.
June 29, 2020
I was honestly surprised at how much I loved Harvey Dent in this. I've never really found him compelling before, but I can't say I've ever seen him outside of Cristopher Nolan's The Dark Knight, or the occasional Batman comic. I love the idea of the split personality and just the way the flash backs were handled was so cool. I don't know if this is how the character is usually handled, but if so he may become a favorite. The art style was amazing; however, the progression of him becoming Two-Face and just the story in general felt a little rushed, it would have been better if Scarecrow and he just had seperate full length graphic novels. For Scarecrow, I don't know what it was, but I just didn't care. His monologues about his past and mental illness were such a drag, and it felt stereotyical to villianize the white lady from Georgia. But I did like it, but only for Dick and Bruce (and the art style). I loved their dynamic and Dick is just so smol.
January 1, 2021
São boas histórias, mas há problemas de continuidade em ambas.
Two-Face: Year One
Esta versão da origem do Two-Face é boa, mas tem algumas inconsistências na cronologia do Batman, como o surgimento precoce do Harvey Bullock, e não tem como comparar com The Long Haloween, que é a versão mais aceita da origem do Two-Face. De qualquer forma, mesmo com algumas inconsistências na cronologia, ele pode ser um bom complemento para The Long Halloween.
Scarecrow: Year One
Essa história é totalmente não canônica. Primeiro, nesta história tem o Robin, e o Robin só surgiu mais a frente em The Long Halloween. E há muitas histórias que o Scarecrow está presente do início de carreira do Batman que ainda não existia o Robin. A história mais aceitável da origem do Scarecrow é Batman Annual #19.
Two-Face: Year One
Esta versão da origem do Two-Face é boa, mas tem algumas inconsistências na cronologia do Batman, como o surgimento precoce do Harvey Bullock, e não tem como comparar com The Long Haloween, que é a versão mais aceita da origem do Two-Face. De qualquer forma, mesmo com algumas inconsistências na cronologia, ele pode ser um bom complemento para The Long Halloween.
Scarecrow: Year One
Essa história é totalmente não canônica. Primeiro, nesta história tem o Robin, e o Robin só surgiu mais a frente em The Long Halloween. E há muitas histórias que o Scarecrow está presente do início de carreira do Batman que ainda não existia o Robin. A história mais aceitável da origem do Scarecrow é Batman Annual #19.
January 2, 2012
Sean Murphy's droll, horrifying style is a perfect match for the Scarecrow origin story, well plotted (by Bruce Jones) as a race-against-the-clock mystery. Despite the preposterous elements in Scarecrow's self-creation (not to mention his wacky motives), the story still has many scary and vertiginous moments. Lots of fun.
Mark Sable's Two-Face story is more intentionally crammed and compressed, complete with the appearance of damn near every Batman villain during the epic conclusion. Yet it's never made clear how a powerful sense of principle (and justice) can split someone in two. (The recurring psychiatrist explains nothing, of course.) Disappointing.
Mark Sable's Two-Face story is more intentionally crammed and compressed, complete with the appearance of damn near every Batman villain during the epic conclusion. Yet it's never made clear how a powerful sense of principle (and justice) can split someone in two. (The recurring psychiatrist explains nothing, of course.) Disappointing.
October 30, 2014
I read this back when it came out and I definitely remembered it being better than it is. It's OK. It's a terrifying portrait of child abuse and what mental and physical torture can turn someone into as an adult. The actual Scarecrow stuff was strong and the story itself was solid albeit far from spectacular. But a BIG problem I had with this was the characterization of Batman/Bruce Wayne. It was all over the place. Seriously, his personality changed every few pages like he was being written by a different person. It was distracting enough that I probably won't read it again.
The Two-Face stuff was a run-of-the-mill story. Nothing particularly wrong with it, nothing to make it stand out either. Pretty good but ultimately forgettable.
The Two-Face stuff was a run-of-the-mill story. Nothing particularly wrong with it, nothing to make it stand out either. Pretty good but ultimately forgettable.
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