Batman: Zero Year- Secret City Review

Finished reading Batman: Zero Year- Secret City this continues the creative team of Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo amazing run on the book as they take Batman back to his first year of crime fighting. The book opens to a post apocalyptic Gotham as a Road Warrior Batman helps a young boy who is being chased by a couple of thugs. The book then goes to three months prior where Bruce Wayne is foiling one of the Red Hood Gang's plots saving a group of people tied up in a truck. Back at his apartment in Crime Alley his uncle Phillip Kane finds him as he asks Bruce to come back to Wayne Enterprises and run the company because the Wayne's have more public appeal in Gotham than the Kane's. When Bruce refuses Phillip goes to his advisor Edward Nygma who advises him that killing Bruce will solve all his problems. Meanwhile Bruce is infiltrating a Red Hood Gang weapon heist as he goes undercover as the Penguin leading to him and Alfred having a falling out over how Bruce is living his life. After getting an invitation from his uncle Phillip to meet him at the museum where Phillip unveils Bruce to the press only for Bruce to walk away bumping into Nygma on his way out and having his apartment blown up by the Red Hood who was his taxi driver on his way home. After escaping the Red Hood Gang Bruce drags himself to Wayne Manor where Alfred patches him back up leading to the scene where Bruce agrees to "Become a Bat". With Batman now on the streets of Gotham picking of the Red Hood Gang one at a time becoming a myth in the gang and drawing the attention of the GCPD Batman confronts the gang at A.C.E Chemicals where he has his final fight with Red Hood. The the story ends on an explosive conclusion that sets up the rest of the of the story arc in the next book as Edward Nygma becomes the Riddler. The rest of the book showcases some short stories about Bruce Wayne's travels as he trained to become Batman before coming back to Gotham. Overall this was an amazing book as it dived into Bruce Wayne's backstory of becoming Batman as he fights the Red Hood Gang which brings about the origin of the Joker into the book as well. Red hood's dialogue is very similar to that of the Jokers with it being toned back a bit as it doesn't include his crazy laugher as he hasn't cracked yet. Also the dynamic between Bruce and Alfred is great with both of them arguing about how Bruce is living his life which in turn strengthens their relationship becoming the one seen today. 9.5/10.