DC Comics Essentials: Batman Year One

A young Bruce Wayne returns to a Gotham City drowning in institutional corruption. His first, brutal attempts at vigilantism are clumsy and nearly fatal. Simultaneously, an idealistic James Gordon arrives as a new lieutenant, finding his own principles tested by the city's police force. Their parallel journeys of disillusionment and resolve begin to intersect in the rain-slicked streets. A desperate criminal act involving a child forces both men to define their methods. The fledgling Batman learns that fear is a weapon, while Gordon confronts the cost of integrity. The city's decay is palpable in every alley and precinct house.