Such a great comic. I selfishly wish Mazzucchelli had stayed in mainstream comics a lot longer, but he went on to a mich happier place. An Incredible artist.

congratulations on 10 years. You have created an extraordinary body of work on this channel, that has reinvigorated my interest in the medium

Year One is a masterclass in the economics of writing and drawing in a restricted format. 4 issues, 88 pages, not a single panel wasted. It wasn't written to be a movie, it was written to be a comic book story in all the best ways. Now we've got modern writers writing 1-2 issue stories stretched out over 5-6 issues with more shallow writing for a more "cinematic" reading experience.

"Once a depiction veers towards realism, each new detail releases a torrent of questions that exposes the absurdity at the heart of the genre.  The more "realistic" superheroes become, the less believable they are." David Mazzucchelli.

I think about this quote a lot and it explains a lot of my problems with modern superhero comics.  It's why I don't like modern Joker stories.  I find it impossible to believe that the state wouldn't immediately execute the clown once his body count hit triple digits.  I just have an easier time processing the goofy version from the '60s Adam West show or the Brave & the Bold cartoon.

Born Again came out just as I was breaking into comics, it was a revelation and an inspiration. I was a full time comics guy when Year One came out- I was figuring out what kind of artist I wanted to be.... and this blew me away. It's the comic I have in the most formats- the original issues, the initial TPB, the Absolute, the French outsize version and (of course) the Artist Edition where I can go over the pages at original size. It's a well I go back to often, to drink deep from and replenish my artistic soul.

Do I draw anything like Mazz? Nope, I've not a hope in hell of that. However, the lesson's I've learnt about pacing, lighting and the best way to use reference seamlessly have informed my 40+ year career, in both comics and storyboarding.

You do an excellent overview of the work here, thank you. And thank you for 10 years of excellent, amusing and well researched videos. Congratulations!

I’d love to hear about Mazzucchelli’s non super hero’s work.

The panel you showed of the Gordons in bed is impressive. You see so much of where they are at in life and their relationship in that one snap shot. Especially Jim, I think.

I miss these breakdowns - Chris when you drop a video like this one, it always displays great skill and ability in disseminating the information and research  perfectly!  - Connecting dots on things I already knew, but breaking it down with the nuances like one would hope to find in a really really good teacher. Mazzucchelli goes into the category of comic book master illustrator and storyteller - a straight classic.

You probably hear this a lot by now but your content along with you yourself, are aging like fine wine

Long-time watcher of your videos, really loved your analysis on this. I specifically noticed and enjoyed how evocative your language was while still being able to make an objective analysis on the artist's intent in a subjective medium so I while I was not surprised to hear you say you put a lot of work into the script - it showed - I was surprised to hear you weren't sure on the delivery because I've always loved your videos (particularly when about things I'm actually not familiar with) but this was an instant favourite. I think you've cultivated a group of supporters that actively enjoy seeing you doing exactly what you want to be doing, how you want to do it.

I sincerely think analysis like yours is invigorating to comics as a whole. These kinds of discussions happen when I'm with the friends I have who are super into comics and artists themselves, but there really aren't many others on YouTube or elsewhere who do it the way you do.

Congrats on 10 years! I think I've only been here for half of that, but you've been one if the most consistently quality channels I listen to!

The IDW Artist’s Edition of Batman Year One may be the most impressive comic book collectible ever

10 years already!? Congratulations!

Batman: Year One is an elegant masterwork and the definitive Batman story. I return to it through the years and it's never diminished by time or context. The art and text compliment each other in a perfect balance of economy, never feeling like one overshadows the other. It always reminds me why Batman can be the perfect storytelling vessel for crime noir vigilante stories.

My 17 year old son is reading the Absolute Batman Year One for the first time and greatly prefers the original version on newsprint, as do I.   It's always a joy to re-read this story and revel in Mazzucchelli's beautiful artwork.  Thanks for doing this episode, Chris.

I LOVED this episode, Chris. Excellent work! A real study on a true masterpiece of not only Batman history, but in the comics medium as whole.

hey; student of Dave's here. The reason he stopped drawing superhero books was because he saw Batman violently interrogating a criminal in the comics. It hit too close to home with what was happening politically at the time with war criminals & and he didn't feel superheroes need to go down that same path.

Chris, you are one of the best YouTubers out there, you maintain a “small-creator feel” even as you’ve grown. I haven’t been here for ten years, but I’ve been here for seven. I bought my first omnibus (Planetary) because of your video and now I’m addicted to the format (for better or worse). I know you’ve gone through a lot lately, but know that whenever a new Comic Tropes video pops up, it’s an instant watch. Here’s to another decade!

Chris, the extra care placed in the script here really showed. I’ve watched you for a decade now, and this video really stood out even among your already fantastic body of work. I hope you’ll continue to put such a floral and academic emphasis on your scripts when it suits the topic!

Masterful analysis on two masters at their prime creating the greatest comic ever made. Bravo.