Help me remember a Batman comic?

January 3, 2005 7:22 PM

I'm half-remembering a Batman comic here, or at least I think it was Batman. What was it? [Details inside, of course.]

It was definitely a darker take on Batman, but it wasn't Dark Knight Returns. All I remember is a brief scene in which Bruce Wayne is walking through the city when he is approached by a young prostitute. He asks, "How old are you?" and she replies, "Young as you want me to be." What comic was this?

posted by Faint of Butt to writing & language (11 comments total)

Isn't that from Taxi Driver?
posted by keswick at 7:38 PM on January 3, 2005

"Batman: Year one", maybe?
posted by milovoo at 7:39 PM on January 3, 2005

I'm gonna guess Batman: Year One because the line is used in someone's fan script for a movie based on that title.

on preview: damn.
posted by GeekAnimator at 7:40 PM on January 3, 2005

I think you may be referring to Andrew Vachss's Batman: The Ultimate Evil (or, at least the graphic novel adaptation). Hope this helps.
posted by font_snob at 7:41 PM on January 3, 2005

It would appear to be Batman: Year One. I knew the gestalt geekery of MeFi wouldn't let me down. Thanks!
posted by Faint of Butt at 7:52 PM on January 3, 2005

Actually, that didn't require any geekery, just plain ol' google.
posted by milovoo at 7:56 PM on January 3, 2005

Actually, that didn't require any geekery, just plain ol' google.

...which I really should have thought of myself. But nevertheless, I'm grateful.
posted by Faint of Butt at 7:59 PM on January 3, 2005

Though it never occured to me until keswick pointed it out, there are some pretty strong parrallels between Bruce Wayne's encounter with the prostitute in Year One and Travis Bickle's assault on Iris's pimp at the end of Taxi Driver. These include: 1. The protagonist disguising himself with an alteration in his physical appearance 2. The prostitute reacting with ambivelance to the effort to "save" her. 3. Overconfidence nearly doing the protagonist in. And so forth.
posted by Clay201 at 8:13 PM on January 3, 2005

Confirmed Batman: Year One with print copy.
posted by j.edwards at 8:21 PM on January 3, 2005

It's definately Year One. The prostitute's mane is Holly and she is looked after by Selina Kyle. Those panels contain some of my favourite dialogue ever when Bruce Wayne says "She knows Karate. Only Karate."

I frickin' lent my originals to someone 12 years ago. Needless to say... grrrr.

/comic geek
posted by Bdave at 9:21 PM on January 3, 2005

The Jeph Loeb-penned sequels to Year One (Long Halloween and Dark Victory) are worth a gander as well.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 6:46 AM on January 4, 2005