Today's reommended comic is Batman Year One by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli.

Just get back from a late showing of Sin City and want a fix of more Frank Miller comic book noir? Sure you can pick up any of the various Sin City volumes that are everywhere right now. Or you can read Miller at the true top of his game with this new reissue of the classic 4 part Batman Year One series from the mid-'80s. While The Dark Knight Returns is Miller's most famous and influential Batman story, many feel this is his best. It's much more grounded than both DKR and Sin City and boasts expressively realistic art from the great David Mazzucchelli, his last comic book story before retiring from the mainstream.

Year One retells the classic origin of the Batman: the death of his parents, the obsessive training, the introduction of supporting characters like Alfred and Selina Kyle. It brings gritty realism back to the character who tends to get removed from his roots everytime he appears in a Justice League comic or finds himself in some sort of cosmic adventure or another. Mazzucchelli draws him like a real man wearing a bat suit. Not in a paunchy, Adam West kind of way, but like exactly what you might catch a glimpse of if a real Batman appeared out the dark to save your life.

Whereas, DKR was the inspiration for Tim Burton's original Batman film, Year One is the inspiration for Chris Nolan's upcoming Batman Begins. If you haven't read it yet, now is the time as this Chip Kidd designed hardcover is like a DVD special addition with lots of extras like unseen artwork, original pencil sketches, scripts and more.

And if this still isn't enough to satisfy your Frank Miller craving, look for his brand new Batman story starting with All Star Batman #1, drawn by Jim Lee coming in June.

Check out your local comic shop today. If you don't know where your local comic shop is, find it here: http://www.the-master-list.com