Batman: Earth One

這次看的是一部講述Batman源起的漫畫。又來？不不不，這次是平行世界Earth One的Batman，不是我們認識、俗稱「主世界」的Earth-3 Batman。

既然是平行世界，那麼如果在設定上與Earth-3無異的話，那就太浪費了，所以在這個世界中，Bruce，與一些重要的人物，都與我們所熟悉的形象有點不同。

一如以往的有名作品，以下內容簡介取自維基：

Bruce Wayne is the eight-year-old son of Dr. Thomas Wayne, a mayoral candidate for Gotham City, and Martha Wayne (née Arkham). After receiving death threats, Thomas contacts his friend Alfred Pennyworth to become the head of security at Wayne Manor.

During an outing with his parents, Bruce is taken hostage by a mugger. He demands that the Waynes pay a ransom for the return of their son and attempts to remove Martha's pearl necklace. Thomas tries to intervene and the criminal shoots them both in front of Bruce. Following Bruce's return to Wayne Manor, Alfred learns that he has been named as Bruce's legal guardian by the Wayne parents in the event of their absence. Alfred agrees and presents himself to Bruce as his butler.

As a teenager, Bruce befriends his classmate, Jessica Dent, and develops a rivalry with her twin brother, Harvey Dent. He also learns about Arkham Manor, where Martha lived as a child. Martha's mother suffered a mental breakdown when Martha was twelve years-old, murdering her husband with a sledgehammer, and committing suicide by jumping off a balcony. Arkham Manor is believed to be cursed due to the actions of Martha's mother, causing all members of the Arkham bloodline to become insane.

Bruce is suddenly inspired following a teenage experience at Wayne Manor and shortly afterwards convinces Alfred to train him in various forms of martial arts and acrobatics. Bruce also learns investigative techniques. Following this training, he discovers evidence that MayorOswald Cobblepot was involved in his parents' assassination.

In his mid-twenties, Bruce dons a bat-themed costume as a disguise, inspired by his pre-training experience at Wayne Manor. Meanwhile, Detective James Gordon of the Gotham City Police Department is investigating a string of disappearances involving young girls between the ages of thirteen and fifteen. The case is shortly put on hold, so that Gordon can meet his new partner, Harvey Bullock, an experienced LAPD detective who has come to Gotham to solve the Wayne murders in order to revive a fading career.

Following an altercation between Cobblepot's bodyguards and Bruce at a function organized by the mayor, Bruce's alter ego is named "Batman" by the press and the topic becomes a public sensation. Cobblepot, infuriated by Batman's actions at the event, orders one of his henchmen, a serial killer named "Birthday Boy", to take care of Jacob Weaver, a former policeman who is employed by Cobblepot and the subject of a search by Batman. Birthday Boy is then shown to be responsible for the kidnappings that Gordon had been investigating.

After Weaver is killed, Batman's investigation leads him to Arkham Manor, where Birthday Boy had been placing his victims. A series of events then leads to the kidnapping of Gordon's seventeen-year-old daughter, Barbara, by Axe, a petty thug who previously antagonized Gordon, at the behest of Cobblepot. Gordon then learns that Bullock is indirectly responsible for Barbara's kidnapping, and an apologetic Bullock helps Gordon find Axe, who is violently forced to reveal Barbara's location.

While Barbara struggles against Birthday Boy, Batman, Gordon and Bullock unite in the search for her. Batman eventually intercepts Birthday Boy while Gordon rescues Barbara; Batman soon overpowers the serial killer, who is then arrested by Gordon and Bullock. In a subsequent confrontation between Batman and Cobblepot, the mayor reveals that his intention was for Weaver to murder the Waynes, but the couple ran into the mugger instead. Cobblepot then prepares to kill an unmasked Bruce but is fatally shot by Alfred. Axe is arrested and Birthday Boy is transferred to the Crane Institute for the Criminally Insane, run by Dr. Jonathan Crane (the serial killer’s identity is revealed as Ray Salinger, an escapee from Crane's hospital).

Barbara begins to idolize Batman, studying martial arts and criminology, and sketching potential "Batgirl" costumes. Bullock, on the other hand, is traumatized by his experiences and succumbs to alcoholism. After his crimes are posthumously outed, Jessica Dent replaces Cobblepot as the Mayor. Bruce is left disappointed by the truth behind his parents' death, but with Alfred's encouragement, decides that he will continue on to refine his new persona as Batman.

The story concludes with the depiction of an enigmatic man reviewing information on Batman.

其實在故事一開始，是使用了美漫愛用的倒敘法，我們能見到Batman在追捕一個疑似是涉及他父母被殺案的人，過程中他打算使用勾槍，卻因槍枝問題發射失敗，打算跳過大樓來追捕，同樣因為計算距離出了差錯或是體力不繼，墮樓受傷。看到這裡，我們就知道兩件事情，其一，這個是初出道的Batman；其二，他也許不如主世界的Batman般無所不能，他也不過是個普通人，有無力的時候。這樣一個Batman，遇上全副武裝的敵人時，大概會陷入險境吧，但這也算是寫實。

在這個世界中的Bruce，原來是一個小屁孩。如果不是他嚷著要去看戲，父母就不會離家；如果不是他在戲院停電後，仍堅持到下一家戲院，父母就不會到了那條小巷；如果不是他輕率地說出「我爸是有錢的Thomas Wayne」，父母就不會被路過的小混混殺死。這些設定，可見Bruce真是個討人厭的孩子，但更重要的是設定的原因。一直以來，對Bruce變成Batman的心理描寫都是Bruce自覺以前的自己無能力保護到父母，於是他努力鍛煉，希望能強化自己，然而一個小孩子無法從持槍匪徒手上保護到父母實在正常不過，那應如果改成是Bruce的錯誤導致父母死亡呢？尤其是一個不吃人間煙火的富二代小孩，很容易就能使自己暴露在危險中，與及Bruce成為Batman的理由則變成自責及內疚，打算去復仇，這個設定看來是更現實、更合理。所以一開始Batman只追捕當年與案件有關的人，卻對普通劫匪不聞不問。當然，他後來證實了父母的死不是因為被算計謀殺，而是真的在偶然間被劫殺，於是Batman的目標轉向所有罪犯身上，最終也走上主世界的Batman的道上。

既然本作相對寫實，對於Batman的裝備自然也要有一番合理的詮釋。例如上文所述，他自創的勾槍失靈，無可奈何下求助Fox幫忙，Bruce也有不擅長的地方嘛。而Batman的披風方面，作者在Batman與Penguin的保鑣在屋頂上的對決也幽了一默，安排對方大喊要捉住Batman的披風。不過，這種礙事的裝飾也發揮了作用，Batman全靠這披風，才能罩著Birthday Boy的頭部使其窒息，明確指出披風也是武器，這也算是對部份讀者長期質疑披風的實用性的一個回覆。不過就我而言，披風還是弊多於利，不過沒有了披風的Batman，我一定會看不順眼。沒錯，我在說Batman Beyond。

這一個Batman與我們認識的Batman不同，他沒有在年輕時到處外遊，學習不同地方的武器，也沒有諸多學位，最多只是愛看書罷了。其實觀乎Batman的經典設定，Batman去流浪學習，年紀輕輕就已文武雙全，這不是不可能的，只是大概真的萬中無一，很難代入，相反，本作的Alfred受過軍隊訓練，由他傳授格鬥技已是足夠有餘了，Bruce也不必走到大老遠學習了，家中就是他的修道館。此外，本作也沒有Batcave和Bat computer，我之前一直都在想，憑Bruce和Alfred二人，怎能修建出一個如此大規模的秘密基地？在地下動工，兩個人？把那麼多大型物件搬到洞裡且無人知曉？相對寫實的本作索性無視Batcave，我不必為此而煩惱了。

本作的故事雖短，但還是極力對原來的經典角色進行重塑，對中有些人物的改動實在出彩。比如我認為改動最大的Alfred，他在這個世界中擁有茂密的頭髮，強壯的身體，卻因戰爭失去了右小腿，需要裝上義肢，他更持槍殺死了Penguin。此外，他其實與Thomas是朋友關係，只因希望Bruce能更易接受自己的管教才自稱管家。而Bruce的母親Martha，原來是Arkham家的人，那即是Bruce身上同樣流著Arkham家的瘋狂之血。主世界的萬年警探Bullock在本作中則是個由原來只想出名，到後來真誠為Gotham服務的好警察，卻因在地牢中見到被Birthday Boy殺死的女孩子屍體，心靈重創，需要酗酒鎮靜，暗合主世界中的形象。Scarecrow 和Riddler也有驚鴻一現，不錯不錯。

總括而言，本作是一部不錯看的Batman再演繹，讓我們窺見現實世界中的Batman最可能出現的形象，不過對於喜歡激烈打鬥的朋友而言，本作則未必能滿足到他們了。另外，可惜本作只有一話，並不是延續下去的故事，這實在有點可惜。不過想深一層，如果以這個世界的設定推進下去，Batman就會變成久違了的純犯罪漫畫，不必對付怪物、外星人，應該未必能夠大熱。一句到尾，本作值得收藏。

80分。