Batman: Year One (2011)

Batman: Year One (2011), an American animated superhero film, is based on the four-issue story arc of the same name originally printed in 1987. The film was co-directed by Lauren Montgomery and Sam Liu. After spending 12 years abroad training for his personal mission to eradicate crime in Gotham City, billionaire Bruce Wayne returns home. Meanwhile, James ‘Jim’ Gordon and his wife Barbara move to Gotham from Chicago due to a job transfer. Both are quickly introduced to the city’s rampant corruption and violent atmosphere. Gordon sets his sights on rooting out corruption within the Gotham City Police Department after witnessing his colleague Detective Arnold Flass abuse his authority as a police officer. However, when Gordon attempts to take action against Flass with evidence, he is brutally attacked by several other officers under the orders of their corrupt superior, Commissioner Gillian B. Loeb. In retaliation, Gordon tracks down Flass and renders him helpless and exposed in the snow after beating him senseless.

Despite having acquired valuable skills abroad, Bruce still feels ill-equipped to combat crime. While on a covert surveillance mission in Gotham’s notorious red-light district, he is unexpectedly embroiled in a physical altercation with two prostitutes, Holly Robinson and Selina Kyle. To make matters worse, he is mistakenly shot at by two police officers and apprehended. Managing to escape from their patrol car, he barely survives and makes his way back to Wayne Manor. Sitting before his father’s bust, he implores for guidance in his crusade against crime. In a moment of serendipity, a bat crashes through the window and lands on the bust, sparking a newfound determination in Bruce to protect Gotham as Batman.