Editing Batman: Year One (section)

==Plot==
Billionaire [[Batman|Bruce Wayne]] returns home to [[Gotham City]] after twelve years abroad, training for his eventual one-man war against crime. [[Jim Gordon (character)|James "Jim" Gordon]] moves to Gotham with his wife, Barbara, after a transfer from [[Chicago]]. Both are swiftly acquainted with the corrupt and violent atmosphere of the city. Gordon tries to focus on purging corruption from the [[Gotham City Police Department]] after witnessing his partner, [[List of DC Comics characters: F#Arnold Flass|Detective Arnold Flass]], abuse his power as a cop. Unfortunately, several officers led by Flass beat him on orders from his superior, [[Gillian B. Loeb|Commissioner Gillian Loeb]]. In revenge, Gordon tracks Flass down, beats him, and leaves him naked and handcuffed in the snow.

Bruce believes he is still unprepared to fight against crime despite having the skills he learned abroad. He goes in disguise on a surveillance mission in Gotham's [[red-light district]], but is reluctantly drawn into a brawl with several prostitutes, including [[Holly Robinson (character)|Holly Robinson]] and [[Catwoman|Selina Kyle]]. Two police officers shoot Bruce on sight and take him away in their patrol car. Bruce breaks free, flees from the scene, and returns to [[Wayne Manor]] barely alive. He sits before [[Thomas Wayne|his father's]] bust, requesting guidance in his war against crime. A bat suddenly crashes through a window and settles on the bust, inspiring Bruce to save Gotham as Batman.

With Bruce striking as Batman for weeks, street crime significantly declines. Even Flass is attacked while in the middle of accepting a bribe from Jefferson Skeevers, a drug dealer of [[Carmine Falcone]]. Sometime later, Bruce infiltrates the mansion of Gotham's mayor as Batman where he threatens all the dinner party guests, including Loeb and Falcone. Loeb immediately orders Gordon and GCPD [[Sarah Essen Gordon|Sergeant Sarah Essen]] to arrest Batman. The two cops and Batman eventually cross paths as they separately prevent an incident of an old lady getting hit by a runaway truck from happening. Soon after, Batman is forced to flee into an abandoned building where Loeb orders a bomb dropped on. A [[SWAT]] team led by a trigger-happy commander, Branden, is sent in to kill any survivors left in the building. Batman uses a signal device to attract a swarm of bats from the [[Batcave]] as his only route to escape.

Gordon and Essen have a brief affair and they date for two months. Essen, however, chooses to end the relationship upon learning Gordon is going to be the father of Barbara's child. Gordon eventually confesses his affair with Essen to Barbara when they're leaving Wayne Manor after the failed attempt in investigating Bruce's connection to Batman since Bruce uses his playboy charms to divert suspicion. War against corruption within GCPD continues with Flass and Skeevers under interrogations. Skeevers gets bailed with the help of a hired lawyer but is attacked by Batman shortly after, who convinces him to testify against Flass. In retaliation for everything, Loeb uses proof of Gordon's affair with Essen as his own leverage to blackmail Gordon. Skeevers is drugged with [[rat poison]] as an attempt of assassination so that he remains silent about the ties between Loeb and the mafia, although Skeevers ultimately survives.

Bruce sneaks into Falcone's manor as Batman and overhears the private conversation between Falcone and his nephew, [[Johnny Viti]]. He surmises their intent to target Gordon's family, so he disguises himself as a motorcyclist to help Gordon. Gordon leaves home on Loeb's orders but becomes suspicious and turns back, only to discover Viti and his men already holding his family hostage. Viti flees the scene with Gordon's infant son. Gordon chases after him on Bruce's motorcycle. The two men end up fighting on a bridge until the baby falls. Bruce catches up in time and leaps over the bridge's railing to save the baby. Gordon thanks Bruce for saving his infant son's life and lets him go. Flass supplies Assistant [[District Attorney]] [[Two-Face|Harvey Dent]] with the evidence and testimony needed to implicate Loeb, who resigns in disgrace. Gordon is promoted to captain and prepares to meet with Batman to investigate a potential plot orchestrated by a criminal calling himself the [[Joker (character)|Joker]].