If any comic has a claim to have truly reinvigorated the genre, then The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller--known also for his excellent Sin City series and his superb rendering of the blind superhero Daredevil--is probably the top contender. Batman represented all that was wrong in comics and Miller set himself a tough task taking on the camp crusader and turning this laughable, innocuous children's cartoon character into a hero for our times. The great Alan Moore (V for Vendetta, Swamp Thing, the arguably peerless Watchmen) argued that only someone of Miller's stature could have done this. Batman is a character known well beyond the confines of the comic world (as are his retinue) and so reinventing him, while keeping his limiting core essentials intact, was a huge task.Miller went far beyond the call of duty. The Dark Knight is a success on every level. Firstly it does keep the core elements of the Batman myth intact, with Robin, Alfred the butler, Commissioner Gordon, and the old roster of villains, present yet brilliantly subverted. Secondly the artwork is fantastic--detailed, sometimes claustrophobic, psychotic. Lastly it's a great story: Gotham City is a hell on earth, street gangs roam but there are no heroes. Decay is ubiquitous. Where is a hero to save Gotham? It is 10 years since the last recorded sighting of the Batman. And things have got worse than ever. Bruce Wayne is close to being a broken man but something is keeping him sane: the need to see change and the belief that he can orchestrate some of that change. Batman is back. The Dark Knight has returned. Awesome.
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
By Frank Miller
If any comic has a claim to have truly reinvigorated the genre, then The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller--known also for his excellent Sin City series and his superb rendering of the blind superhero Daredevil--is probably the top contender. Batman represented all that was wrong in comics and Miller set himself a tough task taking on the camp crusader and turning this laughable, innocuous children's cartoon character into a hero for our times. The great Alan Moore (V for Vendetta, Swamp Thing, the arguably peerless Watchmen) argued that only someone of Miller's stature could have done this. Batman is a character known well beyond the confines of the comic world (as are his retinue) and so reinventing him, while keeping his limiting core essentials intact, was a huge task.Miller went far beyond the call of duty. The Dark Knight is a success on every level. Firstly it does keep the core elements of the Batman myth intact, with Robin, Alfred the butler, Commissioner Gordon, and the old roster of villains, present yet brilliantly subverted. Secondly the artwork is fantastic--detailed, sometimes claustrophobic, psychotic. Lastly it's a great story: Gotham City is a hell on earth, street gangs roam but there are no heroes. Decay is ubiquitous. Where is a hero to save Gotham? It is 10 years since the last recorded sighting of the Batman. And things have got worse than ever. Bruce Wayne is close to being a broken man but something is keeping him sane: the need to see change and the belief that he can orchestrate some of that change. Batman is back. The Dark Knight has returned. Awesome. --Mark Thwaite
Book Reviews (6)
I have not read the whole book, but I read the Batman v Superman part. The part that I read was maybe 10 pages long. People always say that this is the best Batman book ever written, and I've heard a lot of people say that, so I guess you should read it.
The Dark knight returns is set in gotham city 50 years after batman retired. He then fights new and old enemies such as two face, joker, the mutants, and eventually Superman.
The Dark Knight Returns is set in a dystopian near-future version of Gotham City. Bruce Wayne, at 55, has retired from crime-fighting for ten years after the death of Jason Todd.Wayne has a breakdown and assumes the role of Batman again. He first confronts Harvey Dent, who was thought to be cured after therapy and plastic surgery (which Wayne financed). Dent holds the city for ransom with a bomb. When Batman defeats Dent, he realizes that, despite his repaired appearance, Dent's mind is now entirely "Two-Face".Batman saves 13-year-old Carrie Kelley from an attack by a gang called the Mutants. Kelley buys herself an imitation Robin costume and searches for Batman, seeking to help him. The rest is for you to read with the book.
Book Review You are probably going to want to read this review and then the book. The name of this book is The Dark night by Frank Miller who also wrote all of the DC comics. First things first this book takes place in Gotham city after Batman returns from a recent event that happened. The antagonists are a group of bad guys with guns. They try to take on the Batman. The two conflicts in this book are one group is trying to find evidence of the "EVENT" and the other group is trying to takeover the city. The turning point is when Batman meets up with a group of bad guys in an abandoned building. This is where the fun comes in. I like this book because it is full of suspense and action. I'm not used to the illustrations but I still like the story. I hope you are interested in reading this book now.
Frank miller didn't write all of DC. He wasn't even born when it was made. Also, you forgot about the joker part, superman, robin, two-face, and the mutants.
It is called the dark knight returns with a k. Also, you only talked about the first part. You forgot joker, superman, robin, two face, and the mutants.
Book Review by vinny balsamo You are probably going to want to read this review and then the book. The name of this book is The Dark night by Frank Miller who also wrote all of the DC comics. First things first this book takes place in Gotham city after Batman returns from a recent event that happened. The antagonists are a group of bad guys with guns. They try to take on the Batman. The two conflicts in this book are one group is trying to find evidence of the "EVENT" and the other group is trying to takeover the city. The turning point is when Batman meets up with a group of bad guys in an abandoned building. This is where the fun comes in. I like this book because it is full of suspense and action. I'm not used to the illustrations but I still like the story. I hope you are interested in reading this book now.