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Batman: The Dark Knight Returns

(The Dark Knight Saga #1)

Frank Miller,

Klaus Janson (Illustrator)

Lynn Varley (Illustrator)

4.25 · Rating details · 151,090 ratings · 3,195 reviews

This masterpiece of modern comics storytelling brings to vivid life a dark world and an even darker man. Together with inker Klaus Janson and colorist Lynn Varley, writer/artist Frank Miller completely reinvents the legend of Batman in his saga of a near-future Gotham City gone to rot, ten years after the Dark Knight's retirement.

Crime runs rampant in the streets, and the ...more

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Hardcover, 197 pages

Published November 2012 by DC Comics (first published 1986)

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4.25 ·

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· 151,090 ratings · 3,195 reviews

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Oct 08, 2008 Stephen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: comics-graphic-novels, to-re-read

........................ FIRST A BRIEF HISTORY LESSON................

................BEFORE "The Dark Knight Returns".............................

HOLY ASSCLOWNS BATMAN

and don’t forget (though I know you WANT TO)

UHH, UMM....I HAVE NOTHING TO SAY TO THIS AS IT IS JUST TOO PAINFUL....WAITER....CHECK PLEASE!!!!
.
.
.
BUT THANKFULLY........
.
.
.

.....................AFTER "The Dark Knight Returns"....................

WE WERE GIVEN........

HOLY REVERSAL OF FORTUNE, THE DARK KNIGHT IS A SCARY DUDE AGAI ...more

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Sep 15, 2016 Anne rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: comics, graphic-novels, kindle, read-in-2016, classics, recommended-by-a-not-stupid-friend

Because the best kind of classic has pictures...

description

So. I've actively (and successfully) avoided reading TDKR for many years now.
Why, you ask?
Well, to be honest, I was kinda scared. Now, if you aren't a comic book reader, then you might not understand how big of a deal this book is, but if you are...?
Yeah, you know.
Which means, you're also aware of all the rabid comic nerds out there who go all stabby when you don't like their favorite character, publisher, title, bobblehead action figure...the list ...more

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Dec 05, 2014 Shelby *trains flying monkeys* rated it it was ok

Shelves: comix-graphix, liburry-book, read-2014

Batman
You gave my book two stars?

Me
Yes, it was boring and too political. Who wants a bunch of boring politics?
I couldn't take it anymore...and I've always been your fangirl.

Batman

Me.
Don't make me give you the Batglare...you aren't a whiny ass

Batman

Me
Quit whining..Two stars from me is pretty good.

Batman

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Jun 18, 2007 Missy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: graphicnovels

When I was growing up, comic books (this was years before 'graphic novels') were frowned upon in my household, but I was addicted to them anyway. X-Men, to be precise, because, OMG, Jean Grey was smart and tough (at least until Dark Phoenix) AND had both Scott Summers and Wolverine in love with her. (I do love a good soap.) Batman was a joke back then, thanks to that moronic TV show. But Batman, the real Dark Knight, wasn't a joke--if Superman is who America yearns to be; Batman is who we're afr ...more

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Nov 17, 2011 StoryTellerShannon rated it it was amazing

Shelves: my-very-best-reads, graphic-novels, owned, action, fantasy-scifi, books-reviewed

This is a totally different spin on Batman first published in 1986 by Frank Miller.

Don't expect it to be like the old cartoons.

Definitely not like the Adam West Batman from the 60s.

Not the Justice League of America.

Batman and Superman are hardly on speaking terms. The governments have passed laws against vigilante super heroes so most of them are in prison or banished, or, like Superman, secretly working for the government.

Batman, after a series of traumatic incidents, has not been seen in ...more

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Jan 04, 2017 Khurram rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

really enjoyed this comic; I keep wondering why it took me so long to read it. I finally got around to reading it after being blown away by Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 (Region 2) and Batman: The Dark Knight Returns - Part 2 [DVD]. I thought it was finally time to get round to the source material. I am glad I did.

I quick recap of the story. Bruce is no longer Batman. There has been no Batman for 10 years. To curb his urges Bruce has become something of an adrenalin junkie study. Gotha really enjoyed this comic; I keep wondering why it took me so long to read it. I finally got around to reading it after being blown away by Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 (Region 2) and Batman: The Dark Knight Returns - Part 2 [DVD]. I thought it was finally time to get round to the source material. I am glad I did.

I quick recap of the story. Bruce is no longer Batman. There has been no Batman for 10 years. To curb his urges Bruce has become something of an adrenalin junkie study. Gotham has become a darker and more lawless place. On the 10 year anniversary of the last Batman sighting Bruce's subconscious "Batman" fights back telling him Bruce he is just the shell and he is not done with him yet.

Most of what I though was great about the movies holds true to the comic, with a couple of exception. I have to say I prefer the animation of the movies, but I think at the time of the comic and for what is trying to be portrayed it does work. Meaning Batman strikes from the shadow leaving his opponent incapacitated and confused as to what just happened. A couple of the panels like when Batman takes out the pimp in the back of the taxi I it took me a while to see what happened from the art work. Like I said these were surgical strikes and it does put me in the mind of the pimp with a broken hand, thinking my hand is broken what just happened. When Batman decides to show himself the art work reflects that by drawing bigger more detailed pictures of him. The main thing I did not like about the comic was I thought there was too much of the talking heads. The media discussions of Batman, I can understand why this was done e.g. the Arkem psychologist taking an anti-batman stance to sell more of his book and make a name for himself, but I think it was a bit overdone. I mean all together this probably makes up half the contents of the book. The best think about the comic and it major advantage over the movies is the internal dialog Batman has with himself. In the movies they make Batman talk more to explain his methods. Whereas if you look at the comics there are very few speech bubbles while he is Batman and most of these are orders or threats. The rest of them it is Batman analysing everything in his head. I think that is what makes his scarier, (like when a magic trick is explained it is not as impressive), having the unknown factor is what Batman his edge. An example of this is in the second fight with the Mutant Leader, the Leader cannot understand Batman is targeting nerve clusters and showing him shallow cuts in the "just the right" places can be effective. I also like the way he keep thinking lucky with every near miss, and the explanation of why he paints a big bright target on his chest. I also like the way Batman has evolved, he is not above using guns, will kill to protect given no other option, and lacing his smoke bombs with a watered down version of the scarecrows fear gas is genius, not only does he appear in front of his victims, he appears in front of them as their "worst nightmares"!

The others, Commissioner Garden is still Batman's biggest supporter but is facing retirement it is not really until he is gone that Batman man realises how much Garden protected him. Garden is the same tough but fair cop he always was. The Joker is just as evil as ever he comes out of his coma with the return of Batman and makes one last mass murdering run at Gotham. Unlike in the movie the Joker is not a physical match for Batman, but is a master of psychologically pushing his buttons. He knows this is his last chance if you will and he wants to die at the hands of Batman. Superman has become a tool of the establishment. Batman says it is because of Clarks respect for people in authority, but he also says to Clark nobody could force Clark to do something he did not want to do. Strangely Oliver and Clark share the same opinion on Batman he is too loud, he plays things mysterious but a loud kind of mysterious. Clark in his thought also says Batman need to work more in secret like he is force to do. This could be why he does not let anyone see him when he comes to Gotham. Maybe he should do something about his costume if he is trying to keep a low profile. The only thing I do not like it the relationship between Bruce and Alfred. Alfred is still the dutiful servant, but that is what Bruce seem to treat him like in this story a servant, someone to tell what to do and expect it to be done nothing more nothing less. Having said that Alfred does manage to get in some verbal barbs of his own, and though Bruce values his opinion probably more than anyone else's but there is a clear line saying Bruce/Batman is in charge live with it.

I great comic , very detailed excellent as a standalone or as a companion to the movies to fill in extra details. A true classic for Batman fans. Enjoy reading it repeatedly over multiple sittings it is a lot to take in. All good!!! ...more

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Jul 11, 2008 Heather rated it it was ok

Shelves: home-library

I know I'm alone in this, but I didn't really like The Dark Knight Returns. I struggled with the story structure -- all the perspective switching left me frequently scratching my head to figure out who was speaking, where we were, and what the Heck was happening. I was confused by some characters (the guy with the freaky flying baby bombs?). I was bothered that there was no discussion of Ellen/Robin's family -- we have VERY little information on her or why she wants to join Bats, how she really ...more

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Apr 21, 2008 Dan Schwent rated it really liked it

Shelves: comics, 2019-comics, 2019

Ten years after the last appearance of Batman, Gotham is overrun by crime.
Ten years after the last appearance of Batman, Commissioner James Gordon is retiring.
Ten years after the last appearance of Batman, the world is on the brink of nuclear war.
Ten years after the last appearance of Batman, Bruce Wayne has had enough!
Ten years after the last appearance of Batman, The Dark Knight Returns!

The first time I read The Dark Knight Returns, I was an impressionable lad of twenty. Now, two decades later ...more

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Jan 07, 2015 Kelly (and the Book Boar) rated it liked it

Shelves: liburrrrrry-book, read-in-2015

Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/

2.5 Stars

Egads, I think this is going to be really long. Sorry : (

My first superhero graphic novel review. It’s like diving right into shark infested waters. Please be gentle and keep in mind that I hold zero belief that anyone should ever take my reviews seriously. Period. But even more so when it comes to this one.

As I said, this is my first foray into the unchartered waters of the world of Batman other than through television and fi ...more

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Mar 26, 2008 Brad rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: graphic-novel, generally-overrated, dystopian, pissed-me-off, popular-culture, sick-and-twisted

More often than not Dark Knight Returns is considered one of the greatest graphic novels -- if not the greatest. I can't deny its importance to the form (and to the myth of Batman -- responsible as it is for Bruce Wayne's shift into the "Dark Knight" era), but having taught it a handful of times and read it for "pleasure" a few more (this reading having been prompted by Christopher Nolan's disappointing trilogy capper, The Dark Knight Rises) I feel that it is a vastly overrated work.

And Frank Mi More often than not Dark Knight Returns is considered one of the greatest graphic novels -- if not the greatest. I can't deny its importance to the form (and to the myth of Batman -- responsible as it is for Bruce Wayne's shift into the "Dark Knight" era), but having taught it a handful of times and read it for "pleasure" a few more (this reading having been prompted by Christopher Nolan's disappointing trilogy capper, The Dark Knight Rises) I feel that it is a vastly overrated work.

And Frank Miller is delusional.

In fact, I will go so far as to suggest that we're damn lucky Frank Miller can express himself in words and pictures (and get rich doing it) because if he couldn't express himself artistically (or was a failed artist like a certain Viennese painter), I'd put money on him walking into a theatre or a Sikh temple or a political round table and opening fire.

The Dark Knight Returns is an ugly manifesto for vigilantism; it is the mad nightmare of a right wing kook who sees the world in ways that it simply isn't; it is an apologia for the first strike; it offers chaos and evil and calls it anarchy without any understanding of what anarchy is; it is a jingoistic, Soviet-era piece of Cold War propaganda; it is an attempt to rationalize violence as the proper response to violence; it attempts to reinforce the myth that a "good man" (or country?) can do bad things to bad people and the act cannot, therefore, be bad; yet it offers the tools to undermine and deconstruct the delusions of its author with what seems to be total obliviousness.

There is no depth to the characters in this book. Batman is an ugly thug, a giant meat head, a bludgeon, a nasty beast of a man who revels in the torture and maiming of the "evil" denizens of Gotham. He's the ultimate rich bully, the bully who gets away with his bullying -- even today in our hyper-aware bullying police state -- the bully whose bullying is "okay" because it is targeted at other bullies or because the bully is too beautiful and rich and popular to really be a bully. Miller's Dark Knight isn't complex in any way -- certainly not in the way many of his antecedents have achieved. He is ugly and nothing more. His parents died violently, so he became a weapon against criminals. It's as shallow as it is simple.

Miller also gives us the shabbiest expression of Superman ever to hit the comics. Just like the Batman, there's no complexity to the Man of Steel. He's a Boy Scout who follows the law and does what he's told by his leaders, so he's a target for Miller's ham-fisted criticism. Miller tells us Superman is weak and less than Batman because he can't do what must be done the way Batman can. Superman doesn't torture and maim; Superman doesn't kill; hence, Superman is a pussy.

I closed the cover of this book moments before I started writing this review, and I can tell you that it's been a long time since I've felt so disgusted by the work of an author. It gets worse for me each time I read this, but like a moth banging into a window I can't stop returning to this, trying to see what I miss that everyone else sees. My disgust gets worse each time I read it, yet I can't stop my examination of how this nasty tale could have led to our fascination with The Dark Knight. How could an idea that has had some truly excellent manifestations (such as Nolan's Batman Begins or Jeph Loeb's Batman Hush) come from such awful source material? How can people like this book? What the hell am I missing? It's a mystery that only the World's Greatest Detective could solve. Too bad he was nowhere to be found in The Dark Knight Returns. ...more

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Oct 13, 2010 Buck rated it it was ok

Shelves: sequential-art

Call it art if you want to, but at the end of the day it’s still a dopey comic book about a guy in a form-fitting outfit who runs around beating people up. Am I missing something?

But really, I’m just mad at myself for giving four stars to Batman: Year One the other day, apparently during a manic episode. So I’m downgrading this bad boy. Year One has the stronger artwork anyway, and its ectomorphic Batman is drawn on a more human scale, with some of the ludicrous pathos of a young Adam West still ...more

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Mar 28, 2018 Lyn rated it liked it

Kids, remember: always be yourself.

Unless you can be Batman.

Always be Batman.

Incredibly, I did not LOVE this.

I liked it, no doubt. The IDEA of an aging Batman donning the cape and cowl, kicking creeps ass and then needing a rubdown later, picking a fight he could not win only to get up, dust off his old and tired self and BE the Dark Knight again was great. Miller is a genius and there were parts of this that reminded me of Alan Moore’s CLASSIC Watchmen, with it’s subtle and not so subtle poli ...more

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Sep 16, 2011 Jonathan Terrington rated it it was amazing

Shelves: graphic-novels, personal-favourites, want

Before Christopher Nolan came alone and further redefined the idea of superheroics, Frank Miller was doing well enough to keep Batman fresh and interesting in his own way. The Dark Knight Returns tops my list of best graphic novels ever written for what it did for the genre, what it did for Batman and what it stands as today. Though Watchmen is universally accepted as the greatest graphic novel I personally believe this is greater in that it was written previously and from what I've read appears
Before Christopher Nolan came alone and further redefined the idea of superheroics, Frank Miller was doing well enough to keep Batman fresh and interesting in his own way. The Dark Knight Returns tops my list of best graphic novels ever written for what it did for the genre, what it did for Batman and what it stands as today. Though Watchmen is universally accepted as the greatest graphic novel I personally believe this is greater in that it was written previously and from what I've read appears to have 'opened the door' for Watchmen to become so accepted.

This is not the glossy Batman of the television shows, movies or recent comics. This is the ultimate representation of Batman as the Dark Knight. As a man straddling the line between hero and vigilante, as a man with a dark past he keeps running from and with villains who rise up against his heroic light. He is a man who keeps running from his past but can never escape the fact of the legend and icon he is. No wonder recent Doctor Who writers noted that there was a sense of Batmanification about the Doctor's latest incarnation. In short this novel fully explores many of the deep philosophical and psychological aspects of who and what Batman is as a symbol.

Essentially this is a semi-dystopian novel in graphic form. A tale of what happens when governments allow crime to run rampant, when superheroes are outlawed and when the Batman returns. Because essentially that is what the Batman is, a figure outside of the law who can do the things the law should but cannot.

The artwork is not neat or beautiful as some artwork is. But it fits the story perfectly, providing a further dark, gritty and rough edge to complement the plot. And that is what strong artwork should do in a graphic novel, it should fit the story rather than try and bedazzle the reader into believing the story is strong. Frank Miller certainly appears to have understood how to make a piece of art which is edgy and gives you both barrels in its artwork and story.

The story features an older Batman returning to action in Gotham - hence the title. But this is a Gotham devoid of the heroes of the past, this is a Gotham where heroes do not live. This is the dark incarnation of Gotham, a city of crime. And therefore Batman returns, a legend come to haunt the criminals of the city. And rising up alongside him is a new, female version of Robin.

The real theme of the story explores the idea of the hero or the vigilante. It questions whether, when evil and similarly chaos arise, a hero and order also arise. In the case of this novel, this hero is naturally Batman. The question is also raised that when one devotes oneself to fighting evil so incessantly if there is a cost, and the idea that Batman is a man who fights on only to keep running is again brought up.

This is a masterpiece and if you are into graphic novels a must read work. If you are wanting to begin reading Batman, here is as good a place as any to begin, because Frank Miller (genius that he is) takes the essence of what Batman is and spins it out into a new and gritty setting, while also exploring deep themes. In this regard this work is literature because it combines thematic expression with imagery. ...more

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Sep 18, 2008 Katie rated it did not like it · review of another edition

I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I know that this is one case where there must be something wrong with *me* and not with the book, because it's been lauded as one of the greatest graphic novels in superhero history, and I thought it sucked.

The story is very difficult to follow - and this coming from someone who is well-versed in Batman lore, and who is used to the comic book medium for storytelling. Poor writing.

The pictures are sometimes difficult to interpret - it's hard to even figure out what's ...more

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May 09, 2010 Maciek rated it it was amazing

Shelves: reviewed, saw-movie

You don't get it, son. This isn't a mudhole... It's an operating table.
And I'm the surgeon.

The Dark Knight Returns is Frank Miller's most popular comic (at least here on GR) and arguably the best Batman comic ever. Originally published in four installments in 1986, it single-handedly undid the damage done to the Bat by the goofy 60's show with Adam West. Situation at the time was pretty tragic. Initial success of the West show influenced the writers of the Batman comics who adapted a similar, ...more

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Oct 16, 2011 Sam Quixote rated it it was amazing

The Batman of today can be traced back to this book. Before Frank Miller’s “Dark Knight Returns” Batman was a joke; the comics were weak with Batman and Robin doing the same thing week in week out, it’s no coincidence that there are few books worth reading before Miller’s work - all the great Batman “must-reads” (The Killing Joke, Year One, The Long Hallowe’en, Hush, Dark Victory) follow this interpretation of the character. And it could largely be attributed to the phenomenal success of the cam ...more

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Jan 27, 2009 Mykle rated it really liked it

(UPDATE: just to be pedantic ... reading the other reviews, I've come to realize that people use "The Dark Knight" as a nickname for any old Batman these days -- like calling Satan "Old St. Nick," or George Bush "Dubya". So to whomever may have said "Frank Miller isn't my favorite Dark Knight writer" I'd just like to point out that FRANK MILLER INVENTED THE DARK KNIGHT! If there's any earlier use of that phrase in history, I'm bat-ignorant. Back in the day, everyone else called him Caped Crusade ...more

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Aug 19, 2015 Bookwraiths rated it it was ok

Shelves: graphic-novels, library, graphic-novels-dc

Never have been a Frank Miller fan. The art, page layouts, characterization (especially Batman and Superman), and dialogue in this one left me saying "What is so great about this again?" Guess I'll reread Watchmen again.

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Sep 11, 2016 Michael Finocchiaro rated it it was amazing

Shelves: comics, graphic-novels, superhero, american-20th-c, favorites

I kind of dropped of reading comics when I was a kid so it was only thanks to the Christopher Nolan trilogy that I went back and read several of the sources of stories used in the movies. I talked to comics geek friend m.poulet recommended Batman, The Dark Knight Returns in particular. I recalled also an episode of Comic Book Men where Kevin Smith and the boys reminisce about the impact that this particular comic had on them. I had read and enjoyed Sin City (and LOVED the Roberto Rodriguez film ...more

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Dec 25, 2017 Vladimir Ćeha rated it liked it

To be honest, I'm kind of disappointed, because I thought I would enjoy this more. The drawings are messy and so is the plot, which is often difficult to follow. There are some redeeming qualities, and I can appreciate this comic for providing a darker turn for Batman, but it failed to leave a strong impression on me.

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Jan 03, 2014 Donovan rated it it was amazing

Shelves: all-time-classic-comics, hardcover-to-buy

This one's a real chin stroker. Very dense and layered. Took me two slow reads full of notetaking to begin to fathom the complexity and sociopolitical satire in this masterpiece. My first read two years ago was lukewarm. I didn't hate it, I just didn't get it. I knew it was important, but the art and 80s culture takes some getting used to. And there's so much Batman lore that if you don't know it you're going to get lost, which I didn't know and so I did. Dick Grayson. Jason Todd. Harvey Dent/Tw ...more

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Apr 27, 2015 Richard rated it did not like it

Shelves: graphic-novel

2/10

I hated this. It took me an age to get through as I had no desire to pick it up. It's badly drawn, badly narrated, and too muddled to make a coherent story and grab my attention. I found some of the text hard to read and not stylised in what I would class as an easy comic book format. I read comics/graphic novels more for the art than the story and this was just piss poor.

Compared to some of the other Batman works I've read (not many in all honesty) this pales in comparison to say Batman: T ...more

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Aug 16, 2012 Ronyell rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Hardcore Batman fans!

Shelves: dc-comics, dystopian-world, frank-miller, sexy-bad-boy-hero, grant-morrison, my-blog-reviews, graphic-novels-comics, modern-age-comics, strong-hero, strong-heroine

5.5 stars!

It is 1960s “Batman” vs. 1980s “Batman!” Guess which one will win!

Batman

Introduction:

For many years, I have actually grown up with the darker version of Batman when I was little, thanks to the animated TV series that came out of the 90s. But a few years back, I have realized that there was a 1960s TV series where Batman seems a bit campy, but I had enjoyed it for what it was. Now, I had heard of a particular “Batman” story that was the one that really changed Batman’s character over t ...more

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Jan 29, 2014 Ｌᴀʏᴀ Ｒᴀɴɪ #BookDiet2019 rated it really liked it

Shelves: comic-books, batman-readings, my-reviews, books-i-recommend

In every list of the greatest Batman stories ever written, this is always on top of the pile (rivaled once in a while by his other work, Year One, if not followed closely by Alan Moore's The Killing Joke). Naturally, I was excited to start reading this although I cheated on myself a little because I did watch its animation adaptation last year. But having the chance to read the source material myself, I started to understand why this was such an important work when it was released about the same In every list of the greatest Batman stories ever written, this is always on top of the pile (rivaled once in a while by his other work, Year One, if not followed closely by Alan Moore's The Killing Joke). Naturally, I was excited to start reading this although I cheated on myself a little because I did watch its animation adaptation last year. But having the chance to read the source material myself, I started to understand why this was such an important work when it was released about the same time Watchmen was in the late eighties. I was unfortunate enough to be born in the nineties so I wasn't there to see firsthand how Batman's narrative evolved in the comics and I was quite envious of those who were there to witness what Frank Miller accomplished when he wrote The Dark Knight Returns; considering how much of its impact still echoes in the modern interpretations of Batman and his villains to this very day.

Still, that also means that I can view this piece of literature objectively without being swept away by its legacy. I can honestly say that this was a challenging work visually. Klaus Janson's art is at times incomprehensible to look at. In the course of the story, that could either be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how it was utilized by Miller's narrative. At its best, the art manages to haunt the pages, giving it a fragmented yet lingering imagery, all the while capturing both the dissonance and melancholy of the plot quite effectively. At its average, the art tends to confuse readers because it doesn't have the refinement most mainstream comics now possess. Some pages may come off as draft sketches of what the actual scene is supposed to look like in a more finished template.

I suppose that is Janson's artistic style and it mostly appealed to me in the course of my reading, but there were a few moments that I don't know what I'm looking at and I had to pay extra attention to the scenery in case I overlook or miss something very vital.

As for the writing, Miller has clearly created something meant to last even when you're only at the first ten pages or so. This may have been groundbreaking at its first publication, yes, but I believe that for someone in my era, this could still be appreciated casually even if you are not familiar of its historical importance. This is not the kind of Batman story where it's just another action-oriented adventure featuring theatrical villainy and clear-cut resolutions. The Dark Knight Returns stands out because it tried to break down what Batman is supposed to represent in our own fragile psyches and build up the suspense and drama from there. Miller's Batman is an old man who retired from vigilantism to give way for Gotham to thrive as a society; only to watch it fall apart to chaos when a new breed of juvenile delinquents pollute the streets. Probably the most interesting piece of narrative device Miller used in TDKR is the media coverage panels. It certainly feels like you are a part of the ordinary citizens of Gotham tuning in to your television screens and watching the violence and mayhem escalate right outside the comfort of your homes. I certainly felt like that.

Additionally, Batman is not a noble, sympathetic hero in this book--nor does he need to be. I believe that only the truest Batman loyalist understands that the Dark Knight earned his place in comics not because he is always a good little soldier but because Batman is the kind of warrior who is resilient and resourceful and always at his best when cornered by the worst; and who ultimately makes the right choices even if the results are not always going to be in his favor. That is the overall message I got from The Dark Knight Returns as someone who considered him as a childhood hero. I related strongly to the female Robin of this book, Carrie, who I believed recognized that the man she idolizes is not someone who always deserves such tenacious admiration but is still someone worthy of the good fight when push comes to shove. There are a couple of instances in TDKR that Batman truly repulsed me but Miller never forgets to make sure that readers can at least understand why he had committed such actions and that they may be the only course of action left to do in the grand scheme of things. Batman never hesitates to always walk into that abyss; to dare go where no sane, self-respective 'hero' would.

Another thing to discuss in this review is that significant moment that further made The Dark Knight Returns memorable; and that is the all-out battle between Batman and Superman which would make any fan of either or both heroes who have yet to read this pick it up if only for those scenes alone. It is certainly an intriguing take on the strained relationship between Superman and Batman who couldn't be more different and at odds with each other than in this book.

RECOMMENDED: 9/10
* Deftly written with a candor and appreciation that does not patronize nor belittle what Batman is all about, Miller and Janson incorporated some of the darkest yet still optimistic themes in this arguably the greatest Batman story ever written. ...more

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Mar 25, 2015 فؤاد rated it really liked it

Shelves: محبوب-ها, کمیک, انگلیسی

بتمن: پدر و مادر من، وقتی در این خیابان افتاده بودند، وقتی داشتند دست و پا می زدند و جان می کندند، وقتی داشتند بی دلیل می مردند، چیزی به من آموختند:
به من آموختند که دنیا فقط وقتی بر مدار درستی می چرخد، که به زور وادارش کنی.
بتمن: شوالیه ی تاریکی سقوط می کند

شوالیه ی تاریکی باز می گردد، کمیکی چهار جلدی است نوشته شده توسط فرانک میلر، نویسنده ی کمیک های معروف "شهر گناه" و "300" و "بتمن: سال نخست".

این کمیک و کمیک "نگهبانان" اثر "آلن مور"، آغازگر دوره ای از صنعت داستان های مصور هستند که به نام "دوره ی بتمن: پدر و مادر من، وقتی در این خیابان افتاده بودند، وقتی داشتند دست و پا می زدند و جان می کندند، وقتی داشتند بی دلیل می مردند، چیزی به من آموختند:
به من آموختند که دنیا فقط وقتی بر مدار درستی می چرخد، که به زور وادارش کنی.
بتمن: شوالیه ی تاریکی سقوط می کند

شوالیه ی تاریکی باز می گردد، کمیکی چهار جلدی است نوشته شده توسط فرانک میلر، نویسنده ی کمیک های معروف "شهر گناه" و "300" و "بتمن: سال نخست".

این کمیک و کمیک "نگهبانان" اثر "آلن مور"، آغازگر دوره ای از صنعت داستان های مصور هستند که به نام "دوره ی سیاه" یا "دوره ی مدرن" شناخته می شود. خصوصیت اصلی این دوره، توجه زیاد به خصوصیات انسانی قهرمان هاست. قهرمان ها دیگر آدم هایی خوش تیپ و شوخ طبع نیستند که برای برقرار کردن عدالت با موجودات شرور و پلشت مبارزه می کنند. بیشتر آن ها انسان هایی تاریک و منزوی ای هستند و گهگاه مشکلات روحی روانی هم دارند. عدالت دیگر یک مفهوم مطلق نیست، بلکه خیلی از قهرمانان این دوره، با معیاری، مجرمانی وحشی و خطرناک هستند.
همینطور دشمنان آن ها نیز همیشه انسان هایی نیستند که ذاتاً پلید باشند و به خاطر شرارت شرارت کنند. بیشترشان دلایلی کاملاً موجه و حتی درست و به جا دارند. خشونت زیاد و واقع گرایی در روایت داستان ها نیز جزء عناصر این دوره است.

به این ترتیب، با این کمیک، دوره ای که بتمن "دوست مظلومان و دشمن ظالمان" بود، پایان یافت. بتمنی که امروزه در کمیک ها معرفی می شود، قهرمانی تندخو و بی رحم که با خشونتی زاید الوصف با جنایتکاران مبارزه می کند و همیشه بار کینه ی قتل پدر و مادرش را در سینه حمل می کند، اولین بار در این کمیک معرفی شد.

فیلم "شوالیه ی تاریکی بر می خیزد" تا حدودی از این کمیک اقتباس کرده است. (ماجرای بازنشستگی بتمن و بازگشتش بعد از سال ها و پیر و ضعیف شدنش، مضمون اصلی فیلم و کمیک است.)

تصویر بالا، مربوط به بتمن دوره ی سیاه است و تصویر پایین، مربوط به بتمن دوره ی طلایی (دهه ی 40 و 50) تفاوت طراحی ها در انتخاب رنگ و حالت چهره ی بتمن کاملاً واضح است.

...more

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Aug 04, 2008 Amie rated it it was ok

Shelves: graphic-novels

I can't really see why this is considered one of the best Batman stories ever. There's nothing here that really makes it special. It has a slow-moving, weak plot and less than stellar artwork. There is too much word repetition - you already said that 10 pages back, I did not forget already. Along with the stupid repetition are phrases which make absolutely no sense whatsoever. I guess it was an attempt at future slang, but it failed miserably. "Balls rad"? What the HELL does that even mean? Anyw ...more

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Jun 18, 2016 James DeSantis rated it it was ok

Yep still think it sucks. I get it, 95% of people won't agree with me and that's fine.

The Dark Knight Returns helped give Batman a edge. Thanks to it we got some of the best dark knight stories following. The idea of having Bruce come out of retirement, vengeful, ready to clean up his city is inciting.

But wonky storytelling, lame dialog, and so/so art really make this one hard to get through. I finally finished through it in a hour, and just like when I read it the first time 6 years ago, my f ...more

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Aug 15, 2012 Michael rated it really liked it

Shelves: graphic-novel, read-in-2012

How do you review something as iconic and influential as The Dark Knight Rises?

On one level, I suppose you could ask whether or not this four-issues mini-series lives up to the hype and accolades heaped upon it over the years? That answer is, yes. And the fact that it revolutionized not only Batman but all of comics is another major feather in its cap.

It's influence on the Christopher Nolan trilogy of films can't be denied--especially elements used in this summer's The Dark Knight Rises.

All of ...more

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Jan 10, 2018 توفيق عبد الرحيم rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: superheroes

i have been reading this for a few days now
and i can tell you its poorly executed but its still damn fine
ignore all the wrongs really
the mutants
the joker's death i mean like finally !!!
batman beating up superman and getting away with it leaving a grieving Clark Kent
its damn fine i tell you
we know how good batman is with his disappearing act from the movies
but this was before the movie
this graphic novel was actually in the days that all comic books companies where in a really awkward position t ...more

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Aug 06, 2012 Mark rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: comics, graphic-novel, frank-miller

I always was a big fan of Batman and with TDKR by Miller I felt I read something I had not seen before in comics. While I always considered Batman as a somewhat on the right in a political sense here he operates in a far more dangerous fascist future.

Batman has gone and retired. The world has taken a right-wing fascist direction where freedom of speech is still practiced even if it is no longer a valuable thing as it is used to cover a lot of wrongdoings in the world. There are no longer superhe ...more

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Bring back lost l...: Bring back lost love and re-unite broken relation	1	1	Sep 21, 2018 02:11PM
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. Romance h is aware that her husband is cheating on her but doesn't confront him. she started having a no-strings-attached affair with the H (rich, hot, intense) who pursued her. There are 2 or 3 books in this series. [s]	5	32	Mar 11, 2018 05:19AM
办纽约州立大学石溪分校毕业证学历认证【办美国学历】Q/微信2432056768购买石溪大学毕业证SBU文凭学位证书Stony Brook University毕业证	1	2	Nov 23, 2017 07:43PM
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Is Batman a Vigilante or a superhero?	22	371	Sep 24, 2017 11:33AM
need some good graphic novels like this one,any thoughts?	16	108	Aug 25, 2017 11:38AM

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About Frank Miller

Frank Miller

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Frank Miller is an American writer, artist and film director best known for his film noir-style comic book stories. He is one of the most widely-recognized and popular creators in comics, and is one of the most influential comics creators of his generation. His most notable works include Sin City, The Dark Knight Returns, Batman Year One and 300.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the ...more

Other books in the series

The Dark Knight Saga (4 books)

Books by Frank Miller

Sin City, Vol. 1: The Hard Goodbye (Sin City, #1)

Sin City, Vol. 2: A Dame to Kill For (Sin City, #2)

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Trivia About Batman: The Dark ...

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Quotes from Batman: The Dark ...

“This should be agony. I should be a mass of aching muscle - broken, spent, unable to move. And, were I an older man, I surely would ... ... but I'm a man of thirty - of twenty again. The rain on my chest is a baptism - I'm born again ... ” — 76 likes

“You're beginning to get the idea, Clark. We could have changed the world…now…look at us…I've become a political liability…and…you…you're a joke. I want you to remember, Clark…in all the years to come…in your most private moments…I want you to remember…my hand…at your throat…I want…you to remember…the one man who beat you.” — 56 likes

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