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steveatwaywords's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
It's easy to understand both the initial controversy and later broad acceptance of this work. An ageing (and perhaps mentally troubled) Batman was--especially at the time--not canon. In the past some 35 odd years, though, we've had a generation of revisionist superhero stories, and the "dark" knight is a staple of them, not least in nearly a dozen films since then.
The "future" history of an America troubled by superhero vigilantism, with Superman being something of a sellout to the American gov't, is contemporaneous with Moore's Watchmen. Those 1980s were a time when we grew tired of clean moral tales, it seems. Graphic superhero novels were catching up with what literature had been doing for some decades.
So the question is, does this work still stand out as Time magazine suggests, one of the greatest graphic novels of all time? To be sure, the artwork--while at times occluded or bewildering--is still extraordinary, with plenty of iconic poster-worthy moments. The design, too, offers a layered look at the whole social satire, heavy on ironic media coverage and political maneuverings--all examples of denialism that we would come to embrace in real life.
Even so, while the historic moment of this work for the Batman canon is significant, the storyline remains weaker. For one, the characters are fairly static from start to end: villains are universally psychotic, heroes are pointedly suffering for their causes, and they run into each other to inevitably larger climaxes with none ever coming to "realize" anything at all. In other words, once the premises of the story are established, we all--author and reader--can sit back and watch the demolition derby begin. The re-emergence of an aging Batman into a world which has fallen to political and capitalist ideologies is interesting, but pre-determined.
The thing is, Miller has lots of room for storytelling, and adding yet another villain into the mix doesn't explore the space very much. It's true I have recently completed <i>Watchmen</i> which has similar moves in more creative and complicated ways, and it's also true that I have seen graphic novelists outside the superhero genre do literarily far more with the medium in fewer pages, so <i>Time's</i> grandiose claim must be limited in terms of The Dark Knight's history, not against the broader and more contemporary comparisons out there. It's tough to break a superhero comic out of its trope-ic rut, and Miller almost did it.
Nevertheless, this is an entertaining read, fulfilling a number of fan wishes along the way for a Robin, for a Superman, for a prodding at mental health science . . . made all the more so by looking back now at what enormous changes it helped create in the industry.
The "future" history of an America troubled by superhero vigilantism, with Superman being something of a sellout to the American gov't, is contemporaneous with Moore's Watchmen. Those 1980s were a time when we grew tired of clean moral tales, it seems. Graphic superhero novels were catching up with what literature had been doing for some decades.
So the question is, does this work still stand out as Time magazine suggests, one of the greatest graphic novels of all time? To be sure, the artwork--while at times occluded or bewildering--is still extraordinary, with plenty of iconic poster-worthy moments. The design, too, offers a layered look at the whole social satire, heavy on ironic media coverage and political maneuverings--all examples of denialism that we would come to embrace in real life.
Even so, while the historic moment of this work for the Batman canon is significant, the storyline remains weaker. For one, the characters are fairly static from start to end: villains are universally psychotic, heroes are pointedly suffering for their causes, and they run into each other to inevitably larger climaxes with none ever coming to "realize" anything at all. In other words, once the premises of the story are established, we all--author and reader--can sit back and watch the demolition derby begin. The re-emergence of an aging Batman into a world which has fallen to political and capitalist ideologies is interesting, but pre-determined.
The thing is, Miller has lots of room for storytelling, and adding yet another villain into the mix doesn't explore the space very much. It's true I have recently completed <i>Watchmen</i> which has similar moves in more creative and complicated ways, and it's also true that I have seen graphic novelists outside the superhero genre do literarily far more with the medium in fewer pages, so <i>Time's</i> grandiose claim must be limited in terms of The Dark Knight's history, not against the broader and more contemporary comparisons out there. It's tough to break a superhero comic out of its trope-ic rut, and Miller almost did it.
Nevertheless, this is an entertaining read, fulfilling a number of fan wishes along the way for a Robin, for a Superman, for a prodding at mental health science . . . made all the more so by looking back now at what enormous changes it helped create in the industry.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
eduardozapata's review against another edition
5.0
El tono y el tratamiento de este batman es un acierto gigante. A veces se siente incómodo el ritmo, sobre todo cuando se abusa de recurrir a transmisiones de TV para presentar información, pero es uno de los mejores cómics que pueden existir.
clare_tan_wenhui's review against another edition
4.0
Though not as thematically arresting as [b:Watchmen|472331|Watchmen (Watchmen #1-12)|Alan Moore|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1442239711s/472331.jpg|4358649], this series also does not shy away from the themes of disillusionment, cynicism and man's inherently flawed nature. I also got some enjoyment seeing where some visual depictions in Zack Synder's BvS came from, and confirming that Ben Affleck is indeed a fitting choice for this version of the Dark Knight. Let's hope that by laying the Dark Knight to rest in the film industry for a while, the studios will get their act together, to come up with something fitting to the comics both visually and in story.
gerb's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A masterpiece. Truly one of my favorite books ever written.
bleuy007's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
missalessia's review
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
honestly could push this to 2 stars i wanted more detective and all i got were boring characters and a confusing plot. however i recognise that its dark and complicated storyline is seminal in postmodern comics and batman representation so clearly its just not for me
aryawilson's review against another edition
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
daniel1501's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
allisonjpmiller's review against another edition
4.0
I'm somehow reading this for credit as part of my MA program, which delights me to no end.
Despite being a longtime fan of Batman: Year One and Miller's Daredevil work (with a generous helping of caveats, because um, it's Miller), I'd never actually read DKR before now. I'm not big on the art overall, but I do enjoy the cyberpunk-y retro-future vibe here. And lots of pop culture osmosis somehow didn't prepare me for the hyper-satirical media critique, which feels (sadly) even more relevant today.
I'm perhaps most surprised to discover that Miller's portrayal of Superman is not as contemptuous as certain folks have made it out to be. It's cynical, certainly. But I was moved by the scene where, ghoulish and half-dead, he monologues about his love and gratitude for Mother Earth (granted, these days, just about anything on that subject makes me emotional), demonstrating his "real" allegiance. He doesn't take the bait when Bruce is practically begging him to. And the famous "I beat you" scene—a panel later, that's completely inverted, suggesting that the only person Bruce has really beaten is himself.
Anyway. It's painfully easy to see the ways, both general and specific, this piece has influenced Batman in every medium (incl. animation and film) since. I mean, Old Man Bruce in Batman Beyond is ripped straight from these pages, with just a few modifications.
While I ultimately prefer other incarnations/interpretations of Bats to Miller's, it's nice to put this puzzle piece in context, after all this time.
Despite being a longtime fan of Batman: Year One and Miller's Daredevil work (with a generous helping of caveats, because um, it's Miller), I'd never actually read DKR before now. I'm not big on the art overall, but I do enjoy the cyberpunk-y retro-future vibe here. And lots of pop culture osmosis somehow didn't prepare me for the hyper-satirical media critique, which feels (sadly) even more relevant today.
I'm perhaps most surprised to discover that Miller's portrayal of Superman is not as contemptuous as certain folks have made it out to be. It's cynical, certainly. But I was moved by the scene where, ghoulish and half-dead, he monologues about his love and gratitude for Mother Earth (granted, these days, just about anything on that subject makes me emotional), demonstrating his "real" allegiance. He doesn't take the bait when Bruce is practically begging him to. And the famous "I beat you" scene—a panel later, that's completely inverted, suggesting that the only person Bruce has really beaten is himself.
Anyway. It's painfully easy to see the ways, both general and specific, this piece has influenced Batman in every medium (incl. animation and film) since. I mean, Old Man Bruce in Batman Beyond is ripped straight from these pages, with just a few modifications.
While I ultimately prefer other incarnations/interpretations of Bats to Miller's, it's nice to put this puzzle piece in context, after all this time.
avscarlett's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5