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4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
This is EXACTLY the kind of Batman story I was looking for. Delightfully dark, which is when the Dark Knight is at his absolute best.
Batman comes out of retirement after 10 years and returns to save the streets of Gotham once more. It focuses on how he doesn’t seem to realise, that at 55 years old, his age will limit him. Alongside him is a rather fantastic female Robin, easily one of my favourite incarnations of the character.
The Joker doesn’t feature too heavily compared to some of my other favourite DC comics, but he is so great (and so camp!) in this when he appears.
It brings the more gritty and ruthless side to the character back, which had been lacking during some of the ‘70s and ‘80s. The artwork really suits this style of story, it’s not clean cut and is very rough around the edges.
It shows that when evil arises, a hero also must to balance everything. Gotham is very rife with crime when Batman returns.
Batman comes out of retirement after 10 years and returns to save the streets of Gotham once more. It focuses on how he doesn’t seem to realise, that at 55 years old, his age will limit him. Alongside him is a rather fantastic female Robin, easily one of my favourite incarnations of the character.
The Joker doesn’t feature too heavily compared to some of my other favourite DC comics, but he is so great (and so camp!) in this when he appears.
It brings the more gritty and ruthless side to the character back, which had been lacking during some of the ‘70s and ‘80s. The artwork really suits this style of story, it’s not clean cut and is very rough around the edges.
It shows that when evil arises, a hero also must to balance everything. Gotham is very rife with crime when Batman returns.
Commonly cited as one of the best Batman graphic novels, this is the one that turned Batman from the Camp Crusader of the Adam West years into the growling anti-hero of the Tim Burton and (later) Christopher Nolan films (leaving aside the Schumacher mis-steps in the middle).
Written in the 80s but set in the near-future, this sees Bruce Wayne return to his role as the vigilante 10 years after unspecified events that saw him hang up his cape. His return, however, also sees the return of some old foes, alongside that of some new.
While - as it was written in the 80s - some of the subject matter is now out of date (most noticeably, the Cold War between America and the USSR), this still holds up surprisingly well. I also have to say that, with some crowded art panels, language and the violence throughout, this is also not one for the kiddies!
Written in the 80s but set in the near-future, this sees Bruce Wayne return to his role as the vigilante 10 years after unspecified events that saw him hang up his cape. His return, however, also sees the return of some old foes, alongside that of some new.
While - as it was written in the 80s - some of the subject matter is now out of date (most noticeably, the Cold War between America and the USSR), this still holds up surprisingly well. I also have to say that, with some crowded art panels, language and the violence throughout, this is also not one for the kiddies!
I've been meaning to read this for awhile, and finally got around to doing so. I believe that what I have heard still rings true. It's an eerie tale about an aged Batman. If you like graphic novels, it's definitely a must read.
While I wasn't thrilled with the format, the story was great. I've only recently gotten into graphic novels and never had a taste for comics when I was younger which probably accounts for my dislike of the layout. Hands down, the last part of the book was the best. I enjoyed reading the alternate storyline at the back of the book as well. Next up is to watch the movie and see how well they portrayed it.
Wow, this Gotham City is DARK. Very Hobbesian. But a good, multi-dimensional presentation of Batman.
I have grew up on a steady diet of the dark gritty moody Batman, from Burton to Timm and of course Nolan. And since I was not reading comics in the 1980s this was not really the revolutionary graphic novel. That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it, and there are plenty of things to gush over, but the intent of shock and awe that was meant to full the pages just wasn't there. A psychotic Joker, seen it, hysterical media, seen it a lot, a fanatical yet cynical Batman, check. Though I did not realise how chatty Batman is, talks to himself all the time, he must confuse criminals by thinking he was a crazy old man.
An ageing Bruce Wayne getting sick of the rising crime in Gotham brings back the cape and heads back into mean streets, but Gotham is not the same, can it handle the return of the Dark Knight? The idea of this premise is interesting, Bruce himself has not changed, he maybe older and not as quick, but still fanatical. Gotham, on the other hand has changed the old guard are being pushed a side, Batman doesn't really fit in. I suppose he never has, reclusive billionaire that he was, but now instead of Gotham embracing him like a cruel Muchausen mother, it rejects him like a five year old to broccoli.
I did like the static chaos of it all. Every thing seemed to steeped under a haze of white noise, for me this was done by combining dystopian illustrations and noir language (some really fantastic one liners that would never work outside the pages, but still Raymond Chandler would be proud) . Though brilliant, this had the feel of trying to put a jigsaw puzzle together in the wrong order, trying to shove a corner into a slot where it doesn't fit. Actually this is the same thing I didn't like about Nolan's 'The Dark Knight' yes I know, I am sure there is a law some where about 'The Dark Knight' must be your top of the three other wise you will be stoned in a public square for all to jeer. I do get the imaginative brilliance of it, especially when you are dealing with a Joker narrative, still doesn't mean it doesn't grate slightly, as with the 'The Dark Knight Returns'. And this comic can feel very discounted, a lot.
Yes Mr Miller I see your genus, just I felt bombarded by it, maybe I should have read one part then put it down, like how many people read the original, but alas I am a novel reader and we consume everything like a glutton. But another thing I loved was the 1980's action flick vibe, it was almost Bruce Willis or Mel Gibson wearing a cowl. Brucie would be the perfect age to play 'Dark Knight Returns' Batman. Since there are so many aged action movie stars trying to reclaim their glory days, Willis, Stallone, Schwarzenegger, even Gibson well he is trying, but he got into a habit of drinking and calling people Sugar Titts.
My first official Batman graphic novel, and not my last.
An ageing Bruce Wayne getting sick of the rising crime in Gotham brings back the cape and heads back into mean streets, but Gotham is not the same, can it handle the return of the Dark Knight? The idea of this premise is interesting, Bruce himself has not changed, he maybe older and not as quick, but still fanatical. Gotham, on the other hand has changed the old guard are being pushed a side, Batman doesn't really fit in. I suppose he never has, reclusive billionaire that he was, but now instead of Gotham embracing him like a cruel Muchausen mother, it rejects him like a five year old to broccoli.
I did like the static chaos of it all. Every thing seemed to steeped under a haze of white noise, for me this was done by combining dystopian illustrations and noir language (some really fantastic one liners that would never work outside the pages, but still Raymond Chandler would be proud) . Though brilliant, this had the feel of trying to put a jigsaw puzzle together in the wrong order, trying to shove a corner into a slot where it doesn't fit. Actually this is the same thing I didn't like about Nolan's 'The Dark Knight' yes I know, I am sure there is a law some where about 'The Dark Knight' must be your top of the three other wise you will be stoned in a public square for all to jeer. I do get the imaginative brilliance of it, especially when you are dealing with a Joker narrative, still doesn't mean it doesn't grate slightly, as with the 'The Dark Knight Returns'. And this comic can feel very discounted, a lot.
Yes Mr Miller I see your genus, just I felt bombarded by it, maybe I should have read one part then put it down, like how many people read the original, but alas I am a novel reader and we consume everything like a glutton. But another thing I loved was the 1980's action flick vibe, it was almost Bruce Willis or Mel Gibson wearing a cowl. Brucie would be the perfect age to play 'Dark Knight Returns' Batman. Since there are so many aged action movie stars trying to reclaim their glory days, Willis, Stallone, Schwarzenegger, even Gibson well he is trying, but he got into a habit of drinking and calling people Sugar Titts.
My first official Batman graphic novel, and not my last.
Didn’t love the art style, but the influence this has had on modern Batman is incredible. The ending
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
In all honesty I bumped this up because of how complex the story was, I thought it was quite intricate and the story drove the story along. It is definitely incredibly dark and twisted, too much for my taste honestly.
I did have a lot of issues with it. I didn't like Robin. I found her boring to be honest, and I was pissed Dick never showed up or explained why he was gone. I also did not like the Joker, but he just was not the villain of that I love, Scott Snyder writes the perfect Joker but that's just my opinion. The Batman/Superman fight left a lot to be desired. I did like how it ended though.
My favorite part though was in the first issue when the book dealt with Bruce's struggle with his true identity as Batman. And I felt like it sort of compared him to Two-Face in the end, because they sort of came to the same conclusion for themselves. I really liked that.
If you're a fan of Batman you could honestly pass on this but I think it at least worth a shot for any mature comic fan.
3.5
I did have a lot of issues with it. I didn't like Robin. I found her boring to be honest, and I was pissed Dick never showed up or explained why he was gone. I also did not like the Joker, but he just was not the villain of that I love, Scott Snyder writes the perfect Joker but that's just my opinion. The Batman/Superman fight left a lot to be desired. I did like how it ended though.
My favorite part though was in the first issue when the book dealt with Bruce's struggle with his true identity as Batman. And I felt like it sort of compared him to Two-Face in the end, because they sort of came to the same conclusion for themselves. I really liked that.
If you're a fan of Batman you could honestly pass on this but I think it at least worth a shot for any mature comic fan.
3.5