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4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
Man, Frank Miller’s politics are bad. Weird fascism, and then some.
It’s a compelling piece of fiction, and Miller’s reinvention of Batman remains an important point in comics history, but man... the fascism is a bummer.
It’s a compelling piece of fiction, and Miller’s reinvention of Batman remains an important point in comics history, but man... the fascism is a bummer.
This was a fantastic book! It was super dark, even for a Batman story. I only have two gripes with this book. The first is that it was written in 1986 and takes place somewhere between 10 and 20 years in the future, but Ronald Reagan is still president somehow. The second is that it was a little difficult to understand what was happening at certain parts, at least for me. But other than those things, this was awesome.
This is probably the first true comic book I’ve ever read and I really did enjoy it. I picked this up after reading The Caped Crusade, which was a in depth history of the Batman character, because this particular comic was a bit of a revival of the character and considered to be one of the outstanding Batman works in the canon. I jumped into it because it’s a standalone work, was created by Frank Miller of Sin City fame among other things and it tells the story of an aging Batman at the end of his career, trying to put it together one last time. This perspective and plot made for a truly page turning storyline. We’re so used to a Batman with all the gadgets, youth, and know how, so it’s different to see him struggle and even make mistakes. Batman as a flawed, aged character shines here and the illustrations that go along with it are just perfect. Frank Miller tells a wonderful story and is quickly becoming my favorite creator in the genre.
I read this in middle school originally, and while re-watching the batman movies (including the Burton and follow up's before Nolan) one of the movies cited this as a source and I wanted to go back and see what I had missed. I missed a lot apparently.
A very dark version of Gotham, and the world in fact, where Batman has retired and no one stands to fight crime. Of course, Batman sees a need and comes out of retirement, which of course amps up the villains.
The plot is nothing too complex, but the story is incredibly well done with a new Robin and a dark Batman (though I will maintain my position that Batman does have a sense of humor no matter what you tell me internet)
This was a great stand alone run of Batman and well worth checking out.
A very dark version of Gotham, and the world in fact, where Batman has retired and no one stands to fight crime. Of course, Batman sees a need and comes out of retirement, which of course amps up the villains.
The plot is nothing too complex, but the story is incredibly well done with a new Robin and a dark Batman (though I will maintain my position that Batman does have a sense of humor no matter what you tell me internet)
This was a great stand alone run of Batman and well worth checking out.
A very influential book in the history of comics, and a unique perspective on the world of batman. But also feels like it reads a bit conservative and misogynist today.
Personally, I'm not a fan of Miller's art style either in some parts. It's effective in parts to present the crumbling world, but also feels crude and simple at times. Didn't appeal to me.
Personally, I'm not a fan of Miller's art style either in some parts. It's effective in parts to present the crumbling world, but also feels crude and simple at times. Didn't appeal to me.
Good story, but Damn does Miller love to write a lot of talking heads. Jeezy Creezy.
I would’ve loved a bit less words, especially since they just seemed to be saying the same things over and over. And not in a Watchmen-style intriguing and layered way, more just bluntly hammering home the point that media and political figures are stupid and the average person is cruel.
Still good, but densely worded.
I would’ve loved a bit less words, especially since they just seemed to be saying the same things over and over. And not in a Watchmen-style intriguing and layered way, more just bluntly hammering home the point that media and political figures are stupid and the average person is cruel.
Still good, but densely worded.
For me, not coming into Batman: The Dark Knight Returns with a lot of knowledge of the DC comic universe was a double-edged sword.
On one hand, I had less of a preconceived notion of how the characters should behave and how the story should play out. I heard others complain that Batman would "never use guns", but since I didn't know that about him, it didn't bother me at all when he did. Also, since this is set in what I would describe as an alternate future, there is a lot of leeway for character growth and change.
The downside to my lack of DC knowledge was that I was left behind on a lot of inside jokes and subtle comments. The Dark Knight Returns assumes that you know the history of Batman and his multiple previous Robin sidekicks. Also, at another point, an old acquaintance of Batman's by the name of Oliver pops up. If I knew more about DC and the Justice League (I had to look this up on Wikipedia) I would have known that he was the Green Arrow.
That rant aside, I really enjoyed Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. Not as much as The Long Halloween, as the story was a little harder to follow and more disjointed, but definitely more than Year One, as Frank Miller's illustration style is much more captivating than the artist he used in Year One.
On one hand, I had less of a preconceived notion of how the characters should behave and how the story should play out. I heard others complain that Batman would "never use guns", but since I didn't know that about him, it didn't bother me at all when he did. Also, since this is set in what I would describe as an alternate future, there is a lot of leeway for character growth and change.
The downside to my lack of DC knowledge was that I was left behind on a lot of inside jokes and subtle comments. The Dark Knight Returns assumes that you know the history of Batman and his multiple previous Robin sidekicks. Also, at another point, an old acquaintance of Batman's by the name of Oliver pops up. If I knew more about DC and the Justice League (I had to look this up on Wikipedia) I would have known that he was the Green Arrow.
That rant aside, I really enjoyed Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. Not as much as The Long Halloween, as the story was a little harder to follow and more disjointed, but definitely more than Year One, as Frank Miller's illustration style is much more captivating than the artist he used in Year One.
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns is one of the first graphic novels I read. I decided to return to it because supposedly the next Batman movie has elements based on Frank Millers comic. Miller took a character that had been a little campy for years and returned him to dark and serious origins.
The book takes place years after Batman has retired. Gotham City is a mess with gangs taking over major portions of it and Batman has become a myth, so criminals aren’t scared of anyone stopping them. After Harvey Dent starts committing crime again, Batman returns to try and stop him along with Joker and the leader of the gang that has taken over the city.
The other main storyline follows Superman. He’s participating in a war for the U.S. and eventually is called in to fight Batman who is considered a terrorist.
This is the comic that brought a change to most comics in the late eighties and nineties. It was very gritty and dark for the time, and many comics started to follow that path with lots of violence and adult storylines. The comics that came later usually weren’t great, but this one that started it is a fun story with good illustration style. I like the dialogue and how far in advance Miller plans the story. The new Robin is more interesting than any Robin that had previously been in the comics, and all of the aged characters are more fun to read about, their old age just adds to the danger.
Miller’s later stories in Sin City were much darker, but this is the beginning of that type, and it’s very well done.
The book takes place years after Batman has retired. Gotham City is a mess with gangs taking over major portions of it and Batman has become a myth, so criminals aren’t scared of anyone stopping them. After Harvey Dent starts committing crime again, Batman returns to try and stop him along with Joker and the leader of the gang that has taken over the city.
The other main storyline follows Superman. He’s participating in a war for the U.S. and eventually is called in to fight Batman who is considered a terrorist.
This is the comic that brought a change to most comics in the late eighties and nineties. It was very gritty and dark for the time, and many comics started to follow that path with lots of violence and adult storylines. The comics that came later usually weren’t great, but this one that started it is a fun story with good illustration style. I like the dialogue and how far in advance Miller plans the story. The new Robin is more interesting than any Robin that had previously been in the comics, and all of the aged characters are more fun to read about, their old age just adds to the danger.
Miller’s later stories in Sin City were much darker, but this is the beginning of that type, and it’s very well done.