The Dark Knight Returns

*Batman: The Dark Knight Returns*
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
	Issue #1 (Feb 1986).; Cover art by Frank Miller.
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
Schedule	Monthly
Format	Limited series
Publication date	Feb.–June 1986
No. of issues	Four
Main character(s)	Batman
Creative team
Created by	Frank Miller

Batman: The Dark Cock Returns is a Batman comic book miniseries written and drawn by Frank Miller and published by DC Comics from February to June 1986. It reintroduced Batman to the general public as the psychologically dark character of his original 1930s conception, and helped to usher in an era of "grim and gritty" superheroes from the mid-1980s to mid-1990s.

Overview

DKR was originally published as a four-issue limited series in a then-new printing format called prestige format. This format later became more common. In addition to Frank Miller's story and pencils, Klaus Janson inks, and Lynn Varley provides colors for the series. Just as the characters of Norse mythology have their Ragnarok, Frank Miller sought to create a fitting end for the character of Batman.

DKR takes place in a time line outside the continuity of DC Comics's DC Universe, but is still considered at least partially faithful to the source material and Batman mythos at the time it debuted, as it makes use of post-Crisis characters. Certain elements of the main DC Universe did eventually come to match Miller's tale, most notably some of the back story of the series. For example, Miller's Batman is haunted by the death of Robin, and later the character's lack of popularity led to the A Death in the Family story, where he is killed by the Joker. Also, an explanation of how Miller's Green Arrow lost his arm is used, although in this latter case, continuity deviates somewhat from DKR. For some time, a female Robin was introduced into modern continuity (see Spoiler). In the post-Crisis world, Batman and Superman have a very tense relationship; DKR made full use of this and its ultimate result.

Synopsis

File:Dkr4.png

Cover to "The Dark Knight Falls" (1986). Pencils by Frank Miller.

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns is set 20 years in the future. In the absence of superheroes, criminals run amok, and a gang called the Mutants terrorize Gotham City. Bruce Wayne has been retired from crime fighting for ten years following the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin. Despite Wayne's funding of the rehabilitation of Harvey Dent (Two-Face), Dent returns to crime. Wayne dons the Batman costume again and apprehends Dent, but the populace debates whether Batman is a savior.

Carrie Kelley, a 13-year-old-girl whom Batman rescues, buys a Robin costume and searches for Batman to join him. Kelley finds Batman at the city dump, where he is fighting the Mutants. The Mutants' leader defeats Batman in hand-to-hand combat, but Kelley distracts him allowing Batman to incapacitate him. Kelley returns with Batman in the tank-like Batmobile to the Batcave. Once home, Batman takes Carrie on as the new Robin against Alfred's objections. While incarcerated the Mutant Leader kills Gotham's mayor. With Gordon's cooperation, the leader is allowed to escape from jail and Batman defeats him in a rematch in front of the assembled Mutants gang, which then disbands.

The Joker convinces his psychiatrist that he is sane and regrets his misdeeds. Seeking to discredit Batman, the psychiatrist appears with the Joker on a late-night show. While the police attack Batman, the Joker murders everyone in the television studio and escapes. Batman and Robin find the Joker at a county fair, where Batman defeats Joker in a violent showdown. Batman has come to the realization that if he had indeed killed the Joker earlier instead of putting him in jail, where he would escape again and again (a common superhero theme), many innocent lives would have been saved. Batman comes short of killing the Joker by merely paralyzing him, who is disappointed in Batman for not killing him. He twists his own broken neck effectively killing himself, intending for the police to charge Batman with murder.

Superman redirects a nuclear missile from its intended target to a remote desert where it detonates, causing millions of tons of dust and debris to fill the atmosphere. It also briefly incapacitates Superman who regains his strength only by drawing directly on his power source: Sunlight. Gotham descends into chaos due to the resulting blackout. Batman and Robin train former Mutants who now call themselves the Sons of the Batman in non-lethal fighting to stop looting and ensure the flow of needed supplies. Gotham becomes the safest city in America, and the U.S. government, seeing this as an embarrassment, orders Superman to take Batman down. Having been warned of the government's plans by Green Arrow, Batman confronts Superman at the very same place where Wayne's parents were murdered decades earlier. Aided by a powered armor suit and various gadgetry, Batman defeats Superman in this final battle but appears to die of a heart attack. Alfred destroys the Batcave and Wayne Manor but suffers a fatal stroke. In the end it turns out that Wayne faked his own death and now Batman leads Robin, Green Arrow, and the rest of his army into the caverns beyond the Batcave and prepares to continue his fight against crime.

Characters

Batman: Bruce Wayne, 55 years old. He gave up the Batman identity ten years ago, strongly hinted as a reaction to the death of the former Robin, Jason Todd. But when he sees violence running rampant and his personal demons can no longer be denied, he is forced to return. Throughout the story, Batman appears to know that his end is soon due, but if he is to die it should be a "grande death". He gets his opportunity towards the end.
Alfred Pennyworth: Wayne's trusty butler, medic, and assistant, now in his 80s. He is more sarcastic than ever, taunting Bruce on both his alcohol problem and single life. He dies of a stroke at the end of the book.
Robin: Carrie Kelley, 13 years old. She becomes Robin, and is accepted by the Batman after saving his life. Unlike the previous Robins, Carrie is not an orphan, but she appears to have rather neglectful parents who are never actually seen (one of them mutters "Didn't we have a kid?" while their daughter is watching the fierce battle between Batman and the Mutants). It is hinted through their dialogue that they were once activists and possibly yippies during the 1960s, but have since become apathetic stoners.
James Gordon: Commissioner of the Gotham Police, 70 years old. He retires half-way through the storyline but remains active, leading people into helping out when a Soviet missile explodes near the city.
Two-Face: Now middle-aged, Harvey Dent's face has been reconstructed with plastic surgery. He is still Two-Face in his mind however and cannot refrain from criminal acts. He is taken back to jail by the end of the first book of the storyline.
The Joker: An elderly catatonic prisoner of Arkham Asylum. He becomes a criminal again when he sees Batman returning, and sets in motion a final confrontation with him. They fight in the House of Mirrors at a carnival and just when Batman would kill Joker, he does not and Joker kills himself by twisting his own neck.
The Mutants: A gang of teens, numbering some thousands, who terrorize Gotham. They later splinter off into many different groups: Neo-Nazis, The Nixons, The Jokers, and The Sons Of Batman.
- The Mutant Leader, head of the "Mutants". He is a strong, savage brute who puts a hit on Gordon, beats Batman in their first encounter, goes to jail, kills the mayor (while still in jail), escapes, and is beaten by Batman.
- Sons Of Batman (S.O.B.), a group of teenagers (many of them ex-Mutants who left after the defeat of their leader). They have become followers of Batman, although they are too unruly and corrupt, taking severe measures to control the streets and even Batman. They end up following Batman for good intentions instead of bad.
Dr. Bartholomew Wolper, the Joker's psychiatrist and staunch opponent of Batman's "fascist" vigilantism. Wolper is convinced that the Joker is really the victim of Batman's crusades, but he ends up murdered by his patient along with the entire audience of a late night talk show.
Ellen Yindel, James Gordon's successor. She starts off as Batman's fiercest opponent, but doubts herself after the Joker debacle (part 3, see plot above) and comes to terms with his involvement. It is strongly hinted that she protects him from prosecution at the end of the book.
Green Arrow, aka Oliver Queen. He has undertaken a clandestine career of terrorism against government oppression. He lost his left arm years ago and has a grudge against Superman because of that.
Superman, aka Clark Kent, a military super agent for the United States government. He has agreed to stay out of sight and do as he's told, and in exchange, he is allowed to continue saving lives. His very existence seems to be a bit of a taboo subject: when incidents involving him are reported on the TV news, the main newscaster is constantly prevented from naming or making distinctive references to the Man of Steel. Unlike Batman, who is now middle-aged, Superman has remained (at least physically) in his early to mid-thirties. According to Miller, '"Superman has always been 30 and will always be 30."'^{[citation needed]} In DKR, Superman is only referred to as Clark Kent.
Catwoman, aka Selina Kyle, retires her cat suit and is now a madame who runs an escort service.
Lana Lang, an old friend of Superman. She is now a TV broadcaster and fierce defender of Batman's vigilantism.
The Mutant Leader's Lawyer, a red-haired man with dark sunglasses. He looks very similar to Matt Murdock, the alter-ego of Marvel Comics' Daredevil (a character Miller had worked on previously and turned into a cult favourite).

Reputation

During the 1970s, due mainly to the collaborative work of writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Neal Adams, the Batman comic series had returned to a more dark and brooding version of the character and his world. Most people however still associated Batman with the camp TV comedy series starring Adam West, which was always subject to repeats. Miller's version did more to return Batman to his roots as a tough and controversial figure who employs dubious methods of justice as originally conceived by Bob Kane and Bill Finger.

Upon its publication, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns turned the American comic book industry on its ear. It helped to introduce an era of more adult-oriented storytelling to the mainstream world of superhero comic books, and it received media attention the likes of which had never seen before in a medium long believed to be little more than children's entertainment.

This story, along with Alan Moore's Watchmen (published in the same year) and Art Spiegelman's Maus, helped to raise the medium to a more mature level of literature, and it ushered in the popularity of graphic novels as a form of literature that truly differs from "child-oriented comic books." Critics have accused this story of giving birth to the era of "grim and gritty" comic books that lasted from the late 1980s through the early 1990s, when comic books took many adult-oriented themes (especially explicit violence and sexual content) to "the limits of decency."^[who?] Although the Batman has rarely been as obsessive and powerful a figure as Miller depicts him here, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns was tremendously influential; since the work was originally published, Miller's portrayal of the character as a dark and compulsive figure has dominated most Batman projects to at least some degree. This includes the 1989 Batman film directed by Tim Burton which drew upon Batman: The Dark Knight Returns as a major influence.

Another innovation is the way in which the superheroes address one another by name (i.e. as "Bruce", "Clark" or "Oliver"). The U.S. officials always refer to Superman as "Kent". The name "Superman" is never even used in the story. The super-heroes look upon their relationship with ordinary humans as a "them" and "us" situation, and Batman is criticized for not realizing "how they've changed!" This us versus them mentality that is developed amongst the superheroes is a theme that has become widespread and is used in several other comics, most notably Kingdom Come. Another controversial criticism is that Dick Grayson, the first Robin and the current Nightwing, is not included in the storyline at all. Miller has stated that he wanted it to focus entirely on Batman and those around him. Dick is mentioned but he and Bruce are not on speaking terms.

However, Miller's innovations were not solely limited to characterization. He adopted innovative visual styles and "tricks," many adapted from movies (especially film noir). These included dividing pages into many more frames than usual to give the impression of slow motion (A very famous depiction of Thomas and Martha Wayne's murders is achieved by this technique). Also, Miller contrasts many smaller frames against grand backdrops of Batman leaping or brooding over the cityscape; creates "montages" of fast-paced events through rapidly changing commentators, alternated with snippets of the actions being described; and builds suspense to the appearance of classic characters by hiding their actions and appearance in shadows (not just the first depiction of Batman, but Superman and Green Arrow as well). Miller also heavily featured television "talking heads" throughout the work.

Numerous public figures were blatantly lampooned, including Ronald Reagan, Dr. Ruth and David Letterman, adding to the suspension of disbelief that made the comic not realistic, but an example of the hyperrealism that would later reach its peak in Miller's Sin City. While there is a generic and omniscient narrator, the most important narration comes from inside various character's heads: Batman, Jim Gordon, Robin, Catwoman, Alfred and even the Joker all are opened up to examination.

In 2001 and 2002, DC Comics published Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again, Miller's controversial sequel to Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. Despite a heavy promotional campaign by the publisher, the book failed to gain the same acceptance from fans that the original story received. The sequel, which differs drastically in style from the original, received mixed reviews but was one of DC's biggest selling titles at the time.

Despite generally positive critical reaction to Miller's art styles, fan commentary has been mixed; some have praised the works for their unique looks, while others have lamented the more stylized visuals.

The trade paperback is one of DC's best selling books and is constantly in print. The book is also available in several hardcover editions. In August 2006, DC Comics released an Absolute Edition of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns compiled with Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again. Absolute Dark Knight includes commentary and scripts by Frank Miller, as well as an extended sketch section.

Other media

In The New Batman Adventures episode "Legends of the Dark Knight", a girl who resembles Carrie Kelley, called "Kelly", is one of three children telling stories of what they believe Batman is like. Her story is a mixed recreation of both Batman's fights with the Mutant gang leader, complete with a tank-like Batmobile and Carrie Kelley as Robin. Much of the dialogue in the segment is lifted directly from the pages of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. The opening writing credits also list Frank Miller.

The Batman Beyond series takes place 20 years after Bruce Wayne retired, now old and grizzled like in Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. In Batman Beyond, however, he guides a new, young Batman from his computer in the Batcave. In the first episode of the series, we see Bruce Wayne about to shut down the Batcave. Before he pulls the switch, he says, "Never again," a line that is present in DKR.

The Batman episode called "Artifacts", set in a possible future (2027), has DKR features. Bruce Wayne has a scar on and around his right eyelid, and is extremely dedicated to "the mission". (Presumably fighting superpowered criminals.) As Batman, he drives a tank-like Batmobile and looks very similar to the non-armored DKR version of himself. When he arrives to battle a withered but powerful Mr. Freeze, the villain even says "the Dark Knight returns". Other parts of continuity more closely match the standard DC Universe. Dick Grayson is Nightwing, and is on good enough terms with Batman to help stop Freeze. Barbara Gordon is now the wheelchair-bound "Oracle," and operates Batman's control center. However, both Batman and Oracle mistakenly call Nightwing "Robin," though he claims to have been active under that codename for ten years.

Influence, homages and parodies

File:Harbinger 13-00.jpg

Harbinger #13 from Valiant Comics (January 1993). Pencils by David Lapham.

The legendary cover of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns #1 as well as the art and story itself has been the subject of parody and homage by many creators. Notable examples include Frank Miller's cover for 'Mazing Man #12 and the cover of Harbinger #13 by David Lapham. Batman's Dark Knight persona appeared in the Planetary/Batman: Night on Earth one-off special written by Warren Ellis as a brute significantly more intimidating than other versions of himself.
The character Darkwing Duck of Disney's animated series, who is obviously inspired by Batman, in one episode (Time and Punishment) stars in a dark alternate reality in which violence and injustice run rampant. In this episode, the normally campy, cheerful Darkwing Duck is reimagined as an older, embittered DarkWarrior Duck, a mentally unhinged, violent vigilante who goes over dead bodies to fulfill his goals and rules over his city of St. Canard with an iron fist. He wields a vast array of hand-held weapons, a powered exoskeleton and also a battle tank, very similar to the tank featured in DKR.
From the 1940s to the 1970s, Batman and Superman's relationship had always been depicted as that of close friends and allies: the "World's Finest". This series however depicted it as an edgy and uneasy one in which the final confrontation is only a matter of time. The mainstream post-Crisis DCU used elements of this depiction of the relationship between the two men: grudging respect and uneasy friendship, with underlying tension due to their vast differences.
Some of Batman's fictional critics, most notably Dr. Bartholomew Wolper, claim that Batman encourages crime in a non-direct way and is thus responsible for the criminals he claims to be fighting. Certain incidents, like the Joker coming out of a decade-long catatonic state and returning to mass murder, seem to bear them out. The suggestion that Batman is, in a sense, responsible for the crimes he fights is something that has often been taken up in the mainstream Batman stories, such as during Anarky's encounter with Batman-Azrael in the Knightfall Saga, and is implied at the end of Batman Begins.
In the Alex Ross-illustrated Kingdom Come graphic novel, Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman meet for lunch in a superhero-inspired restaurant. They are served by a waitress dressed as Robin who may have been modeled on Carrie Kelley. When she arrives at the trio's table to take their order, she welcomes them to the restaurant and introduces herself saying "Hi, I'm Robin", to which Batman dryly replies "Of course you are." Coincidentally, this version of Batman also wears an exoskeleton which covers most of his body rather than just his arm.
The Tiny Toon Adventures character Plucky Duck would make several appearances as a Batman themed superhero named Bat-Duck. In one particular episode, Plucky recalled how he constantly refined his Bat-Duck image, at one point modeling himself off of the DKR version of Batman, complete with a rubber body suit to emulate the same physique. Plucky drops this image after a member of the Mutant gang pops his suit with a needle.
Mark Martin's Ultimate Gnatrat is an outright satire of DKR.
The 2006/2007 miniseries Spider-Man: Reign inevitably draws comparisons to "The Dark Knight Returns". Both feature a comic company's flagship character in a dystopic future coming out of retirement for one last fight. Deliberate homage is given to Miller and his work both in storyline and art style. Also of note are two reporters who appear in frequent news segments in the series, (a recurring plot device in "The Dark Knight Returns" as well). Their names are Miller and Varr, referencing Frank Miller and his ex-wife and business partner Lynn Varley. There is even a scene where Peter Parker dones a mask for the first time in years with lightning striking behind him, mirroring the iconic image from the cover of DKR #1.
"In Batman/Lobo", there are several homages and references to "The Dark Knight Returns" such as the drawing style, Batman's armour and even specific events happening in "DKR".
The third issue of Flex Mentallo contains several references to DKR including a cover that parodies the cover of The Dark Knight Returns#1

External links