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Batman: The Dark Knight Returns

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Batman: The Dark Knight Returns is a Batman comic book mini-series 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.

A sequel, Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again, was published in 2001. All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder, a prequel to the series began running in 2005. An additional prequel, Holy Terror, Batman!, is planned to be released in 2008.

Plot

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns is set twenty years into an alternate future. In the absence of superheroes, ordinary criminals run amok (all the super-villains having been incarcerated or otherwise killed), and a gang called the "Mutants" made up of schoolchildren terrorize Gotham City. Batman has been retired from crime fighting for ten years following the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin. Wayne funds the rehabilitation of Harvey Dent ("Two-Face"), leading to his release from a mental hospital, but upon re-entering society, Dent returns to crime. Wayne dons the Batman costume again and apprehends Dent, but in an increasingly media obsessed society, the populace debates publicly whether Batman is a savior or a menace.

Carrie Kelley, a 13-year-old girl whom Batman rescues, spends her lunch money on a Robin costume and finds Batman at the city dump, where he is fighting the Mutants. There, Batman, in a moment of insecurity about his age, foolishly accepts a challenge to battle the Mutants' leader in personal combat and is defeated. However, Kelley causes a distraction to allow Batman to incapacitate the villain and the police arrest the Mutant Leader. Kelley returns with Batman in the tank-like Batmobile to the Batcave performing some basic first aid to stem his multiple lacerations. Once home, Batman takes Carrie on as the new Robin against Alfred's objections. The Mayor of Gotham City decides to negotiate with the leader of the Mutants, with one eye on the upcoming election, but the Mutant leader kills the Mayor in his prison cell. With Gordon's cooperation, the leader is allowed to escape from jail and Batman, taking advantage of his experience in combat, defeats him in a rematch in front of the assembled Mutant gang, which then disbands, disgusted by their leader's failure.

The Joker, who has spent the last decade catatonic, sees the media reports on the return of the Batman, snaps out of his funk and convinces his psychiatrist that he regrets his misdeeds. Seeking to discredit Batman, the psychiatrist appears with the Joker on a late-night show (reminiscent of David Letterman). Gordon finally retires and is replaced by Ellen Yindel, who is not a fan of Batman and whose first act as Commissioner is to issue an arrest warrant. She is also suspicious of the Joker and orders some of the police force to be on hand during the TV appearance. While the bulk of the police attempt to apprehend Batman, the Joker murders everyone in the television studio and escapes. Batman and Robin learn that the Joker is planning a mass killing at the country fair, where Batman defeats the 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 breaking his neck; the Joker expresses disappointment in Batman for not killing him. He twists his own broken neck, effectively killing himself, intending for the police to charge Batman with murder.

Meanwhile, the Soviet Union has invaded the Corto Maltese, a Caribbean Island not far from the USA, and the American response to the invasion is to unleash Superman on the attacking troops. He is able to deter the attempted conquest, and in response, the Soviets fire a nuclear missile at the continental U.S. Superman is able to redirect it from its intended target to a remote desert, where it detonates. However, it turns out the missile was actually designed to cause a massive electromagnetic pulse and send a huge cloud of dust into the atmosphere, precipitating a brief but intense nuclear winter. Superman is nearly killed by the missile's detonation, as the atmospheric effects cut off his access to the yellow sunlight that provides his power and invulnerability.

As the electromagnetic pulse destroys all electrical equipment, and the country is plunged into cold and darkness, all the major American cities descend into chaos. Batman rounds up the former Mutants, including those who now call themselves the "Sons of the Batman" ("SOB" for short), to stop looting and ensure the flow of needed supplies. Gotham becomes the safest city in America, and the US government, embarrassed by this, orders Superman to take Batman down at any cost. 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, "Crime Alley". He dons a powered armor suit and readies various gadgets, including an arrow with a synthesized-kryptonite tip to be fired by Green Arrow. The two face off, causing massive infrastructure damage and just as Batman defeats Superman, he appears to die of a heart attack. Concurrently, Alfred destroys the Batcave and Wayne Manor but suffers a fatal stroke as Robin draws away the police in the Batmobile.

The series comes to a close as we learn that Batman faked his own death. During the funeral in which Selina Kyle blames Superman for Batman's death, his heart begins to beat again which Superman hears. He gives Carrie a knowing wink and walks away. Batman leads Robin, Green Arrow, and the rest of the Sons of Batman into the caverns beyond what was the Batcave and prepares to one day battle not criminals, but the corrupt authorities that had demanded he be neutralized. He figures this will be a good life, "good enough."

Characters

  • Batman: Bruce Wayne gave up the Batman identity ten years prior to the beginning of the story, strongly suggested as a reaction to the death of the former Robin, Jason Todd. 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 "grand death".
  • Alfred Pennyworth: Wayne's trusty butler, medic, and confidante, now in his eighties. He is more sarcastic than ever, taunting Bruce on both his alcohol problem and single life.
  • Robin: Carrie Kelley is a thirteen-year-old girl. 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 depicted (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 hippies during the 1960s, but have since become apathetic stoners. She is the first female Robin.
  • James Gordon: The Commissioner of the Gotham City Police Department for twenty-six years - a police officer for fifty years - who finally retires on his seventieth birthday. He retires half-way through the storyline but remains active, leading people into helping out when a plane crashes in the city. He is aware of the dual identity of Batman and is strongly supportive of the Caped Crusader.
  • Two-Face: Now middle-aged, Harvey Dent's face has been reconstructed with plastic surgery and his doctor gives him a clean bill of health. His mind is actually more diseased than ever and disguises himself in bandages, committing more criminal acts. Batman is able to recapture him and sees Two-Face for what he truly is ("scarred" on both sides) and takes him back to Arkham Asylum for good.
  • The Joker: An elderly catatonic prisoner of Arkham Asylum. He awakens from his slumber when he learns of the return of the Batman and begins to plot the death of thousands. However, to Batman he hasn't changed, he is playing the same old games and with Batman upping the ante, sets in motion a final confrontation.
  • The Mutants: A gang of teens, numbering some thousands, who terrorize Gotham. They later splinter off into many different groups: Neo-Nazis, The Nixons (Wearing Richard Nixon masks), The Jokers (Dressing like The Joker), and The Sons Of Batman.

    • The Mutant Leader, head of the "Mutants". He is a strong, savage brute who puts a hit on Gordon, brutally 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 (at one point in the story they break up a three-card Monty game with napalm). They end up following Batman for good intentions instead of bad.
  • Dr. Bartholomew Wolper, Two-Face's and the Joker's psychiatrist and staunch opponent of Batman's "fascist" vigilantism (an in-joke given that he resembles Adolf Hitler with an afro). 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 as Commissioner. A Captain in the GCPD, 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.In The Batman animated series, she is re-imagined as Ellen Yin.
  • Green Arrow, aka Oliver Queen. After the outlawing of all superheroes, he undertook a clandestine career of terrorism against government oppression, including the sinking of a nuclear submarine. He lost his left arm years ago and blames Superman because of that. He is still a formidable marksman, using his teeth to grip the nocks of his arrows.
  • Superman, aka Clark Kent, is a pawn for the US government. He has agreed to stay out of sight and obey orders. His internal monologues show that he detests having to be a government weapon and is only doing so to prevent war between humans and superheroes. His existence seems to be secret: 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 (In fact, nowhere in the novel does the word "Superman" appear). Unlike the other classic DC characters who appear in the novel, Superman shows no signs of having aged. He is still as powerful and virile as ever, implying that he either has considerably longer lifespan, ages differently than humans, or possibly immortal.

Character appearances in other series

In addition to its sequels, the characters of The Dark Knight Returns make several appearances outside of the series:

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Other media

DC animated universe

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 a female Robin who looks exactly like "Kelly". Much of the dialogue in the segment is lifted directly from the pages of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. Batman has the voice actor of Darkseid (Michael Ironside) provide the older more sinister Batman. The opening writing credits also list Frank Miller.

The Batman Beyond series takes place 20 years after Bruce Wayne retired, now even older and more grizzled than 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

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 inactive under that codename for ten years.

In The Batman one of the characters is named Ellen Yin after Ellen Yindel. Like Yindel, Yin is at first fiercely opposed to Batman but eventually becomes his ally after an encounter with the Joker. In the above mentioned episode it is learned that she eventually became commissioner sometime after Gordon.

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. 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. This story has a Batman who is not afraid to break an enemy's bones and, in the case of the Joker, seriously considers breaking his No Kill rule — though the Joker actually causes his own death in a way to make Batman appear responsible. Batman is even shown firing a gun at a mutant who is threatening to kill a hostage.

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 been 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." 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.

Another innovation is the way in which the superheroes address one another by name (i.e. as "Bruce" (Wayne), "Clark" (Kent) or "Oliver" (Queen)). 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. During his attack on the mutants he thinks of Dick as he gazes at the empty chair on the Batmobile. He also uses the memory of Dick that reminds Batman not to try to kill the Mutants leader.

However, Miller's public account appears not to be completely accurate: in the published version of the book, Batman and the Joker have a showdown inside a fun house. The final page depicts the Joker twisting his own spine causing his death, while Batman departs. There is an alternate version of that page that is known to exist. While the art is very close to the published version, the dialogue is not. The dialogue on the alternate page reveals that the Joker was supposed to be Dick Grayson. While abandoned in the published version, Miller did introduce Grayson as a Joker-like psychopath in the sequel The Dark Knight Strikes Again.

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 — the 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.

Miller also criticized Cold War politics, such as brinkmanship and the existence of a powerful military-industrial complex (implied by a trigger-happy general's name, Lucius Lockheed). Numerous real public figures were also 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, Superman, Catwoman, Alfred and even the Joker are all 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.

Influence, homages and parodies

  • In DKR, it is revealed that Jason Todd is dead. Two years later, in the storyline A Death in the Family, Todd gets killed by the Joker (though he later returns). Ironically, Frank Miller voiced his disapproval over the idea of Robin's death.

  • 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.

  • Miller's Dark Knight version of Batman appeared in the Planetary/Batman: Night on Earth one-off special. He was written by Warren Ellis and drawn by artist John Cassaday to emulate Miller's attitude and appearance of the character, which differs radically from the popular depiction of Batman.

  • 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, appear 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 Batman: The Long Halloween, Jim Gordon himself notes that supervillains did not appear in Gotham City until after Batman, a fact which makes Batman uneasy. In an episode of Batman: The Animated Series the new District Attorney Janet Van Dorn blames Batman for creating the villains. But when forced to defend Batman in a perverse trial Van Dorn is able to realize that almost all of Batman's rogue's gallery were themselves responsible for their criminal activities.

  • In the Alex Ross-illustrated Kingdom Come graphic novel, Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman (in their civilian identities) 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 Bruce Wayne 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 dons his 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.

  • The death scene in Green Arrow #100-101 pays tribute to the depiction of Green Arrow/Oliver Queen in The Dark Knight Returns as a one-armed man. Never on the best of terms with Queen, Superman intends to rescue him by removing his arm, but Queen refuses to let him, thus bringing about his apparent death.

  • In the Teen Titans episode How Long is Forever?, Beast Boy is shown being tormented by two people wearing clothes similar to the uniform of the Mutants gang.

  • Chicago punk band Naked Raygun wrote a song called "Coldbringer" about The Dark Knight Returns on their 1988 album "Jettison". Coldbringer is the name of the nuclear missile in the book.

External links



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