Batman: The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller

Writer/artist Frank Miller completely reinvents the legend of Batman in this saga of a near-future Gotham City gone to rot, 10 years after the Dark Knight’s retirement. Forced to take action, the Dark Knight returns in a blaze of fury, taking on a whole new generation of criminals and matching their level of violence. He is soon joined by a new Robin—a girl named Carrie Kelley, who proves to be just as invaluable as her predecessors.

Can Batman and Robin deal with the threat posed by their deadliest enemies, after years of incarceration have turned them into perfect psychopaths? And more important, can anyone survive the coming fallout from an undeclared war between the superpowers—or the clash of what were once the world’s greatest heroes?

Hailed as a comics masterpiece, The Dark Knight Returns is Frank Miller’s (300 and Sin City) reinvention of Gotham’s legendary protector. It remains one of the most influential stories ever told in comics, with its echoes felt in all media forms of DC’s storytelling. Collects issues #1-4.

I don't like the ending and couple of panels (The art sometimes sucks) but other than that, I really enjoyed the book.

Awful. As if writer and his team were on a very bad trip.

Read a comic after 15-16 years. Strange feeling. They're a little hard to read now, or maybe I need to get used to them.

This is one where the message of the story appealed more to me than the story itself. As far as the story goes, I like the idea of an aging Batman trying to carry on his mission in his older years. Probably what bothered me most about the story was the profanity used. I realize people talk like this, and this is not Adam West's Batman, but the number of times the name of God or Jesus was used as an expression of excitement or despair was disappointing.

As for the message, I liked that the story shows that crime isn't cured simply through behavior modification. As a Christian, I believe the world and its inhabitants suffer from the sin disease. No amount of legislation or treatment can cure this. Only a heart changed by God. Batman realizes he cannot cure the evil himself and this resonates with my perspective. (I do not believe this story is meant to convey a Christian message, only that what I got out of the story reflects my perspective.)

I was a bit disappointed in this story. I think it is because I have heard and read many comments about this being the best Batman story written. Taste is subjective, but I think I came in with expectations that were too high. Overall, I think I would choose Year One over this one, but that's just my opinion.