Historically important content overrated and outdated

In the near future. Gotham City is terrorized by a bizarre and heavily armed gang, the mutants and the citizens are unable to do anything about it and can not even rely on the help of Batman, since it has retired years ago. Add to this that he has aged a few years and spends his free time with adrenalin-pumping racing and meeting with the soon retired (and also greatly aged) Commissioner Gordon.

Why he is retired only hinted at, but Bruce tries definitely as little as possible to remember his past, but then brings him reality and Batman rises again out of the darkness to terror into the hearts of criminals and greater scum to wear.

And this is to act like a psychopath.

"The Dark Knight Returns" is with Watchmen often mentioned in the same reverent breath, as they are both in their own way the superhero comic darker and more brutal than ever established (and a lot of terrible imitators the way thus paved) and the view of superheroes forever postponed , Both are children of 80 and thus of the Cold War that marked the whole world. While Alan Moore and Dave Gibbson focus however on the archetypes of superheroes and the idea of ​​how it would be living in a world with them concentrate, besides many other subjects (for example, the meaning of life) miteinarbeiten and experiment with the medium of comics per se , it's Frank Miller in his Dark Knight Classic at.

Batman is at the forefront of the action and, unlike the Watchmen heroes he MUST necessarily to Symphatieträger of action are, as all other people in the grim world of the Dark Knight tend to even more brutal behavior Himself (where he is not squeamish and also no longer has scruples to kill) and you have to probably look at him as the lesser evil, or at least can. While the personalities and their biographies gradually be in the Watchmen explains Miller Batman intervenes biography briefly again and lets him otherwise in the best manner of a tough guy rather his Fäuiste (or Batarang or one or other weapon) speak and its surroundings overlay them with fear and terror. Miller leaves Batman's surroundings in the form of pseudo-reports and interviews react and expands the action thus a tolerably amusing media satire to which then joined gradually also criticism of the at that time (1985-1986) the incumbent president, the one the comic strong political coloring there. Does that make him worse? Absolutely, because loses Miller focus on the broken psyche of his protagonist, as the first of the four books yet the case and increase his main character gradually to an all-powerful leader figure whose methods he approves clearly and even seemingly as necessary look around to bring back justice in the world. That Batman actually already over even 60, the coolness and the action scenes is overlooked because often and built only on the basis of the drama a few times to make him seem more human. Otherwise, Batman is a typical Miller macho hero, tall, strong, taciturn, fixed on muscles and adrenaline and so cool that he had to spit ice, which eventually prepared at least to me a headache.

Seen graphically the story also falls gradually more and more we ab.Sehen in the first (and best content) Heft still very well-drawn figures in front of a dark color and poor backdrop, the proportions are even greater in the second issue and Batman always beefy what then only executed claps book three and four fast and pretty colorful acts.

Is "The Dark Knight Returns" So a bad miniseries? No, but even as it advertise many people today the masterpiece. Can Watchmen itself due to its timely portraits of the 80s and his timeless themes to establish itself as the classic it is, suffers the return of the Dark Knight to be very keen arrested one year to increase its main character too much and nothing from really interesting to make subject matter. However, it must also be said that it (is in the raised the issue of an aged Batman again and much better processed) many qualikativ higher quality stuff like the animated series from the 90s, Alan Moore's classic "The Killing Joke", the series Batman Beyond and never woks more "better" with Batman comics (including Arkham Asylum by Grant Morrison and Dave McKean), if it would not have succeeded Miller with his exaggerated vision of the Batman to save him from oblivion.

Thus it toll, his (then) wife Lynn Varley and seinenb colleague Klaus Janson thanks and make "The Dark Knight Returns" still to no good comic, but at least a piece of comic history without much well not exist today.