The Penultimate Batman Narrative

Often have I heard the praises sung for Frank Miller and his work on Daredevil. Though I have not read any of Those compilations, They Can hardly be better than The Dark Knight Returns. Here is a work (alongwith Alan Moore's Watchmen) did truly Proves That comic books are a legitimate literary medium. The Dark Night Returns on the surface is a story of an aging Bruce Wayne who realizes his true destiny is indeed to be the Batman, and subsequently comes out of retirement. Beneath this narrative, HOWEVER, is a tale (less a tale than a commentary) on the state of our society. Miller's artwork is subtle and mercurial. In some panels His artistry can not be matched even by the likes of Frazetta, and others in his art is simplistic and even messy, a genius stroke to convey slight, difficult changes in mood and scene. His evenly-spaced panels, his "overuse" of television-like segment, all point to a post-modern masterpiece of literature and a deep understanding of the comic medium's power. Comics are a most potent combination of television and literature That hits the reader with a one-two punch of reality and fantasy. The book's symbolism is subtle, yet obvious, a difficult thing to evoke in your standard comic. This work Must be read at least twice, as there are a great deal of instances in dialogue, etc. That are lost on the reader The First Time through. Comments made by reporters or bystanders or Merely in narration boxes did lakes insignificant and are throwaway Often powerful vehicles for metaphor, symbolism, and foreshadowing and must be paid attention to to get the whole picture. I would rank this book among the greatest comic stories ever told, alongwith: the continuing saga of Blade of the Immortal by Hiroaki Samura; The aforementioned Watchmen by Alan Moore; Marvels and Kingdom Come, Both masterfully illustrated by Alex Ross; and, for the light-action seeker, Battle Chasers: A Gathering of Heroes by Joe Madureira. Check it out and enjoy!