Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again; Collection 1 of 3 Volumes

Rating:
Summary: A Bizarre, Disappointing Rehash
Review: One and a half stars, to be fair. *The Dark Knight Strikes Again* does contain some promising passages and, at the very least, is an experimental turn for Frank Miller concerning the evolution of his artwork. But as a whole this book is a massive disappointment, suffering from a re-iteration of themes already fully developed by its predecessor, an often sloppy and quite bizarre approach to the visuals, and the overall impression of a loosely coagulated collection of ideas churned out to sell - for this graphic novel adds nothing to the re-inventive mythos Miller helped pioneer in *The Dark Knight Returns:* if anything, *TDKSA* is a baffling stain upon that magnificent vision.

Now, I should admit that the DC universe never held much appeal for me - `Make Mine Marvel' was the slogan I adhered to in my early-teen comic collecting (late 80's) - so take the following words with a grain of salt. To wit: DC's collection of hoary uber-heroes and melodramatic visual sense, coupled with a lengthy, confusing and not-at-all consistent history, crossed my threshold of pulp-endurance, even as a pubescent wish-fulfillment consumer. The more realistic xenophobe motifs of the X-men (Claremont-era) and the psychological Jeckle-and-Hyde persona of the Hulk easily put the shallow dichotomy of Clark Kent/Superman to shame - utilizing constant McGuffins to give conflict to an immortal cheapens the overall construct and tellingly reveals the inherent weakness of the `power-gamer' ideal. But Batman, despite his somewhat ridiculous costume, was the obvious exception to DC's horde of peacocks and powermongers - lacking alien DNA or divine intervention, Bruce Wayne was forced to rely only on skill and smarts to conquer his opponents; and, most importantly, he was driven by demons that could never truly be appeased. Batman was, to me, the Genzu-edged outcast to Superman's butter knife ubiquity, the Dark Knight of palpable angst.

Thus was I attracted to Frank Miller's revision of this classic superhero in *The Dark Knight Returns,* a book true-to-form to the character's history, yet startlingly modern, with comments on late-80's Reagan-spin and the general aura of paranoia and excess that dominated that decade. Moreover it was powerfully written and drafted, and rightfully became an instant classic of illustrated literature. It still holds up today. So when I (belatedly) learned of this follow-up, *The Dark Knight Strikes Again,* I purchased it without consulting the current opinion-bank of the internet - to my regret.

*TDKSA* starts promisingly. A welter of images crowd the first couple pages, with Batman narrating the decline of world affairs while media-memes ply to consumer needs and totalitarian slogans are announced from the current Head of State. "Where are our heroes?" Jimmy Olsen nervously demands, addressing the prevalent concern of our 21st century mass-consciousness. Yes, promising stuff - but the decline begins almost immediately after, and I pinpoint the artwork as its cause. Miller employs a neo-manga garnish to his typical artistic technique, and the affectation of it gives the book, as a whole, a distancing effect; it's surreal and occasionally beautiful stuff, taken individually, but the overall impression is one of detachment - of the reader being consciously and constantly removed from the action and events and, eventually, the underlying storyarc.

It doesn't help that, as the graphic novel progresses, the feeling of `been there, done that' increases exponentially. Miller ended *The Dark Knight Returns* on a graceful, poignant note, a near-perfect conclusion to the lifework of Bruce Wayne. In *TDKSA* we are presented with the same conflicts, the same struggles and character-arcs, and the whole affair begins to reek of a rehashing - and a vastly inferior rehash at that. Batman fights Superman again. Batman battles the bitter draught of time, so as to complete his mission. The earth's champions are persecuted/blackmailed into helping the devious antagonists. All of this was done before, and better. Moreover, Batman's general absence in favor of the whole DC titan-squad (Wonder Woman, the Flash, Shazam etc.) limits any growth or insight into the central figure supposedly driving the plot; perhaps this is a good thing, as Miller seems incapable of exploring or expanding Batman's psyche in the few panels where he does make an appearance. It can be argued that the author doesn't need to, for he did a more than proficient job in the first volume, but this leaves us with the inescapable realization that, since it was done so well in the original story, why does there need to be a sequel at all? (...Aside from the obvious monetary benefit).

I'm borderline on the artistic approach, as well. The computer-assisted background design is interesting and generally successful, and the inking is some of Lynn Varley's best work to date, but often it feels like candy-coating a turd (please pardon the grotesque metaphor) - Millar's draftsmanship comes off sloppy and hurried, worse even than the direst passages of *Ronin.* And the delicate juxtaposition between manga surrealism and detail-oriented panels is shaky at best and jarring more often than not.

Finally, and most damning of all, the book as a whole feels skin-deep. A number of interesting themes are introduced, usually off-the-cuff, and abandoned in a likewise manner - a frustrating flaw that, when put in context to the bizarrely unsuccessful artwork and general rehashing of *The Dark Knight*, make this the least of Frank Miller's oeuvre to date.

Fans of the original should avoid at all cost - especially considering the $20 charged for this uninspired mediocrity.


Rating:
Summary: Nothing compared to its predecessor!
Review: Frank Miller changed the comics world forever by writing the Dark Knight Returns.

He changed it back by writing the Dark Knight Strikes Again.

This is the worst of Miller's work, completely dwarfed by DKR. There are only 2 interesting parts. The fights, whereas so powerful and thrilling in the Dark Knight Returns, are like biased football matches in the Dark Knight Strikes Again. Batman beats up Superman. Big deal, he did that in DKR.

Overall, disappointing and rubbish.

Rating:
Summary: A Creative Abortion
Review: While the political and cultural overtones served mainly as a transcendent backdrop that made the groundbreaking Dark Knight Returns an artistic masterpiece, Miller's extensive application of these components in DK2 is too overwhelming for the super-hero genre. I also question why a gratuitous negative portrayal of Richard Grayson (Robin) is thrown in since it serves or adds nothing to the story whatsoever. It is also evident that Miller proudly demonstrates his enmity for the Superman character and what this icon represents in any shape, manner or form. I will even dare to say that Miller went out of his way to desecrate the ideas, tradition and impressions behind these heroes in a nihilistic style that can even be considered malicious.

Frank Miller uses a variety of styles that he has spearheaded since his visual experimentation of the 1983 Ronin mini-series. He opts for artistic virtuosity that is simple, iconic, subjective and universal rather than an objective or realistic one. Miller's tendency for abstractness worked well for Dark Knight Returns since the script contained a sense of realism that was not habitual in the mainstream super-hero genre during the 1980s. It created a unique realm but 15 years later and a medium that has evolved (albeit slowly) with a generation of creators that grew up reading Miller's trend setting opus, DK2 is a poor bastardized parody of its original.

With The Dark Knight Strikes Again, Frank Miller has cannablized himself instead of reinventing his style. DK2 should have treaded new ground but what was offered is regurgitated spoof on a previous body of work. It pains me to say but when a hack writer such as Kevin Smith can do Frank Miller material better than himself, there lies a problem. Truly, Frank Miller's offering is literally a creative abortion.

Rating:
Summary: Very poorly done sequel
Review: This is possibly Millers worst comic book. The art is simply very poorly done. Its very hurried and its very obviously a complete hack job. It is very clear that he did this book simply to cash in and that he did not put forth any kind of effort. He made a terrible decision to ink his own work in this, its one of the worst inking jobs that I have ever seen. The story is good, plotwise, but the ending and the twists are really just plain silly. Batman simply comes off as a bad charicature of Millers previous version. His new Robin is boring. His Superman is a dope. Wonder Woman is goofy and way too over the top. This is quite possibly Millers worst work. It may be worth a read, but I dont think anyone who objectively reads this book is going to think that it was even decent. Im being generous by giving it 2 stars.

Rating:
Summary: Terrible!
Review: Miller had written two of the greatest Batman stories ever with the Dark Knight Returns and Batman Year One, and with The Dark Knight Strikes Again he has written one of the worst. Bad art, bad writing, a very poor effort. Not enjoyable at all.

Rating:
Summary: Not your typical Batman story...
Review: Many hated this book. Most of this ill will is probably generated by the book's atypical use of digital colors and effects straight out of Adobe Photoshop, but there are other reasons not to like it. Take for example the book's leftist political slant, or it's more expressionistic and cartoony drawing style, or it's implausible superhero-saturated plotline, etcetera ad nauseam. Yet Frank Miller must get credit here for not just rehashing his own great work, as well as for not pandering to comic book fans' sensibilities. Here is pure Miller, strong in theme, firm in purpose, blazing in originality. Here is a creator unafraid to reinterpret a venerable character, one that he was already responsible for reinterpreting in the first place. Granted, DK2 is not the weighty, important opus that the original was, but why should it be? It still has the impulsive, impromptu giddiness that informed the original, although without the original's subtle grit or intricate plotting. In short, if The Dark Knight Returns is a Wagnerian opera, then DK2 is a Louis Armstrong jazz riff: experimental, unrefined, yet brilliant.

Rating:
Summary: Don't make him angry!
Review: What can you say about a book where Batman lures Superman into the Batcave, traps him by using other superheroes such as The Atom and The Flash, and beats the crap out of him with Kryptonite laced steel gloves? Goddamn awesome is what I call it!

Frank Miller has created a superhero world that is so frightingly real, it can get a little disturbing. If superheroes existed, this is how they would be treated. They would become puppets being used by the US government for their own projects. But Miller takes the one superhero who learned to think strategically and turns him into the perfect anti-hero he always. Batman was the one superhero I always thought was the most "realistic" because he had no superpowers or special abilities. He was just smarter than any of the other superheroes because that's how he chose to develop his abilities, why do you think Ra's Al Ghul keeps calling him detective?

Frank Miller's comic style is also the first time that I swear I can actually see the action move! From the rescue of The Atom, my favorite part, to the Batmobile flying into Metropolis, Miller brilliantly makes everything believable and fantastic at the same time! He incorporates incidental characters as if he's giving the outside perspective, our's, a voice. From the people on the street to James Olson, who's become the reporter I always thought he'ld be. He's also the best at drawing the female figure, see "The Wonderchicks" and Carrie Kelley!

Brilliant story telling combined with a cynical edge makes this a shot of a book that I absolutely love!