Rating: 
Summary: Oh How The Mighty Have Fallen...
Review: I used to be a hardcore fan of Frank Miller. I mean, growing up through the 80's and 90's, I would just buy anything with the guy's name on it cause you could always trust that it would be great. Longtime comix fans know what I'm talking about. You didn't even have to flip through the pages of a new Frank Miller book at the store to see if it was worth buying. You could just bank on it. A new Frank Miller book was ALWAYS worth buying. Great writing. Great, powerful artwork. He was a modern master of the form. For years and years, this was true. But... the first time I remember thinking "Ooo, Frank - You dropped the ball on this one." Was about halfway through his book "That Yellow Bastard", around 1995 or 96. The artwork looked rushed and hacked-out. Since then, the quality of his work has only continued to decline. It is to the point where I can no longer justify spending my money on his material. I am convinced that the man has either developed a serious alcohol/substance abuse problem, or he just doesn't care about the quality of his work (or entertaining his readers) anymore. There's just no other explanation. If you think I am being unfair, go back and compare the artwork in "To Hell and Back" with the artwork in the first "Sin City" novel. Talk about your stylistic inconsistencies. It's impossible to believe that this is even the work of the same man. Well, "The Dark Knight Strikes Again" is, for me, the final straw. Look at it. It's a mess. Can you imagine a newcomer to the comics field turning material like this in to their editor? They would never work again. I'm guessing the only reason DC Comics went ahead and published "DKSA" is because they know it will sell based on Miller's (and Batman's) name value, and because they had to make back the money they paid Miller to do this job. Sorry to be so blunt, but as a professional illustrator myself, I can recognize the difference between the work of an artist trying out a zany, experimental new style, and someone who just slopped something out to get it done and over with. This is clearly an example of the latter. Frank, if it's health problems, please try and take better care of yourself. And if you are just bored or sick of writing and drawing comics, please get over it or retire. This is unacceptable.
Rating:
Summary: NOT DK Returns
Review: The Dark Knight Returns was one of the greatest stories in the history of comics and the story arc which redefined the Batman for the 1980s and beyond. My expectations were very high when I heard that the man behind DK Returns was coming back for another go round with the character. Unfortunately, the sequel is one of the worst graphic novels ever put out. There are those that follow Frank Miller and hang on every word out of his word processor. As much as I enjoyed the first Dark Knight story, I absolutely hated this one. The art seems a lot more crude than on DKR, the coloring is garish, and, worst of all, the story never seems to go anywhere. Page after page of gratuitous swearing or sex does not make for a good story. The character of Superman is reduced to a spineless stooge. The are interesting takes on several DC Universe characters, particularly the Atom (who I feel is one of their most under-utilized characters), the Flash, and Captain Marvel. However, much of the original Dark Knight story seems to be ignored and the characterization of the Dark Knight himself is reduced to caracature. The Dark Knight Strikes Again is a grave disappointment. While I did not expect it to be as good as the Dark Knight Returns, neither did I expect it to be so bad. Definitely not worth the wait or the money.
Rating:
Summary: What is this . . .
Review: Dark Knight Returns = Best Graphic Novel Ever
Dark Knight Strikes Again = Worst Graphic Novel Ever Not sure what Miller was thinking here but this book is junk. The writing is bad. The art looks haphazard. Lynn Varley's coloring is horrible.
Rating: 
Summary: promising, but dissapointing
Review: The Dark Knight Returns blew me away when I first read it, and I still read it at least twice a year.I was very dissapointed by this comic book.First problem,the story makes no sense.I went back to read it to understand it,but I just got a headache.The surprise villain was predictable.Second problem,the artwork is so awful,it looks like a little kid did it.The comic had it's moments,but the characters,the story,and the artwork are not even close to the original.I also didn't like the fact that the ending was so open ended.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing..
Review: I, like many other readers, was excited at the prospect of Frank Miller taking on the Dark Knight again, in a sequel no less, to the series that redefined the character in the first place. What fans got was a muddled, often inconsequential story that takes place some years after the original. Batman's still underground, and thought to be dead. Superman is still a lackey for the government. Not much has changed since Dark Knight Returns. Miller wastes the role of the ex-mutant gang that Batman trains: apear only shortly over the course of the series. Batman beats up Superman with the kroptonite gloves again. Big deal. Considering the space between issues (it took well over six months for this three-issue series to come out), and the overall inconsequentiality as a follow-up, I give it two stars only for the awesome coloring of Lynn Varley (even the art looks rushed).
Rating: 
Summary: Striking back
Review: I really thought that this was a great story. Miller's work has captivated me ever since I read the original Dark Knight and such other titles as his run on Daredevil and Sin City. The best thing about this is that it doesn't HAVE to fit the fine mold of Dark Knight Returns. This is just another great Batman story in that continuity. And one helluva ride.
Rating:
Summary: A New Kind of Comic
Review: This is not your normal comic. It doesn't take itself seriously (which is strange considering that it is the continuation of one of the first comics to take itself seriously). It has been trashed by a number of comic purists on this and many other sites. Frankly, a negative response from traditionalists is not a surprise. Many of the people who slammed this book are fans of pretentious comics that they think are works of literature equal to Joyce or Shakespere. Comics are entertainment, mostly. Some comics, say Watchmen, Dark Knight Returns, Astro City, Kingdom Come etc..(super heros only here) certainly have alot to say about politics, the nature of comics, psychology and many other serious issues. But that alone does not make great literature. Some of these comics changed how we see the medium. This series is a reverse notion. Pure entertainment. An insiders joke. This is the comedy to Dark Knight Returns' tragedy. If you can laugh at yourself for reading comics, if you can laugh at the history of comics and Dark Knight Returns especially then this comic is a great time. It laughs at comics with a booming voice and I laugh with it, seeing the ridiculous plots and characters that have made up the comics, supers medium for years, finally exposed as the bad joke that they are. It doesn't mean that I can no longer enjoy the tragedies of comics (except Alex Ross who is incredibly weak.. if I see Superman and Batman hug again I am going to puke). The art and coloring, which many people have stated is rushed and sloppy (Two years to make a rushed comic??) strikes me as being some of the most original, vibrant, and hilarous images I have ever seen in comics. What Miller says here is tough to swallow if comics are close to your heart, but if you can laugh at yourself then pick it up and go ahead. And ignore all the supposed insider information slamming human beings and calling them greedy capitalists, becoming furious that Frank didn't make the book they wanted and enjoy a story better than most of what comics has to offer. Even some of my friend who hate comics (visual artists mostly) got a kick out of watching Miller and Varley play with the medium and have a ball making a fast paced story of high action and comedy in a fantastic impressionistic style. Personally I think it beats the original in terms of uniqueness and maturity...enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: A Real Blast
Review: This comic has been the object of much undeserved derision. Thankfully not a rehash of the initial Dark Knight series in any way - the writing of course bears some similarity to the first series while the drawing and coloring are daringly different - this three issue series is bold, hilarious, provocative and well paced. I don't think there has ever been a comic that looked quite like this and that alone makes it worthwhile.
Rating: 
Summary: Not a classic, but haunting in parts
Review: September 11 is all over this book, especially the third volume. I did not find myself getting caught up in which characters were from what universe. These people can fly and stop enormous objects at high velocity only by clenching their teeth and trying really hard. Asking for continuity with 60+ years of wildly divergent comic books was not a priority for me. And it's clear that Frank Miller is a political klutz. The colors on several pages were noticeably awful to no beneficial effect. The Dick Grayson plot twist was from out of nowhere. The imagery of Captain Marvel and Wonder Woman among the choking dust and rubble was clearly evocative of the demise of the Twin Towers and the modest honor Captain Marvel met his end with was a surprise. Frank Miller has rescued The Atom from total embarrassment as a character. We could have done without The Question/Green Arrow debates. Miller also seems to realize the best way to confer dignity on Hawkman/Hawkwoman is to completely keep them away from the page. Wisdom indeed. The struggle against the Presidential administration run by a brutish Luthor and perverse Brainiac resonated with me. As did Superman's turnaround from righteous patriot getting leveraged (because of his deep ties to an almost-lost city) by evil to realizing he actually holds the lever itself and is free to pursue the greater good. Batman and pals used Luthor's arrogance and Brainiac's desire for power to destroy them both and liberate the world. Fine with me. Five stars would mean another revolutionary Batman book. Miller and Varley get four stars for trying something different and getting me to think for a few seconds while dwelling in the almost entirely idiotic genre of comic books.
Rating:
Summary: Garbage
Review: Says an editor inside DC, " Paul Levitz got leaned on by Warner Bros. to just put out the last issue of this mess because Frank had to work on Batman screenplays. Levitz wasn't even going to put out the third issue because in addition to the horrible art, the story never went anywhere, resloved anything. We can't put this out." Levitz thought it was very bad. Alex Ross said in a Wizard int.,"Miller just agreed to do the project because DC said they'd pay to move him to NYC." Many Miller sheep follow still follow him no matter what but sadly, this abomination should never have come to pass. -Rick
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