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Summary: must have
Review: This book is awesome! I never was a Batman fan of the comics but this graphic novel, it blew me away! I recommend this book to every Batman fan and for those who are not. Its a great read!
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Summary: A Western: A Fistfull of Gotham
Review: In a phrase, The Dark Knight returns is simply a "western." The old hero comes out of retirement to save his town one last time. On his way, he meets an assortment of old acquaintances, both friend and foe. At the end, there's a nice sunset for him to ride off into. Or is there?Frank Miller's book is more of a character study of a retired vigilante who just can't take it anymore. Think "Unforgiven" with tights and thermite. Like Arkham Asylum, this is a story of a man and his obsession. Miller's text puts us into that moment, and also reveals his doubts about his chosen calling. Batman here is a man divided, the reluctant hero, and he behaves as such. THIS Batman even realizes that his personal moral code may be suspect. (But never for long.) And the fact that he seems to be instrumental in bringing the Joker out of a catatonic state is telling. Do we beget our own demons? The story questions this repeatedly, and leaves it to us. Fleshed out not only with cameos, but with a new Robin, a new Commissioner, and several other characters, this is a true work of literature and art. Varley's coloring in particular electrifies this book. Worthy of addition to any serious collection, be it graphic novel or literature.
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Summary: Batman vs. Superman?!?! It's in this comic book!
Review: Many people don't bring this up but the best part is at the end! Batman vs. Superman! Frank Miller turned this 40 year friendship into a battle of the titans. Let's face it, if your a true fan of either one you know they wouldn't get along! To tell you the truth, I never liked Superman! I was always a die hard Batman fan and this comic book gives me more reasons NOT to like Superman! I still can't get the story right but it seems that at a time Superman turned his back on The JLA and turned into a puppet for the U.S. Goverment. I am sorry Superman fans, no disrespect but.....HE WOULD DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT! Lets face it, Superman is a "Yes Sir" kind of guy! "Is there anything I can do Mr. President?" He turned his back on his friends for what? To take orders from the President to be apart in the Cold War! He always was a boy scout and it shows in this comic. It shows that the man of steel can be beat by using your brains and thats what batman did! With a little planing and using your head, you can beat the man of steel! And he did! and to top it off....BATMAN FAKED HIS OWN DEATH! Is there nothing Batman can't think of? I know Superman wouldn't think of that! Get this comic book, it's shows what would happen if there really was a Batman in the World.
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Summary: Absolutely exhilirating
Review: The dark knight returns truly features a menacing batman. Miller crosses the lines as a writer who is not afraid to portray the almost schizophrenic bent of Batman/Bruce Wayne, a man who chases his demons yet is caught in an endless struggle with them getting the best of him. Batman , by essence is a dark and brooding character. Along with being that he is also very multi layered in his own psyche's perception of himself and the world around him, Miller presents a Batman that is truly how a Posessed superhero would be, to prove to himself first and foremost that if he cannot beat his demons into submission, he will not fall to them either. This is very much a fascinating character study in my opinion. The book features awesome Art and the writing is top notch one of the best in comics ...great one liners, panel guidelines, dialogues and the action! Whew is the action intense, never have i in my many years of comic reading have been grabbed so violently in the action panels . Batman's Gotham always has been a never perfect functioning world and its not surprising it turned into a dystopia as Wayne grew older. an empty souless, crime infested town that has turned citizens into a people without hope, always relying on the system, to fix things but one man knows that sometimes the system breaks. Bruce Wayne. Wayne lives an empty life, for his demons are also his personal saviors, and relishes donning the mantle again to prove to himself if not to anyone else that he stands for something. But Alas Wayne's earlier heroics have no grace on Gotham's folks who now deem Batman a menace, a psychopath and much more. This is on the level of great modern crime contemporary litreature and should be read and given respect as such. This is an absolute must buy for any comic or crime fan . On surface a story of a conflicted man, beneath it lies a whole commentary on the social state the present society is going to come to at some point, even if it exists on some levels in present day cities. the absolute ultimate batman story ever. Miller's panels and layouts artistically are absolute genius. the way he can convey an action or a visual insight, no one comes close at all. it is absolutely beyond the coool factor. the art takes some getting used to, might seem irritating at first but its like that for a reason. This book more then ever cries out to be made into a neat Batman movie but only a director of calibre and good potential should attempt it, but movie or not it is perfect how it is. no one can visualize panels like Miller , and if the script is not by him, not even worth it.
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Summary: Dark and Dirty like you have never seen
Review: This is most likely the greast Batman story,EVER!It takes place years from now in the mutant ruled streets of Gotham . Bruce Wayne , now old ,dawns the cape and cowl to try and defeat the evils that troubles Gotham. Words couldn`t expresse how much I liked this story . It reminded us that Bruce was human and still belived in his version of justice. This book has the deaths of two characters (whom I will leave unnamed),and a new commish . This is the ultimate Batman title and I would recommend it to any one !
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Summary: Miller should not have been allowed to do this Batman story.
Review: The decline of American comic books began with this Frank Miller story. Not only is it badly scripted and drawn, it showed a Batman who fought his long time friend Superman in a battle that neither man would ever have done. In the Silver age of Comics, Batman and Superman were the best of friends and allies, one who would have given his life for the other if need be. Here they are written as shallow characters who would stop at nothing to kill the other. That is not Batman or Superman, it's more like characters you would find in SPAWN and other trash books like that. A classic No...
Rating: 
Summary: Great Art, Great Story!
Review: When I first got this comic, I was just a beginner Batman Fan. When I took my book home that night, and began to read the book, I was somewhat disappointed. I didn't understand some of what was going on in the story, and was repulsed by the grotesqueness of Gotham City. You see, I had grown up watchine Batman the Animated Series and the Newer Version, and was not used to the disturbing world of Gotham, because I was used to seeing the simpler, kinder verson of Gotham I had grown up with. I put this book on my shelf and ventured onto the Internet to catch up on the years of Batman. I learned things that I never learned from the TV show: Jason Todd, Huntress(daughter of Batman), and most importantly for me, Barbara Gordon's paralyses from the Joker. Once I got the just of what happened in the Batman Comics, I went back to Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, I understood everything much better. The story was much richer in my new Batman-updated eyes, and the roughness of the art completed the darkness of the storyline. For knowladgable Batman Fans, this is a MUST!!
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Summary: The quintesential Batman piece
Review: If you consider yourself a fan of Batman, there is no question that you will love this absolutely stunning graphic novel brought to us by Frank Miller (also contributed to the Daredevil character and brought us Batman: Year One). Batman has had many faces over the years, and unfortunately, not all of them were so great. From the campy Batman TV series to the movies that spit on the very soul of the character (Batman would not have allowed Joker to die come on!), Batman has been defaced as a character. Thank God for Frank Miller. He has brought the Dark Knight back to his roots and has absolutely nailed the essence of Batman. This is absolutely my favorite graphic novel of all time, toppling even Alan Moore's masterpiece, Watchmen. You don't know Batman until you know Frank Miller's Batman. I also recoment Batman: Year One, for a more customary look at the Dark Knight.
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Summary: Batman at his best
Review: I've always been a fan of Batman, but I've never been in to comic books that much. Recently I stumbled on to Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, and I was really impressed. The four book saga, now combined into a graphic novel, tells the story of an aging Batman who has been retired for 10 years. Still tortured by the death of his parents, and by the growing rampant crime in the streets of Gotham, Bruce Wayne once again unleashes the Batman on Gotham's underworld. However, Batman finds himself returning into a world where super heroes are unwanted and have all but vanished. Miller's portrayal of an overly polictically correct world with little room for Batman, is compelling and original. The book's dark portrayal of a brooding, violent, Batman who has lost his faith in the justice system's ability to rehabilitate criminals set the stage for the modern portrayal of Batman in both comics and film. In my opinion, this is a story of Batman the way he should be portrayed, as the tortured punisher of evil not the friendly neighborhood super hero. We can leave that to Superman, and if you've ever wanted to see Superman get brought down a few pegs, this is the book for you. The artwork is gritty, intriguing and fits in perfectly with the story. This book inspired me to check out more graphic novels, and works by Frank Miller.
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Summary: it's no watchmen, or astro city, but still pretty good
Review: It isn't quite as good or as influential as Moore's Watchmen, and not quite as much fun to read as Gaiman, Busiek, or Robinson. It's still great and a revelation as to what you can do within the comic book genre. There's some pretty sharp political satire here, aimed at both right and left, but the whole fascist undercurrent of the book is pretty troubling. Anyone who says it's an apology for fascism and nothing more doesn't appreciate the subtlety of Miller's work, but on the other hand anyone who says the book couldn't be read as a qualified defense of fascism hasn't read very closely. All in all the story's a heck of a ride, and it's pretty much THE definitive Batman story (though Loeb's work is worth a look too).
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