In the latest edition of Comics to Read Before You Die, Jessie Robertson looks at The Dark Knight Returns…
If you were filling out an SAT Question that read as follows:
32) If not Watchmen, then ____________.
You’d fill out the answer with “The Dark Knight Returns.”
It’s a seminal, treasured tome, signaling Batman’s return to the dark and gritty hero of the night instead of the campy, smiling Batman of much of the 70’s and 60’s. This book has been examined, and read over and over again by readers of all ages and backgrounds; its been quoted, cited, and used as material to use as inspiration in almost every single Batman feature film; it even has its own two-part animated film from DC Animated Universe movie world. There’s no denying it’s impact on the comic book world, and by extension, pop culture and beyond. Instead of praising every single panel and quote, I want to point out some things, re-reading this book, that I didn’t personally care for before wrapping up the reasons this book HAS to be read by all comic fans out there.
At this point, Batman is a fluid notion; he can be anything in comics; camp, dark, scary; he can be used in comedy, horror, mystery, sci-fi, existential; the list of options is so vast, he really becomes the ultimate comic book character. With Dark Knight Returns, you get a version that is not my favorite version; an unsure Batman, an angry Batman, a spiteful Batman, a Batman who uses guns (not as a fighting method, but still, they are there); a Batman whose emotions are out of check. I prefer a calm Batman; a Batman with a plan who doesn’t beat the villains skulls in, but always puts them back in jail at the end of the day. You could argue, that doesn’t work for this story and you’d be correct, but that is one of the majestic things about this character; he can be changed and molded to fit your definitive version. This, however, isn’t mine.
The book is broken into 4 parts; Part 1 is the rebirth of Batman. I, for one, love Miller’s quotes from this book. He has some great ideas for Batman stories littered throughout but it’s his memorable lines that stick with me. When Batman puts on the costume (by the way, I love that he starts with his classic blue and gray outfit), he speaks about how he should be in pain, because he’s not a young man anymore, swinging through the rainy streets of Gotham, but he says ” The rain on my chest is a baptism. I’m born again.” It’s the costume, the movement, gliding through a stormy Gotham City gives him the rebirth he needs at this point; it’s a great metaphor. In part one, you also deal with Harvey Dent, who has been given facial reconstruction surgery and it’s a glowing success (paid for by Bruce Wayne.) But, Dent only sees his scarred half in the mirror; for him there is no recovery. Miller highlights an interesting plot trope with his story, as kind of putting his stamp on does Batman make these villains or do they make themselves in spite of Batman? Dent, cosmetically, is not Two-Face, but in his mind, which is too far gone, he will always be that man. It’s an interesting story, with far too much police involvement and Batman using a sniper rifle but it gets the job done.
Part 2 (and a lot of part 1) deals with the Mutant threat against Gotham City; they are like neo-nazi’s with a morbid thirst for blood who dress like punk rockers and talk with a stupid lingo. I hate the way the Mutants look; saggy flesh, sharpened teeth, dead eyes; a lot of citizens of Gotham also are given this same zombified look during the book and I think it’s wretched. Batman (unwisely) tries to stifle this threat by taking on their leader one-on-one (when he’s already mowing them down with a tank shooting rubber bullets) and he gets his ass handed to him. So, it’s back to planning; you also meet Carrie Kelly, the new self-appointed Robin here as she pulls Batman back to the safety of his metal walls. Carrie’s a beloved character, but I’ve never particularly identified with her story or cared for her as a character; Barbara Gordon and Stephanie Brown are much better in my opinion. The Mutant Leader is posed as the unstoppable threat; something the younger Batman would have taken out, even physically, but can’t now. It’s his test; if swinging through Gotham was his baptism by rain, this is his baptism by fire. So, with Gordon, he procures a plan to not just defeat the monster, but humiliate him in front of his legions. This chapter ends with the historic battle in the mud pit where Batman declares “You don’t get it, son. This isn’t a mudhole… It’s an operating table. And I’m the surgeon.”
Part 3 sees the awakening of the Joker, who hasn’t spoken since Batman retired. I don’t find Miller’s Joker very engaging; he has some great murderous gags during this chapter, but I think he’s rather boring. The interesting conflict (that’s dragged on rather long) is how Batman looks at his never-ending war with the Joker at this age and point in his life. He states “I’ll count the dead, one by one. I’ll add them to the list, Joker. The list of all the people I’ve murdered by letting you live.” He tells you that Joker has to die this time, not so much for his conscience, because he has enough there, but for the sake of the future. The Batman-Joker dynamic has always been at the forefront of both men’s places in Gotham City, and their two sides of the same coin repartee, but none of that really matters to Batman at that point in his life. It becomes about putting the wrongs back to right and correcting things so he can finally end this journey he’s on. I think it’s the least interesting of the 4 parts.
Part 4 is the denouement of Batman’s resurgence and his actions have alerted the US government at large of his presence. A deal was struck with the President and the hero community at large to have one representative to perform the heroics, and the others to fade into the background, with no charges against them. Superman is that representative. Here’s another interesting idea Miller presents and I raise this question: was this the only route to go? Superman seems hesitant to perform these duties, but recognizes their importance. Batman tells him “We could have changed the world…now…look at us…I’ve become a political liability…and…you…you’re a joke.” He thinks Superman gave in, to the Man, and forgot all the vows they took as heroes; not to be sponsored by vetoes and bills or to be under the thumb of a government and planet who sometimes brings these conflicts upon themselves. He forces Superman’s hand to confront him, in a physical battle, which he does. Batman is layered in armor, insurance policies in the name of Kryptonite and Oliver Queen, but this is Superman. He stops an atomic nuke from Russia earlier in the book and survives. His viewpoint is the exact opposite of Batman’s’. He tells him “The rest of us learned to cope. The rest of us recognized the danger–of the endless envy of those not blessed. Diana went back to her people. Hal went to the stars. And I have walked the razor’s edge for so long… But you, Bruce–you, with your wild obsession. They’ll kill us if they can, Bruce. Every year they grow smaller. Every year they hate us more. We must not remind them that giants walk the earth.” These sentiments feel like they are from a dated time as well, when you re-read it today. I won’t spoil the book for you as to how it ends, but suffice to say, it was very clever and at the same time, Batman’s journey takes a strange turn.
The Dark Knight Returns is a classic, no doubt; it gave birth to a dark and vengeful Batman that resonated with scores of comic book readers and fans, and still does to this day, as you can find plotlines from this book used in some of his major feature films such as Batman, The Dark Knight trilogy and the upcoming Batman v Superman film, which looks to borrow heavily from this material. So, read the book and form your own opinion and feel free to share your thoughts on this legendary story.
Jessie Robertson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=pnc360pUDRI&list=PL18yMRIfoszFLSgML6ddazw180SXMvMz5
