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Batman: Dark Knight Returns (Batman) | 
 enlarge | Author: Frank Miller
Creator: Klaus Janson
Publisher: Titan Books Ltd
Category: Book
List Price: £11.99
Buy New: £5.52
You Save: £6.47 (54%)
New (22) Used (7) from £5.52
Rating:  31 reviews
Sales Rank: 369
Media: Paperback
Edition: New Ed
Pages: 224
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 10.1 x 6.7 x 0.5
ISBN: 1852867981
EAN: 9781852867980
ASIN: 1852867981
Publication Date: May 16, 1997
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: BRAND NEW - ***Delivery usually * 2 - 3 * working days - From Aphrohead of SOUTHPORT, Lancs, uk *** . Priority Airmail used Worldwide on International orders. Thanks from all at Aphrohead.
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Amazon.co.uk Review
If any comic has a claim to have truly reinvigorated the genre then The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller--known recently for his excellent Sin City series and, previously, for his superb rendering of the blind superhero Daredevil--is probably the supreme contender. Batman represented all that was wrong in comics and Miller set himself a tough task taking on the camp crusader and turning this laughable, innocuous children's cartoon character into a hero for our times. In his introduction the great Alan Moore (V for Vendetta, Swamp Thing, the arguably peerless Watchmen) argues that only someone of Miller's stature could have done this. Batman is a character known well beyond the confines of the comic world (as are his retinue) and so reinventing him, while keeping his limiting core essentials intact, was a huge task.Miller went far beyond the call of duty. The Dark Knight is a success on every level. Firstly it does keep the core elements of the Batman myth intact, with Robin, Alfred the butler, Commissioner Gordon and the old roster of villains, present yet brilliantly subverted. Secondly the artwork is fantastic--detailed, sometimes claustrophobic, psychotic. Lastly it's a great story: Gotham City is a hell on earth, streetgangs roam but there are no heroes. Decay is ubiquitous. Where is a hero to save Gotham? It is 10 years since the last recorded sighting of the Batman. And things have got worse than ever. Bruce Wayne is close to being a broken man but something is keeping him sane: the need to see change and the belief that he can orchestrate some of that change. Batman is back. The Dark Knight has returned. Awesome. --Mark Thwaite
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| Customer Reviews: Read 26 more reviews...
 A very good read. June 5, 2008
If I had to choose one word to describe this, I would choose the word epic. Why? Because its an interesting look on how Bruce Wayne would handle himself in his later years with excellent action sequences and crisp dialogue. There's really only one thing bad about this, and that is the lack of Joker. Sure he's in it, but he's not really as important to the plot as he should have been. And he's camper than ever. But aside from that, buy it. It should tickle your fetish.
 Dissapointing... May 13, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Honestly, I didn't see what the fuss was all about with this graphic novel. I thought the plot was all over the place, the pacing was shot to pieces, the art was average and there were more than a few absurdities which I found hard to swallow.
I don't read many comics or graphic novels, but I went through a brief obsession last year and bought about 25 or 30 over a few months. Given the hype and acclaim which has been heaped on this, I was expecting great things, and sadly I was disappointed on almost every level.
As others have said, Frank Miller's characterisation is probably closer to Bob Kane's original vision of the Dark Knight than anyone's (except perhaps Tim Burton). However, his motivations here are never wholly clear and the excessive scripting and repetitive 'news report' cells do little to help. The plot meanders through a handful of scenarios over its four chapters but they never feel wholly cohesive - and things take a turn for the frankly ridiculous when Batman is deemed such a menace that Superman is called in [personally by the president] to deal with him (not to mention the resolution of this encounter, which I won't detail). Further, the new Robin is just utterly irritating and a somewhat needless character (given that she brings very little to the proceedings).
It is rare that I get bored of a graphic novel part way through, but I found that on both read-thoughs I was losing interest in the character, the story and the situation as a whole (hence why I had to read it a second time reasonably quickly - to see if there was something I missed). I feel defensive in explaining why I didn't think much of this book, as I am well aware I am in the vast minority, and although I can appreciate how influential and important this may have been on release, that does not automatically make it a great read.
So, to anyone who has yet to read this I'd probably suggest you to go for it, if only to make up your own mind, but for me this just wasn't what it had been hyped up to be.
Best Batman Ever...? I doubt that.... April 25, 2008
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
Batman is probably the most iconic superhero in existence (apart from the nutcase with the S on his chest). The fact he has no powers makes him fascinating. His origin also. Now I don't doubt that Frank Miller saved Batman from the humiliation of the 60s TV show. He also made way for some of the dark knights later greatest storylines (the death of Jason Todd for example). But personally I believe that Miller did for Batman exactly what Joel Shumacher did for him in Batman and robin. He changed him too much. I do agree that Bob Kane probably didn't intend Batman to end up camp, and nearer to Millers version. But this Batman is a disturbed, grumpy old man, harking on about how young or old he feels, depending on what part of the book your at. The story is half decent becoming slightly tired towards the end. The artwork is interesting to begin with but slowly deteriorates into a mess. The Joker is probably for me the most dissapointing part. The clown prince of Crime is shown here as a murder crazed fool, not the cunning calculated Joker created by Kane. There are also hints of him altually fancying Batman, leading to a very poorly conceived final confrontation. I not even going to mention the version of Robin in this awful graphic novel. The first part of the story is decent and enjoyable to read. The second is acceptable. The following i grew fed up with. I can't even remember whether or not i finished it. I would burn it if not for part 1 of the novel. Read something else such as Alan moore's incredible Batman short The Killing Joke or the Lee/Loeb partnership of Hush, people who actually know what they are doing. Not this tripe. I would also recommend Millers Year One his only interesting work with a real Batman. But not Miller's All star batman and robin, showing a crazed Batman cackling over the rooftops of Gotham, this time shouting about how much he loves himself but not even saved by Jim Lees genious artwork. Now that i would definetly burn. I was generous with two stars for the interesting first part, and the half decent page spreads placed mostly in the early half of the novel. And get this. Theres a sequel. I won't be reading it. Wish i'd never read this, and just got back to Alan Moore...
 It almnost won me over...........only almost January 15, 2008
1 out of 4 found this review helpful
Being someone who had read the Batman comics of the 60s and also a fan of Tim Burton's first two Batman films and of the animated series,I had resisted trying Miller's Batman as I had only browsed the Graphic novel in the past,however I decided to see what the fuss was about and bought it.I have to say that although it is an excellent read in itself I have one or two reservations about it and though this probably 'IS' Batman as Bob Kane intended,his depiction of Superman is sacriligeous and the moronic Mutants just got on my nerves,in the end as a Batman affectionardo I have to say that it belongs in the bin.due to poor reviews of the sequel 'THE DARK KNIGHT STRIKES AGAIN ' I won't be buying it.
Is it a bird? No, it's a plane. It's Frank MIller November 5, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
You don't have to like Batman to enjoy this (although you probably will after reading it :D). This *amazing* graphic novel will grab you by the throat, and you'll struggle to put it down until you are done.
Believe it or not, this is better than his Sin City work (by a long way) and better than the popular 300 (by a long long long long way).
Guaranteed to make your heart beat faster, claustrophobic and tense, this is sheer genius, and definetely in the Top Ten graphic novels of all time. Many would say it is #1. If you have any interest in comics, BUY it now.
The only downside to readig this, is that you will look long and hard before you reach these dizzy heights again.
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