Batman — The Dark Knight Returns book cover by Frank Miller

Batman

Adult • Science Fiction • Fantasy • Graphic novels
The Dark Knight Returns
Bruce Wayne emerges after a decade Corrupt government seeks Batman's defeat Gotham City plagued by violence Batman vs. Superman showdown Reluctant alliance with new Robin

A retired and world-weary Bruce Wayne returns to his mantle as Batman to clean up Gotham City which has been overrun by crime and violence in his 10-year absence. Along with his arch-nemesis, the Joker and corrupt officials, scores of gangs have taken over including some who call themselves, the Sons of Batman. Batman straightens out the city, but the corrupt government wants Batman eliminated.

Using Superman as his pawn, the general orders him to take out the Batman. Knowing he must face the Man of Steel, Batman arms himself with a special suit and gets help from the new Robin and Green Arrow. Surprisingly, Batman defeats Superman, but dies of a heart attack at the end of the battle. His secret identity is finally revealed to the world, but the mystery of how he did it all and where his assets went remains. At the funeral, Superman picks up a faint heartbeat in Wayne's coffin and gives Robin a knowing wink before he walks away.

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Edition information

Book details

Publisher
Warner Books
Publication date
1986
Print length
227 pages
Language
en
ISBN
9780446385053

Science Fiction + Fantasy + Graphic novels

Reader guide

What to Know Before Reading Batman

It is ten years after an aging Batman has retired and Gotham City has sunk deeper into decadence and lawlessness. Now as his city needs him most, the Dark Knight returns in a blaze of glory.

Joined by Carrie Kelly, a teenage female Robin, Batman takes to the streets to end the threat of the mutant gangs that have overrun the city. And after facing off against his two greatest enemies, the Joker and Two-Face for the final time, Batman finds himself in mortal combat with his former ally, Superman, in a battle that only one of them will survive. This collection is hailed as a comics masterpiece and was responsible for the launch of the Batman movies

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About the author

Frank Miller

Frank Miller

Frank Miller is one of the seminal creative talents who sparked the current gigantic sub-industry of motion pictures featuring comic book- initiated product. A sub-industry which had become a super-industry. This most profitable aspect of this millennium’s film production, now producing an annual flow of box office profits in the Billions of dollars, was launched when Frank Miller’s graphic novel re-take on the classic comic book hero, Batman, resulted in an entertainment industry-wide reconsideration of the genre in the deeper and darker vision Miller brought to it. Miller re-defined the presentation of comic book characters and heroic fiction with his grand-daddy of graphic novels, “The Dark Knight.” This revolutionary work not only kicked off the series of Batman films based on his redefinition, but a craze for such material that has thrown dozens of such heroes into multiple film franchise heaven. Certainly chief among these has been Miller’s uniquely classical take on superheroic narrative, “300,” and his “Sin City” books, each of which entered motion pictures with historic successes, and each now in Miller's creative phase of achieving its highly-anticipated sequel. Miller’s co-direction of “Sin City” has made him one of the hottest directors… as well as a guiding creative force…for the new genre. Or one might say “super genre.” Miller's latest graphic novel, Holy Terror, is his first original graphic novel in ten years. Join The Fixer, a brand new, hard-edged hero as he battles terror in the inaugural release from Legendary Comics.

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