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Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Book & Mask Set Paperback – October 11, 2016
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Together with inker Klaus Janson and colorist Lynn Varley, writer/artist Frank Miller completely reinvents the legend of Batman in his saga of a near-future Gotham City gone to rot, ten years after the Dark Knight's retirement. This masterpiece of modern comics storytelling, BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, brings to vivid life a dark world and an even darker man.
The Dark Knight retuns in a blaze of fury, taking on a whole new generation of criminals and matching their level of violence. He is soon joined by a new Robin--a girl named Carrie Kelley, who proves to be just as invaluable as her predecessors.
But can Batman and Robin deal with the threat posed by their deadliest enemies, after years of incarceration have made them into perfect psychopaths? And more important, can anyone survive the coming fallout from an undeclared war between the superpowers -- or the clash of what were once the world's greatest heroes?
Celebrate thirty years of one of the most influential stories ever told in the comics medium with the undisputed classic BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS 30TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION, now packaged with a replica mask done in the style of the legendary Frank Miller.
Review
"A+. The hero's got personality (and is unafraid to release a quip as sharp as a Batarang), a horde of supervillains, gumption to spare and a whole host of high-tech gadgetry to suitably impress longtime fans and those new to the Dark Knight."--USA Today
"[Writer Scott Snyder] pulls from the oldest aspects of the Batman myth, combines it with sinister-comic elements from the series' best period, and gives the whole thing terrific forward-spin by setting up an honest-to-gosh mystery for Batman to solve."--Entertainment Weekly
About the Author
- Reading age4 years and up
- Print length256 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- Dimensions8.94 x 2.48 x 11.22 inches
- PublisherDC Comics
- Publication dateOctober 11, 2016
- ISBN-109781401267742
- ISBN-13978-1401267742
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Product details
- ASIN : 1401267742
- Publisher : DC Comics; Anniversary edition (October 11, 2016)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 256 pages
- ISBN-10 : 9781401267742
- ISBN-13 : 978-1401267742
- Reading age : 4 years and up
- Item Weight : 1.63 pounds
- Dimensions : 8.94 x 2.48 x 11.22 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #649,138 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,511 in Mystery Graphic Novels
- #1,556 in DC Comics & Graphic Novels
- #8,585 in Superhero Comics & Graphic Novels
- Customer Reviews:
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About the author
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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In the time of its release in the early 80s, The Dark Knight Returns was revolutionary, in every aspect. Frank Miller, already an acclaimed artist for his work on the early issues of Wolverine, already proved himself as a writer in 1984's brilliant and groundbreaking mini-series Ronin, but The Dark Knight Returns in 1986 was his break into the world of mainstream comics, and remains his most important achievement. But while his work on the series was within the world of super-hero comics, and within the financial safety of publishing under the DC Comics banner, Miller took mainstream comics to disturbing new places and super-heroes were never looked at the same way again. Taking inspiration from the groundbreaking work of the Dennis O'neil / Neil Addams team who revolutionized super-hero comics in the late 70s, and from his own former partner Chris Claremont, Miller made super-hero comics darker, more reflective and more mature than was ever made before. For that he took darkest character in the DC Universe, the Caped Crusader himself, and took him 20 years into the future, well into retirement. The new Batman is well into his 50s, sad and tired, and a much rougher kind of hero than he was before. Miller's very modern look on the Dark Knight was disturbing and discomforting to say the least; Dark Knight Returns is not an adventure story, it's a moral examination of his character and the problematic nature of his actions. Never before was Batman judged so harshly by his own author, and it's difficult for the reader to accept it - since, while Batman's actions are here presented as problematic to say the least, if not criminal, but he is also more human and more recognizable than we'd ever seen him before.
But it's not just the view of Batman's character that makes Dark Knight Returns so disturbing - it's the view of the world. Miller's future is dark and bleak, and eerily realistic. He goes to great lengths to create a realistic and convincing world, right down to creating a new slang for the new young generation. Through countless minor characters and little stories, each one rounded and well-constructed by its own right, Frank Miller creates a Gotham City we can know, a Gotham we can relate to. It's a city living in fear, a city that's in the grip of a merciless gang more ruthless and vicious than the criminals Batman faced in his prime. In Bruce Wayne's own words, it's a city that's `given up hope, like the whole world seems to have'. And as the city lies in the shadow of the fear of the Mutants gang, so the world lives in the shadow on nuclear holocaust. It is in the middle of this reality that a real hero is proven. And despite all the doubt and all the misgivings, the Batman presented here is more heroic than he ever was. It takes one kind of hero to fight madmen on a daily basis and thwart their diabolical schemes; it takes quite a different one to face himself and the world and not give up.
Batman isn't the only character who is given fantastic care on The Dark Knight Returns. Commissioner James Gordon, a character who had become much more important and more sophisticated in the last twenty years, is an important part of the story, and his part in it is fascinating, although more thought would be given to him on Miller's second Dark Knight expedition - Batman: Year One in 1988. The Dark Knight Returns also features a young and energetic Robin, who serves the role that Robin should have from the beginning - to provide contrast to the character of the Batman. Interestingly, though, the death of Jason Todd is often referred to, though it was released three years before Jason actually died in the comic continuity - and even then, his death was decided by a readers' poll. Hmm... Alfred Pennyworth, of course, completes the classic team. As for villains to battle - Two of Batman's most classic enemies, The Joker and Two-Face, return on The Dark Knight Returns - mainly as subplots, and to serve as reflections for Batman himself. This story is not about fighting madmen. There is, though, a grand final showdown at the end, in which Batman fights a surprising enemy...
As for the art: Frank Miller's artwork is an acquired taste. So is Lynn Varley's coloring, which is subtle and pale and may seem somewhat outdated to modern readers. Miller's drawing on The Dark Knight Returns is not as impressive and appealing as his work on Sin City, but if you enjoyed his early artwork, especially on Wolverine and Ronin, you'll like this one too. The artwork really is brilliant, if you take the time to see its subtleties. At any rate, on The Dark Knight Returns Miller had the benefit of not only the wonderful coloring of Lynn Varley (who also collaborated on Ronin) but also one of the finest inkers in the world of comics, Mr. Klaus Janson, who contributed to the series beyond words, gave it a lot of its atmosphere and created some of the darkest and most impressive images of Batman and Gotham City. In every possible way, The Dark Knight Returns is a masterpiece. If you like comics, and not just super-hero comics, by all means read it.
The Dark Knight Returns is by the standards of today primitively drawn and inked, but this fact is irrelevant as the graphics are well enough to keep our interest drawn to the engrossing moral lessons and satire. Each page of this precious work is chocked full of words and intelligently written dialogue, historically serving as the first serious "graphic novel" - an expanded literary comic that was intended to be read by adults and to have included in it serious subject matter. While most comics are centered around the plates (the art), graphic novels were supposed to be primarily stories, with the artwork intended to support and not overshadow the core writing, all originally starting off as novellas rather than storyboards. This being said, I will not hover too indulgently over the topic of the art - which is presented in stark, grimy, dark, vile environments, contemptuous caricatures of pop culture figures and lingering, desolate existential stages.
The story focuses on the question of what justice is while also (perhaps more importantly) criticizing the irrationally bellicose cold war climate and its corresponding destructive materialism, untempered indulgence and superficiality, issues which are very much still afflicting our society today as we rot in the wake of renewed imperialism and corruption. Bruce Wayne is presented not as a flawless super hero but rather as a broken and doubting latter-day Cincinnatus being summoned to once more repel the enemies of justice and civilization. Labeled a vigilante terrorist by the police and ostracized as a dangerous and unstable sociopath by the morally bankrupt public and their "expert" talking heads, the Batman heroically serves an ideal of justice in hopes of restoring reason and truth to a diseased, collapsing society bent on global nuclear destruction, all while expecting no reward and never abusing his power. Through Bruce Wayne's selfless sacrifice and devotion, the people of Gotham City are inspired by example to off their complacency and take back their city from the drug dealers, pimps, corrupt officials, thieves and rapists, all the while developing a sense of fidelity and brotherhood to one another.
Ultimately The Dark Knight Returns is about the proper conduct of a human being: even though the people around you may be corrupt and morally bankrupt, and even though they may have surrendered their faith to denial and apathy, and abandoned their community - a true man does not, even if he must be stabbed by a thousand blades in a day or swim through a lake of fire. While Bruce Wayne at times feels that his efforts to bring order to the lawless and miserable Gotham City are futile he continues to do what is just and good, in the face of all possible rejection and criticism. The reward for acting like a human being is not riches, or fame, or even respect of your peers, but rather the fleeting satisfaction in knowing that the people left in your wake would have been treated justly, and maybe, just maybe, would so be inspired to treat others with justice, breeding a righteous culture.
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Imballaggio classico "Amazon".
Il prezzo è davvero ottimo, rapportato al calibro della storia.
Un caposaldo della letteratura dei fumetti, un esempio per un nuovo cavaliere finalmente Oscuro. Già, perchè è Frank Miller che lo trasforma nel pipistrello tenebroso che noi tanto amiamo oggi.
Dopo tutto, i 3 colossal cinematografici di Nolan sul Giustiziere di Gotham hanno preso molto da Miller.
In questa Graphic in particolare vedremo protagonista un Bruce Wayne in là con gli anni ed una Gotham che peggiora di giorno in giorno.
Questa Graphic scava a fondo, ci mostra un Batman inedito, un "Batman" che, una volta letto, rimarrà indelebile nella vostra mente.