The most epic Batman book ever written.
I bought this book with high expectations. More or less, those expectations were met with what is hailed as one of, if not the greatest Batman graphic novel in history.
I really enjoyed this book, Frank Miller does a great job of sucking you into a world with an even darker Gotham City. Make no mistake, this is Batman at his darkest.
The world feels utterly bleak and taken over by crime and corruption, particularly by a gang called The Mutants. First and foremost, it's important to know that this book is set in a near future where Bruce Wayne has long given up Batman somewhere around his 50's. Although he is still really buffed. Randomly, Bruce feels a need to don the cowl of Batman once again and fight the corruption which has taken over his city. The return of Batman quickly becomes evident in Gotham. Things start looking up, but there is quite a controversy surrounding Bats, people aren't totally sure what to think. Being gone so long, he had become a myth of sorts. Throughout The Dark Knight Returns, Batman must face a ruthless gang called The Mutants, a scar-free Two-Face, The Joker who has been comatose for years until Batmans return, and finally an epic confrontation with Superman who has been forced to work for the government.
Speaking of which, The Dark Knight Returns has "epic" written all over it. If the word "epic" was a graphic novel, it would be The Dark Knight Returns. Frank Miller has made something special here, it should be read by everyone who likes Bats in the slightest.
The story is very engaging and awesome, as I have made clear above. The coloring fits the tone of the book. It's fairly bland and gray, which is great since this suits Gotham City perfectly and the state in which the world is in.
On a separate note, this book is pretty lengthy so it's great if you want something to keep you busy for longer. I did have some problems though. The drawing and art is great, but some panels could have been refined more. No joke, maybe it was just me, but sometimes I couldn't even tell what was going on in the panel. Some things just looked like mush. The writing is very gritty, but I could barely understand anything that The Mutant Gang said.
And then another thing, which isn't really a problem but worth mentioning anyway. Most of the panels are pretty small, more than once I had to look a bit closer at the pages to understand the words, but it didn't really bother me.
Suprisingly, these flaws don't hinder the books impact a whole lot, and it's definately a high recommendation from me.
This is Batman at his darkest and most epic. It gets better and better every time I read it, sometimes I even get goose bumps because of how good it is. Just.... epic. Plus, Batman kicks Superman's @ss!
STORY- 10/10
PENCILING- 7.5/10
COLORING- 9/10
RE- READABILITY- 8/10
OVERALL- 9.5/10
