Andy Kubert and Klaus Janson join The Dark Knight III: The Master Race

It's difficult to understate the esteem with which The Dark Knight Returnsis held: alongside Watchmen, it's generally regarded as one of the best graphic novels of the 1980s. Every 15 years or so, Frank Miller seems to get the itch to return to the dystopian world he created in the original graphic novel: The Dark Knight Strikes Again landed in 2001 to mixed reviews, and The Dark Knight III: The Master Race was announced in April and promises to finish off Miller's story arc when it's published later this year.

Miller won't be alone at the helm this time, though. While he's been assisted with colors and inks in the past on the Dark Knight books, it looks like he'll have a lot more than assistance this time around. In addition to the previously-announced partnership with Brian Azzarello, DC today announced that artists Klaus Janson and Andy Kubert will be joining the project.

In addition, according to the press release, each of the eight issues of The Master Race will include a 16-page insert featuring "a rotating cast of special guest artists and characters" from what's being dubbed "The Dark Knight Universe."

Check out the full preview image and press release below.

DC ENTERTAINMENT PROVIDES NEW DETAILS FOR DARK KNIGHT III: THE MASTER RACE

Icons Andy Kubert, Klaus Janson to Provide Art for Final Chapter of Dark Knight Trilogy, Book to Include Bonus Comic With A Host of Special Guest Artists

SAN DIEGO, CA (July 9, 2015) - DC Entertainment began Comic-Con International: San Diego 2015 with a blockbuster announcement, revealing today that artists Andy Kubert and Klaus Janson will be joining living-legend Batman writer and artist Frank Miller and acclaimed writer Brian Azzarello in bringing the final chapter of the celebrated THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS saga to life.

“THE DARK KNIGHT III: THE MASTER RACE” is the epic conclusion to Miller’s 1986 classic THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS trilogy – heralded by TIME Magazine as one of the 10 greatest graphic novels of all time – and its 2001-2002 follow-up series BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT STRIKES AGAIN.

THE DARK KNIGHT III: THE MASTER RACE will be an eight-issue, comic book periodical, to be published monthly under the DC Comics imprint. Within each 32 page periodical there will be a special 16 page “Dark Knight Universe” comic affixed in the center. Each “Dark Knight Universe” comic will feature a rotating cast of special guest artists and characters.

“We went into this knowing that we had to give fans more,” said Dan DiDio and Jim Lee, Co-Publishers for DC Entertainment. “We’re pulling out all the stops to deliver an amazing conclusion to this exciting body of work. We hope it inspires the next generation of writers and artists, the way it has already inspired us.”

According to Kubert, "Frank Miller and Brian Azzarello have crafted such an incredible story for DKIII, as I am truly honored to be associated with them, this project, and Klaus Janson. We, along with the fans, are in for a great ride!”

"Any opportunity to work with Frank Miller is a happy occasion for me,” said Janson. “When we add the talents of Brian Azzarello and Andy Kubert to the mix, we have the ingredients to achieve something truly memorable. This will be amazing!"

Marking the 30th anniversary of THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS original series, this periodical is slated for publication beginning in late Fall 2015.

8 issues? Milking it out aren't we?

Anyway, I will probably check it out.

@squalleon: After The Dark Knight Strikes Again, this will have to get some amazing reviews for me to read all eight issues. But I'll definitely check out the first to see what's up.

I know Miller's work is usually a hit or miss, more of a miss lately but I can't help but to feel a tingling in my stomach.

I believe that after the awfulness that calls itself TDKSA, DC understood they need to make some changes. Azzarello and Kubert are probably them. I wonder how much Miller actually input really :P

Really excited for this, especially since Azzarello is involved!

Pretty hype for this

Hard to get excited about this after the quality of TDKSA but i'm holding out some hope that we get another masterpiece like TDKR. So Miller isn't doing the art? By the looks of the picture above, Kubert and Janson are trying to keep the Miller art theme going. I'm probably in the minority, but I love Miller's style.

I mean with no miller it might not be as bad as dark knight 2 but I mean really: who wants this?

best of 80s? i believe what you meant to say was watchmen and TDKR are 2 of the best of all time.

Hyped.

That's cool.

God help us all

I still can't believe DC let Miller use that title.

And on a second thought maybe now we could see the end of Miller & Lee's Batman & Robin. As back ups, I mean.

I wonder if it will be Batman fighting against Console Peasants

Andy kubert drawing anything batman related is all you needed to tell me.

Also, who else wants all star batman and robin back??

Yay another crap book from another crap writer |:/

I can't believe his getting away with this title.

after that last mess, you have to pay me to pick this book up...so over The Dark Knight universe right now

Cautiously excited.

Let see the PC crowd will hate this book for the title, the die hard comic crowd will hate this title because of The Dark Knight strikes again and All Star. So who does that leave to support this book?

I mean Frank's last few titles have been a trainwreck.

Ugh.

This is awesome! Strikes Again was pretty bad, but that doesnt erase how good Returns was. If this is closer to Returns we will all be happy. With Snyder helping, I think he will help reign in Millers stranger tendencies. Either way the art was the weakest part of both of those books, so this is amazing news.

In my mind the dark knight strikes again doesn't exist

This is going to be utterly ridiculous and filled with passive-aggressive racism -- I can't wait ;)

Please continue Allstar Batman first....

I find numbering on a series, especially when numbering comes for the second sequel, particularly hacky. It's screaming creative backruptcy and proud of it. Just call it Dark Knight Vs. The Master Race. Or The Dark Knight Strikes The Master Race. Anything but hacky ass DKlll.

And Frank clearly does not give single solitary fiznuck about this project. He's not drawing it, he's barely writing it. They're just gonna pay him a ton of money to put his name on it and write an outline.

15181/79= 192.164557, or 8.00685654 days, more than "just a few hours" but a good deal none the less.

@that_one_guy_at_the_comic_shop: What I was thinking 2.

Well this'll sell no matter what.

I'll probably wait for the trade. Just because this is something I'd want in a collected edition.

What's the issue with the title? Because it's DK3? The Dark Knight Strikes Again was also officially referred to as DK2 so I don't see what the problem is. Is it the "Master Race" part of it? Granted, when you're talking about Frank Miller anything even vaguely Nazi-related should probably be taken as such but I somehow doubt DC will allow him to turn Batman into a Gestapo agent.

Anyways, I'm very cautiously stoked for this book. Miller has become a racist, xenophobic madman in recent years and that has, unfortunately, influenced both his writing and artwork. I can only hope that great creators like Azzarello, Jansen and Kubert can rein in his more out there ideas to make something resembling the original story, which is a masterpiece, rather than that TDKSA nonsense.

The original Dark Knight Returns was $2.95 and issue back when monthly books were about $1 so i'm curious how much these will be.

They actually made him use the title. He wanted it to called Batman/Superman vs The Master Race

Wait.... THIS WASN'T A NIGHTMARE I HAD!??! THIS IS REAL?!?!?!? THIS IS REALLY HAPPENING?!?!??!?! 0_0

I think it'll be a great story. I think Azzarello will probably remove Miller's racism and political thoughts and they'll try to focus in the story itself.

Great. Someone told keep miller under control and make sure things don't get too crazy. I'm expecting something dark and hardcore and I'm actually pretty excited to possibly see batman punch some Nazis

@sealife: Oh, I heard something about that. This isn't any better or lease cringe inducing.

People talk like they're being forced to read this.

He is pushing buttons on purpose.

And there are plenty of writers less honest in their racism. And this is coming from a black man that actually liked Miller's early work.

Frank Miller used to be so cool. What happened?

And calling this book "The master race"?

Batman is the master of the human race.

Janson on a Miller project?

Gentlemen, you had my curiosity. But now you have my attention.

So should I read 'The Dark Knight Strikes Again' before reading this?

This could be awesome.