AMBFAD (Comic) Book Club

The past couple of weeks, I spent some quality time w/ two of Frank Miller's classic interpretations of The Batman. Recently, he's more well known for the high-profile film adaptations of his work on 'Sin City' and '300', but his new take on several DC Comic legends back in 1986, along w/ Alan Moore's 'Watchmen', really ended up being game-changers to the entire genre.

'Batman: The Dark Knight Returns' proved to be a shift to a new form of more 'adult-oriented' storytelling...peaking interest in the art form w/ a more mainstream audience and die hard comics fans alike. To mixed reaction, Miller not only redefined Batman in comics, but had managed to actually remove the campy Adam West TV image many had of the character and reanimate him into something more in-line w/ his darker origin.

Superhero or Vigilante? The answer probably lies somewhere in between and the root of both books is the struggle between the Yin/Yang of both roles. Not only does the struggle occur internally within Bruce Wayne, but is brilliantly played out externally w/ a Clark Kent/Superman of a much different mindset. Whatever the case, the resulting conflict make for enthralling reading in both books.

'Batman: The Dark Knight Returns' is set 20 years into an much darker, alternate future. In the absence of superheroes, ordinary criminals run amok w/ most super-villains incarcerated or otherwise killed. Batman has been retired for close to 10 years following the death of the second Robin. When a supposedly rehabilitated Harvey Dent returns to crime and a gang called the 'Mutants' begin to terrorize his beloved Gotham City, a much older Wayne dons the Batman costume again. However, even after apprehending not only Two-Face, but stopping a supposedly rehabilitated Joker AND Mutant gang...the increasingly media obsessed society debates publicly whether Batman is a savior or a menace, until a final showdown w/ the other half of 'World's Finest' results in his 'death'.

2002's 'Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again' picks up the story 3 years later, where (SPOILER ALERT) it turns out Bruce Wayne faked his death to operate underground as Batman. He expands his scope beyond Gotham and emerges from hiding to lead a rebellion of former heroes including The Atom, The Flash, Green Arrow and both Plastic/Elongated Man against the corrupt US government/puppet regime headed by Lex Luthor and Braniac. Supes and Wonder Woman both play pivotal roles as well, in a tale rife w/ unspoken political commentary about everything to blind patriotism to questioning those in charge.

I actually stopped and read the 'Dark Knight Returns' TPB back in the early 90's on a visit to the bookstore. I was blown away then and remain equally as impressed on revisiting it today. 'Strikes Again', while a little more rambling in it's story, proved to be equally as cool. The story and amazing art are both dark, jagged and thought-provoking in both cases and whether you are a comic nerd or someone who just appreciates good story-telling...add 'em to your bookshelf. The 'DKR' TPB is still a huge seller for DC and has never gone out of print 20 years after first being published...an amazing feat in the comic biz.