it is incredible how your eyes are glued to the screen..you don't want to miss any part of it and besides being an action movie it also involves some romance and on top of that the elegant and special Batman humor. sooooo gripping I loved it !!! although Batman should stop spending soo much money the best character is the Joker !! he is too mean but he is the best actor i've ever seen the only thing i didn't like about the movie is that it is tooo long. it could have been shorter and still incredibly great!! .

Frank Miller,Klaus Janson, Batman: Dark Knight Returns - This comic will knock your socks off.... among other things.

This isn't your average version of Batman, and it's definitely not the Batman from all of those retarded movies. The version of Batman that you will find in this book is a dark, brooding character with a bad attitude.

Frank Miller is the creative genius behind this book. Before he came along and took up the reins, Batman was a rather boring character who could easily spend time on your weekly Sunday funny pages right next to Garfield and The Peanuts.

You must keep in mind that Batman was created as a crime fighter with a deeply tormented past. Any character that is driven purely by revenge that can never be obtained, would have to be a darker and more violent character than what was created by Bob Kane.

I am not attempting to desecrate the memory of Batman's creator, Bob Kane. I am just bringing into focus the fact that if a character, such as Bruce Wayne, was pushed to become a superhero by the memory of a violent act that took place during his childhood, then that character might be a little "off center" when it comes to dealing with the bad guys that he feels so compelled to capture.

Frank Miller did an excellent job of re-creating Batman in the true form that a deeply troubled character would be. Batman's weaknesses, physical and mental, are put out into view to help ground his mortality. Batman isn't like other Superheroes. He is just a man, driven by a horrible memory to purge Gothem City of crime.

The Book and Its Story:
"The Dark Knight Returns" is very aptly named. The unique story in this book begins in the future of Gotham City. Bruce Wayne is now an old man. He hasn't dawned the Batman outfit in over ten years. He has sank into the life of a millionaire socialite and hasn't looked back. The funny part is - most of the younger generation doesn't even believe that Batman ever existed. They think that he was just an old wives' tale.

Gotham City is none the better for Batman's disappearance. In fact it has gotten much worse. Gangs pretty much control the streets now and no one wants to be outside after the sun goes down. One gang in particular is very nasty indeed. Their leader is a huge mountain of a man that would have given Batman a run for his money when he was still in his prime.

Bruce Wayne has retained his friendship with Commissioner Gordon over the years and still goes into town occasionally to see the old man down at the precinct. Each time Bruce goes into town he is tormented by all of the crime that he witnesses around him. One day he snaps and decides that he's seen enough.

Batman returns to the streets to clean up:
Even though Bruce Wayne is now pushing 60 years of age, he's still in remarkably good shape. Still, he's no spring chicken. As he starts his fight on crime the people of Gotham are in total shock. Most of the older citizens are pleased that their local hero has returned to give the streets back to the people. The younger generation is split on the idea of a Superhero taking over their turf.

The street gangs now have more to worry about than who they are going to rob next. Batman is now slowly wiping them out. One of the gangs does a 360 degree turn all together. They decide that Batman is "The Man" and they start helping him clean up the streets. The new Batman gang wear all black leather and paint Batman symbols across their faces.

Commissioner Gordon gets a little upset about his old friend risking his life again in his fruitless fight against crime. Of course, an aging Superman has to make an appearance to make the book complete. Superman comes to Gotham City to try and talk some sense into his old friend Bruce Wayne, and get him off of the streets. Batman isn't superhuman, therefore his actions are those of a vigilante and will not be tolerated by the government, that includes the President of the United States himself.

Superman isn't successful in changing Bruce Wayne's mind on his actions, so the President of the U.S. sends Superman back to Gotham City to force Batman to stand down. This doesn't go over well and ends in a shocking fight between The Man of Steel and The Dark Knight. Of course we all know that Bruce Wayne is mortal and Clark Kent is indestructible, so the fight should end the way that we all know that it should end.......but it doesn't.

The ending of this comic book is shocking and a little sad, but I must say that it is a definite "Must Read" for anyone who has ever had an interest in Batman. You won't be disappointed.

The Artwork:
Visually stunning is the first thing that comes to mind. True to form, the comic used a lot of dark colors and rough lines. Each frame is like a little work of art in itself. There are many pages within the book that are just big drawings of Batman in his awsome form. I've considered getting tattoos from some of these drawings.

The Story and Plot:
If you've actually read down this far then you already know the story and plot, but then again you really don't. There are many small side stories going on around the main plot. I didn't want to give away too much of the story and make it useless for you to actually read the book.

Bottom Line:
Read the book. It's that simple. I bought the book when it first came out over ten years ago, and I still break it out and read it again every now and then. It's that good.

-skillz-