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Batman: Dark Knight Returns - Frank Miller
by paulie1975 The Dark Knight Returns is a graphic novel and is widely regarded as one of the greatest ever to have been written. Created in 1997 by Frank Miller the writer of the exceptionally dark film noir series 'Sin City', this is a vigorous and very dark reboot of the Batman genre creating many of the points thematically and stylistically which ... were later borrowed by Tim Burton and more successfully, Christopher Nolan, for their film versions of the Batman. Miller reinvented the comic book hero, who for too long had been associated with the camp Adam West television series, Miller made the man a tortured victim of his own haunted failures, continuing to live in the shadows, hating society but ultimately wanting to save it, whilst being deemed by the public as more dangerous than the psychopathic villains he helped imprison. What is the story: The Dark Knight Returns is set in Gotham City, which has now fallen into a state of disrepair, the streets are chaotic, filled with anarchy, mutant gangs and street crime. The police are loathe to do anything and the one good cop, Commissioner Jim Gordon plans to retire shortly. It has been 10 years since the Batman was last seen in the City, and even today he continues to have a polarising effect on the public. To many he was the last chance the city had to be brave, stay true to itself and to fight injustice, to others he was a criminal committing crimes and creating disorganised chaos which violated martial law and the destroyed the role of the police in the city, to many his reputation seems worse than that of the most filthy villains. Bruce Wayne retains his playboy lifestyle but is nearing his twilight years, a man with a muscular and athletic frame, but starting to feel his age more and more, while he feels nothing but bitterness towards the people who shunned him so strongly, he retains a belief that he can influence the City and bring the streets back from the verge of anarchy, as the title suggests, events transpire which force Wayne to review his standpoint and Batman is forced to return to the streets in an effort to save Gotham City from total chaos. As Wayne returns to his true calling, he is forced to confront the reasons his friend Jason Todd (Robin) died, he blames himself, but takes on a new Robin, their relationship being complex as Batman is constantly fearful of his charge not being prepared and trying to maintain a distance to ensure he can't be hurt by loss again. Throw in Clark Kent/Superman as a government PR tool and older, even more deranged versions of Two Face and the Joker, as well as the honourably loyal Alfred and Catwoman, an American government trying to spin publicity and build fear of a Cold War Russian strike and you have yourself all the ingredients for a classic story filled with twists and turns and an unerring darkness, as well as hope within chaos. What made me buy this book? I have really started to enjoy graphic novels recently, having read the exceptional 'V for Vendetta' and 'Arkham Asylum' I'm trying to work my way through some of the established classics of the genre, whilst reading about the top 20 graphic novels of all time on Forbidden Planet's Website, this stood out for me. The things led me to this piece of writing, firstly the character of Batman is one of the most intriguing superheroes put in print, he is dark, brooding and a misunderstood anti-hero, the elements are all there for a really creative writer to take this character in endless directions, unlike the clean cut Superman or underwhelming Spiderman. Secondly I had read enough to appreciate that this was worth reading, as one of the earliest of the Batman reboots, it gives a deep and thorough reading of the character and allows me to tackle follow on books with a deeper understanding of the subject. Finally the two key names in the graphic novel genre appear to be Alan Moore and Frank Miller, both have distinct styles, I enjoyed the film version of Sin City and felt that Miller's writing style was well suited to the caped crusader, I was right as this book is awesome, it is flawed, but the flaws actually work in making this book even grittier and disturbing, this is one of the best books I have read in a long time. So, is it any good? In a word, yes, in three words, it is brilliant. This is a wonderfully dark and imaginative journey into the flawed psyche of one of the most engaging characters ever put to page or screen. Miller absolutely rebuilds the franchise perfectly, he portrays Bruce Wayne in his 50's as a man who has everything, but is broken emotionally and almost driven to madness by his own insatiable desire to clear Gotham of evil, and damaged by his own failure to achieve this, he has unfinished business and this novel aims to put that right. The book is flawed in the same way that many of this type can be, it feels slightly dated by the cold war references and the US president looks uncannily like Reagan, but this is a common graphic novel tool and while the cold war subtext helps to define both Batman and Superman and their respective moral codes, there is a clear black and white line here and anybody who doesn't fit into either is considered bad, including Batman. In this context, Superman is portrayed a good man, controlled by the US Government (Similar to Dr Hollywood in the Watchmen), an indestructible image of the All American boy, he is a witless pawn held by the Americans as their anti-nuclear deterrent, meaning they can behave as they wish with the ultimate insurance policy. The story builds to a conclusion that fans of both Superman and Batman will be very excited about. I really enjoyed the novel on a number of other levels too, the advancing years in the super villains allows us to see a more human side to their understanding of others suffering, but it also magnifies their evil as they still continue to hurt others needlessly for fun and laughs, despite this. As always the Joker is shown as something of a kindred spirit for Batman, understanding him better than the 'good' people of Gotham, it is clear where some of the inspiration for Heath Ledger's amazing Joker came from in this novel. However the Joker is peripheral in this book, the main protagonist, both hero and villain is Batman, he is all things to everyone and a sympathetic anti-hero as despite wanting to do good, he is vilified by 'talking head' expert psychologists blaming him for criminals behaviour and the police who consider him a dangerous vigilante and cult leader as groups spring up espousing Batman's logic of cleaning up the streets. The book is claustrophobic at times with too much happening and visually this seems intentional to force concentration and a sense of ill-ease, it works perfectly. The visuals are a real mix, in some aspects the full page animations are exceptionally detailed and worth further examination, smaller images look almost amateur at times, all seem carefully crafted to look rough. At times I felt myself losing track of the story as speech bubbles seemed lost in other pictures, but this seems intentional to add to the sense of a story out of control. It made me re-read sections which was great for me as I developed a greater understanding of the story. I really enjoyed the story on a number of levels, it is dark and cynical and the line between good and evil is lost many times, Batman deserves sympathy but is also clearly working on the edge of madness, his character is a hunted vigilante who is trying to do good, but he hates the people he is trying to save, his character is exceptionally interesting. Superman doesn't have a huge part, but he will either have you cheering or booing, which again is an interesting twist. This is a book that demands two or three re-reads to fully appreciate it, it is easy to read in under 3 hours, it is thoughtful, politically challenging, morally ambiguous and never settles for the easy option. The book cost me £6.99 on Amazon, you can buy used copies for under £4 not including postage and packing, but for a book like this it's always better getting it new to enjoy the drawings to their fullest. The book is 224 pages long and includes 7 pages showing the original covers for the separate comic books related to this story, there is also a really interesting Frank Miller description of the story with some scrawled basic images, which look amazing. The book is stunning visually, the cover looks wonderful, there are some great full page animations and no end of interesting characters. If you want a comic book where the hero beats up the baddies, gets the girl and saves the world, then go somewhere else, this ain't going to work for you. This is the Nick Cave of comic books, dark, deathly and incredibly interesting as you draw back the layers. This is for people who love the moral questions thrown up, where is the line between vigilante hero and delusional threat to society. I can see exactly what attracted the Director Chris Nolan to reinvent the film franchise, this Batman is so interesting, Miller's imagination has opened up a world of opportunities for himself and others, it is a wonderfully imaginative example of the graphic novel at it's very best. Read the complete review |
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Superman / Batman: Finest Worlds
by SWSt The Superman/Batman series of cross-over stories have been a bit of a mixed bag so far. Some have been excellent; others disappointing. This eighth book contains elements of both and highlights the strengths and weaknesses of the series as a whole. The overarching theme of Finest Worlds looks at what would happen if Superman ... became powerless and his incredible powers were transferred to Batman. It consists of four separate, but related tales which vary quite significantly in terms of plot interest and execution. The first story in the book is probably the weakest overall. It tries to introduce a new element to the Batman/Superman origins story by proposing the theory that Thomas Wayne (Bruce Wayne/Batman's father) was whisked away to Superman's home planet of Krypton shortly before its destruction and played a crucial role in persuading Superman's father to send his son to Earth. This is one of those stories that feels like it should have been written in the sci-fi obsessed 1950s/60s, when Batman was regularly trundling into space to fight aliens or help galactic civilisations. In the 21st century, it just doesn't work. Its central idea is weak and never rendered in a believable way. The whole idea that Superman and Batman's fathers met never rings true and this smacks of an author artificially trying to create a link where no such link exists. The two stories which follow this are much better. Although split into two parts, they are actually part of the same overall story. Initially, things actually look less promising. It sees the worlds of Superman and Batman invaded by a series of miniature versions of themselves, other Justice League heroes and familiar bad guys, who proceed to create chaos. The twist is that these mini-heroes come from a sweeter, more naïve world; where bullets always miss, Batman and Superman's parents are still alive and the Joker's "acid-squirting flower" merely squirts soap, which really, really makes your eyes sting! This sounds like a ridiculous concept for a tale and anyone who remembers the awful Bat-Mite will no doubt be quivering in terror. In fact, it is executed really well and results in a quirky little tale that surpasses expectations. Initially, I thought I was going to hate it, but ultimately found it a highly enjoyable; the shift in pace and tone works well, and the story allows the reader to look at familiar characters and situations in a new light. It's also surprisingly funny in places and the humour is well written and well-judged so that it never feels out of place. Some people might find the tale silly and inconsequential (my initial reaction), but I enjoyed it far more than I expected. The story also has a surprising emotional impact as the miniature heroes discover that life in "our" Batman and Superman's universe is far more violent, brutal and full of horror than anything they have ever experienced. This juxtaposition of the lighter overall tone with moments of genuine grief work incredibly well. If things have picked up with parts 2 and 3, they get even better in Part 4, which reverts to a far darker tone as Batman gains Superman's powers and starts to use them to clean up the world in a way which the Big Blue Boy Scout would never dare. This is the section that Batman (rather than Superman) fans will enjoy the most. As Batman gradually masters Superman's powers, he becomes darker and even more relentless, forgetting his own moral obligations and turning himself into a godlike force that cannot be stopped. The change in Batman's personality is terrifically handled, and this new angle on a familiar character highlights how important Bruce Wayne's humanity is to Batman and how restrained Superman has to be to ensure he only uses his powers for good. The one disappointment is that Superman/Clark Kent gets rather lost for much of this tale. Apart from occasionally sitting on top of a high building and moaning how much he misses flying, there is insufficient focus give to how is coping with the sudden loss of power. Still, all in all (particularly for fans of The Bat), this is a terrific tale and a great end to the volume. Like the stories, artwork across the four parts is of mixed quality, and regular readers of Superman stories might feel more at home with the images than Batman followers. This is because much of the artwork is light and colourful and is more suited to the "happy" world of Superman than the dark corners and gloom of Gotham City. Personally, I miss the shadows and darkness of Batman's world. Sometimes the curious mix of artistic quality and artistic styles works; other times it doesn't. Again, it is at its weakest in the first story which has rather simplistic drawings which do little to capture any sort of emotion. Like the story itself, it doesn't really generate much interest and seems to hark back to a simpler era of comics. The style of Parts 2 and 3 may well be like Marmite. Initially, I hated it: again. The childish and simplistic style of drawing seems ridiculous in a comic aimed at adults and at first I felt as though I was watching a kids' cartoon. However, once you realise what the story is about, this simpler, naïve style is wholly appropriate it is for the story being told and complements it wonderfully. As with the narrative, though, the book saves the best until last and the final part features some superb artwork. As the story takes a much darker turn, so this is reflected in the artwork. Images are gloomier and more shadowy; lines heavier and bolder, perfectly reflecting the more sinister and violent tone of the tale. The images of the Super-Batman are particularly strong and bring a real sense barely suppressed violence to the page. As noted above, this is the eighth book in the series and, whilst it is perfectly possible to read as a stand-alone title, it is preferable to read them in sequence, as some of the previous tales are referenced. This is particularly true of The Search for Kryptonite (also authored by Michael Green), which is quite heavily referenced at one point. If you've not read that, you might struggle a little with some elements. So, there we go: one weak story, two surprisingly good ones and a terrific tale to finish. The tone and quality of Finest Worlds might be a little uneven at times, but on the whole, if you're a fan of either of the two titular heroes, it's definitely worth the £10 asking price. Basic Information ----------------------- Superman/Batman: Finest Worlds Michael Green and Rags Morales Titan, 2010 ISBN: 978-1848563780 © Copyright SWSt 2011 Read the complete review |
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Top 10: Book 2 - Alan Moore
by Jake Speed Top Ten Book 2 (published in 2003) is a graphic novel by Alan Moore with art by Gene Ha. These comics are about Neopolis - a futuristic city where everyone is a super hero (or 'science hero' as they are called here) with all manner of powers but all manner of human flaws. Moore uses this premise to explore a number of dark themes but Top ... Ten is essentially funny and a colourful and entertaining read. The 'science heroes' of society all live together in Neoplolis so it's naturally a rather mad and eccentric place and needs a very special and determined police force to maintain any semblance of order. Luckily, the police men and women of Precinct Ten have all manner of strange powers themselves and just about manage to keep a lid on this nutty town. The (high) concept of Top Ten is that our Earth is one of many parallel Earths and that all the police forces in the alternate versions of Neopolis ultimately answer to Precinct One on 'Earth Fifty-Four' under some interdimensional contract they all signed. Precinct One known is known as 'Grand Central' and Commissioner Ultima (a rather snooty God like woman) is in charge of all the parallel police departments. You can visit any one of these parallel Earths for a holiday via giant train station type buildings where they teleport you and there are some wonderful panels of one of these 'jumping' stations where you can linger on all the strange characters milling about and the amusing posters and adverts Moore has designed for the walls. Book Two is shorter (144 pages in paperback) than the first volume but I think it's probably stronger on the whole because we get the resolutions to the plot strands that were developed in the first book. Or most of them anyway An awful lot happens here and it revolves around Detective John "King Peacock" Corbeau (imposing character who can 'read stone' and commune with his God 'Melek Taus') visiting Earth Fifty-Four on police business to investigate a murder from the first volume of Top Ten. Earth Fifty-Four is a place where the Roman Empire never ended (amazing panels to depict a futuristic Roman world) and Corbeau is not too pleased at his treatment when he arrives. The Romans of Earth Fifty-Four are surprised to encounter a black policeman ('Nubians here are slaves') and immediately force him to take part in an inter-precinct gladiatorial contest to the death. 'This is ridiculous! I've already explained a dozen times representing Ten Precinct in a murder investigation!' It appears that someone doesn't want Corbeau investigating the murder and conspiracy is afoot. Meanwhile, M'rrgla Qualtz, former member of the Seven Sentinels (superhero team based on The Justice League) is being held at Precinct Ten for the murders of prostitutes. Qualtz temporarily reverted to a form familiar to her species (a giant slug) and lurked in the sewers of Neoplolis eating people. In more human form she's a beautiful green skinned woman and highly telepathic. The Seven Sentinels are rich and powerful in Neopolis. They own half the town and are celebrities because of their superhero exploits and television programmes and want Qualtz released. As if that wasn't enough, Qualtz keeps using her erotic telepathic powers to try and make the Precinct Ten officers release her. This is an excellent comic with nice art and proves to be a lot of fun again just like the first volume. It explores some heavy themes (racism, sexual abuse, unemployment, death) but Moore laces the story with a lot of humour and some nice lines. 'You look like your grandma died and left you controlling shares in Betamax. What's up?'. There is an amusing resolution of the subplot in the first book where Duane Dust Devil's mum had problems with mice in her flat. These were super powered mice and the exterminator brought 'Atom Cats' to deal with the problem. Anyway, this battle has now gone cosmic. 'It's difficult to keep up with the continuity,' says the exterminator. 'But I think Cosmouse just gave Saturnian Scraphunter his ultimate pacifier to use against Galactapuss... ' Moore is sending up the more portentous moods of Marvel Comics here and the coda to this is very funny. It's great fun to look at the background detail of some of the panels here too. High above Neopolis the skies are always filled with superheroes and robots flying through the air. A funeral in the book supplies myriad cameos from ghosts and famous figures. Ghost Rider from Marvel Comics (he's on a unicycle) and Oscar Wilde were the ones I immediately spotted. I think I saw the couple from the start of Night of the Living Dead but maybe that was supposed to be someone else. One of the clever things about Top Ten Book 2 I think, which illustrates a strength of Moore, is that a major character is killed and replaced about halfway through the book and yet the new character is so great you don't really miss the old one. Robots feature more in this than the last one. They are called 'clickers' by those who don't like them and a great robot character here called Joe Pi must prove himself and overcome this prejudice. There are obvious subtexts and messages about being different and taking everyone as you find (Moore gets a bit too preachy and obvious at times but he always means well) but, mostly, you have to take your hat off to a comic that makes a stoic looking robot have real personality and wit. Joe Pi seems deliberately drawn to look like one of those Transformers robots and there are billions of in-jokes like this in Top Ten. The comic is enjoyably surreal at times too, like a scene where the police break up a drugs rave but find everyone has been using 'Hyperdrene' - a drug that manifests pixies! These pixies last for about an hour after someone has taken the drug and float around the police station annoying everyone. The Seven Sentinels are used by Moore to deconstruct the square jawed superhero team that has been a staple of comics for many decades. The Sentinels have a truly shocking secret waiting to be discovered and did they really do all those amazing things they claimed? The panels featuring The Sentinels in their (dubious) prime and of their headquarters and various mansions are some of the most purely enjoyable in the book. Top Ten Book 2 is imaginative and enjoyable and a must read for any fan of Alan Moore. It goes without saying though that you must read the volume one first. At the time of writing this is a bit pricey new at £13 but can picked up used for a lot less. Read the complete review |
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1 review Genre: Graphic Novels / Comic Book / Comics / Author: Mike Mignola, John Byrne / Edition: New edition / Paperback / 128 Pages / Book is published 2004-01-01 by Dark Horse |
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6 reviews Genre: Graphic Novels / Comic Book / Comics / Author: Grant Morrison; Frank Quitely / Edition: New title / Hardcover / 160 Pages / Book is published 2007-05-25 by Titan Books Ltd |
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2 reviews Genre: Graphic Novels / Comic Book / Comics / Author: Frank Miller, Jim Lee / Hardcover / 240 Pages / Book is published 2008-07-25 by Titan Books Ltd |
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19 reviews Genre: Graphic Novels / Comic Book / Comics / Author: Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons / Paperback / 424 Pages / Book is published 1987-10-01 by Titan Books Ltd |
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2 reviews Genre: Graphic Novels / Comic Book / Comics / Author: Alan Moore, Kevin O'Neill / Hardcover / 208 Pages / Book is published 2007-09-05 by America's Best Comics |
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Genre: Graphic Novels / Comic Book / Comics / Author: Alan Moore, Joe Bennett, Rick Veitch / Paperback / 332 Pages / Book is published 2002-12-25 by Checker Book Publishing Group,US - No one understands superheroes better than Moore. This collection won him the 1997 Eisner Award for Best Writer, and sh... |
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1 review Genre: Graphic Novels / Comic Book / Comics / Author: Grant Morrison / Hardcover / 1096 Pages / Book is published 2006-12-06 by Marvel Comics |
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