Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
The Dark Knight Strikes Again is Frank Miller's follow-up to his hugely successful Batman: the Dark Knight Returns, one of the few comics that is widely recognised as not only reinventing the genre but also bringing it to a wider audience.
Set three years after the events of The Dark Knight Returns, The Dark Knight Strikes Again follows a similar structure: once again, Batman hauls himself out of his self-imposed retirement in order to set things right. However, where DKR was about him cleaning up his home city, Gotham, DKSA has him casting his net much wider: he's out to save the world.
The thing is, most of the world doesn't realise that it needs to be saved--least of all Superman and Wonder Woman, who have become little more than superpowered enforcers of the status quo. So, the notoriously solitary Batman is forced to recruit some different superpowered allies. He also has his ever-present trusty sidekick, Robin, except that he is a she, and she is calling herself Catwoman. Together, these super-friends uncover a vast and far-reaching conspiracy that leads to the President of the United States (Lex Luthor) and beyond.
The Dark Knight Strikes Again is largely an entertaining comic, but much of what made The Dark Knight Returns so good just doesn't work here. Miller's gritty, untidy artwork was perfect for DKR's grim depiction of the dark and seedy Gotham City, but it jars a bit for DKSA, which is meant to depict an ultra-glossy, futuristic technocracy. Lynn Varley's garish colouring attempts to add a slicker sheen, but the artwork is ultimately let down by that which worked so well for DKR--this time around, it just feels sloppy and rushed. The same is true of the book's denouement, which happens so quickly that it leaves the reader reeling and looking for more of an explanation. Moreover, DKSA is packed full of characters who will mean little to those unfamiliar with the DC Comics universe (eg, The Atom, The Elongated Man, The Question).
Perhaps the book's biggest failing is that where The Dark Knight Returns gave comic book fans a base from which to evangelise to the uninitiated, The Dark Knight Strikes Again is just preaching to the converted. Comic book superhero fans will find much to enjoy here, but others would be better off sticking with the original. --Robert Burrow --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Product Description
Some years after the events of "The Dark Knight Returns", America has become an even worse place to live. But a hero has come to change everything, bringing an army of other forgotten heroes to bear in the war against crime and corruption. Batman's time has come again.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Anyone who read and loved the first Darknight series will be disppointed with this "sequel". I can't believe Frank Miller wouldn't do better than this. The story is only remotely related to the first series, the characters have changed too much. Whereas the original series was dark, complex and multi-layered, the story here is cartoonish and uni-dimensional. Batman is actually absent 80% of the time, so I wonder why this is called Dark Knight at all! The drawings are over simplified, you often get one pannel a page, and where in the old series the drawing was complex and with intricate background and colouring (beatifully water coloured) here you get a big headed character in a panel that seems coloured in with markers! It is unbelievable that this is actually the exact same team that brought us the first series. In the first series, we had a long, complex and thrilling story, the return of Batman, his memories and personal struggle, the mutants and their fall, the Joker, the nuclear holocaust... Here story is slow paced, and more than halfway through the series you realise that nothing much has happened really, and that you've seen Batman maybe twice. Instead you're "treated" to the silliest, worst DC characters ever, like the utterly cartoonish Plastic Man. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't expecting the sequel to be just the same as the original series, but, hell!, it had to be coherent! This world just doesn't seem to the same as the first 4 books. It simply is not to the standard of Frank Miller. Having said that, I'll get every single issue, because it is still better than most comics around anyway, still I can't help but feel sad that one of my favourite teenage comic epics has been so defiled!
I guess I'll just get a special re-issue of the first series and read and relive past glories...
I guess I'll just get a special re-issue of the first series and read and relive past glories...
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This sequel to Dark Knight Returns, arguably the best-known Batman story ever, retains a similar tone of rebellion to the first. However, it doesn't maintain the integrity of the first part.
One of the reasons for this is Miller's decision to centre the story not on Batman, but on his former allies. With no regard to modern continuity, Barry Allen aka The Flash is rescued from a power station in Bruce's last attempt to bring down the government. Whilst Miller's portrayal of the character is classic, there is little focus on Bruce at all. He has become understandably bitter with old age, and especially angry with the world. This, is where the problem lies. Although I can appreciate Miller's rage towards the modern government, I don't think it warrants drowning out potential plot points that could explain more about the character's motives.
Another problem lies in Miller's inks. This guy NEEDS Klaus Janson to personify his work, a la DKR. When Miller inks his own work, it just doesn't work. I hope Miller's upcoming Batman story about Batman's war with terrorism doesn't suffer the rush job that this did.
If I was being honest, much of the real character of Bruce Wayne is drowned by pointless developments, primarily the treatment of Dick Grayson, the first Robin and Nightwing, as well. This character is essentially used as a villainous device, doing a disservice to a fantastic character.
The few qualities that save this lie in a return to the world that Miller created. It is a world I will find in no other books by anyone. The world feels dark, and false and as such, everything is never quite as it seems, and nobody can be trusted. Although this is Miller's message, I feel it ruined the idea of the story. Dark sattire can be acheived whilst still creating a great story such as V For Vendetta by Alan Moore. However, all I can do now is hope that his new Batman title with Jim Lee will be as awesome as his other Batman work.
One of the reasons for this is Miller's decision to centre the story not on Batman, but on his former allies. With no regard to modern continuity, Barry Allen aka The Flash is rescued from a power station in Bruce's last attempt to bring down the government. Whilst Miller's portrayal of the character is classic, there is little focus on Bruce at all. He has become understandably bitter with old age, and especially angry with the world. This, is where the problem lies. Although I can appreciate Miller's rage towards the modern government, I don't think it warrants drowning out potential plot points that could explain more about the character's motives.
Another problem lies in Miller's inks. This guy NEEDS Klaus Janson to personify his work, a la DKR. When Miller inks his own work, it just doesn't work. I hope Miller's upcoming Batman story about Batman's war with terrorism doesn't suffer the rush job that this did.
If I was being honest, much of the real character of Bruce Wayne is drowned by pointless developments, primarily the treatment of Dick Grayson, the first Robin and Nightwing, as well. This character is essentially used as a villainous device, doing a disservice to a fantastic character.
The few qualities that save this lie in a return to the world that Miller created. It is a world I will find in no other books by anyone. The world feels dark, and false and as such, everything is never quite as it seems, and nobody can be trusted. Although this is Miller's message, I feel it ruined the idea of the story. Dark sattire can be acheived whilst still creating a great story such as V For Vendetta by Alan Moore. However, all I can do now is hope that his new Batman title with Jim Lee will be as awesome as his other Batman work.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The reviews are mixed for this book, and I was hoping so much that I'd be one of the few who loved it.
The Dark Knight Returns is a great story, brought to life with amazing art and the way it ends you'd think it would lead to the greatest sequel ever.
This is not the case.
First thing I did when I got it was flick through the art. It looked lazy, blocky and had little connection to what made the first one great. You could see Miller's style in the drawing, but even then it looked sloppy.
It would have been better to leave it black and white because the inks were added for no reason, they did nothing but make it unsightly. And then a lot of it is blocked in on photoshop or something, except it looks as if a thirteen year old has done it who thinks he's a graphic designer just because he downloaded photoshop.
That aside, the story.
I'm not overly sure what the story is. Batman goes into hiding with Carrie and his army, waits, then when the time is right he brings down the government.
But things just happen without justification. All reason is lost. You'll turn a page and think there has to be pages missing because nothing flows.
It's chaotic, and not in a good way.
There seems to be a million little side plots which come and go with no introduction or conclusion.
On the whole, it feels as if it was written by a paranoid man, descending into madness and he can justify the goings on of the story to himself except he forgets to inform the audience.
I feel bad for this because I love The Dark Knight Returns. I love Miller's Sin City, but this, whatever he was trying was lost.
I want to rewrite it myself, or maybe I will pretend Bruce did actually die at the end of the first one just to give me peace of mind.
The Dark Knight Returns is a great story, brought to life with amazing art and the way it ends you'd think it would lead to the greatest sequel ever.
This is not the case.
First thing I did when I got it was flick through the art. It looked lazy, blocky and had little connection to what made the first one great. You could see Miller's style in the drawing, but even then it looked sloppy.
It would have been better to leave it black and white because the inks were added for no reason, they did nothing but make it unsightly. And then a lot of it is blocked in on photoshop or something, except it looks as if a thirteen year old has done it who thinks he's a graphic designer just because he downloaded photoshop.
That aside, the story.
I'm not overly sure what the story is. Batman goes into hiding with Carrie and his army, waits, then when the time is right he brings down the government.
But things just happen without justification. All reason is lost. You'll turn a page and think there has to be pages missing because nothing flows.
It's chaotic, and not in a good way.
There seems to be a million little side plots which come and go with no introduction or conclusion.
On the whole, it feels as if it was written by a paranoid man, descending into madness and he can justify the goings on of the story to himself except he forgets to inform the audience.
I feel bad for this because I love The Dark Knight Returns. I love Miller's Sin City, but this, whatever he was trying was lost.
I want to rewrite it myself, or maybe I will pretend Bruce did actually die at the end of the first one just to give me peace of mind.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
I really tried to like it
Yes, I read the other reviews. Yes, I ignored them. Yes, I was wrong.
After reading the amazing Dark Knight Returns, I thought Frank Millar could do no wrong. Read more
After reading the amazing Dark Knight Returns, I thought Frank Millar could do no wrong. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Matt
A mixed bag of some great ideas, erratic artistry and poor social...
This is the same Batman we know and love from DKR, the trouble is we don't see enough of him. This is a Justice League ensemble piece, with the focus actually more on growth of... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Stephen Jordan
To be or not to be that is the question?
The main argument about this book is the story and the art.
I loved the story, only Frank Miller can come up with a outragous plot as having the Flash generating the... Read more
I loved the story, only Frank Miller can come up with a outragous plot as having the Flash generating the... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Simonsays
The Marmite of graphic novels
I had read all the reviews and I had read all the comments but it was still niggling away at me that I was missing out. Read more
Published 8 months ago by jimi the saint
Phooey hooey
Frank Miller reads Ayn Rand (that's my impression, anyway). This bit of sloppy overenthusiasm is the result. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Dick Chuckens
Lost steam
The Dark Knight Returns is a wonderful book, one of the best and most critically-acclaimed graphic novels in history. Read more
Published 14 months ago by CrashBang
TDKSA is hated more for being to different than for actualy being bad
TDKSA is a drastic departure from TDKR. I believe that this is the primary reason for people hating it. Many people have said that the art looks rushed. Read more
Published 20 months ago by some guy
Yeah. It's messy.
It is a sequel to The Dark Knight Returns but forget everything you know of the last one and everything you expect it to be. Read more
Published 21 months ago by P. J. Potter
Oh dear, what happened?
After the amazing Dark Knight Returns this is a massive disappointment. The confusing narrative isn't helped by the terrible artwork - some of the time you just can't tell what is... Read more
Published on 31 Mar 2010 by I. Dack
Batman:The Dark Knight Strikes Again
This product was in fantastic condition and arrived within a couple of days. Packaged great and was not a scratch or mark on the book. Read more
Published on 2 Nov 2009 by B
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