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(as of Mar 21, 2025 10:32:56 UTC – Details)
Writer/artist Frank Miller completely reinvents the legend of Batman in this saga of a near-future Gotham City gone to rot, 10 years after the Dark Knight’s retirement. Forced to take action, the Dark Knight returns in a blaze of fury, taking on a whole new generation of criminals and matching their level of violence. He is soon joined by a new Robin—a girl named Carrie Kelley, who proves to be just as invaluable as her predecessors.
Can Batman and Robin deal with the threat posed by their deadliest enemies, after years of incarceration have turned them into perfect psychopaths? And more important, can anyone survive the coming fallout from an undeclared war between the superpowers—or the clash of what were once the world’s greatest heroes?
Hailed as a comics masterpiece, The Dark Knight Returns is Frank Miller’s (300 and Sin City) reinvention of Gotham’s legendary protector. It remains one of the most influential stories ever told in comics, with its echoes felt in all media forms of DC’s storytelling. Collects issues #1-4.
ASIN : 1401263119
Publisher : Dc Comics; Anniversary edition (February 16, 2016)
Language : English
Paperback : 224 pages
ISBN-10 : 9781401263119
ISBN-13 : 978-1401263119
Item Weight : 13.9 ounces
Dimensions : 6.64 x 0.4 x 10.19 inches
Customers say
Customers enjoy the story and art style of the book. They find the storytelling superb, gritty, and great. The artwork is well-printed and spectacular. Many readers consider the book a sound investment that holds up well decades later. They appreciate the character development and commentary that add context. However, opinions differ on whether the book is readable or incomprehensible.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
The Cool Guy –
An Odd Mix
This comic is great but I’m not going to lie. It’s an odd mix of very good and in some places, very bad. A good example is the art. In some places it is absolutely awesome. But in others it is too cartoony, looks bad, or is just plain incomprehensible.
Another example is the story. It doesn’t make much sense when you think about it. But it is delivered in such a cool style that you don’t care too much. Like the fight with Superman. There’s no real reason in the story for them to be fighting at all. But it’s an epic showdown that is very enjoyable to read.
I like the female Robin, Carrie, a lot. She’s not super developed as a character, but she is likable and adds some good humor to the story.
The character of Batman is awesome in this, but I’m not one hundred percent sure what to think about him. In many ways he seems more like the Punisher than Batman.
Two things I didn’t like. I didn’t like the abundance of tiny frames used to tell most of the story. Little micro-panels, if you will. Each is just a small piece of art, usually a head from a newscast, and some short text. There were way too many of these, and it takes forever to get through them all. And they’re often hard to read.
Similarly, I greatly disliked the many, many news panels and talking heads. A little bit would be fine, but this book just goes nuts with them, and few of them are necessary. I especially got sick of seeing Lola Chong with her strange eyes that only ever appear as two lines, and her odd earrings that are somehow able to levitate beside her head.
But all that aside, it’s a great comic. I could be tempted to rate it less than five stars, but I won’t. Where it shines, it shines brightly. And some of the art and story here is truly spectacular. Some of the scenes are now iconic. Yes, it has its flaws but it is still a great work. There’s a reason it always makes it in to the top ten. Recommended.
Joanne –
Story is a Staple!
A staple in Batman canon, and truly showcases the depths of his character.
Evan. Arcia –
The greatest of Batman epics!
Frank miller always proves a gritty Batman is the best outcome. For those of us who truly grew up with this character and know what he means and represents. Frank hits every mark with this comic ! A great read!
Carla Cooper –
Great Book
Great Book. Would buy again
Dariel Davila –
A Dark and Powerful Batman Classic
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns – 30th Anniversary Edition is a legendary comic that remains impactful decades later. Frank Miller’s storytelling is masterful, giving us a gripping, darker take on an aging Bruce Wayne returning to the cape and cowl. The storyline is thought-provoking, exploring complex themes like justice, morality, and the consequences of vigilante action, earning it top marks for both plot and character development.
While the artwork may feel a bit dated for modern readers, its gritty style perfectly matches the tone of the story. Pacing is smooth, with tension building throughout, though the visual appeal doesn’t quite reach the same heights as the narrative. Despite this, the uniqueness and creativity of the story are undeniable.
This edition is a great way to revisit an iconic story that helped redefine Batman for future generations. It’s a must-read for both long-time fans and new readers alike.
Steve K –
Amazing story, amazing artwork
Great story, holds up well decades later
bigjoe309 –
Great read
Story is excellent and the book arrived in great shape.
Perry –
The real batman vs superman
This is the real fight, the real showdown, not like the movie. But this wasn’t about batman fighting superman. This is about Batman and how he is criticized by the world as abosolete and wrong when the world are the ones who are so foolishly wrong. You will be rooting for Batman as he does what’s right as the talking heads just talk and make all the worst decisions.
I have questions here and there throughout the read. Like how did this mutant gang come to exist? Why do they call themselves mutants if they are just regular people? Who is the big guy that works for the joker? And he makes dolls that are robots that can fly and blow up? I’m not an avid comic book reader so maybe many things in it longtime fans are familiar with I was not privy to. But it would’ve been nice if those things here and There could have been explained.
The comic is wrote, or rather reads, like a novel of book. Sometimes I wish it would read just like a regular comic. Even watchman was more straight forward with its writing and imagery. But it is poetic and fitting at times. The art is simple. Not every flashy or detailed which I tend to detest. And almost very sketchy looking which really fits the gritty, visceral nature of the comic.
David –
This is one of the classic Batman stories, and one of the books that changed superhero stories in general. A must read for any comic fan interested in the artform.
Pretty sure this print has a typo in the introduction as I’ve never heard of a Dick Spring… Dick SPRANG on the other hand is a phenomenal artist.
Ricardo M S Andrade –
Edição linda, em capa dura, mantendo o estilo e as capas originais no interior. Para quem gosta de HQs com temas mais adultos, é praticamente uma obrigação pelo menos ler essa história uma vez.
Dominic Broadley –
I never thought a single page in a comic book would bring a tear to my eye!
An epic tale, beautifully rendered in the greatest of storytelling traditions.
Sanjoy Bhowmick –
I was so highly anticipated to read this story, i first wanted to watch the movie but i decided to read it first, it is a simple story yet it’s so nice to read especially the monologues and how he feels, each villain in each issue represents Bruce’s physical and mental state, upto 3rd issue everything runs perfectly but in 4th issue, many of the situations felt rushed, especially how the fight with Superman began, but still i loved reading this, and I’ve recently gotten into comics and this is my third Batman comic
Parsec –
Wenn es einen Batman Comic gibt, den jeder Fan kennen muss, und welcher diese Figur maÃgeblich (neu-) definiert hat, dann ist es ganz ohne Frage BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS.
Mit diesem Comic wurde Ende der 80er Jahre eine regelrechte Renaissance von Batman eingeläutet, deren Auswirkung auch heute noch spürbar sind und welche den Grundstein für Vieles legte, was sich in den letzten drei Jahrzehnten im Batman-Universum (und nicht nur dort!) tat. Vermutlich muss man andere Schwergewichte wie “Watchmen” nennen, um die Bedeutung und die Auswirkungen von BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS adäquat zu umreiÃen.
Sprich: an BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS geht kein Weg vorbei, schon gar nicht, wenn man sich auch nur ansatzweise Batman interessiert… so einfach ist das.
Die Worte “Pflichtkauf”, “Kult” und “Meisterwerk” werden sicherlich häufig überstrapaziert und zu leichtfertig verwendet, aber hier ist es die reine Wahrheit. Wer sich für Batman (oder für Superhelden allgemein) interessiert kommt um BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS nicht herum, und ich bin mir ganz sicher, dass die Comicwelt in den letzten 30 Jahren ohne diesen Comic anders ausgesehen hätte… schlichtweg, weil BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS unbestritten viele Werke beeinflusst hat.
Die Geschichte funktioniert auch heute noch sehr gut und ist immer noch packend und sehr dynamisch erzählt â ich las diesen Comic erstmals 1989 und habe ihn mir vor einigen Tagen noch mal zu Gemüte geführt… und dabei stellte ich einmal mehr fest, wie gut und mitreiÃend dieser Comic erzählt ist – und wie gut die Geschichte gealtert ist, selbst wenn viele Elemente diese Story mittlerweile absolute Batman Standard sind, kann die Handlung immer wieder begeistern. Batman wird hier nicht nur älter, sondern auch finsterer, fanatischer und schlichtweg härter geschildert als es bis dahin üblich war – und genau dadurch bekam die Figur seinerzeit eine für damalige Verhältnisse ganz neue und völlig schlüssige Tiefe.
Keine Frage: 5 Sterne sind hier völlig unumgänglich.