Product Description

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 recognized 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 realize 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 coloring 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 (e.g., 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 evangelize to theuninitiated, 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

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #46042 in Books
• Published on: 2004-01-01
• Released on: 2004-01-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781563899294
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Amazon.com 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 recognized 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 realize 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 coloring 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 (e.g., 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 evangelize to theuninitiated, 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

From Publishers Weekly
This revision of an iconic character, the sequel to Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, has been one of comics publishing's most anticipated events. As installments of the DK2 comic appeared, controversy mounted. Much sloppier and gaudier, the strip didn't really resemble Miller's earlier book, and in the wake of September 11, Miller's in-your-face confrontation with authority figures upset some readers. The collected book edition makes it easier to appreciate why he'd take such risks. Miller sees Batman as an extremist, pushed to the verge of insanity because he can't compromise his beliefs. In this continuation, he's convinced today's world is controlled by powers even crazier and more ego driven than he is. And he's right. Lex Luthor and Brainiac have imprisoned, enlisted or intimidated Earth's superheroes; but the only one they can't control is the hero with no super powers, just furious moral rage. Superman, the ultimate voice of reason, tries to calm Batman. Instead, all hell breaks loose, in pages full of bursting shapes, digitized Day-Glo colors and jagged continuity. Intense as the reading experience is, it's less disturbing than Batman's assault on the masters of America and their accomplices. Miller peppers the book with caricatures of current politicians and pundits rubbing shoulders with outrageously cartoonish goons as they defend a computer-generated president and the Freedom From Information Act. If the masters of power are engaging in terrorism, this work suggests, why shouldn't rebels use terror in return? But how does a successful rebel avoid becoming a fascist leader himself? These are the questions Miller asks in this serious, important comic, a work that's intentionally disturbing in many ways and on many levels.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Miller's Dark Knight Returns (1987), in which an older, grimmer Batman emerged from retirement, paved the way for grittier superheroes and more freewheeling approaches in mainstream comics storytelling; and it set the tone for the character's recent screen apotheosis. Its long-awaited sequel isn't going to revolutionize the genre again, but in some ways it is even more audacious. Batman leads the opposition in a dystopian near-future when security concerns have spurred a repressive crackdown. Other costumed heroes side with either the government or Batman, allowing Miller to present revisionist versions of DC Comics' other iconic characters. The book's authoritarian society resonates with the post-9/11 environment, though Miller's cheekiness dispels notions that this is serious commentary. His layouts are even more unconventional, his drawing more cartoonish, the coloring more florid, and his overall attitude just generally more over-the-top. Fans harshly rebuked Miller's irreverent refusal to offer more of the same when the story debuted in serial-magazine format, but they avidly bought each issue. The collected edition should meet with similar demand. Gordon Flagg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Customer Reviews

Oh How The Mighty Have Fallen...
I used to be a hardcore fan of Frank Miller. I mean, growing up through the 80's and 90's, I would just buy anything with the guy's name on it cause you could always trust that it would be great. Longtime comix fans know what I'm talking about. You didn't even have to flip through the pages of a new Frank Miller book at the store to see if it was worth buying. You could just bank on it. A new Frank Miller book was ALWAYS worth buying. Great writing. Great, powerful artwork. He was a modern master of the form. For years and years, this was true. But... the first time I remember thinking "Ooo, Frank - You dropped the ball on this one." Was about halfway through his book "That Yellow Bastard", around 1995 or 96. The artwork looked rushed and hacked-out. Since then, the quality of his work has only continued to decline. It is to the point where I can no longer justify spending my money on his material. I am convinced that the man has either developed a serious alcohol/substance abuse problem, or he just doesn't care about the quality of his work (or entertaining his readers) anymore. There's just no other explanation. If you think I am being unfair, go back and compare the artwork in "To Hell and Back" with the artwork in the first "Sin City" novel. Talk about your stylistic inconsistencies. It's impossible to believe that this is even the work of the same man. Well, "The Dark Knight Strikes Again" is, for me, the final straw. Look at it. It's a mess. Can you imagine a newcomer to the comics field turning material like this in to their editor? They would never work again. I'm guessing the only reason DC Comics went ahead and published "DKSA" is because they know it will sell based on Miller's (and Batman's) name value, and because they had to make back the money they paid Miller to do this job. Sorry to be so blunt, but as a professional illustrator myself, I can recognize the difference between the work of an artist trying out a zany, experimental new style, and someone who just slopped something out to get it done and over with. This is clearly an example of the latter. Frank, if it's health problems, please try and take better care of yourself. And if you are just bored or sick of writing and drawing comics, please get over it or retire. This is unacceptable.

OVER A DECADE IN THE MAKING...AND THIS IS IT????
The original dark knight returns was a milestone in comic history that set new guidelines from story-telling. The DKR portrayed Batman as a violent, delusional, arrogant and bitter superhero (what can you expect after fighting crime for so long?) This was Batman at his best. It would be hard to top this one. Fast forward to 2002. Readers of the Dark Knight Returns are brimming w/ anticipation of the long-awaited sequel to the Dark Knight Returns. The first story is good, all the superheroes have either left or are incarcerated. Superman along w/ Wonder Woman and Capt. Marvel are the only ones allowed to operate on Earth. And Lex Luthor and Brainiac are the supreme rulers of Earth and control Superman and his teammates. Everything looks dandy from the surface but all the rights and freedoms of the people are gone. At this point Batman decides that he and his "bat-boys" have been hidden long enough. They make their debut and break out Captain Atom (who has been living in a petri dish the last couple of years). They also break out the Flash (who had been running on a hamster wheel in order to generate the electricity for the world). Lex Luthor is threatened by the reemergance of these heroes and sends Superman to find whoever is responsible. The issue concludes with Superman getting his butt handed to him by Batman. Then comen the second story...stop everything. The art in the first story was a little sloppy but still decent but by the time, you reach the second issue, the art work has totally deteriorated and continues to do so until the least page. It's like Frank Miller suddenly started to paint w/ a mascara at 3:00 am in the morning to make the 9:00 am deadline. In this one, we are bombarded w/ more characters, their appearances are irrelevant and suddenly this becomes a geriatric JLA story. Although this issuse was bad, I decided to get the next one for closure. But then, due to unexplained delays, I wind up waiting 6 months for the final installment. Guess what, the art work is even worse. Miller dumped the mascara he painted issue two with and now he is using his fingers dipped in paint. The story is fast-paced and barely coherent. At the end, the final villain is....Robin....the same Robin Batman kept remembering in the original DKR. Except now, the boy wonder is a genetically altered supervillain w/ the ability to heal himself no matter how severe the injury (i.e. at some points he is decapitated, is doused w/ gasoline and burned alive, shot w/ flaming arrows, guns, bombs, etc.) Where did that come from? Feels like Miller just needed to fill pages at the end of the story. At the end, he is defeated by having his head chopped off by Batman and is thrown into a volcano. This book was a total disappointment and does not do the original DKR justice. The art was bad, brainiac looks like a pac-man reject, and what's the deal w/ the big feet on all the characters (I think Miller has a foot fetish) and the story is more about the JLA than Batman. If you didn't read the original DKR, then you might actually enjoy this, but if you read the original, then you will be really disappointed.

Great Idea, Horrendous Exocution
I found that the story touched on many important themes especially the way Batman finally realizes who the real "bad-guys" are and Superman finally chooses to do what's right despite how hard it is. This is why it's so incredibly disappointing to see the art that makes up most of the book. After reading The Dark Knight Returns I was expecting a similar graphic style; a bit gritty and black but was disgusted when I saw the incredibly cheap computer crap thrown into the backgrounds instead of the old fully-drawn cities and such. There are plenty of pages where the whole thing is filled by one huge Photoshop effect with a character jumping or something slapped over it; this is just lazy page-filler and is not appreciated at all. I even recognized some of the effects as I've used them while messing around with Adobe Photoshop at home or school. So if you want good comic art; leave this book alone and go with its predecessor or "Batman: Year One" which I believe has art which trumps both.