Batman the Dark Knight Returns: Book & Mask Set - Softcover

Miller, Frank

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1401267742 ISBN 13: 9781401267742

Publisher: Dc Comics, 2016

Synopsis

One of the greatest graphic novels of all-time, THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, is now available in this beautifully packaged set complete with a replica Batman mask, done in the style of Frank Miller!

Together with inker Klaus Janson and colorist Lynn Varley, writer/artist Frank Miller completely reinvents the legend of Batman in his saga of a near-future Gotham City gone to rot, ten years after the Dark Knight's retirement. This masterpiece of modern comics storytelling, BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, brings to vivid life a dark world and an even darker man. 

The Dark Knight retuns 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.

But can Batman and Robin deal with the threat posed by their deadliest enemies, after years of incarceration have made 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?

Celebrate thirty years of one of the most influential stories ever told in the comics medium with the undisputed classic BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS 30TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION, now packaged with a replica mask done in the style of the legendary Frank Miller.

About this title

Review:

If any comic has a claim to have truly reinvigorated the genre, then The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller--known also for his excellent Sin City series and his superb rendering of the blind superhero Daredevil--is probably the top contender. Batman represented all that was wrong in comics and Miller set himself a tough task taking on the camp crusader and turning this laughable, innocuous children's cartoon character into a hero for our times. The great Alan Moore (V for Vendetta, Swamp Thing, the arguably peerless Watchmen) argued that only someone of Miller's stature could have done this. Batman is a character known well beyond the confines of the comic world (as are his retinue) and so reinventing him, while keeping his limiting core essentials intact, was a huge task.

Miller went far beyond the call of duty. The Dark Knight is a success on every level. Firstly it does keep the core elements of the Batman myth intact, with Robin, Alfred the butler, Commissioner Gordon, and the old roster of villains, present yet brilliantly subverted. Secondly the artwork is fantastic--detailed, sometimes claustrophobic, psychotic. Lastly it's a great story: Gotham City is a hell on earth, street gangs roam but there are no heroes. Decay is ubiquitous. Where is a hero to save Gotham? It is 10 years since the last recorded sighting of the Batman. And things have got worse than ever. Bruce Wayne is close to being a broken man but something is keeping him sane: the need to see change and the belief that he can orchestrate some of that change. Batman is back. The Dark Knight has returned. Awesome. --Mark Thwaite

About the Author:

Frank Miller began his career in comics in the late 1970s and rose to fame while first drawing, and then writing, Daredevil for Marvel Comics. He was also the creative force behind BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, BATMAN: YEAR ONE and BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT STRIKES AGAIN. His many works have not only redefined classic characters, but also, on a few occasions, revitalized the comics industry. His multi-award-winning graphic novel 300 was brought to full-blooded life in the 2007 motion picture of the same name, and in 2008 he directed the feature film Will Eisner's The Spirit. His creator-owned crime saga Sin City first hit the page in 1991, and then the silver screen in 2005, with Miller on board as co-director with Robert Rodriguez. The two returned to direct the sequel Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, released in 2014 and featuring two new stories by Miller.

About this edition

• Publisher: Dc Comics
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1401267742
• ISBN 13: 9781401267742
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 256
• Illustrator: Janson Klaus, Varney Lynn, Costanza John