Question about the Dark Knight returns

[Batman's Biggest Fan]

does Batman die? I had a dream I was reading that book and I return looking and seeing Batman's death

[TimTwoFace]

I forget the intracacies of how he pulled it off, but Batman faked his death at the end of THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS. About an hour before engaging in his fight with Superman (whoo!), he took some pills that would apparently kill him; turns out they only stopped his heart, and it wasn't until after he was buried that he "came back to life". Carrie knew it was going to happen, and Superman picked up on it, too.

so, really, at the end of TDKR, Bruce is still very much alive, but the general public doesn't know it until he returns in THE DARK KNIGHT STRIKES AGAIN.

-Tim

[Batman's Biggest Fan]

i guess there was no fight between Batman and Superman then?

[Wumbo]

they did fight. the pills that bruce took didn't take effect until after the fight took place. it's an awesome story that is worth reading. that story revived batman.

[Batman's Biggest Fan]

who won?

[Wumbo]

batman

[Batman's Biggest Fan]

really how?

[Wumbo]

with a little help from lex luthor's kryptonite ring

it really is worth reading. if you don't want to buy it , you can go to Border's or any other book store and read it. though i would have to suggest owning it.

[RorShaq]

It wasn't the kryptonite ring. Batman had spent years and much of his fortune trying to synthesize kryptonite, and he finally succeded. Also, just prior to the fight, Superman had been caught at ground zero of the most powerful nuclear blast ever, which nearly killed him. Plus, the resulting debris from the blast blocked out the sun, the source of his power. And of course, Superman didn't really want to hurt his old friend.

It's a great story for Batman an Superman fans alike. Everyone should read it.

[Wumbo]

uh-oh, guess i'd better go back and refresh my memory. haven't actually read it in a long time. i think that i crossed memory implants with one from the armageddon 2000 annuals. oops.

[TimTwoFace]

THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS is definately worth picking up. It took me a while to get used to how gritty and 80's it looked, but on the second reading, I thought it was amazing. I wasn't a fan so much of the mutants book (part two); I thought the Two-Face, Joker, and Superman showdowns were all awesome, though.

If only Miller's sequel were that good. THE DARK KNIGHT STRIKES BACK is good, but not THAT good.

-Tim

[Mattashell]

Actually The Dark Knight Returns is a dead on representation of the political climate of the Reagan years. I'm not saying that as a Liberal or a Conservative. As always Miller is critical of both sides with equal weight. For a great look at Miller's disgust with political extremism read Give Me Liberty, a book I enjoyed nearly as much. When I recently reread The Dark Knight Returns in order to prep for The Dark Knight Strikes Again I was shocked at all the things I picked up on that I just didn't get as a kid. By the way Batman isn't exactly portrayed as a sint either.


The Dark Knight Strikes Again has some good ideas, but some of it doesn't quite work for me and it doesn't often really seem like a sequal. Furthermore the art plain gives me a headache, and so far Batman is a major player, but the book is really about the DCU in a bizzarre future scenario. Superman seems to be the main character if it's anyone.

[Apache Chief]

Let's not forget that Batman had Green Arrow's help in defeating Superman.