CONSUMER ADVICE

Parents, need to be aware that this is not their grandfathers Batman book, this is a new age Batman book. The story presented in this book is dark, it can be gruesome, and it can be downright frightening sometimes. In this book people are killed, tortured, some of the characters are mentally insane and sick, and there is some mild innuendo. If this was made into a movie, I'm pretty positive that it would be given an R rating. Batman fans NEED to read this! This is required reading if you are a fan of Batman. Read it...now. This book is analysed in college. No, really, it is.

In my opinion, Batman is the man (Forgive the bad pun). He is without a doubt my favorite superhero out there. Call me crazy, I know everyone out there will argue that Superman and Spider-Man are the best, but in my mind Batman is just the coolest and smartest hero ever to grace the comic book world. That costume, that stone cold attitude he gives the bad guys (and good guys sometimes too), and all those cool gadget and fight moves make Batman the perfect superhero out there! The fact that he doesn't have any real powers is also a plus in my book, as Batman has to rely on his wits and God given talent if he's going to make it out of a fight alive. Plus I still think that the 1992 animated Batman cartoon is the best action cartoon ever made in the world, and it would be safe to say that if Batman didn't impress me so much, I would have never gotten into comics as seriously as I am now! However as cool as Batman is, there are also a LOT of Batman series, spin-offs, mini-series, and what not for the hard-core (and average) Batman fan to read! In fact, there are SO many Batman titles out there, that it can be tricky to know exactly what Batman series/mini-series you should actually invest your time in, and which series/mini-series you should avoid.

Back in the mid-80's, a comic book writer by the name of Frank Miller had an impifany when he realized that he was turning 35, and soon he would be older then Batman. This scary thought got him to thinking about what Batman would be like if he was older. While this may sound like a strange idea to think about (After all, when has ANY superhero seriously aged), Frank Miller pulled this idea off with stunning results, which resulted in him creating the single best Batman story ever told to this day! The story opens up in Gotham City, where crime still runs free. Commissioner Gordon is still the head of the Gotham Police, however it has been many years since anyone's seen Batman. The reason Batman hasn't been around recently is because Bruce Wayne has gotten very old, and has since retired from his bat days, opting to live the quite life where he ponders life on a daily basis. His faithful butler Alfred is still waiting on him, but he too is old, and from the looks of things he can very easily have a heart attack at any moment. And while Commissioner Gordon may be still be the head of the Gotham Police, he too is on his last legs, and is even planning his own retirement after many years of service. However one thing that hasn't aged is the crime in Gotham, as crime is still a very big part of Gotham City.

However while contemplating on his life, Bruce decides that Gotham City is still in need of the Dark Knight, who has been retired for a long time. After some serious consideration, Bruce puts on the suit, get his gadgets ready, and returns to the streets of Gotham City to take out crime once more. However when he returns he is opposed by gangs, the government, talk shows, and even Superman himself has some problems with the bat. It doesn't take long for Batman to find people who both oppose and approve of his actions, and when Batman brings up more conflict then he wanted to, we get to see a side of Batman we usually don't see: His inner thoughts! I'm not talking about those little stadegies he creates in his head. No, the thoughts we see in this Batman are personal, human, and realistic thoughts. Batman has always been one of the most complicated superhero's ever created (He may even be THE most complicated of the superhero's out there), and Frank Miller makes the Batman character even more human then he usually is (Which is definitely a good thing). The Batman in this story is old, and he realizes he's old. At the beginning of this story he wonders whether or not he should get back into his old lifestyle, for fear that he may not be up to snuff to take down all the young criminals out there.

Not only that, but there is one scene where Batman has the gun barrel of a tank pointed directly at his opponent, and he seriously considers whether or not he should use the gun on his foe. After all, he's ageing while his opponent is still very young, and Batman worries that he may be too old to fight him one-on-one. It's scene's like this that make the story that much more special, as you are able to see eye-to-eye with Batman like we never could before. Like I noted above, we end up seeing Batman's most inner thoughts and feelings, and these feelings make the book what it is. Batman looks back on his life, his happiness and sorrow, his old friends and partners, and the night of when his parents died. And not only do we get to see Batman's thoughts, we see the thoughts of Commissioner Gordon and other characters as well, and like Batman, we start to understand these people that much more too. The story is also very captivating, however it is hard to fully explain since a lot of the story has to do with the characters thoughts and feelings, so I think it'd be better for you to experience the story yourself (Although I will point out that a certain psycho clown is back, and the ending has one heck of a fight sequence).

We also get a new female Robin that joins the aging Batman's cause, and even helps in the combat sometimes. And while she is the least developed character in the book, we do see that she has fears, she would rather be doing many other things then fight crime, but she fights because she believes in Batman. The bond between Batman and this new Robin is also very special and emotional. It may seem strange that Batman would so easily take on a new partner, but when he look's at how many people hate him, he decides to believe in her at a time when no one believes in him. Trust me, the friendship that sparks between these two is very special indeed. Then we have Alfred, who is still up to his old tricks as always (A.K.A., giving Master Bruce advice that will never be taken to heart). "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns" is not only the best Batman story to date, but one of the best comics ever written! It's got a heart thumping story, realistic and true action, and some of the best character development seen in a comic book! Heck, even the great Steven King gave his mark of approval on this book, which should give you a very good idea on how great the story is! This story truly is a classic.

I know my explanation of the story may sound clunky and unconvincing to some of you out there, but this is really one of those books that just leaves you for a loss of words! After all, how easy can you explain a story that is mostly driven by thought balloons? It's pretty hard to, and this is one of those series where you need to read it to fully understand the impact of the story. Even if you're not a fan of Batman comics (or superhero comics in general) I still think everyone owe's it to themselves to give this book a try. It's one of the few great comic books of our time. It has survived for over 10 years at this point, and I believe it will survive for another 100 years...and then some!