Product Description

Some years after the events of "The Dark Knight Returns", America has become an even worse place to live. But a hero has come to change everything, bringing an army of other forgotten heroes to bear in the war against crime and corruption. Batman's time has come again.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10031 in Books
• Published on: 2003-12-19
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

Amazon.co.uk 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 recognised 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 realise 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 colouring 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 (eg, 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 evangelise to the uninitiated, 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

Customer Reviews

Classic in its way...
This sequel to Dark Knight Returns, arguably the best-known Batman story ever, retains a similar tone of rebellion to the first. However, it doesn't maintain the integrity of the first part.
One of the reasons for this is Miller's decision to centre the story not on Batman, but on his former allies. With no regard to modern continuity, Barry Allen aka The Flash is rescued from a power station in Bruce's last attempt to bring down the government. Whilst Miller's portrayal of the character is classic, there is little focus on Bruce at all. He has become understandably bitter with old age, and especially angry with the world. This, is where the problem lies. Although I can appreciate Miller's rage towards the modern government, I don't think it warrants drowning out potential plot points that could explain more about the character's motives.
Another problem lies in Miller's inks. This guy NEEDS Klaus Janson to personify his work, a la DKR. When Miller inks his own work, it just doesn't work. I hope Miller's upcoming Batman story about Batman's war with terrorism doesn't suffer the rush job that this did.
If I was being honest, much of the real character of Bruce Wayne is drowned by pointless developments, primarily the treatment of Dick Grayson, the first Robin and Nightwing, as well. This character is essentially used as a villainous device, doing a disservice to a fantastic character.
The few qualities that save this lie in a return to the world that Miller created. It is a world I will find in no other books by anyone. The world feels dark, and false and as such, everything is never quite as it seems, and nobody can be trusted. Although this is Miller's message, I feel it ruined the idea of the story. Dark sattire can be acheived whilst still creating a great story such as V For Vendetta by Alan Moore. However, all I can do now is hope that his new Batman title with Jim Lee will be as awesome as his other Batman work.

Huge disappointment
Anyone who read and loved the first Darknight series will be disppointed with this "sequel". I can't believe Frank Miller wouldn't do better than this. The story is only remotely related to the first series, the characters have changed too much. Whereas the original series was dark, complex and multi-layered, the story here is cartoonish and uni-dimensional. Batman is actually absent 80% of the time, so I wonder why this is called Dark Knight at all! The drawings are over simplified, you often get one pannel a page, and where in the old series the drawing was complex and with intricate background and colouring (beatifully water coloured) here you get a big headed character in a panel that seems coloured in with markers! It is unbelievable that this is actually the exact same team that brought us the first series. In the first series, we had a long, complex and thrilling story, the return of Batman, his memories and personal struggle, the mutants and their fall, the Joker, the nuclear holocaust... Here story is slow paced, and more than halfway through the series you realise that nothing much has happened really, and that you've seen Batman maybe twice. Instead you're "treated" to the silliest, worst DC characters ever, like the utterly cartoonish Plastic Man. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't expecting the sequel to be just the same as the original series, but, hell!, it had to be coherent! This world just doesn't seem to the same as the first 4 books. It simply is not to the standard of Frank Miller. Having said that, I'll get every single issue, because it is still better than most comics around anyway, still I can't help but feel sad that one of my favourite teenage comic epics has been so defiled!
I guess I'll just get a special re-issue of the first series and read and relive past glories...

Still Better than most books but. . . .
This is a good comic book story. Maybe a very good story. I enjoyed the tone and style in which he told this sequel. It is done in a decidedly different tone then The Dark Knight Returns, but that is obvious and very intentional. It does what it sets out to do and that is to present the excitement and energy that these "tired" old characters can still deliver if someone takes the time to create a good old-fashioned good vs. evil storyline for them. Miller does this. This book is fun. No one knows how to characterize Batman better then Miller. It's too bad the possibilities of Miller doing a monthly stint on a Batman title are absolutely and totally impossible. Miller always makes Batman act in manner that reminds you why Batman is the "coolest" of all of DC's characters.
The artwork on the other hand. . .????
Miller is my favorite comic book artist of all time and I'm not quite sure what's going on here. Miller has claimed that he was taking a very stylized, almost cartoonish approach to this sequel. I don't think it works at all. It's not the most optimum style for him to be working in. It ends up appearing more like the art was rushed. It gives you the impression that Miller felt he didn't have the time to devote to the artwork so he decided to go cartoonish so he could work quicker.
It is easily the most disappointing artwork Miller has ever done. Conceptually, what Miller and Varley seemed to be trying to do, does fit the idea and story they were trying to tell. However, in application they didn't achieve the quality they needed to.
All in all, it's better than most comic book stories you will buy this year. However, knowing Miller and Varley's history in the industry, it does give you the feeling that they could've done better.