Dark Knight Strikes Again, The - Volume 1 [Paperback]

Frank Miller (Author), Lynn Varley (Author)

Book Description

Series: Dark Knight Strikes Again | Publication Date: October 1, 2001

Written and illustrated by Frank Miller; cover by Miller.

The most eagerly-awaited sequel in comics begins! Three years after the events in THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, Batman knows the world is nowhere near the perfect little place it pretends to be, and he sees the cracks in the system that have been neatly covered up. It's time to find where all the heroes have gone, and the Dark Knight is the right man for the job.

Product Details

• Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: DC Comics (October 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1563898705
• ISBN-13: 978-1563898709
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 6.6 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (69 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,030,191 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

102 of 114 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not what I expected, December 19, 2001

By 

John M. King (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dark Knight Strikes Again, The - Volume 1 (Paperback)

Just to let you know where I stand, I'm a former comics collector who tired of the excesses of the medium and its perpetual recycling of characters and storylines. However, I admired Frank Miller's "Dark Knight Returns" for its cinematic storytelling, sharp wit and unexpected vision of a world that no longer wanted superheroes. Set three years later, "The Dark Knight Strikes Again" presents this world in an even more nightmarish fashion that I found both intriguing and repellant. Here, a grotesque Lex Luthor has quietly siezed control of the presidency (for what ends, we're not yet sure), Superman plays his pliant pawn, and the exiled Batman decides he must upend this future society drunk on prosperity and a soft form of fascism. This first chapter begins as Batman and a band of Bat-themed revolutionaries free several imprisoned heroes. And as an old fan, I found Miller's reimaginings of stock DC characters fascinating. The Flash now is bitter and cynical. The Atom, long a third-tier character, is recast as a gutsy tough guy. And I was pleased that Miller allowed Superman to state a convincing case for siding with the despots (which still fit the character's more simplistic, utilitarian philosophy). What I found even bolder--and, in the end, most difficult to swallow--was Miller's deliberately crude drawing style. He no longer delineates characters as much as simply suggests them with scratchy etches and thick blotches of shadow, and pays only lip service to realistic perspective. At its best, this style brings a weighty and disquieting quality to the book that you rarely find in comics. I occasionally was reminded of Picasso's late-period pen-and-ink work. And it certainly is appropriate for capturing the corruption of this future world and the moral ambiguity of these characters. But I also found that this jarring style impeded the storytelling; I often had to puzzle over panels to figure out what I was looking at or how one image related to the next. (And I don't even know how to address Miller's apparent fetish with humungous shoes.) However, I have to admit that I want to pick up the next issue. To find any work in the superhero medium so original and deeply unsettling is, in the end, a compliment.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Alright...but, December 28, 2001

By 

devenny john (brick, nj United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dark Knight Strikes Again, The - Volume 1 (Paperback)

I remember picking up Dark Knight Returns when I was 13 and loving it. I remember rediscovering it when I was 17 and realizing it was true art. A masterpiece, my favorite comic book of all time, and I have read thousands.

So, having not bought a comic in about 4 years, I ventured back into a comic book shop and bought DK2. After reading the 80 page book, all I can say is "Eh"...

The Good:
Miller does continue the story very well. You learn some of the secrets hinted at in the first book, and see what happened to other characters in the universe. Carrie, AKA Catwoman, is portrayed well as a real ...(butt) kicker in the Bruce Wayne tradition. The futuristic world is done well, with realistic political and social observations. The Flash and the Atom are written well. Creative cameos by Jimmy Olson and Lana's daughter.

The Bad:
The art. The art sucks period. Lex Luthor looks like a monkey and Carrie is so anatomically perfect as to make her a barbie doll. I thought the Batboy uniforms were lame. Not enough writing and dialogue. No Batman. Dumb battle at the end. I liked the portrayal of Superman in the first book, but this is stupid. Superman has fought crime for 60 years and he just walks right into a Batman trap? Please. Guess how Batman beats him? Kryptonite! Didn't see that coming! I'm no fan of Supes but I know he's no pushover.

Conclusion:
If you love the first book you will like this one. The series does show promise however, with Batman actually in the book now. All in all, an ok book that will hopefully get better.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars DK2 - Fun, but No Classic, February 3, 2002

By 

Greg Rice (Front Royal, VA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dark Knight Strikes Again, The - Volume 1 (Paperback)

Frank Miller's much-anticipated sequel to his 1986 classic The Dark Knight Returns has its moments, but is unable to match the fierce sturm and drang of the original. (I've read DK2 volumes 1 and 2 already).
This work is considerably lighter in tone than DKR. It considerably plays up the silliness and goofiness of the comics world and plays down the angst, grittiness and psychological drama found in DKR. DK2 is drawn in a cartoonier style and has a cartoonier story.
We do not see as much of the Dark Knight himself, as this story features many of the other D.C. JLA superheroes. Bats, while still grimly determined, seems more a caricature of himself this time around, and loses something of the dark magnificence that made DKR so cool to begin with. We just can't take him as seriously.
This said, DK2 is fun in a cartoony sort of way, and features some clever satire and keen observations in what appears to be a commentary on the late-nineties/pre 9-11 zeitgeist of frivolous hedonism and material prosperity detracting from growing big-government tyranny. But while clever at times, Miller's jests and jabs seem to lack the focus needed for great satire, choosing to half-heartedly poke fun at everything.
In short, DK2 never really flies as humorous satire or as grim drama. The raw, savage passion of DKR just isn't there, but if you're a die-hard Miller fan, this still may be worth checking out.