The superhero was born in the late 1930’s, and had become
somewhat antiquated by the mid 1980’s, Likewise, America’s notions of heroism
had drastically changed. Other mediums,
to varying degrees, reflected the country’s shift in mood and political attitudes. Two comic book writers, Alan Moore and Frank
Miller, thought it was time to bring the superhero out of the dark ages and
into the present, kicking and screaming if need be. Seeing as how they were two of the hottest
writers around, they were more than up to the challenge. They both decided that a deconstructionist
take on the material would be the best way to go. However, their vastly different storytelling
sensibilities took them down wildly divergent paths. Moore was going to question the very notion
of superheroes, while Miller was planning to turn an iconic superhero into a seemingly
fascist enemy of the state.
Batman: The Dark
Knight Returns takes place sometime during the Reagan administration,
though no exact date is given. In the
midst of his retirement from crime fighting, a 55 year-old Bruce Wayne grows
restless. His beloved Gotham is on the
brink of anarchy, having fallen prey to a vicious new youth gang known only as
the mutants. The call of battle proves
to be too much for the aging crime fighter to resist. He dons the cape and cowl
once more. His reemergence is given a
less than enthusiastic reception by both the media and local law
enforcement. He reclaims the streets of
Gotham with brutal force in spite of his ailing health and mental state. When the reemergence of his oldest foe
coincides with the beginning of world war three, Batman asserts ultimate
authority. Seeing him as a threat to its
power, the United States government sends a powerful old friend to rein him in.
Batman:
The Dark Knight Returns seemed to subscribe to a number of troubling yet intriguing notions. The story paints fascism as a form of
revolution. The superheroes of
yesteryear worked outside of the system in order to preserve and aid it. As a result, they were embraced and
celebrated as role models. Superheroes
in the classic sense have no place in modern day America as envisioned by Frank
Miller. Heroes such as Batman are persecuted
by their governments. In such an environment,
simply being a superhero requires one to ultimately become a revolutionary. Batman no longer seeks to preserve the
system, but to destroy it and rebuild it in his own image, hence the mutant
gang becoming “The Sons of Batman” by stories end. This ties in perfectly with Frank
Miller’s reimagining of Batman as a caped and cowled “Dirty” Harry
Callahan.
The story reflects and embraces the prevalent pop culture
influences of its time. Action films
were in the midst of their very own “golden era” in the 1980’s. Heavily muscled supermen such as John J.
Rambo took on entire armies with high tech weaponry and guerilla tactics. Miller responded to that trend by offering a
highly militarized Batman with a freakishly overdeveloped physique. He is shown as grey haired with a bulky, chiseled
frame and a visage that resembles jagged rocks.. The Batmobile becomes a literal tank,
spitting fireballs with a mere trigger pull.
This Batman employs sheer brute force just as much as stealth and/or strategy. In fact, he revels in it.
Batman: The Dark
Knight Returns was once considered somewhat in the same pantheon as Alan
Moore’s Watchmen. In the
last decade or so, the latter has pulled ahead in terms of regard and
prestige. Moore’s take on superheroes is
now considered the more mature and intelligent of the two by far. However, Batman:
The Dark Knight Returns continues to exert a considerable influence on how
the caped crusader is portrayed in popular media. Its undeniable stamp is all over the films of
Tim Burton and Christopher Nolan, as well as Bruce Timm’s celebrated animated
series. Acclaimed though it may be, Watchmen’s heady and ponderous approach
lacks the visceral kick of Miller’s apocalyptic vigilante fantasy. Alan Moore sought to debunk and then eulogize
the superhero. Miller sought to transmogrify
him. Long live the Dark Knight!
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