I'm not in the minority for thinking this (I think). I mean, read his work and you'll understand.
BATMAN: YEAR ONE. Perfection. They haven't written another Batman origin story in, like, ever. One that's canon anyway. I mean, yeah you have Geoff Jones's BATMAN: EARTH ONE (balls awesome, by the way) and in other stuff you have references to his childhood but BATMAN: YEAR ONE. That's kinda it. I love it. I love Jim Gordon. I love Bruce Wayne. I love the ending. I could take or leave Selina in this interpretation. Anyway. BATMAN: YEAR ONE = wonderful.
BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS. THE BEST. PERFECT. AMAZING. Like, if anyone knows or cares anything about comics, they've read this. And if they have a brain, they recognize that is one of the greatest stories ever out there. It's certainly one of my favorites (though I couldn't pick my favorite comic if you held a gun up to my head... okay, maybe then, if I had to). But this post isn't about BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS.
This post is about this:
Let me say, first of all, that I love the cover image used for the graphic novel trade. It's the smallest possible panel in the actually book but it makes such a great cover. I think that image kind of sums up everything Batman is, was, means, thinks, feels. It's just, perfect.
Now, I still really like this comic book but I also have some major issues with it. First of all, it's just not nearly as interesting as THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS. That one is all about Bruce Wayne realizing that he never really left Batman behind and that Gotham (America? the world?) really needs Batman. Heck, they really need heroes in general. And THAT one culminates in this beyond awesome showdown between Batman and Superman (*sob* why can't you just be friends always?). And the ending has this perfect cliffhanger type thing going on. It's just great.
THE DARK KNIGHT STRIKES AGAIN doesn't really hold a candle to it, quite frankly (that is not a pun). I really like it, don't get me wrong, and I find Frank Miller's art really compelling and interesting. He also does that juxtaposition thing from the first one just as well in the sequel. But I just don't care as much in this one. I like how Batman is kind of hidden from you for a good long while and then even after he finally appears, you don't see him much. I also really dig Bruce as a baldie. He looks real good.
I HATE what he did to Dick Grayson. I hate it so much it almost makes the whole thing unreadable for me. I like Carrie, don't get me wrong, but make it Jason Todd, not Dick Grayson. I can't stand by that. It's not okay with me. I'm not a fan of this. At all. In the slightest. At all. AT ALL.
What I am a fan of: Frank Miller's writing. Seriously. The man is a literary genius. All who dislike him are fools. Because I like him. Everyone else must like him too. Some examples I totally dig:
"Then he summed up everything he had to say about Batman in so few words it made me cry. And cry I did. Like a baby. So did everybody else.
"'We're in trouble deep. We need him.
"'We need Bruce Wayne.'" (this is from the "Top Cop Pops" exclusive by Vicky Vale at the beginning of the book)
Son of Hawkman and Hawkgirl: "I do not accept these deaths. I do not accept this crime.
Batman: You're going to get what I never got. Retribution.
(Whoa, that was a huge jump between the first two... oh well...)
Superman: It's hard to control, isn't it? The heat vision. Of all the powers, it takes the longest to master. When I was a baby, I almost burned down my parents' house. It did cost them a shed. Pa was furious... Lara. What sort of world have I given you?
Batman: CHILDREN, PULL ON YOUR TIGHTS -- AND GIVE THEM HELL.
Batman: This is the world you turned your back on, pal. These are the people you abandoned. Watch. Learn. And make your choice.
Captain Marvel: He (Billy) died eight years ago. So I'm going on a one-way trip.
A CREATURE OF MAGIC. CAPTAIN MARVEL.
Wonder Woman: "One - way trip"?... Where do you go?
Captain Marvel: Where... Where's a wish go? Where's a dream go when you wake up and can't remember it? Nowhere. Give everybody my best. It's been nice... existing.
Wonder Woman: Say the word, warrior! Go out with a lion's roar!
SHAZAM!
Batman: We aren't here to rule. We aren't here to bring chaos or anarchy. We're here to end the reign of criminals. Luthor. Brainiac. This is only the beginning. Tyrants, your days are numbered. You can't fight us -- and you can't find us, we strike like lightning -- and we melt into the night like ghosts. (can you feel my adoration from where you're sitting, Reed?)
Supergirl/Lara: (about/to Batman) How dare you! You're nothing but human flesh and human bone. I could hunt you down in a second -- erase you at my whim! You can't speak to me like that -- and you sure as hell can't speak to my father like that!
Superman: Yes. He can. He's our only hope. The bastard. He's our only hope.
Batman V.O.: No.
Not just yet, old man.
Not just yet.
One more job to finish.
One last run.
One last run.
Green Lantern V.O.: Bruce. You begged me not to leave. You said we could win. Now we'll find out. How strange that it would be you. The mean one. The cruel one. The one with the darkest soul. How odd that you, of all of us, would prove to be the most hopeful. (< this one I love an exceptional amount)
Green Lantern V.O.: Bruce. You were right. When you laughed in our faces, all those years ago -- when you called the rest of us a pack of fools -- you were right. Of course we're criminals. We've always been criminals. On this planet we have to be criminals. (< this one really makes you think)
Carrie: You're losing all your stuff. You're blowing it all up.
Batman: It's nothing. It's junk. A robot tyrannosaur, for goodness sake.
Carrie: Well, yeah, and that giant penny was pretty bogue. But it's your history. Your whole history. Batman: Souvenirs, darling. Nothing but souvenirs.
I know that was probably so tedious for you to read, Reed. It was pretty tedious for to type. But it's one of the main reasons I love comic books - good comic books. Good writing.
Other things I like:
- Miller's portrayal of the heroes as they come out of retirement, particularly Barry Allen, the Flash.
- An acknowledgement of how crazy powerful Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) is. I hate when writers ignore that fact.
- Bald Bruce.
- The art.
- The writing.
- The writing.
- Oh, and did I mention the writing?
That's what makes a good comic book: good writing. So many people think it's about the art or whatever but if the writing is flat, the book falls apart. Granted, the same can be said for the art but I think that even if the art isn't really your style, if the writing is good, it holds it all together. For me, I couldn't stand the art of WATCHMAN at first yet Moore's story and writing held the hot mess together. Or even BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS. I didn't buy that trade for a long time cause the art weirded me out. But the writing is crazy good and that persuaded me and now I really like the art.
Good writing = why I love comic books.
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