Dark Knight Returns

What defines the term graphic novel? A graphic novel is a novel in the form of a comic strip (Graphic Novel). These kinds of novels are not like any other story, filled with only pages of words. The Graphic Novels are outlined with amazing artwork and small dialogue that gives the reader a pictorial view along with the storyline. The drawings are there to interpret imagery and symbolism. These novels give the reader a sense of imagination and a visual feeling of the characters. A comic book would be defined very differently from a Graphic Novel. A comic book is often short and is compared to the length of a chapter in a book, and leaves the reader hanging. While a graphic novel is longer and completes the story.

The genre of The Dark Knight Returns is super hero (DC comics). This novel is tale about the great knight himself, Batman. In this epic novel of Batman, he is doomed to fall, then rise up and overcome fear. What appeals most about this novel is the detail, dedication and time put into this masterpiece. Rolling Stone magazine said that "this has changed the course of comics." USA Today says "groundbreaking" (DC comics). When reviews like this come rolling in from big magazine companies, people start to talk and listen to what this story has to offer the world.

Every inch of this story goes into so much detail that this makes non-readers want to read it. The usual way a graphic novel is setup is with columns on top of each other with illustrations in them and has dialogue filled in the boxes. This story is broken down into four books combined into one binding. When readers view the story, they need to step back and look at who is Batman. From where does he come? Why does he dress like that? The better understanding of the Dark Knight, the better off the reader will be with this novel.

The main character in the story is Bruce Wayne, a wealthy businessman by day, Batman by night. He wears a bat suit that consists of a utility belt with high tech gadgets and a weapon called a batarang, used to grapple objects, along with a cape for gliding across great distances or to attack enemies. His personality is very bold and bleak. Yet, he is a very brilliant and sophisticated man, with the money to support his crime fighting habit. He comes from a long line of fortune and is head of his father's company Wayne Enterprises. His parents were shot and killed in front of him outside a movie theatre when he was just a child. He now relies on Alfred Pennyworth, his trustworthy butler, to help him out when needed.

There is a long line of characters in this novel, but here are the important ones to remember. Carrie Kelly is the third installment of Robin, and this time the character is a girl. James Gordon is the commissioner of Gotham City who retires on his 70th birthday. He is aware of Batman's true identity and is very supportive of his crime fighting ways. Two-Face, whose original name is Harvey Dent, is one of Batman's famous enemies, and whose body is half scarred. Batman's arch enemy, the Joker is the most diabolical, sinister, and evil characters ever to be created in the comic world. The Joker was voted number one on the top most evil villains of all time (DC Comics). Last, but not least, are the Mutants, led by the Mutants' leader.

Frank Miller changed the setting for Batman, set in a dystopian future in Gotham City, as a 55 year old, retired from being a super hero. From reading the novel, it seems to be that Ronald Reagan is the president and the Cold War is still happening. All the superheroes have either retired or pushed away by the people except for Superman, because he ages very slowly and is the "Man of Steel." The reason Bruce Wayne, Batman, went into retirement was because of Jason Todd, the second Robin. Jason Todd was murdered by the Joker by an explosion in an abandoned warehouse.

Two-Face was in Arkham Asylum, a mental hospital for the criminally insane was let go into the world by a famous psychiatrist named Dr. Bartholomew Wolper. He signs off on him and does surgery on him to fix his body to look like the old Harvey Dent. But little does Gotham know that he is still Two-Face inside, a criminal. Bruce Wayne feared and was angry about the release of Two-Face. He comes out of retirement to don the mask yet again. Dent, of course, returns to crime on the outside world and Batman apprehends him.

The media begins to talk about the return of Batman; some are for the Dark Knight, while others are against him. As the story unfolds, Batman saves a girl named Carrie Kelly from some of the gang members that call themselves The Mutants. She later buys a cheap Robin suit and tries to find Batman to help him out with crime fighting. She finds Batman at the city dump fighting the Mutants with a huge tank that shoots out rubber bullets, because Batman number one rule is do not kill. He defeats all of them except for the Mutants' leader. The leader shouts out to Batman to stop being a coward and face him in hand-to-hand combat.

The Mutants' leader defeats Batman. Carrie comes in and distracts the leader and pulls Batman into the tank to escape to the Batcave, which is Batman's secret hideout, hidden underneath his house. Later the leader is apprehended and thrown into jail. Kelly tends to Batman's wounds inflicted by the Mutants' leader. Batman decides to take Carrie under his wing as the third Robin. Alfred, Batman's butler, does not agree with the decision because of the murder of Jason Todd, the second Robin and she was also only 13 years old.

Batman tells Commissioner Gordon about how to defeat the Mutants the right way and that is humiliation. Gordon sets up a trap for the leader to escape from jail and meets Batman on the outside. They battle again in a huge mud bath. The leader cannot easily move in this