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Cover of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
Standalone stories · 1986

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns

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Inspired Batman (1989), The Dark Knight Rises and Joker: at 55, Bruce Wayne puts the cowl back on in a crime-ridden Gotham; collects the 4-issue miniseries

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Do you need to read it?

Yes. It's in the Main story, the list of only what moves the plot forward to the end of the saga.

Where it falls in the order

  • Main story8 of 8
  • Chronological15 of 16
  • Everything1 of 16
Spoilers for this title

Quick recap

In a grim future, Bruce Wayne is 55 and hasn't worn the cowl in ten years. Gotham is overrun by the Mutants, a violent gang. He returns as Batman, rescues young Carrie Kelley, who becomes the new Robin, and beats the Mutant leader in front of the gang, which splinters. Hearing of his rival's return, the Joker wakes up, kills a whole studio audience on a TV show and ends up dead at a fair, breaking his own neck. The government sends Superman to stop Batman. With Oliver Queen's help and a kryptonite arrow, Batman wins, but suffers a heart attack. After the funeral, Carrie digs him up: Bruce faked his death and leaves with his followers to keep up the war.

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5 trivia

Trivia

  1. Behind the scenesA girl Robin

    Frank Miller took John Byrne's suggestion: "Robin must be a girl." That's how Carrie Kelley was born.

    source ↗
  2. Behind the scenesPrestige format

    Each issue came with extra pages, square binding, card-stock covers and glossy paper, to show off colorist Lynn Varley's watercolors.

    source ↗
  3. ReferenceKeaton's homework

    Michael Keaton studied The Dark Knight Returns for the 1989 Batman, and composer Danny Elfman was handed it for inspiration.

    source ↗
  4. ReferenceJoker's talk show host

    Talk show host David Endochrine inspired Murray Franklin, Robert De Niro's character in Joker (2019). In both, the Joker kills on the set.

    source ↗
  5. ReferenceNolan's retired Batman

    The Dark Knight Rises was compared to The Dark Knight Returns: both show a Bruce Wayne retired for years coming back.

    source ↗
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