Lecturas: Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns

Each book lover has a way to sort his bookshelf. The criteria could change with time, but I always thought of our bookshelves -our selection, place it has in the house and the way it's arranged- as a map of our character.

In my case, I have a shelf specially designated to books that are classics, that I heard and talked about, I recommended them but, for some reason, have been snoozed over and over in my reading log.

The Dark Knight Returns was one of them, until now.

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So many things were said and analyzed about this graphic novel classic, that I decided to read none of those, so it doesn't prejudice my experience. I am most definitely not immersed in the DC comic universe, so I'm just your average nonspecialized reader.

For the earthlings that know nothing about this, here's a brief. The Dark Knight Returns is a Batman story written in the mid-80s. The more I read from that decade, the more I feel that artists in those times were not particularly optimistic about where humanity was heading towards. My parents' generation (born in the 50s) grew up watching Adam West's batman: a very campy version in which Batman and Robin fight crime with a very clear cut between good vs. evil, jokes, dances, and those "Zip! Pow! Bam!" blowing on the screen each time they hit a bad guy.

Adam West's Batman: always wondered why they drew the eyebrows

Much was criticized for the tone of this Batman series. And Frank Miller was the person who shifted it dramatically, creating a whole new dimension of Gotham add much-needed depth and complexity.

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Now to the book. These are dark times. Gotham is a reflection of the decadence of society. The rising crime, the lack of solidarity, the destruction of the fabric that holds a community together and in harmony. These images are so penetrating because they feel true to our actual reality. The feelings of sacrifice and communion that WWII inspired when fighting the enemy are long gone. A good vs. evil explanation is unfit, there's much more, and the society is disintegrating. The crime wave is just the symptom, not the cause. Actually, there's no mention of the root cause of crime. Just marginalization and poverty are visible, yet not explained. It feels like society can gradually decay without noticing. Villains can be insane and hold no cause, an entire society rotting is a problem at a whole new dimension.

The artwork is remarkable and the story takes us to places not seen before. Though, to the great illustrations found from time to time, there are some pages that are completely crammed with text and some sketches. The richness of the story is probably the reason, but I think that sometimes there's so much information in one page, that it could've been easily been decompressed in four or five. With a story of this quality, I wouldn't have minded the extra length.

Batman is aged now. In his middle fifties, he vanished from the scene ten years ago. And Bruce Wayne struggles to stay this way, aware that times have changed. Of course, he will not remain seated for too long.

Epic images that we haven't seen in 70 years

The corroded city isn't just portrayed in the colour, architecture, and actions.  Miller resourcefully casts the mass media to portray -with irony and sarcasm- the battlefield in the public opinion arena. The TV screen becomes the outlet for the normal citizen, 

where you get to hear the politically incorrect or straight up incongruousness. Among them is the character of Dr. Bartholemew Wolper, a therapist committed to proving Batman's psychotic profile and the innocence of many of his villains. And it is worth saying that some of his arguments hold water. This character brings the redefinition of hero to discussion. What is a hero supposed to do? Does our Law allow this behaviour? And while we enjoy some good butt kicking pages, the public opinion is another battleground that is widely developed in the graphic novel.  A more complex discussion on what is right or wrong, and who's entitled to say so. This is fair also for mature Batman followers, who started reading comics as kids and they feel like the simplistic approach was no longer entertaining, nor challenging.

I could've used some more space. Too much going on!

This page feels like a short story,
a mini jewel in the grand narrative

Batman gains epic dimension in this book. There's little room for mercy with enemies, a deeper exploration of his darkness, his conflicts, the cost of his pursue for justice, the realization mortality (remember, he's old), and a revealing sensation that a hero might not be able there on time to save everyone. So, if he's not there to save that classic innocent trapped in a crumbling building, what is he good for? And the idea of the bigger picture is brought to the scene. From the plans to achieve lasting peace and order to Commissioner Gordon's explanation on why he doesn't pursue the Batman to the outright questioning to the politically correct and the institutions that failed.

He is decided to bring peace and justice back, in his own terms. Batman's figure incarnates in some way the idea of the leader as opposed to the institution.  To name an example: think of Jesus, a humble prophet in contact with his people, as opposed to the catholic authorities that spend their lives sitting in the luxurious palaces of Vatican city: to whom would you feel closer to?

The story has all the characters and places that common Batman followers are used to. Yet everything has changed places. There's plenty of references, some insinuations and sub stories that add to the richness of the story. But I shouldn't say much. Needless to say, I'm trying not to reveal any of the plot, since is yours to enjoy.

Batman just called a criminal 'punk'? Yes! more of that, please!

 This book trapped me the way was supposed to. Though I don't recommend to read it all at once, it is hard to put down. It is divided into four 'books' and each one of them deserves your undivided attention. Since I am no Batman connoisseur, I have many unanswered questions that popped along the road (Why batman outfit changes in the middle of the book?!), but this might be the time to further investigate.



PS: There's an animated movie adaptation of this graphic novel, released in 2012 (in two parts). Not a replacement and you might miss some subtleties, but a very enjoyable work as well.