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Set three years after the events of The Dark Knight Returns, The Dark Knight Strikes Again follows a similar structure: once again, Batman hauls himself out of his self-imposed retirement in order to set things right. However, where DKR was about him cleaning up his home city, Gotham, DKSA has him casting his net much wider: he's out to save the world.
The thing is, most of the world doesn't realise that it needs to be saved--least of all Superman and Wonder Woman, who have become little more than superpowered enforcers of the status quo. So, the notoriously solitary Batman is forced to recruit some different superpowered allies. He also has his ever-present trusty sidekick, Robin, except that he is a she, and she is calling herself Catwoman. Together, these super-friends uncover a vast and far-reaching conspiracy that leads to the President of the United States (Lex Luthor) and beyond.
The Dark Knight Strikes Again is largely an entertaining comic, but much of what made The Dark Knight Returns so good just doesn't work here. Miller's gritty, untidy artwork was perfect for DKR's grim depiction of the dark and seedy Gotham City, but it jars a bit for DKSA, which is meant to depict an ultra-glossy, futuristic technocracy. Lynn Varley's garish colouring attempts to add a slicker sheen, but the artwork is ultimately let down by that which worked so well for DKR--this time around, it just feels sloppy and rushed. The same is true of the book's denouement, which happens so quickly that it leaves the reader reeling and looking for more of an explanation. Moreover, DKSA is packed full of characters who will mean little to those unfamiliar with the DC Comics universe (eg, The Atom, The Elongated Man, The Question).
Perhaps the book's biggest failing is that where The Dark Knight Returns gave comic book fans a base from which to evangelise to the uninitiated, The Dark Knight Strikes Again is just preaching to the converted. Comic book superhero fans will find much to enjoy here, but others would be better off sticking with the original. --Robert Burrow --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Publishers Weekly
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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Most helpful customer reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars
Frank Miller....,
By A Customer
This review is from: Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again (Hardcover)
...disappointed millions of Bat-fans and comic fans in general in one of two ways. He was either A.)Sitting in a room by himself, counting the future bucks he was to make off of this highly anticipated project, and thinking, "You know what? I'm a highly praised and respected writer. If I've come this far, why should I even make an effort to write a sequel if I didn't even want to do one anyway without some gushing EIC shaking green in my face? If they slap my name on the book that'll be enough." or B.)Broke out some kilos of crack cocaine and consumed the whole stash, staying up and writing/illustrating the entire story in one night.But, to be more respectful, I still consider Miller to be one of the finest and most influential comic writers in the history of the business, among others. For him to write this was a complete shock. I shelled out my twenty dollars for this featured collected piece like everyone else, and when I eagerly jumped into the first half, my jaw dropped. The remaining hundred or so pages mired me even deeper in the story's utterly confusing and catastrophic mess. The art was the least of my worries, but I still couldn't understand why Batman was suddenly bald, why it was more about The Atom, Catgirl, Lana(Superman's daughter), and Plastic Man, or why Dick Grayson started showing up out of the blue as an indestructible Joker imitator. Why people were gushing over it in the first place escaped me, maybe they hadn't even read it yet, but I had never been so dissatisfied with a comic until I picked this up. My apologies for ripping it apart, but I still cherish the first installment which was done marvellously, along with the work he did on Daredevil, Ronin, and Sin City, even 300. I advise any Batman fan not to spend their hard-earned bucks on it.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars
A Poor Sequel,
By Adenium (Gilbert, AZ United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again (Hardcover)
BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS is a great graphic novel. I am sad to say that the sequel, BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT STRIKES AGAIN, falls far short of reaching the stature of its predecessor. To be blunt: it stinks, and it stinks for the following reasons:1. The art stinks. I like Frank Miller's style, but something is just out of whack here! There were a couple of panels that I had no idea what was happening it was that big of a mess. In conclusion, I leave you with the following quote from Jay Sherman: ...It stinks!...
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars
They should have stopped while they were ahead.,
By Hippie Smell "hippie_smell" (Brooklyn) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again (Hardcover)
I really enjoy all of Frank Miller's work. I'll never forget all that he did for Daredevil and Batman back in the 80's. For me the anticipation for this new series was up there with the wait for the new Star Wars films. In this case the end product ended up being a tremendous let down. The original book was set-up in a film noire type format and utilized a really loose style of drawings to convey it's story. The end result was one of the most powerful and darkly written comic books ever created. The story picks up here in a very disjuncted and unconvincing manner. Right away the tone is different. Gone is the edge of the original characters from the last comic and instead the characters are represented in a really light and almost satirical fashion to the point where it's hard to believe that they are even the same people. Not only that this comic is so poorly drawn that both superman and batman come off as looking corny. The whole thing fails to create tension or any sense of drama. The last book had me on the edge of my seat just waiting to see what would happen with the joker. And the way it ended with Superman was just the icing on the cake. You won't find anything like that here.
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