History ComicBook / TheDarkKnightReturns

* In 1987 Miller did ''BatmanYearOne'' with David Mazzucchelli during his one-arc-long run in the main ''Batman'' book. Though it was supposed to be the origin of New Earth's Batman, WordOfGod says that it was written so that it could also serve as a prequel to DKR.

* In 2001 and 2002, Miller produced a sequel, ''TheDarkKnightStrikesAgain''. It was more set ''around'' Batman than ''about'' Batman, being closer to a JusticeLeague story or even a Superman story than a Batman story.
* In 2005 to 2008, Miller wrote a prequel, ''ComicBook/AllStarBatmanAndRobinTheBoyWonder,'' which was even more controversially received than ''Strikes Again''. Though it's been on hiatus the series will return under the name ''Dark Knight: Boy Wonder''. [[DevelopmentHell Maybe.]]

In 2012 and 2013, DCUniverseOriginalAnimatedMovies released [[Film/TheDarkKnightReturns an animated film adaptation]], told over [[MovieMultipack two parts]].

* KryptoniteIsEverywhere: Averted. Kryptonite doesn't show up until the very end of Batman's battle with Superman, when Bruce specifically says that he had to spend years (and millions of dollars) synthesizing it, implying that the naturally occurring stuff is too rare to be a practical weapon.
* KryptoniteRing: Batman has one. Because [[CrazyPrepared he's Batman]], that's why.

* In 2005 to 2008, Miller wrote a prequel, ''ComicBook/AllStarBatmanAndRobinTheBoyWonder,'' which was even more controversially received than ''Strikes Again''. Though it's been on hiatus the series will return under the name ''Dark Knight: Boy Wonder''.

** WordOfGod says that [[spoiler:Batman didn't kill the aforementioned Mutant who held the baby at gunpoint when he shot him with another Mutant's M-60]].

In this storyline, Batman has been retired for ten years, alcoholic and consumed with grief after the death of Jason Todd, the second Comicbook/{{Robin}}[[note]]a full ''two years'' before ''A Death in the Family'', mind you[[/note]]. Comicbook/{{Superman}}, still as young and handsome as ever, has become little more than an icon, answering to the government and trying to stay as neutral as possible. Commissioner Gordon is weeks away from retirement, TheJoker has been silently locked away in Arkham for years, and Two-Face is about to be released back into the world with a brand new skin. In Batman's absence, and in the midst of a killer heat wave, Gotham City is overrun with crime, plagued by a monstrously violent gang known as The Mutants. After encountering a Mutant gang in the alley where his parents were murdered, Bruce Wayne resurrects Batman, aided in his renewed crusade by Carrie Kelly, a 13-year-old girl who becomes the third Robin. Defeating the Mutants, though, turns out to be child's play compared to what Batman faces next...

''Batman: The Dark Knight Returns'' is a four-issue {{Batman}} comic book miniseries written and drawn by FrankMiller and published by DCComics from February to June 1986.

* WhatTheHelloHero: From Alfred after Bruce waxes on about Carrie's qualities as Robin:

* HannibalLecture: [[spoiler:The Joker]] hits Batman with one just before [[spoiler:killing himself]].

* HeroicBSOD / DespairEventHorizon: In the first issue, Bruce, lost in thought, wanders to the spot where his parents were killed and is confronted by Mutants. Their dialogue, casually referring to killing Bruce, having a ''quota'' for murders, and then dismissing Bruce as their target because he's "into it", shakes Bruce to his core, as he's been equating them to his parents' killer up to that point.

* HumanShield: {{Subverted}}. As Batman's chasing the Joker through the fair, the Joker tries this with one of Carrie's friends. Batman promptly tags him with a handful of batarangs.

* JekyllAndHyde: Subverted. [[spoiler:Recent breakthroughs in plastic surgery restore Two-Face's appearance, but at the unforeseen cost of forever destroying the good-natured "Harvey" half of the personality and leaving the criminal "Face" in complete control.]]

* OldSuperhero: And ''how''.

* PocketProtector: See ChestInsignia, above.

* PreMortemOneLiner: A variation, in that it's the '''winner''' of the climactic battle that delivers it just before he dies.

* {{Retirony}}: Subverted, proving that Commissioner Gordon is still a {{Badass}}.

* CallingTheOldManOut: A variant, from Alfred after Bruce waxes on about Carrie's qualities as Robin:
--> '''Alfred''': Very well, sir, I shall come right out and say it. Have you forgotten what happened to Jason?
** It turns into a subversion, though, as Bruce blows him off.

* StrawmanPolitical: Features vapidly meaningless strawmen for all parts of the political spectrum. Because [[GoldenMeanFallacy that's how you make a valid point, right?]]
* SubordinateExcuse: Carrie has a crush on Batman that would do TheJoker proud, and in the comics particularly she dearly loves him. She dresses as Robin and fights crime, hears the Mutants are gathering at the dump and follows Batman there, because she loves him and wants to be close to him.

** The Sons Of Batman are more or less [[NominalHero Nominal Heroes]].

* AntiHero: Batman and the Sons Of Batman
* AntiVillain: Franchise/{{Superman}} in this miniseries.

* BadassGrandpa: Batman, obviously, but also Jim Gordon, Oliver Queen/{{Green Arrow}}, Superman (despite having not really physically aged) and Alfred to some extent. And less sympathetically, the Joker too.

* BadassGrandpa: Batman, obviously, but also Jim Gordon, GreenArrow and Alfred to some extent. And less sympathetically, the Joker too.

* CoolOldGuy: C'mon now. Batman, Alfred for being so up in the years, still serving ''and'' snarky, Jim Gordon, and the Joker in a dark and nasty way.

* AntiHero:
** Batman is a [[SlidingScaleOfAntiHeroes type IV]]
** The Sons Of Batman are [[SlidingScaleOfAntiHeroes Type V]].
* AntiVillain: Franchise/{{Superman}} is a [[SlidingScaleOfAntiVillains Type IV]] in this miniseries.

A couple of elements from this story were borrowed by ChristopherNolan for the conclusion to Film/TheDarkKnightSaga, ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises''.

TDKR is a seminal comic book work, with a gritty, unique style that's draped in the best of FilmNoir techniques. It is often considered as influential as ''{{Watchmen}}'' in demonstrating the possible "[[TrueArtIsAngsty maturity]]" of the comic book medium, and, along with ''Watchmen'', it ushered in TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks (for good or bad). It was also highly influential in the DCU's recasting of Batman and Superman's relationship: no longer are they perfect friends, The World's Finest, but rather somewhat distant and distrusting (if respectful) of each other.

* DarkerAndEdgier: Robin kills. Batman mutilates. TheJoker's massecres are graphically portrayed. GrantMorrison lays out his [[StrawmanPolitical grim feelings]] of [[EagleLand America]] for all to see.

** EliteMook: Bobby & Mary

There have been a handful of animated references to TDKR as well. The first is a ten-minute segment in the DCAU, considered to be among the best adaptations of a FrankMiller work. Carrie Kelly also made a very brief cameo as a future Robin in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'', fighting mutants in a "what-if" story. One episode of ''WesternAnimation/DarkwingDuck'' featured a future version of Darkwing that was heavily influenced by TDKR's depiction of Batman in the later issues. In 2012, DCUniverseOriginalAnimatedMovies released [[MovieMultipack the first of two parts of]] [[Film/TheDarkKnightReturns a film adaptation]].

* AirVentPassageway: The gigantic leader of the Mutant gang is behind bars awaiting trial. Batman knows that being in prison won't hurt his gang cred one bit (it helps that the Mutant leader spends his free time annoying the prison guards and bragging about what kind of havoc he will make when he gets out, instead of showing remorse) -- to break the Mutant gang, you must literally ''break'' its leader. Thus, he and Gordon arrange for the leader to escape via the prison air vents and meet Batman for a mud pit duel.

* BadassGrandpa: Batman, obviously, but also Jim Gordon, GreenArrow and even Alfred to some extent. And less sympathetically, the Joker too.

* BrassBalls: One character literally has this as a last name, but is a ''nasty'' inversion.

** It turns into a subversion, though, as Bruce pretty much blows him off.

* CoolOldGuy: C'mon now. Batman, Alfred for being so up in the years, still serving ''and'' snarky, Jim Gordon, and even the Joker in a dark and nasty way.

* CrazyPrepared: Well, of course. You do know who this comic is about, right?

* DeathSeeker: Bruce has become one by the start of the story, and even after he becomes Batman again, he frequently remarks on how certain things would be good or bad deaths as the story progresses.

* DistaffCounterpart: Carrie to Robin of course, and hanging on Bruce's every word she becomes more and more like him.

* FlatlinePlotline: [[spoiler:Batman's ultimate plot in the fourth issue is to remove himself from the public spotlight by faking his death. Being Batman, he literally kills himself for a while using a special drug, using the fight with Superman both as a cover and as an excuse to work out his anger and frustration with Superman.]]

* KryptoniteRing: Of course Batman has one. Because [[CrazyPrepared he's Batman]], that's why.

** Batman's sarcastic internal monologue describing Superman quotes, of all things, ''Film/MontyPythonsTheMeaningOfLife''.

* StandingBetweenTheEnemies: Batman does this with a BigNo that occupies an entire panel.

* StrawmanPolitical: Features vapidly meaningless strawmen for all parts of the political spectrum. Because, of course, [[GoldenMeanFallacy that's how you make a valid point, right?]]

* TechnicalPacifist: Batman will beat nine kinds of hell out of you, ''threaten'' to drop you off the ''tallest'' building in Gotham, and break every bone in your body... but he won't ''kill'' you.

** Of course Frank Miller's interpretation is that 'these two people do not like each other'

* GodzillaThreshold: Discussed at length. During Commissioner Gordon and his replacement Yindel's first conversation, she asks him why he's allowed a vigilante like Batman to operate in Gotham. Gordon talks about the first time he heard the UrbanLegend that FranklinDRoosevelt let PearlHarbor happen in order to get the US into WWII and stop the greater evil of the Axis. He went back and forth on whether it was morally acceptable if true, until he realized the whole thing was "too big" for him to judge.