Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again

Let me preface this by saying that I am a relative newcomer to DC comics. The story here is excellent in my opinion, and it made me want to buy more titles involving JLA and the characters included here. Is the art subpar, especially in the end? Yes. It looks like Frank got tired of drawing it halfway through. But the story itself is worth buying this book.

You know, I had very hgh expectations, having thoroughly enjoyed the first book. This book was weird, and very different from The Dark Knight Returns. I wasn't expecting a carbon copy of the same thing, but this was just out there. I wouldn't ever strongly recommend this to anyone. It did have some value, and I don't feel like my time was completely wasted, but if I had to do it over again, I woul probably bought a different book.

I like Frank Millers "Dark Knight Returns", and "The Dark Knight Strikes Again" is different but equally brilliant. The story brings in the whole DC universe, like Lex Luthor, Superman, Green Lantern and so on. But also less widely known like the Atom, Flash, Brainac, Captain Marvel, the Question, Wonder Woman and a new Supergirl. And the Bottle City of Kandor. I think all of this is very well done, especially as I read these comics as a child.

The graphics are splendid and done in Millers personal style, and worth checking out even if you're not totally into the superhero genre.

The story: Lex Luthor and Brainac have taken control of Earth and subdued the superheroes. And Batman rises against them.

Recommended to everyone interested in comics!

There really is little to recommend this sequel. Perhaps if it was a stand-alone work people would be more kind but as the follow-up to one of the most highly regarded American comic books it is laughably bad.

The art varies from stylized to crude. Lazy techniques like full page silhouettes are common. In fact full page spreads are used far too much, as though Frank Miller wanted to fill pages with as little effort as possible. In contrast his Sin City work was filled with detailed pages and innovated layouts.

The story is poorly paced and veers off in many directions. Miller tries to fit in every DC character he can think of and shoehorns them whether or not they make sense or whether or not anyone cares. For example during a climatic battle, we break away to have several pages explaining the origin of Hawkman. In the first issue we have pages and pages of how the Atom (the Atom?) is a great warrior. He gets more time 'on camera' than Batman himself.

I don't buy Batman comics - especially follow-ups to one of the most highly regarded Batman stories ever - to read about Plastic Man, Elongated Man or Saturn Girl.

Although there are some high points (a new Supergirl, the daughter of Wonder Woman and Superman is one of them) the low points drag this one down.

Give it a miss.

I ordered both the Dark Knight Returns and the Dark Knight Strikes Again at the same time and my excitement at reading them was bursting through the roof. I read DKR first and I was blown away I loved the story and character interpretation, it was amazing. Then I got around to reading DKSA and the first couple of pages were great I thought it would only get better, it did story wise but the artwork couldn't compare to DKR because it got a little sloppier and rushed it seemed, but I still throughly enjoyed the story, even though I thought it focused more on other super heroes than Batman i.e. Superman and Wonderwoman. Nevertheless I like Frank Miller's writing and I still throughly enjoyed the book, I recommend it to all fans of the Dark Knight Returns, it's a bold interpretation of a dark world and a damn good story.