It's that sudden blossoming of freedom, the openness of the page, that proves striking. Each of these images proves to be among the most enduring in the book. Sprinkled throughout DKR are a handful of full-page panels. This is part of Miller's commentary on the '80s social structure, where our lives have been compacted into the size of a TV screen and where government control has proven more important than personal identity or freedom. These are disciplined pages, constricted with purpose. The pages are packed with panels, but almost always in a very organized fashion. In fact, it's fair to say that Miller's portrayal of Superman as a government tool tarnished the Last Son of Krypton for the next two decades. It ends with a spectacular battle against Superman, perhaps the most memorable moment in DC's history.

Scene after unforgettable scene propels Batman into near-fatal conflicts with the police and one final showdown with the Joker. What follows is a true masterpiece of storytelling. Once and for all, Miller declares that Joker could not exist without the Batman and vice-versa. Batman's return jars his oldest nemesis, Joker, from ten year's of catatonia. When Harvey Dent, having apparently been physically and psychologically made whole, begins committing crimes again Bruce is compelled to don the mantle of the bat once more. Without a symbol to respect (and to fear), Gotham has fallen to chaos.

Crime is rampant and a new gang, calling themselves the Mutants, has the city in fear. Without Batman, the streets of Gotham have gone to hell. Wonder Woman has returned to Paradise Island, Green Lantern has disappeared in the stars and Superman has become a covert tool for the government (run by Ronald Reagan, surprisingly enough). It isn't just Batman who has hung up the cape. The world has followed suit in this regard. To make things even more difficult, Gordon is just days from retirement and his replacement has a very firm stance against vigilantism. He cannot forgive himself for the death of Todd, but he finds it difficult to ignore the nagging voice in his head that he is needed back on the streets. Skip ahead ten years and millionaire Bruce Wayne appears comfortable in his role as philanthropist. Following the death of Jason Todd (which, incidentally, had not happened yet in continuity), the Batman has retired.

The Dark Knight Returns Frank Miller's classic mid-'80s tale helped revolutionize the Batman and continues to influence comics to this day.

Dark knight returns absolute edition