My first reaction from reading the first two books of The Dark Knight Returns is how it really humanizes the Batman persona. This isn’t your fathers squash-buckling Adam West television program and it sure as hell isn’t a terrible Joel Schumacher film. This is brutality at Gotham’s finest; gritty, raw, and wait a second- blood? Frank Miller holds nothing back here, doing well to humanize the concept of the superhero, as well as the world in which that hero occupies. It’s not often we get to see a hero in the twilight of his career, old and graying, and at times, getting his ass kicked. Whether or not you’ve followed the caped crusader through his many debauchery filled outings over the years, this is a depiction mostly unknown to the general public. The old and bitter man, tortured from his turbulent past, still fighting with his inner demons and pissing at the idea of retirement- they’re all such a fascinating elements to incorporate into a comic book (sorry, graphic novel). As the reader we’re made aware of his aching bones, his grizzled and throaty voice; we’re made conscious that believe it or not, the mighty Batman has somewhat lost a step. Take the end of book 2 for example, in which he fights the mutant leader. First of all the dark coloring here is great. The lack of brights really emphasize the grime and violence of the scene has to offer and shows the brutality of what I think is the defining moment for this particular book. But what’s more important here is that we see a Batman who gets bruised and broken, who isn’t easily disposing criminals as he used to. He almost dies in this confrontation, had it not been for the 3rd coming of Robin (or 3rd or 4th?). In a city that nearly implodes without his presence though, Batman soldiers on, risking life and limb for the sake of a little thing called justice. Everything down to Bruce’s inner dialogue, to the transition between gutters, shows the collective effort to portray Batman as the battle tested veteran. This is something Frank Miller and Company do a damn good job doing. They show us a Batman who is human, who struggles with those he has lost and who questions his role in modern society.