30th Anniversary of The Dark Knight Returns

Thirty years ago, on this very same day, Frank Miller released his monumental The Dark Knight Returns #1. It is one of the most acclaimed stories in comicbook history. After 3 decades of existence, its relevance is still felt in the industry today. The question is: how did TDKR changed the landscape of comicbook history?

Batman sales data from comichron.com

During the 80's, the comicbook industry was going down. DC and the other publishers were experiencing major drops in their monthly sales. Back in the 60's, Batman comics were selling a little over half a million copies. However, sales started to decline during the 70's and would later on drop significantly in the 80's.

Back then DC had the idea of rebooting the characters in their event, Crisis on Infinite Earths. After the reboot, DC hired Frank Miller to give a more mature edge to the Batman comics. He was the perfect guy for the job, After reviving Marvel characters from the grave--to be more specifically, Daredevil--it was a no-brainer that he can do the same to the already comedic and ludicrous Batman.

With his unprecedented work on The Dark Knight Returns, Miller revolutionized the comicbook industry. It depicts a retired Bruce Wayne being called by the cowl to go to war against crime.

As his beloved Gotham City spirals down to a destructive corrupt system, Bruce can't hold it anymore. He knew he had to put on the mantle for the last time and take part in the good fight.

TDKR brought Batman back to his roots--dark and gothic. But one of the highlights in this book that revolutionized the comicbook industry was the importance of female characters. Miller gave Batman a new robin in the form of a teenage girl, Carrie Kelley. This was a sort of taboo back in the days. The statue quo was that female characters SHOULD NOT wear masks and capes. Miller felt that the comicbooks lack female characters thus he introduced Kelley. This was a bold move by the writer which would later on open the floodgates to more active participation of female characters.

Miller emphasized this point in the comics. Bruce and Alfred had an argument wherein the latter was trying to convince his master that the cave is no place for a girl like Carrie. Bruce replies that she deserved to be inside the cave. In fact, Carrie saved Batman from the clutches of the Mutants. This only symbolizes that female characters can save the industry from its downfall.

Another unprecedented element in this book was the battle between Batman and Superman. It is indeed the greatest gladiator match in history of the world... Son of Krypton versus Bat of Gotham. Back then, a match between two pillars of a comicbook company was unheard of. It was unbelievable! How can a company pit its two major characters against each other. 

Superman was the complete opposite of Batman--he blindly follows the rules, he has high regard to authorities, and he has superpowers. This is too good to be true. Who would've thought that a man would ever challenge a god? After the first punch was thrown, fans pinched themselves just to make sure that they were not dreaming. This battle ended up as Batman beating the crap out of the Big Blue. he gets his ultimate victory when he fakes his own death and letting the whole world believe that Bruce and Batman are dead.

The impact of this book was later on explained by Miller, himself:

I felt that superhero comics had really been held back by a misperception that they were just for kids," he later said. "The comic book world had become so utterly pleasant and safe that the idea of somebody dressing up in tights and fighting crime just seemed beside the point."

His perception made sense. If you think about it, back when the comicbook sales were skyrocketing, the market was composed of young kids. When the relevant sector growing old, they will surely grow out of the light read stories. TDKR is a comicbook for adults where they can be engaged with its political undertones. This brought back most of DC's older readers. With the status quo shifting to a more mature audience, sales rapidly grew. It was indeed the RETURN of the Dark Knight.

Original art by Heubert Khan Michael