Batman the Dark Knight Strikes Again Lex

The Dark Knight Strikes Again
Cover of the trade paperback Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Once more. Cover design by Chip Kidd.
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
Schedule	Monthly
Format	Limited series
Publication date	December 2001 – July 2002
No. of issues	3
Principal grapheme(due south)	Batman Superman Catgirl Lex Luthor Brainiac Dick Grayson
Creative team
Created by	Frank Miller Lynn Varley Todd Klein Bob Kane Bill Finger
Written past	Frank Miller
Artist(s)	Frank Miller
Colorist(southward)	Lynn Varley

Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Over again , too known as DK2 , is a 2001-2002 DC Comics iii-result limited serial comic book written and illustrated past Frank Miller and colored by Lynn Varley, featuring the fictional superhero Batman. The series is a sequel to Miller's 1986 miniseries The Dark Knight Returns. It tells the story of an anile Bruce Wayne who returns from iii years in hiding, training his followers and instigating a rebellion against Lex Luthor's dictatorial rule over the United states of america. The series features an ensemble cast of superheroes including Catgirl, Superman, Wonder Adult female, Plastic Man, The Flash, and the Atom.

Overview [edit]

The serial was originally published equally a iii-result limited serial published past DC Comics between November 2001 and July 2002. It has since been published as hardcover and paperback one-volume editions and every bit the Absolute Dark Knight edition with The Dark Knight Returns. Like its predecessor, this story takes place in a timeline that is not considered canonical in the current DC Comics continuity.^[1]

Synopsis [edit]

Frank Miller'south cover to The Night Knight Strikes Over again #1.

Afterwards going underground, Batman (Bruce Wayne) and his young sidekick Catgirl (formerly Carrie Kelley—Robin) train an regular army of "Batboys" (the former Mutants and other recruits) to save the globe from a police dictatorship led by Lex Luthor. In a series of raids on government facilities, Batman's soldiers release other superheroes—including Atom, Flash and Plastic Man—from captivity. Elongated Human being is recruited and Green Arrow is already working with Batman.

Superman, Wonder Woman, and Captain Marvel take been forced to work for the US government, as their loved ones are being held hostage. Superman is ordered by "President Rickard" (a computer-generated forepart for Lex Luthor and Brainiac) to stop Batman. He confronts Wayne at the Batcave, only Batman and the other superheroes defeat him. Meanwhile, Batman's raids accept been noticed past the media. After being banned for years, the freed superheroes take recaptured the public imagination and take get a fad among the youth. At a pop concert past "The Superchix", Batman and the other heroes make a public appearance urging their fans to rebel against the oppressive government.

During this fourth dimension, rogue vigilante Question spies on Luthor'southward plans and types a periodical to record the misdeeds of those in power. Question tries to convince the Martian Manhunter—now an aged, biting, about-powerless effigy with his mind filled with Luthor'due south nanotechnology—to stand upwards against Superman and the regime. Question and Martian Manhunter are attacked by a mysterious human being resembling the Joker, who is seemingly invulnerable to injury. Martian Manhunter sacrifices his life and Question is rescued past Green Arrow. The mysterious man escapes to kill other superheroes including Guardian and Creeper, stealing their costumes and wearing them.

An extraterrestrial monster lands in Metropolis and begins to destroy the city. Batman is convinced that information technology is an attempt to lure him and his allies out of hiding and does not respond, dismissing Flash's appeal that they are supposed to save lives. Batman's opinion is that it is too risky to save the lives of the populace. Superman and Captain Curiosity fight the monster, which is revealed to be Brainiac, who coerces Superman into defeat using the bottled Kryptonian city of Kandor as leverage, to beat out the people'due south faith in superheroes. Captain Marvel is killed defending citizens from the carnage but Superman is saved when his daughter Lara appears. She has been carefully hidden since birth, but, now that the authorities knows she exists, they need that she be handed over.

Deciding that Batman and his methods are the only mode, Superman, Wonder Woman and Lara join him. Lara pretends to hand herself over to Brainiac. Cantlet slips into the bottle and frees the Kandorians, who use their combined oestrus vision to destroy Brainiac. The superheroes then destroy the dictatorship's power source and incite a revolution. Batman allows himself to exist captured and tortured by Luthor to larn his plans. Luthor has launched satellites to destroy near of the world'due south population, leaving him with a more manageable number of people. The Green Lantern, who has turned into pure will, returns from space and destroys Luthor's satellites. Luthor is in plough killed by the son of Hawkman and Hawkgirl (Shayera Hol).

Returning to the Batcave, Batman is contacted by Carrie, who is being attacked by the Joker-like homo and now wearing a Robin costume. Batman arrives and recognizes the man as Dick Grayson, the offset Robin who Batman fired long ago. Grayson has been genetically contradistinct to have a powerful healing cistron and shape-shifting power, but is criminally insane. As Batman and Grayson contemptuously recall their bleak history together, Batman drops him through a trapdoor into a miles-deep crevasse filled with lava, while Elongated Man rescues Carrie. Grayson clings onto a ledge, climbs out of the chasm and faces Batman. When Grayson remains near unharmed by everything Batman throws at him, Batman hurls himself and Grayson into the chasm. Grayson falls into the lava and is disintegrated. Superman rescues Batman at the terminal minute every bit the Batcave explodes, and takes him to Carrie in the Batmobile.

Background and cosmos [edit]

In 2006, Frank Miller said of the creation process for The Dark Knight Strikes Again:

I was out to remind readers about the inherent joy and wonder these superheroes offering, and also to celebrate their succulent absurdity. I saw the superheroes as Gods and Heroes in the Classic sense ... I wanted to elevate these Gods and Heroes out of that musty museum they'd been stuck in and drag them back to the streets where they vest.

—Frank Miller^[2]

Characters [edit]

• Batman—Bruce Wayne'south change ego who is 58 years old and faked his death three years ago and continues to operate secretly equally Batman in 1989. He leads a rebellion against the decadent U.S. authorities headed past Lex Luthor. Batman is a skilled and controversial strategist who makes decisions which upshot in deaths, which he considers necessary for the defeat of his enemies.
• Catgirl—Carrie Kelley, formerly Robin, is Batman'south 2nd-in-control.
• Lex Luthor—Luthor heads the U.Due south. government and uses a hologram of what the people think is the President as a figurehead. He controls powerful superheroes—including Superman, Captain Curiosity and Wonder Woman—by holding their loved ones hostage.
• Brainiac—provides Luthor with the means to control the U.Southward., and hence the world.
• Superman—controlled by Luthor, who is holding the miniaturized urban center of Kandor hostage. Encouraged by his daughter and Batman, Superman finally fights dorsum and breaks his own vow not to kill.
• Wonder Woman—the youthful Queen of the Amazons who has a daughter with Superman.
• Lara—The daughter of Superman and Wonder Woman who has the powers of a Kryptonian and the warrior attitude of an Amazon. She has a poor stance of people less powerful than herself and tries to persuade Superman to ascent above the humans and possibly take over the world.
• Captain Marvel—at present an old human, he yet stands by Superman and Wonder Adult female. Captain Curiosity is limited in his abilities considering Luthor holds his sister Mary hostage. He reveals that he and Billy Batson were 2 dissever beings who switched places, and that Billy (who had e'er been sickly) had died around 8 years ago. This rendered him incapable of merely switching out to recuperate because there would exist no one to call him back.
• "The Joker"/Dick Grayson—Having been emotionally driveling by Batman and sacked years before for "cowardice and incompetence", Grayson has submitted himself to radical gene therapy past Luthor and other villains. He has gained a powerful healing factor and shape-shifting ability, but was driven criminally insane. Throughout most of the story, Grayson takes on the advent of the Joker and the costumes of members of the Legion of Super-Heroes. His victims include Martian Manhunter, Creeper, the Guardian, and he nigh kills Carrie Kelley.
• Cantlet—trapped inside a Petri dish for over ii years, Ray Palmer is rescued past Carrie Kelley and becomes one of the offset of the old superheroes to join Batman'due south rebellion.
• The Flash—coerced by threats to his wife Iris, Barry Allen is forced to run in a giant electrical generator earlier being freed by Carrie Kelley and the Atom.
• Elongated Man—Ralph Dibny advertises sex drugs on boob tube before joining Batman.
• Plastic Man—insane and rescued from Arkham Asylum, Eel O'Brian joins Batman's group.
• The Superchix—an all-girl pop/superhero grouping consisting of a Black Canary lookalike, Bat Chick and Wonder Chick.
• Green Arrow—a communist, activist and billionaire with a mechanical arm, Oliver Queen has long been part of Batman's forces.
• The Question—fighting for Batman's cause, Vic Sage works mainly alone and tries to recruit the former Martian Manhunter. He spies on Luthor and his associates, and distrusts technology and municipalization.
• Martian Manhunter—a victim of Luthor's nanobots, which have deprived him of nigh of his powers, J'onn J'onzz has become addicted to alcohol and tobacco. He retains a precognitive sense which he uses to aid Question.
• Green Lantern—Hal Jordan now lives with his own alien family in a distant part of the galaxy. He returns to Earth at Batman's asking.
• Hawkboy—Hawkman and Hawkgirl's son who grew upwards with his sister in the Costa Rican rainforest. When their parents are killed by a armed services strike ordered by Luthor, Hawkboy intends to take revenge.
• Saturn Daughter—a young, thirteen-year-old who can meet into the futurity. She adopts the proper noun and outfit of the 31st-century Legionnaire.
• Rick Rickard—the holographic puppet President of the Usa.
• U.S. Secretary of State Ruger, Exxon and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Full general Starbucks—members of Luthor's authorities.
• Militarist and Pigeon—Hank and Don Hall are in their old historic period. They attempt to accept up the tights again only to not go through with it as they used to argue all the time.
• Bat-Mite—Batman'due south onetime adversary and co-founder of The First Church building of The Last Son of Krypton., a lunatic fringe movement dedicated to worshipping Superman.
• Big Barda—a old pornographic actress called Hot Gates. When America descends into anarchy, Big Barda declares herself dictator of Columbus, Ohio.
• Lana Harper-Lane—a television set news reporter who is presumed to be the daughter of Guardian and Lois Lane.^[3]

Publications [edit]

• Batman: The Nighttime Knight Strikes Again (2003-12-17 (hardcover^[4]), 2004-07-21 (merchandise paperback with bonus materials^[5])): Includes parts 1-3.
• Batman Noir: The Dark Knight Strikes Again (2018-03-28 (hardcover^[six])): Black and white impress version of Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again three-parts volume.

Critical reception and sales [edit]

The Dark Knight Strikes Again received mixed to negative reviews, with criticism focusing on its artwork, storyline, and character development.^{[7] [eight] [ix]} Claude Lalumière of The Montreal Gazette gave the series a mixed review and said "the script lacks the emotional nuances of its predecessor, and ... the artwork is rushed and garish", and that it "has considerable chutzpah, but its careless execution is regrettable".^[10] Roger Sabin of The Guardian wrote that the series has "flashes of brilliance—few tin can control page layouts like Miller—but in full general the thought of the ironic superhero seems rather dated."^[11]

The start issue of "DK2" ranked #1 in December 2001 with pre-order sales at 174,339.^[12] The second issue of DK2 was ranked third in sales for the January 2002 period with pre-lodge sales of 155,322.^[13] The final upshot of the series had pre-order sales of 171,546 returning to #one for the month of February 2002.^[fourteen] The comic had an in-shop engagement on July 31 of that aforementioned year.^[fifteen]

Discussing the negative reception for The Night Knight Strikes Over again, Frank Miller said in 2006: "I expected shock. I wanted it. I never brand it my mission to reassure people. Fourth dimension will brand its ain judgement."^[16]

Sequel [edit]

On April 24, 2015, DC Comics announced that Frank Miller was co-writing a sequel to The Dark Knight Strikes Once more with Brian Azzarello titled The Nighttime Knight III: The Master Race.^{[17] [18]} The serial featured a rotating cast of artists, including Andy Kubert and Klaus Janson.^{[19] [xx]} Frank Miller later confirmed that The Principal Race would not be the decision, and he was beginning piece of work on a fourth serial.^[21]

References [edit]

1. ^ Sanderson, Peter (February vi, 2006). "Comics in Context #119: All-Star Bats". IGN Entertainment, Inc. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
2. ^ "Frank Miller: I Stole From The All-time!". Archived from the original on June 25, 2006.
3. ^ Lander, Randy (December iii, 2001). "Dark Knight Strikes Over again #1 (Best of the Week!)". The Fourth Rail. Archived from the original on April 15, 2002. Retrieved December 30, 2010.
4. ^ BATMAN: THE Night KNIGHT STRIKES AGAIN
5. ^ BATMAN: THE Dark KNIGHT STRIKES Again
6. ^ BATMAN NOIR: THE DARK KNIGHT STRIKES AGAIN
7. ^ Lalumière, Claude (September 21, 2002). "The Dark Knight Strikes Once again". Retrieved August 30, 2012.
8. ^ Sanford, Jason (2002). "Review of The Night Knight Strikes Once again past Frank Miller". Retrieved June iii, 2018.
9. ^ Cheang, Michael (Dec ii, 2015). "Why does anybody hate The Nighttime Knight Strikes Over again?". Retrieved June 3, 2018.
10. ^ Lalumière, Claude (September 21, 2002). "The Dark Knight Strikes Again". Retrieved August thirty, 2012.
11. ^ Sabin, Roger (December 15, 2002). "Have a picture..." The Observer . Retrieved August 30, 2012.
12. ^ "Pinnacle 300 Comics – December 2001". ICv2. Nov 28, 2001.
13. ^ "Top 300 Comics – January 2002". ICv2. January two, 2002. Retrieved July 9, 2008.
14. ^ "Top 300 Comics – Feb 2002". ICv2. Feb 4, 2002.
15. ^ "Archived copy". www1.cinescape.com. Archived from the original on June 17, 2002. Retrieved January 12, 2022. {{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy every bit title (link)
16. ^ "Frank Miller: I Stole From The Best!". Archived from the original on June 25, 2006.
17. ^ "Superstar Writer/Creative person Frank Miller Returns To Batman!". DC Comics . Retrieved July 19, 2015.
18. ^ "Frank Miller Returns With The Nighttime Knight III: The Primary Race". Newsarama.com. April 24, 2015. Retrieved July 19, 2015.
19. ^ "DC Amusement Provides New Details For Night Knight Iii: The Master Race". DC Comics. July ix, 2015. Retrieved July 19, 2015.
20. ^ Wheeler, Andrew (July 9, 2015). "Andy Kubert and Klaus Janson Join 'The Master Race' (The Comic)". Comics Alliance. Archived from the original on August 14, 2015. Retrieved July nineteen, 2015.
21. ^ Osborn, Alex (Nov 17, 2015). "Frank Miller Says He's Returning For The Dark Knight 4". IGN.

External links [edit]

• Flak Magazine: Review of The Nighttime Knight Strikes Again, xi.08.02
• Peter Sanderson's assay: Parts ane, two, and three
• Batman: The Nighttime Knight Returns and Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Over again discussed at sequart.com

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Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dark_Knight_Strikes_Again

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