I cant be bothered getting hold of all the comics, i understand they are together "the mighty heroes" but their enemies turn them against each other, but ten points for someone who can give me a good insight without me having to go thru all the trollop on the net.
2006-09-11 11:16:37 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Entertainment & Music ➔ Comics & Animation
No story in the Batman world is probably more important than Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns. This story was released in 1986, and was responsible for the rejuvenation of Batman as a dark character, and for the comics industry as a whole. Read the following overview of The Dark Knight Returns, and see why this story is so powerful...
Vowing upon his parent's death to rid the city of the criminal element, the Batman has, over the years, fought crime in its many macabre forms...
For the last ten years no one has seen or heard from him...
that is, until now...
Bruce Wayne appears to be killed in a car race, only to have survived. It is the tenth anniversary of the last sighting of Batman - and according to a poll, most teenagers consider him to be a myth. James Gordon is still the Commissioner of Police, although a new gang, the Mutants, have issued a death threat against him.
A moustached Bruce and Jim meet for a drink, celebrating that Batman had the chance to retire. Obviously Jim now knows that Bruce was Batman. Bruce is touchy about his separation from Dick, and about the death of Jason. He walks home, only to be stopped by muggers - and is promptly left alone when they realize that he will put up a fight.
Dr. Wolper, a psychiatrist, has assisted in the reform of Harvey Dent, both physical and mental. Dent is committing himself to serving the public, and Gordon feels that he can never be reformed. The next day, Dent disappears. He has scarred himself back to Two-Face, and is planning some criminal act.
Bruce Wayne is up late at night, down in the Batcave, with everything draped in shrouds. He feels the core of Batman pulling him, urging him to return. But Bruce claims, "I will not let him. I gave my word. For Jason. Never. Never again. Alfred notices that Bruce has shaved the moustache off. Bruce never even noticed that he did it. Bruce is melancoly, drinking (yes, drinking), sitting in a room, ignoring Alfred. He relives the the death of his parents, the night they went to see The Mark of Zorro. As he phases out, reliving that terrible moment, he returns to normal just as the news is announcing the kidnapping of two children. Bruce stumbles to his study, and listens to his answering machine. Clark has called to say that he'd be out of town. Selina is lonely. Harvey thanking him for his support. And then, a bat crashes through the window...
A mugging is stopped by an unknown saviour. A pimp slicing up his prostitute is stopped by a gloved hand. Two girls, nearly mugged by members of the Mutants, are stopped before they can do any harm. The news reports it as "A large, bat-like creature has been sighted on Gotham's South side. It is said to habe attacked and seriously injured three cat-burglars who have plagued that neighbourhood. You don't suppose..." Heavily wounded criminals are being found all over the place, and speculation on the return of Batman increases.
The police are chasing a car, when another quickly passes them, stunning the police officers. Batman flies out of the sky, falling after the car. Batman claims:
This should be agony. I should be a mass of aching muscle, unable to move. And, were I an older man, I surely would... ... but I'm a man of thirty -- of twentry again. The rain on my chest is a baptism -- I'm born again... I smell their fear -- and it is sweet.
The Dark Knight has returned...
The Joker, in Arkham, has just stopped being comatose - once he hears the news. So there is a reason to keep on living after all...
The news shows start having panels on whether Batman's return is good or bad. Batman appears to be more vicious than ever, crippling criminals. Gordon refuses to issue an arrest order. The Mutants' leader issues a statement, warning that he will kill Gordon and Batman now. He claims that Gotham City belongs to the Mutants now. If he wanted Batman's attention, this will certainly get it...
Gordon and Batman meet on the rooftop. It seems taht Gordon is soon to retire, and that his replacement is not a Batman fan. Dr. Wolper feels that Batman makes the psychos that he fights. And Two-Face is about to attack the TV station. Batman stops him, and takes Harvey.
The Mutants make an attempt on Gordon's life, and fail. He appears to me married to Sarah, and still smokes, even though he knows its killing him. He's six hours from retirement, and the Mayor hasn't named a replacement yet.
Someone is putting on the Robin costume again - but it's not Dick. Carrie Kelly, one of the two girls that were saved from the Mutants, has decided to help the man who saved her life. And at a good time - he needs to save the life of the kidnapped child. Batman does save the child, who was kidnapped by the Mutants. Batman takes the most important mutant, and explains the situation to him - while hanging upside down from the tallest building in the city:
Do you know who I am, punk? I'm the worst nightmare you ever had, kind that made you wake up screaming for your mother...
Batman discovers that the Mutants are being armed by a famous general from the army - one that just committed suicide once Batman showed up. Batman shows up in some sort of tank to take on the Mutants, and fights their leader. The Mutant leader beats Batman, and Batman survives only because Robin shows up and saves him. She helps him get back to the tank, Alfred remotely assesses the damage.
Ellen Yindel, a captain on the police force, has been named the as the new Commissioner. Her first act as Commissioner is to issue a warrant for the arrest of Batman. LAter on, at the White House, President Reagan is telling Superman how he feels that Batman needs to be reigned in. He wants Superman to talk to Batman, and try to calm him down.
The Joker is worming his way into getting out into the public. Robin has brought Batman back to the Batcave. Bruce thinks he's dying, but claims that he can't die until his work is complete. Meanwhile, the Mutant leader is claiming that he defeated Batman, and than Yindel is next. Yindel's new position lends new credibility to the Mayor, and to top it off, the Mayor has decided to meet with the Mutant leader to negotiate a settlement. Once the Mayor steps into the Mutant leader's cell, he is immediately, ah, terminated.
Throughout the city, people are acting like Batman, taking their own stand against crime. Bruce is being "repaired," thanks to Alfred and Robin's care. He has decided to continue, against Alfred's reminder, "Have you forgotten what happened to Jason?" to which Batman replies, "I will never forget Jason. He was a good soldier. He honored me. But the war goes on." Batman decides that the only way the Mutants can be stopped is to humiliate them, to defeat them. Gordon's plan to arrest them all may hold them temporarily, but it will never keep them away from the public. Gordon lets the Mutant leader escape, and he does so, going out through a sewer pipe. Of course, Batman has set up a gauntlet for the leader to run - rats, tall drops, and finally, Batman. This time, their fight takes a different turn. Batman surgically attacks him, disabling his arm by crushing nerves, by cutting him above the eyes so he only sees blood. Batman defeats him, thus ending the Mutants. To end the night, Gordon hands in his badge and gun, his career over.
As Batman and Robin are breaking up a robbery, something is moving very fast through Gotham City - faster than a speeding bullet. As Superman interferes, and ruins, Batman's operation, Batman tells him to meet him tomorrow. As a result of Batman's defeat of the Mutants, the young members of the gang have turned to become vigilantes, fighting evil. Meanwhile, the Joker has arranged for a little mayhem, and, while nearly killing Robin, he does manage to kill quite a few innocents.
The next morning, Clark is meeting Bruce, explaining that if he doesn't stop his crusade, that he will be ordered to bring him in. Bruce warns him that he will fight Superman if he has too. Before Clark can reply, he learns that US forces have just engage Soviet forces, which means he must leave to help the US win.
The Joker, with an accomplice, are planning something big. Yindel is prepared, eager to keep the Joker from escaping from his public appearance. This also appears, to her, to be an excellent opportunity to apprehend Batman. As the Joker's accomplice sends off a doll filled with some sinister purpose, Batman and Robin move towards the TV station. Batman plans on a showdown with the police - he expects that his reputation, as well as the older police that will remember him, should guarantee his safety. He's wrong...
As Batman descends toward the building, the police open fire. After the tear gas is set off, Yindel orders the police to rush Batman. After one officer questions the order, Yindel replies, "He's twice your age, boy. Find the nerve." Meanwhile, during the Joker's interview, he announces that he is about to kill everyone in the room (about two hundred people). The doll is filled with the Joker's smiling poison, and he does kill everyone in the room. And Batman manages to fend off the police (leaving twelve hospitalized), and escapes with Robin. The Joker escapes, and shows up at Selina Kyle's. He is interested in one of Selina's call girl's guests... a Senator. Whatever he does, it induces the Senator to jump off a building. An officer, O'Halloran, asks Yindel about the situation. After he leaves her, O'Halloran shows up. Yindel realizes that she was just standing next to Batman, and orders the police after him. Batman and Robin escape to Kyle's apartment, where he finds a beat up Selina. Robin discovers a cone of cotton candy, and Batman realizes that the Joker is about to kill thousands at the county fair. Batman asks himself, "How many more - until I finally do it?" (meaning until he kills the Joker).
As Batman and Robin go to leave the building, the police show up. Batman reminisces about how Jim used to be like this. He also remember how Jim used to warn him "...you told me that I break too many of the important rules... that I've made too many of the wrong enemies... that, for all my tricks... I've been getting by on luck... it's all a game of odds, you said.. all it will take is one bullet." And suddently Robin's strap holding her to the hang-glider breaks, and she falls. As Batman holds her, he keeps muttering "Good Soldier. Good Soldier." Yindel realizes that Robin is a kid, and orders the charge of child endangerment added to the arrest warrant for Batman. However, Batman and Robin have escaped yet agin.
As Superman is assiting the US forces in the war against the Soviets, he recalls Bruce's retirement. He remembers the problems with the FBI, the trouble with Oliver (Queen - Green Arrow). He recalls that to Bruce, his crusade is a holy war. The agreement with the government was that Batman retire, Superman give his obedience and invisibility, and they let them all live. Batman and Robin arrive at the fair too late - already dozens of children have died at the Joker's hands. As Robin sees so many dead (probably including some of her friends), she is shocked. Batman swears to the Joker that "it ends, tonigh." Batman remembers that "there's nothing wrong with you that I can't fix with my hands..."
Batman chases the Joker, and gets shot. But he carries on, realizing that this might be his end; but that might be worth it, just to stop the Joker forever... As the Joker stabs him, Batman makes the decision - he breaks the Joker's neck, but doesn't kill him. The Joker tells Batman how disappointed he is - how Batman didn't have the nerve to finish him off, instead of paralyzing him. So the Joker twists his neck further, until he dies, laughing hysterically. The police are closing in on Batman, and he is slowly dying, with everything getting cold and dark.
The police have closed in on The Tunnel of Love, where Batman lies waiting. He has placed incendiaries in the tunnel. He "wastes one second... with a good-bye" for the Joker, and spits on him. The police find the Joker's body, and as they touch it, it ignites. Yindel finds Batman, and tells him to freeze - so Batman punches her in the face, and takes her gun. Batman is delirious now - he wants the Joker to stop laughing... As a SWAT team moves in, Batman calls Robin to bring in the chopper. He decides to go full forces against the SWAT team, as they're armoured. He plants some explosives on the wall.. and doesn't hit the target. The police figure he's shotting at them, so the order is "shoot to Kill." Finally, Batman hits the plastique, and the roof falls in. Robin saves him, and takes him back to the Cave.
As Bruce and Clark are talking the next day, Reagan appears on TV. The US have won, but apparently the Soviets are poor losers, and have launched a nuclear attack. Clark leaps away, to stop the warhead. The warhead is more than a nuke, though - it is designed to send out a large magnetic pulse. Suddenly, the warhead explodes, and all electronics in the US are stopped. Batman talks to himself, wondering if Clark paid attention to this sort of thing. Batman has - so he and Robin head for the stables, to get horses.
Jim Gordon was out buying groceries when the pulse hit. And as everyone stood in the streets, a plane crashed into Gotham. The Sons of Batman decide that now is the time to raze Gotham, to cleanse it of crime. But Batman shows up on the scene, and tells them to stop. He promises to teach them a more quiet cleanup - one with fists and brains, not guns. Gordon helps organize people on the street to put out the fires, and to help the wounded. But he can't find Sarah...
The nuclear blasts send up so much dust into the atmosphere that it blocks the sun - and blocks Superman's source of power. The people of Gotham go crazy, looting, fighting for food. Until Batman and the Sons of Batman appear. The fights end, and order is built. But there is no morning for the city to wake up to - a nuclear winter has set in.
Reagan and Superman Clark are meeting, and Clark tells Reagan the he doesn't think that Batman will let Superman bring him in alive. And Oliver Queen shows up at Bruce's house. Oliver has lost an arm, thanks to Superman, and wants to help Batman. Oliver tells Bruce how he should have kept a quiet presence, like him, instead of being such a big target. Now they will have to kill Bruce to quiet him. Oliver explains, "I always knew it'd get down to you and the big blue schoolboy. Planet's too big for the two of you. When it all comes down, I want a piece of him.
As Bruce teaches Robin how to ride a horse, a blast of heat comes from the sky, leaving one word in fire: Where?. So Bruce looks up into the sky, and replies, "Crime Alley." Batman gets ready for the final showdown, and takes a pill, to cause death in one hour. The police and army cordon off Crime Alley, and the media is not sure why - are the police closign in on Batman, or will there be a showdown?
Batman shows up in his tank, and shoots rockets at Superman, to see if he's back to full strength, after loosing almost all his powers when the sun disappeared. He's not, so Batman enjoys watching Superman get hurt. Meanwhile, Alfred sets the Batcave to self-destruct. Batman plugs into the city's power supply, and fires a sonic pulse at Superman, enough to cause Superman to bleed. Batman has chosen Crime Alley as the place to end his life - the place where his parents died. Bruce shocks Superman with the electricity, but gets a lot of feedback - which starts to weaken his heart. Batman is wearing a strength-enhancing suit, and starts pummeling Superman. Superman is upset, telling Bruce to stop and live. Batman answers him:
You sold us out, Clark. You gabe them the power that should have been ours. Just like your parents taught you to. My parents taught me a different lesson... lying on the street, shaking in deep shock, dying for no reason at all. They showed me that the world only makes sense when you force it to
Then Oliver Queen shows up, and fires a kryptonite arrow at Superman. It really weakens Superman. He's still worried about Bruce's heart, though. Batman scorns his concern, saying "You're beginning to get the idea, Clark. This is the end, for both of us. We could have changed the world, now, look at us; I've become a political liability, and you, you're a joke." And as Batman really starts slugging him, he says, "I want you to remember, Clark... in all the years to come... in your most private moments... I want you to remember my hand at your throat... I want you to remember the one man who beat you..." And then Batman died. As Alfred stood outside Wayne Manor, he had a stroke, and the Cave blew up.
Bruce Wayne's funeral. Bruce has been revealed to have been Batman. The cave was destroyed, hiding his methods, and his fortune is missing. Clark and Carrie are attending his funeral - and people can't believe that Clark came - "can't believe he had the nerve." As as Clark walks away, he hears a heart start beating, and gets a smile on his face. Bruce decides that as long as he and Robin stay quiest, Superman will leave them alone.
Later, in the cave, past the burnt out section, Bruce kneels with Robin and the Sons of Batman. His plan, which will takes years of training and studying, is to build an army, to bring sense to a world plagued by worse than thieves and murderers. He decides that this will be a good life - good enough.
This file was last modified on June 09, 2006
2006-09-11 14:32:48 · answer #1 · answered by greenlantern1999 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
There are two reasons. One is, it's just a marketing gimmick. Pit the top heros against each other, see how they do. Mavel does this all the time. They "mistake" each other for villains, or are hypnotized by their enemies, or they both hold strong opinions on something and are not prepared to back down.
The other reason is that people with nothing better to do try to figure out who would win in a fight and they post questions like "Who is stretchier, DC's Elastic Lad or Plastic man, Marvels' Mr. Fantasic or Shape...?" just to get other people debating the issue. That's all it is.
2006-09-11 20:30:28 · answer #2 · answered by cdf-rom 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No real reason other than it makes for fun fanboy debate. That debate means big bucks to DC. It is also interesting to see, arguably, the most powerful hero take on the "weakest" one. That being said many people say that if superman didn't hold back he'd win. Well guys it has been seen in two occasions that Bats has contingency plans just in case the most powerful hero in DC goes bad.
2006-09-11 23:57:36 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
comics are telling us something about us
Batman driving a car
Superman flying th rough the sky
One underground laboratory
The other in a volteret like Julio Boca
Enemies instead are always the same
2006-09-11 22:55:42 · answer #4 · answered by Maria Valle B 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Honestly as much as i love the Dark Knight, Kal-El has him beat. Whenever superman doesn't hold back he could destroy the entire earth in about two seconds. Superman wins.
2006-09-11 20:52:18 · answer #5 · answered by ray v 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Batman can outwit outsmart superman and he got that krytonite ring and he kick supermans *** in the frank millers batman returns
2006-09-11 18:22:33 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Superman was talkin mad garbage about how fruity Batman looked in his suit.
2006-09-11 18:22:59 · answer #7 · answered by sohrob76 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
because batman slept with supergirl
2006-09-11 18:18:53 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
because they thought it would have been cool
2006-09-11 19:47:42 · answer #9 · answered by Nafy 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋