Review of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2 (2013) by Thomas D — 16 Mar 2016

In preparation for the upcoming Batman V Superman film, I've decided to revisit a few of each of the heroes' feature films, especially those where they come in direct conflict with one another.

With the first part of The Dark Knight Returns being as good as it is, it almost seems unfathomable to think it could be topped by part 2, but for the most part, it is. Part 2 is even more packed than part 1 with more prominent roles given to Joker, Commissioner Yindel, Oliver Queen, and of course, Superman. It's a fast paced and brutally graphic take on the Dark Knight's last stand in a Gotham City that is just about at the brink of decimation.

Batman and Robin's plan to turn the mutant followers into "sons of Batman" was working quite well and Batman seemed to have the upper-hand on the city, that is until Joker came out of a little retirement of his own. Michael Emerson's voice performance as the incredibly creepy Joker works very well alongside Peter Weller's Batman, especially in the tunnel of love sequence. Joker's killing of over 200 people at the talk show was terrifying, but there's something about the entirety of the tunnel of love scene that really stood out even more to me. Murdering people after murdering people and forcing Batman into a no win situation seemed to be the best possible way to conclude these two guys arcs after so many years tearing each other apart.

Same goes for the way they handle the Superman and Batman material. Yes, Superman does seem a lot like a boy scout for the president, but the reasons given seemed to make sense. I bought into the fact that that's what Superman would do after global tragedies and during a nuclear crisis. Which brings up the one complaint I have about this film, the nuclear crisis and inclusion of the Corto Maltese side arc. An hour and 15 minutes for each of these two parts is fitting, but I hardly believe the inclusion of a global crisis was needed for a Batman story. Everything else in this Frank Miller story, is absolutely brilliant.

Seeing Batman result to beating the crap out of cops and Superman virtually killing for the government in war was an interesting and ground breaking way to tell the story. It opened the door for comic books to become something more than just guilty pleasure readings and into something that can appeal and apply to people of all ages.

Christopher Drake's incredible score once again kicks in at the right moments including the legendary Batman/Superman fight. The whole film is fast paced, but the last 30 minutes is some of the best direction I have ever seen in an animated film to date. The first time I saw the film I didn't know what to expect in the end and every left turn made was just as shockingly amazing as the last. The Dark Knight Returns Part 2 is quite simply one of the greatest superhero films of all time.

+Epic scope.

+Batman/Superman fight & dynamic.

+Score.

+Last 30 minutes.

+Oliver Queen's inclusion.

+Brutally graphic.

-Corto Maltese side arc with nuclear crisis wasn't entirely necessary.

10/10.