What Is The Political Theme Of The Dark Knight Returns

The 1980s was the first time when independent comic book publishers made their mark on the industry formerly governed by big publications. Anyone with a printing press had the chance to create their own comic book, and as a result, the public was spoilt for choices. This era saw the rise and fall of many publishing houses with only few of them making a name for themselves in the competitive market. Mirage Comics created Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles which was enough to establish them as one of the most successful independent publishers of the era. Another company who shot to fame at this time was Dark Horse comics who produced three comic books which went on to become cult favourties – Hellboy, Star Wars and Sin City.
DC Comics made two major
changes when it came to storytelling after they bought the character rights from struggling comic book publishers, like Charlton Comics and Fawcett. The DC storylines were updated yet again, but the management decided it was time for something more drastic. Old and new characters were merged together in the first ever Maxi-Series titled Crisis of Infinite Earths which completely changed the dynamics of the DC Universe. For the first time, the concept of multi-verse (existence of multiple universes in one storyline) was taken to this level and this is widely considered to be the most striking moment of the Copper Age of comic books. Marvel followed suit with a maxi-series of their own titled Marvel Secret Wars and for the first time, the world experienced the existence of two collective super-powers in the comic book storylines.
The storyline of Captain America started to change at the beginning of the 90s, and it replicated the American foreign policy in the post USSR world. Captain America‘s evolution had to stay within certain bounds, however, or he would no longer stand for the same ideals. Captain America‘s lawful brand of retaliation was in accordance to the stance taken by President Clinton after the 1998 terrorist bombings of American embassies in Africa. But the comic book readers were reluctant to see their superheroes negotiating and as a result, the Captain’s popularity took a huge hit.
The Copper Age of comic books was also extremely important as it saw the rise of graphic novels as a major art form and The Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen were the prime representatives of the 1980s superhero as their themes have been widely imitated and expounded upon into modern times. The radical changes to the superhero genre of the 1980s can be explained by the dynamics of Wall Street corporatism and the end of the Cold War.
The graphic novels The Dark Knight Returns (1986) by Frank Miller and Watchmen (1986-87) by Alan Moore represented the national mood as it existed during the 1980s. Previously, the superhero was always noble, morally right, and a strong role model, but Moore and Miller deconstructed these notions in order to rationalize a new cultural order expressed through satire and characterization.
The Dark Knight Returns featured Batman who has now been retired for ten years and is in his late fifties.
The masked vigilante wages battle against a new gang calling themselves the Mutants who dragged Gotham City into an unprecedented era of urban decay and corruption. The concept of the proto-messiah is once again invoked when Wayne reappears as Batman and saves the city when the police and politicians have failed the people. The narrative of The Dark Knight Returns is a satirized portrayal of the American political and cultural environment of the 80s which Frank Miller tries to invoke by placing a clear depiction of President Reagan as a major part of the storyline. The political themes reveal an attempt by Miller to add layers of cultural and historical meaning to the superhero narrative. The Dark Knight Returns portrays Batman in a mature and hyper realistic manner that he is almost unrecognizable from the campy Batman of the 1960s. Satire is invoked by Miller throughout The Dark Knight Returns as it serves as social commentary on the political ideology of the 1980s. The most effective target of satirical means is Superman. As an agent employed by federal government, Superman is instructed to physically confront Batman’s unwanted crusade on crime. Superman’s moral values are being subjugated and exploited in the eyes of Batman. Batman favors a form of superhero rule rather than the government. He declares, “The world only makes sense when you force it to.” Miller
places him into the role of a sympathetic revolutionary. This decision enables Batman to adopt a liberal righteousness in his goals for Gotham City and America. This was one of the darker storylines which included the two iconic superheroes and for the first time, the world experienced the epic confrontation which was till then, a fantasy of sorts for any comic book fan.
In The Watchmen, Alan Moore opted for an alternate reality featuring the masked vigilante genre which started in the 1940s.
The storyline featured a group of masked superheroes who help America win the war in Vietnam, but gets outlawed for their role in escalating the Cold War. The graphic novel successfully captures the tension and drama of the time by showing an imminent nuclear war between United States and the Soviet Union. The storyline explores the contemporary critiques and anxieties regarding the idea of a superhero, and portray them as flawed human beings. The Watchmen features many intriguing character, but Rorshach stands out as arguably the scariest anti-hero of all time who shows the level of human depravity in search of
survival.
Watchmen feel slightly freakish for prolonging their costumed crusading days into their later years and that becomes a feeling transferred beyond the personal lives of the characters and becomes Allan Moore’s statement on humanity. It’s an overriding feeling of futility and self loathing for hanging onto obsolete paradigms in a world that has become more complex than any one individual can handle. The imminent collapse of civilization in the Watchmen is the proverbial eye that gets knocked out to stop the fun and the heroes can do nothing but feel inadequate.