FICTION

Batman Noir: The Dark Knight Returns

Klaus Janson (illus.). DC. Jun. 2015. 208p. ISBN 9781401255145. $34.99; ebk. ISBN 9781401259884. GRAPHIC NOVELS
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Do you remember Batman: The Dark Knight Returns by Miller (Sin City) and inker Janson (Daredevil), first published nearly 30 years ago? This is that same comic but in black and white. A 55-year-old Bruce Wayne, retired for an entire decade from fighting crime as Batman, has grown to despise his home of Gotham. He misses his comrades, has fallen out of love with saving the city, and is beating himself up for how he feels. The black and white of Batman Noir suits the superhero's aesthetic and struggle to a point of the reader wondering why he's ever washed over in color. Wayne realizes the best option for his sanity and his community is to put the cowl back on and be the knight everyone needs him to be. As is with vigilantes such as Batman, the government resists his return, and he's faced with opposition from all angles, becoming a target for his nemeses once more.
VERDICT Libraries already featuring the previous colored iteration of The Dark Knight Returns in their collections need not add this edition, but Batman enthusiasts will love his story in black and white.
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