Batman: The Dark Knight Returns

Let me begin by saying that I chose this one first because of the hype of all of the movies - I'd read that a lot of inspiration for Christopher Nolan's (soon to be complete) Batman trilogy came from this piece of work, and I couldn't resist the temptation to find out for myself. I know plenty of Batman's story, so it was refreshing to see a bit of a new environment - or new time, rather. If you're hurting for a comeback story with a healthy dose of butt whooping constantly swooping in, then you'll enjoy this one. Gotham is plagued with despair and hopelessness, and a retired Bruce Wayne faces a conflict with a part of him that has lain dormant for 10 years: The Batman. Crime reaches an all time high with the onset of a freak heat wave, but a chilling storm is brewing in Gotham, and hope is on the horizon. To make matters worse, the people of Gotham have all but forgotten their vigilante. With a little coercion from local crime syndicates, and a little help from a caped fanboy...fangirl...The Dark Knight Returns, and not even Superman himself dares to stand in his way! I hope you find this to be as exciting as I did, and make sure to take time to really enjoy the story, because you'd be hard pressed to find better presentation!

Next stop - Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again.

Bruce Kent: Rise

Over the next several weeks I plan to familiarize myself with some of the graphic novels that those more knowledgeable than myself have dared to call "The Greats". To steer clear from a crossover catastrophe, I'll stick with good old DC comics for now. I'm currently interested in Batman, and that's decidedly as good a place to start as any. As I'm practically a comic rookie, I'll look to IGN's top 25 for guidance. In the weeks to come, I hope to branch out; new series, new heroes, possibly to new publishers (but no promises, there's a lot of ground to cover with DC alone). I hope you enjoy what I have to offer, and maybe you'll learn while I do!

First stop - Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.