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The Dark Knight Saga #0
The Dark Knight Returns: The Last Crusade
Before the Dark Knight returned…
The Joker. Poison Ivy. Selina Kyle. And the last Robin.
The Joker. Poison Ivy. Selina Kyle. And the last Robin.
64 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 15, 2016
37 people are currently reading
3085 people want to read
About the author
Frank Miller
1,345 books5,280 followersFrank Miller is an American writer, artist and film director best known for his film noir-style comic book stories. He is one of the most widely-recognized and popular creators in comics, and is one of the most influential comics creators of his generation. His most notable works include Sin City, The Dark Knight Returns, Batman Year One and 300.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 267 reviews
June 15, 2016
At the start of The Dark Knight Returns we learned that Bruce was retired from being Batman because of the death of Jason Todd, aka Robin 2. Now, for the first time, Frank Miller, Brian Azzarello and John Romita Jr take us back to the time before TDKR to the last outing of Batman and Robin - their Last Crusade - and the final days of the short and tragic life of Jason Todd.
So is The Last Crusade any good? Nah. It has the same problem that the majority of crap prequels have which is that it doesn’t tell us anything more than what we already knew. Does this comic develop and enrich our understanding of where Bruce is coming from in TDKR more? Nope! Is it at least entertaining? Nuh-uh. Boo!
This issue’s story is a remarkably bland one involving brainwashed wealthy men and Poison Ivy - it’s the kind of unimaginative Batman/Ivy story we’ve seen a hundred times before, so much so that I’m surprised Miller/Azzarello thought they could get away with it here.
Despite being featured on the cover, the Joker unfortunately doesn’t do much in this issue besides getting tossed into Arkham before, shock of shocks, escaping it. I suppose for a comic about the death of Jason Todd we needed Joker because, whichever universe he’s in, poor Jason’s fate is inexplicably tied to Joker and a blunt instrument? Like the rest of the issue, it’s an unimaginative choice to end things the way Miller/Azzarello do here.
But of course it’s not just Jason’s demise that causes Bruce to hang up the cape. When he’s not talking about a successor, there are scenes where he’s talking about how his body’s falling apart - his days are filled with pain, barely kept in check with pills. He’s ready to retire and leave Batman to someone else, especially after his encounter with Killer Croc!
Also, and this isn’t a major complaint but, Croc wouldn’t say “em effah” or “effin’”! He’d say “MOTHERFUCKER!” and “FUCKIN’!” - obviously DC don’t have to print the swears but they could at least bleep them with symbols rather than make him sound like a twat.
This being the Dark Knight Returns world the issue is filled with TV talking heads which I’m not a huge fan of just because that style is so hackneyed. Some of the presenters do talk about the effect being Robin must have on a young person, perhaps a reference towards what we find out happened to Dick Grayson in the godawful Dark Knight Strikes Again.
Overall, Frank Miller and Brian Azzarello’s story is wholly superfluous and unmemorable. Nothing was added to Miller’s original story with this, it’s just DC raiding fans’ nostalgia and the DKR brand again. John Romita Jr’s art is what it always is, at least for me - neither good nor bad - though, like Andy Kubert on DKIII, he makes an effort to adapt his art style to appear similar to Miller’s in the ‘80s, and it works in the Joker sequences.
The Dark Knight Returns: The Last Crusade is a lousy prequel comic that fans of Miller’s classic needn’t bother with - what we get at the opening of The Dark Knight Returns is enough. The Last Crusade is uninspired and full of Batman cliches that definitely don’t make the hefty price tag worth it. Eff this!
So is The Last Crusade any good? Nah. It has the same problem that the majority of crap prequels have which is that it doesn’t tell us anything more than what we already knew. Does this comic develop and enrich our understanding of where Bruce is coming from in TDKR more? Nope! Is it at least entertaining? Nuh-uh. Boo!
This issue’s story is a remarkably bland one involving brainwashed wealthy men and Poison Ivy - it’s the kind of unimaginative Batman/Ivy story we’ve seen a hundred times before, so much so that I’m surprised Miller/Azzarello thought they could get away with it here.
Despite being featured on the cover, the Joker unfortunately doesn’t do much in this issue besides getting tossed into Arkham before, shock of shocks, escaping it. I suppose for a comic about the death of Jason Todd we needed Joker because, whichever universe he’s in, poor Jason’s fate is inexplicably tied to Joker and a blunt instrument? Like the rest of the issue, it’s an unimaginative choice to end things the way Miller/Azzarello do here.
But of course it’s not just Jason’s demise that causes Bruce to hang up the cape. When he’s not talking about a successor, there are scenes where he’s talking about how his body’s falling apart - his days are filled with pain, barely kept in check with pills. He’s ready to retire and leave Batman to someone else, especially after his encounter with Killer Croc!
Also, and this isn’t a major complaint but, Croc wouldn’t say “em effah” or “effin’”! He’d say “MOTHERFUCKER!” and “FUCKIN’!” - obviously DC don’t have to print the swears but they could at least bleep them with symbols rather than make him sound like a twat.
This being the Dark Knight Returns world the issue is filled with TV talking heads which I’m not a huge fan of just because that style is so hackneyed. Some of the presenters do talk about the effect being Robin must have on a young person, perhaps a reference towards what we find out happened to Dick Grayson in the godawful Dark Knight Strikes Again.
Overall, Frank Miller and Brian Azzarello’s story is wholly superfluous and unmemorable. Nothing was added to Miller’s original story with this, it’s just DC raiding fans’ nostalgia and the DKR brand again. John Romita Jr’s art is what it always is, at least for me - neither good nor bad - though, like Andy Kubert on DKIII, he makes an effort to adapt his art style to appear similar to Miller’s in the ‘80s, and it works in the Joker sequences.
The Dark Knight Returns: The Last Crusade is a lousy prequel comic that fans of Miller’s classic needn’t bother with - what we get at the opening of The Dark Knight Returns is enough. The Last Crusade is uninspired and full of Batman cliches that definitely don’t make the hefty price tag worth it. Eff this!
October 24, 2019
A completely unnecessary prequel to "The Dark Knight Returns" that really gives us no new information that we couldn't infer from the original book. There's not much of a story here, just Bruce whining about getting old to Selina Kyle a couple of times while we see that Jason Todd enjoys beating up criminals a little too much and is unnecessarily vicious. Felt like nothing but a cash grab to me. On the plus side, John Romita Jr.'s art looked like the best art of his career with Peter Steigerwald providing the inks and colors.
June 2, 2025
I loved the art of John Romita Jr and the way he draws every single panel according to miller script. The joker in this comic is darker and mature. And frank miller nails it again with he's writing and tone for the whole comic.
March 17, 2025
A prequel to the Dark Night Saga, plot wise there is nothing to add, it's just putting down to paper the insight about how Batman was seeing something wrong with Robin, being too aggressive and enjoying hurting others, which led to Robin's turning to the other side when he was captured by the Joker, as Batman mentioned in 'The Dark Night Strikes Again'.
Liked the art better in this one though..
MiM
Liked the art better in this one though..
MiM
March 7, 2017
What the fuck did I just read?
Prequels. I'm almost never a fan because of their revisionist nature and failure to satisfy nostalgia. To try to capture the look and feel of the 80s classic The Dark Knight Returns is kind of impossible. But in a 64 page one shot exploring Bruce and Jason's relationship? I don't see the point.
Joker escapes Arkham. Again. And is plotting to do the things he does in TDKR. But he doesn't really do anything. He has some abstract "crazy talk" rants and sits around a lot trying to look clever. But if you took him out entirely it wouldn't make a difference to the book.
Poison Ivy. She hypnotizes wealthy men into giving her their money. Enough said. That's as deep as that plot lines goes.
Batman and Robin follow the Ivy thread and figure it out rather quickly. Bats gets his ass kicked by Killer Croc because he's old and ready to retire. Bruce philosophizes with Alfred about being old and how Jason is reckless. Blah blah blah. Nothing new here.
K. It's not bad. But it's old hat. It's damn short. And after all that, I don't even get the ending. We all know what happens to Jason in A Death in the Family, so how does that ending make any sense?
JRJR's artwork is actually really good here. I like it. But it can't save a shallow and pointless book.
Prequels. I'm almost never a fan because of their revisionist nature and failure to satisfy nostalgia. To try to capture the look and feel of the 80s classic The Dark Knight Returns is kind of impossible. But in a 64 page one shot exploring Bruce and Jason's relationship? I don't see the point.
Joker escapes Arkham. Again. And is plotting to do the things he does in TDKR. But he doesn't really do anything. He has some abstract "crazy talk" rants and sits around a lot trying to look clever. But if you took him out entirely it wouldn't make a difference to the book.
Poison Ivy. She hypnotizes wealthy men into giving her their money. Enough said. That's as deep as that plot lines goes.
Batman and Robin follow the Ivy thread and figure it out rather quickly. Bats gets his ass kicked by Killer Croc because he's old and ready to retire. Bruce philosophizes with Alfred about being old and how Jason is reckless. Blah blah blah. Nothing new here.
K. It's not bad. But it's old hat. It's damn short. And after all that, I don't even get the ending. We all know what happens to Jason in A Death in the Family, so how does that ending make any sense?
JRJR's artwork is actually really good here. I like it. But it can't save a shallow and pointless book.
April 1, 2022
Honestly, I didn’t hate this. I fucking despise Brian Azzarello and you can tell he wrote a majority of it, but being able to work with the lore of Frank Miller’s Batman world definitely helped this. It is pointless? Yeah. Is it fun? Yeah. So meh, mileage will vary.
I loved how the Joker was used here, and the Batman portion feels like a side quest from an Arkham game which was just fun honestly. I even liked the Jason Todd stuff as he isn’t just written as a girlboss for dudes here. The art by John Romita Jr. is awesome too, I love the dude’s work but this might the best thing he has ever drawn.
Mileage will totally vary on the ending as it might be unsatisfactory for some, but I thought it worked well enough with the story being told. Like it made complete sense. This may be the first thing by Azzarello that I actually liked. Maybe I’ll check out that Joker book and some of his other stuff.
I loved how the Joker was used here, and the Batman portion feels like a side quest from an Arkham game which was just fun honestly. I even liked the Jason Todd stuff as he isn’t just written as a girlboss for dudes here. The art by John Romita Jr. is awesome too, I love the dude’s work but this might the best thing he has ever drawn.
Mileage will totally vary on the ending as it might be unsatisfactory for some, but I thought it worked well enough with the story being told. Like it made complete sense. This may be the first thing by Azzarello that I actually liked. Maybe I’ll check out that Joker book and some of his other stuff.
June 19, 2016
Frank Miller has redeemed himself in my eyes with The Master Race and now this. The Dark Knight Strikes Again was really poor and a massive strike in his canon for The Dark Knight. We learn the events leading into Jason Todds infamous scene with the Joker. I liked the slow building tone and Batman struggling to control the new Robin. The end scenes that Robin ignored before running off to prove everybody wrong are brilliant, Batman finally understands why Robin is frustrating him so much. This moment is pivotal and essential for the Batman character as this death had a huge impact. The Joker is depicted here with such a subdued restraint, I wish others could take the menacing power he brings to the scene and run with it.
stripovi-i-grafički-romani
July 2, 2016Ovako kad mi podgrevate smrt Džejsona Toda osećam se kao da mi utrljavate so na ranu, pa je masirate otrovnim kaktusom, fala vi, gospodo.
p.s. A još kad sam pročitala i full color izdanje, to mi je došlo kao oblog od koprive.
p.s. A još kad sam pročitala i full color izdanje, to mi je došlo kao oblog od koprive.
July 11, 2020
Bah. Goodreads ate my review.
Prequel, not sequel. Fits into chronology just before "A Death in the Family" arc. Displays the great talents of artist and writer, but no longer ground-breaking, just straightforward.
Prequel, not sequel. Fits into chronology just before "A Death in the Family" arc. Displays the great talents of artist and writer, but no longer ground-breaking, just straightforward.
March 6, 2018
You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.
A prequel to a classic masterpiece. Necessary? Definite not. Substantial? Not really. Entertaining? Sure was. This one-shot comic with Frank Miller, Brian Azzarello, John Romita Jr. and Peter Steigerwald does a fine job in creating a short and sweet story for fans of The Dark Knight Returns. The Last Crusade is essentially a past event that comes illustrates events that were only quickly mentioned in Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns. Instead of leaving it to the reader’s imagination, this creative team decided that a prequel story would be a fun idea; and they didn’t think twice about it. After all, wouldn’t it be wrong to drop something that would otherwise bring more attention and money to you by simply slapping the “The Dark Knight” name onto it?
A huge focus is on the relationship between Batman (Bruce Wayne) and Robin (Jason Todd); and anyone who knows what happens to the boy wonder—based on the story in The Dark Knight Returns—should know by now what exactly The Last Crusade is all about. And, in all honestly, without diving into huge comparisons with past comics, I actually enjoyed this sort-of “retelling” of . It didn’t need to dive into crazy details to understand what pushed the relationship between the dynamic duo to this end, and it felt sufficient for readers to understand the ending that is to be expected. By taking away the whole hunt for a mother and the goose chase outside of Gotham, this story felt neatly condensed and interesting.
With a cover like that, you’d think that Joker would be the spotlight in this story. Don’t count on it. Joker has some moments throughout the story, but he however doesn’t figure as the main attraction. He does play an inevitable role in the story that unfolds, but he remains a puppeteer in the grand scheme of things. What was unique about his appearances was how the insanity oozed out of him without having him go on crazy delirious speeches or actions. It’s probably one of the greatest things the writers and artists did in this story. Being able to extract the Joker’s personality without giving the usual portrayal of the clown was brilliant. It’s always a great feeling when they succeed in conveying the Joker’s radiant personality through his mere presence and calmer attitudes. What could’ve been dealt with better is definitely the final panels with Joker. Although it ended on a strong note, I felt like the whole story, as a prequel, now created a whole new gap between The Last Crusade and The Dark Knight Returns. And, as far as I know, I haven’t heard about any news of making a sequel to this prequel.
Besides the exploration of the dynamic duo’s relationship and the Joker event, another background event holds the whole one-shot issue together. It essentially revolves around rich men doing unusual things as if their minds weren’t their own anymore. Oh, but who could be behind such a scheme? *sarcastic tone* While the core of this narrative isn’t mind-blowing, this story is still framed within a “past” event in Batman’s life, within the The Dark Knight Returns universe. Somehow, that made me acknowledge that it isn’t surprising that these “evil plans” aren’t the most sophisticated and never-before-seen type of things. It is what it is. I still thought that they were well integrated and gave reasons to see where the relationship between Batman and Robin was going. Some of the scenes were truly staggering when you were confronted to them, and that really made this a dark event in Batman’s life.
The artwork was fantastic for me. I honestly thought it had its own personality, while still giving out some of Frank Miller’s artistic vibe. It sometimes felt odd, but I liked that it actually explored something different. In fact, I also like that they tried to keep those Frank Miller signature elements (i.e. the news report style story-telling) throughout the story. The funniest signature element that I had me pause for a moment is Batman saying “punk” again. This was something you’d see from Frank Miller, especially in Spawn/Batman. Originally intended to make Batman sound like some menacing bully, I guess Frank Miller couldn’t stray from that and felt inclined to keep the tradition going.
There’s a bunch of simple and small details that also make this an entertaining read—that moment where we see the M.A.B, for example—but The Last Crusade definitely not something that should get anyone to run to their local comic stores.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: http://bookidote.wordpress.com
____________________________
A prequel to a classic masterpiece.
Necessary? Definite not.
Substantial? Not really.
Entertaining? Sure was.
This one-shot comic with Frank Miller, Brian Azzarello and John Romita Jr. does a fine job in creating a short and sweet story to give readers a little more insight on what brought the Dark Knight to be what he is in The Dark Knight Returns. A huge focus is on the relationship between Batman and Robin (Jason Todd); and anyone who knows what happens to this boy, should know by now what exactly The Last Crusade is all about. Honestly, without diving into huge comparisons with past comics, I actually enjoyed this sort of "retelling" of . It didn't need to dive into crazy details to understand what pushed the relationship between the dynamic duo to this end, and felt sufficient for readers to understand the ending.
Joker has some moments throughout the story, but he however doesn't figure as the main attraction. What was unique about his appearances was how the insanity oozed out of him without having him go on crazy delirious speeches or actions. It's probably one of the greatest things the writers and artists did in this story. Being able to extract the Joker's personality without giving the usual portrayal of the clown.
The background story that essentially holds the story together is one revolving around rich people doing unusual things as if their minds weren't their own anymore. Oh, but who could be behind such a scheme? While the core of this narrative isn't mind-blowing, this story is still framed within a "past" event in Batman's life. Somehow, that made me acknowledge that it isn't surprising that these "evil plans" aren't the most sophisticated and never-before-seen type of things. It is what it is.
The artwork was fantastic for me. I honestly thought it had its own personality, while still giving out some of Frank Miller's vibe. It sometimes felt odd, but I liked that it actually explored something different. In fact, I also like that they tried to keep those Frank Miller signature elements (i.e. the news report style story-telling).
There's a bunch of simple and small details that also make this an entertaining read, but it's definitely not something that should get anyone to run to their local comic stores.
P.S. Full review to come.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: http://bookidote.wordpress.com
A prequel to a classic masterpiece. Necessary? Definite not. Substantial? Not really. Entertaining? Sure was. This one-shot comic with Frank Miller, Brian Azzarello, John Romita Jr. and Peter Steigerwald does a fine job in creating a short and sweet story for fans of The Dark Knight Returns. The Last Crusade is essentially a past event that comes illustrates events that were only quickly mentioned in Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns. Instead of leaving it to the reader’s imagination, this creative team decided that a prequel story would be a fun idea; and they didn’t think twice about it. After all, wouldn’t it be wrong to drop something that would otherwise bring more attention and money to you by simply slapping the “The Dark Knight” name onto it?
A huge focus is on the relationship between Batman (Bruce Wayne) and Robin (Jason Todd); and anyone who knows what happens to the boy wonder—based on the story in The Dark Knight Returns—should know by now what exactly The Last Crusade is all about. And, in all honestly, without diving into huge comparisons with past comics, I actually enjoyed this sort-of “retelling” of . It didn’t need to dive into crazy details to understand what pushed the relationship between the dynamic duo to this end, and it felt sufficient for readers to understand the ending that is to be expected. By taking away the whole hunt for a mother and the goose chase outside of Gotham, this story felt neatly condensed and interesting.
With a cover like that, you’d think that Joker would be the spotlight in this story. Don’t count on it. Joker has some moments throughout the story, but he however doesn’t figure as the main attraction. He does play an inevitable role in the story that unfolds, but he remains a puppeteer in the grand scheme of things. What was unique about his appearances was how the insanity oozed out of him without having him go on crazy delirious speeches or actions. It’s probably one of the greatest things the writers and artists did in this story. Being able to extract the Joker’s personality without giving the usual portrayal of the clown was brilliant. It’s always a great feeling when they succeed in conveying the Joker’s radiant personality through his mere presence and calmer attitudes. What could’ve been dealt with better is definitely the final panels with Joker. Although it ended on a strong note, I felt like the whole story, as a prequel, now created a whole new gap between The Last Crusade and The Dark Knight Returns. And, as far as I know, I haven’t heard about any news of making a sequel to this prequel.
Besides the exploration of the dynamic duo’s relationship and the Joker event, another background event holds the whole one-shot issue together. It essentially revolves around rich men doing unusual things as if their minds weren’t their own anymore. Oh, but who could be behind such a scheme? *sarcastic tone* While the core of this narrative isn’t mind-blowing, this story is still framed within a “past” event in Batman’s life, within the The Dark Knight Returns universe. Somehow, that made me acknowledge that it isn’t surprising that these “evil plans” aren’t the most sophisticated and never-before-seen type of things. It is what it is. I still thought that they were well integrated and gave reasons to see where the relationship between Batman and Robin was going. Some of the scenes were truly staggering when you were confronted to them, and that really made this a dark event in Batman’s life.
The artwork was fantastic for me. I honestly thought it had its own personality, while still giving out some of Frank Miller’s artistic vibe. It sometimes felt odd, but I liked that it actually explored something different. In fact, I also like that they tried to keep those Frank Miller signature elements (i.e. the news report style story-telling) throughout the story. The funniest signature element that I had me pause for a moment is Batman saying “punk” again. This was something you’d see from Frank Miller, especially in Spawn/Batman. Originally intended to make Batman sound like some menacing bully, I guess Frank Miller couldn’t stray from that and felt inclined to keep the tradition going.
There’s a bunch of simple and small details that also make this an entertaining read—that moment where we see the M.A.B, for example—but The Last Crusade definitely not something that should get anyone to run to their local comic stores.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: http://bookidote.wordpress.com
____________________________
A prequel to a classic masterpiece.
Necessary? Definite not.
Substantial? Not really.
Entertaining? Sure was.
This one-shot comic with Frank Miller, Brian Azzarello and John Romita Jr. does a fine job in creating a short and sweet story to give readers a little more insight on what brought the Dark Knight to be what he is in The Dark Knight Returns. A huge focus is on the relationship between Batman and Robin (Jason Todd); and anyone who knows what happens to this boy, should know by now what exactly The Last Crusade is all about. Honestly, without diving into huge comparisons with past comics, I actually enjoyed this sort of "retelling" of . It didn't need to dive into crazy details to understand what pushed the relationship between the dynamic duo to this end, and felt sufficient for readers to understand the ending.
Joker has some moments throughout the story, but he however doesn't figure as the main attraction. What was unique about his appearances was how the insanity oozed out of him without having him go on crazy delirious speeches or actions. It's probably one of the greatest things the writers and artists did in this story. Being able to extract the Joker's personality without giving the usual portrayal of the clown.
The background story that essentially holds the story together is one revolving around rich people doing unusual things as if their minds weren't their own anymore. Oh, but who could be behind such a scheme? While the core of this narrative isn't mind-blowing, this story is still framed within a "past" event in Batman's life. Somehow, that made me acknowledge that it isn't surprising that these "evil plans" aren't the most sophisticated and never-before-seen type of things. It is what it is.
The artwork was fantastic for me. I honestly thought it had its own personality, while still giving out some of Frank Miller's vibe. It sometimes felt odd, but I liked that it actually explored something different. In fact, I also like that they tried to keep those Frank Miller signature elements (i.e. the news report style story-telling).
There's a bunch of simple and small details that also make this an entertaining read, but it's definitely not something that should get anyone to run to their local comic stores.
P.S. Full review to come.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: http://bookidote.wordpress.com
June 19, 2017
Bullet Review:
God, broody Batman is SO OLD. And by "old", I don't mean as in years-wise - I mean as in overdone. I almost want the campiest, goofiest Baman story you can find, because I'm sure as sh!t tired of reading about how Bruce is falling apart and monologuing about how awful life is.
So apparently this book is before the epic Frank Miller, Dark Knight Returns, which I actually recently finished and rather enjoyed. This book, however, is like someone read DKR and just did the same thing without realizing why. Joker...Ivy...the TV scenes...yup, all here, but they are pointless and boring. The only thread I thought was legitimately interesting was Jason Todd's enjoyment of violence, but way too little focus, outside of Bruce's wangsting.
Is there ANY Batman where he isn't falling apart and maybe has a bit light-heartedness to him? Or is all of Batman post-Frank Miller required by law to be broody and depressing and full of inner narration? Just a question for a friend...
God, broody Batman is SO OLD. And by "old", I don't mean as in years-wise - I mean as in overdone. I almost want the campiest, goofiest Baman story you can find, because I'm sure as sh!t tired of reading about how Bruce is falling apart and monologuing about how awful life is.
So apparently this book is before the epic Frank Miller, Dark Knight Returns, which I actually recently finished and rather enjoyed. This book, however, is like someone read DKR and just did the same thing without realizing why. Joker...Ivy...the TV scenes...yup, all here, but they are pointless and boring. The only thread I thought was legitimately interesting was Jason Todd's enjoyment of violence, but way too little focus, outside of Bruce's wangsting.
Is there ANY Batman where he isn't falling apart and maybe has a bit light-heartedness to him? Or is all of Batman post-Frank Miller required by law to be broody and depressing and full of inner narration? Just a question for a friend...
July 10, 2016
Not Miller's best shot, the Croc/Ivy storyline was not much inspired, but this not needed at all prequel to "The Dark Knight returns", best Batman story ever with "The killing joke" for me, is still far better than the awful "The Dark Knight strikes back". And at last Romita Jr gets a good inker.. Not bad at all.
July 19, 2018
Who would have known Frank Miller getting older would actually make me like his writing.
So this very short graphic novel is basically the story of Jason Todd. Batman transitioning from Hardass psycho in All Star Batman and Robin to more tame, calm, Bruce we all know. He's seeing Jason Todd, his Robin at the time, slowly going down the rabbit hole. Becoming more violent and angry. We also see the Joker at his most lethal. What he can do with his mind games and how he can use it to escape any situation.
Good: Loved the slow dwindling effect on Jason. This actually made me understand his decent into darkness and worked well. I also enjoyed seeing the Joker here, as he came across very very creepy and he hardly laid a finger on anyone. Pretty freaky.
Bad: I thought it was too short sadly. The art wasn't that great either, and everyone looked squashed down and mushed. Some of the dialog was a bit meh.
Overall this was pretty fun. Yes, it had Miller issues but overall it was a breeze to read and didn't make me question what the fuck Miller was writing. A easy 3 out of 5.
So this very short graphic novel is basically the story of Jason Todd. Batman transitioning from Hardass psycho in All Star Batman and Robin to more tame, calm, Bruce we all know. He's seeing Jason Todd, his Robin at the time, slowly going down the rabbit hole. Becoming more violent and angry. We also see the Joker at his most lethal. What he can do with his mind games and how he can use it to escape any situation.
Good: Loved the slow dwindling effect on Jason. This actually made me understand his decent into darkness and worked well. I also enjoyed seeing the Joker here, as he came across very very creepy and he hardly laid a finger on anyone. Pretty freaky.
Bad: I thought it was too short sadly. The art wasn't that great either, and everyone looked squashed down and mushed. Some of the dialog was a bit meh.
Overall this was pretty fun. Yes, it had Miller issues but overall it was a breeze to read and didn't make me question what the fuck Miller was writing. A easy 3 out of 5.
November 14, 2017
This serves as a prequel to Miller's classic, The Dark Knight Returns. I suppose it's an open question as to how necessary this book is, since each subsequent Dark Knight book seems to dilute the impact of the original. Then again, most of the grim and gritty psychotic Batman stories that have come along since then also dilute the impact of the original, so he’s in good company.
That said, this actually wasn't too bad. Batman in denial about age taking its toll on his body, and a Joker more dangerous than ever before are some of the themes successfully explored in the original book. Add to the mix Batman's growing concern about a ruthlessness in Jason Todd/Robin's nature and we have the beginnings of an interesting tale. Alas, we don't get the complete story in this volume. Yes, if you've read the original Dark Knight book, you've got a pretty good idea what happens, but I think it's a bit much to be expecting the casual reader to fill in that sizable a gap on their own.
That said, this actually wasn't too bad. Batman in denial about age taking its toll on his body, and a Joker more dangerous than ever before are some of the themes successfully explored in the original book. Add to the mix Batman's growing concern about a ruthlessness in Jason Todd/Robin's nature and we have the beginnings of an interesting tale. Alas, we don't get the complete story in this volume. Yes, if you've read the original Dark Knight book, you've got a pretty good idea what happens, but I think it's a bit much to be expecting the casual reader to fill in that sizable a gap on their own.
August 3, 2016
The Last Crusade is a decent pre-retirement Batman story that focuses on Bruce's age taking a toll on the overall performance of the Dark Knight and Jason Todd succumbing to the evil side of crimefighting, both leading to the main premise of The Dark Knight Returns. That or you can say The Last Crusade is a direct prequel to A Death in the Family.
Being a Miller story, TDKR beats are felt here and there in the comics but it can no way be at par with the TDKR story. The story though is generic and yet effectively acts as a stage on the fate of the dynamic duo.
Being a Miller story, TDKR beats are felt here and there in the comics but it can no way be at par with the TDKR story. The story though is generic and yet effectively acts as a stage on the fate of the dynamic duo.
June 16, 2017
the story is the prequel to the events of the masterpiece : The Dark Knight Returns and it isnt as good as one would expect
February 6, 2017
Batman is currently having a great run with Millers new Dark Knight series and so we get a prequel of the "Return of the Dark Knight" In which a tired and old Batman has retired and leaves Bruce Wayne living a half life.
This book opens with a Joker being returned to Arkham Asylum after a rescue of a hostage situation in which Batman and the boy-wonder Robin solved the situation. This book is more of an introspection on the part of Robin and the phase of life in which Bruce Wayne and his alter-ego have come. This Robin is a daredevil who enjoys the whole adventure a wee bit too much and while this concerns Bruce and is recognizable to Alfred to clean-up of the Jokers cronies still has to be done and at the same time Poison Ivy makes a return to the Bat his life and city.
The end is bitter when after a tough night an old, tired an wounded Batman calls it a night and Robin goes off to meet his doom [not a grand spoiler for readers of this prologue].
Well written and a welcome addition to the world of Millers' Dark Knight. It is not a book you would miss if you did not read it but at the same time I am really glad I did have the pleasure.
This book opens with a Joker being returned to Arkham Asylum after a rescue of a hostage situation in which Batman and the boy-wonder Robin solved the situation. This book is more of an introspection on the part of Robin and the phase of life in which Bruce Wayne and his alter-ego have come. This Robin is a daredevil who enjoys the whole adventure a wee bit too much and while this concerns Bruce and is recognizable to Alfred to clean-up of the Jokers cronies still has to be done and at the same time Poison Ivy makes a return to the Bat his life and city.
The end is bitter when after a tough night an old, tired an wounded Batman calls it a night and Robin goes off to meet his doom [not a grand spoiler for readers of this prologue].
Well written and a welcome addition to the world of Millers' Dark Knight. It is not a book you would miss if you did not read it but at the same time I am really glad I did have the pleasure.
June 7, 2018
Frank Miller continues the Dark Knight Returns storyline with this third installment- the Last Crusade. Brian Azzarello steps in to illustrate this issue. It was an interesting choice since Azarello's work remind me of John Romita Jr's style. That is neither a compliment nor an insult.
Batman is getting very old now. This book is a litany of how things aren't working. In a departure, a good one in my view, from the previous DKR II -Batman has ditched that weird red headed girl for a real Robin- Jason Todd of Red Hood fame. A good story and I really did enjoy the Joker, but the book was rather short and the annoying cliff hanger at the end served no purpose but to require a second volume. I am not sure why they just didn't incorporate all the story into one book (they did that with the previous stories).
Thus while the whole Dark Knight keeps returning is getting a wee bit old in the tooth (no pun intended), I liked the Jason Robin, I enjoyed the Joker- my complaints revolve around that silly cliff hanger of an ending and the rather short nature of this volume. So 3 stars instead of 4.
Batman is getting very old now. This book is a litany of how things aren't working. In a departure, a good one in my view, from the previous DKR II -Batman has ditched that weird red headed girl for a real Robin- Jason Todd of Red Hood fame. A good story and I really did enjoy the Joker, but the book was rather short and the annoying cliff hanger at the end served no purpose but to require a second volume. I am not sure why they just didn't incorporate all the story into one book (they did that with the previous stories).
Thus while the whole Dark Knight keeps returning is getting a wee bit old in the tooth (no pun intended), I liked the Jason Robin, I enjoyed the Joker- my complaints revolve around that silly cliff hanger of an ending and the rather short nature of this volume. So 3 stars instead of 4.
January 8, 2017
Very good but I am a big Batman fan so slightly prejudice.
This works as a prequel to the entire on Dark Knight series by Frank Miller and also tells the story of what happens to Jason Todd in this world.
Very creepy insight to the Joker and how ageing is effecting Batman.
Worth a read but you need to know abit about Batman and have read or are going to read Dark Knight to get the most out of this.
This works as a prequel to the entire on Dark Knight series by Frank Miller and also tells the story of what happens to Jason Todd in this world.
Very creepy insight to the Joker and how ageing is effecting Batman.
Worth a read but you need to know abit about Batman and have read or are going to read Dark Knight to get the most out of this.
September 13, 2023
So, I haven’t read the dark knight returns and I’ve been sitting on it for a while. Today is finally the day and a while ago I picked up the prequel which essential shows why Batman retired. As a book itself and me not having any context from the dark knight returns it’s ok and a solid story but that’s all.
August 8, 2025
A completely unnecessary prequel that does manage to capture some of the grearness of Returns. Seeing Bruce regret the weapon he's turned Jason into (especially after we know what happened to Dick Grayson in this universe), and seeing him aging, not just old, is genuinely kind of compelling. Loved getting to see this universes Joker again. "Hit me!" "I'd love to, but we're playing poker..." fun enough.
October 4, 2019
Nothing special story-wise, just a decent tie-in to the main TDKR plot. JRJR is always a joy to read, his art is top-shelf.
June 17, 2016
First off, this is the best Batman story that Frank Miller has been a part of in quite some time. The Dark Knight Strikes Again was a disappointment, both in story and especially in terms of art, which was Miller at his sloppiest. All-Star Batman and Robin featured fantastic art by Jim Lee that was wasted on a story that was not true to the character in anyway, even though Miller at one point stated that it was a part of his Dark Knight continuity (Year 1, TDKR, TDKSA).
That being said, I'm guessing that readers owe Brian Azarrello, who probably reigned in the crazy that Miller has displayed in his writing in the last 15-20 years. It looks like the continuity of All-Star Batman and Robin w/the Miller Dark Knight universe may be finally dispensed with, as we see a Batman who is once again going out of his way not to kill criminals and in fact saving them. All-Star Batman was wasting cops right and left. Bad cops, yeah, but still....
Finally, there's a good story here to tell and it's one that was hinted at in semi-vague glimpses in The Dark Knight Returns, which features Batman coming out of a ten year retirement that he imposed upon himself due to his age and the implied death of Jason Todd. Unfortunately, as soon as the story starts sucking you in, it ends. We don't see Bruce lock up the cave or hang up the cowl. It ends essentially on a cliff hanger that readers are expected to fill in themselves. While I can see why they did it, it left me
feeling like something was missing. I wanted to see Batman confront the Joker. I wanted to see him hang up the cowl and pick up that first drink of booze. I wanted to see Alfred watching him a few feet away. However, in the end we're left our own imagination to fill in the details. The problem with that is that the imagination of fans isn't canon....
That being said, I'm guessing that readers owe Brian Azarrello, who probably reigned in the crazy that Miller has displayed in his writing in the last 15-20 years. It looks like the continuity of All-Star Batman and Robin w/the Miller Dark Knight universe may be finally dispensed with, as we see a Batman who is once again going out of his way not to kill criminals and in fact saving them. All-Star Batman was wasting cops right and left. Bad cops, yeah, but still....
Finally, there's a good story here to tell and it's one that was hinted at in semi-vague glimpses in The Dark Knight Returns, which features Batman coming out of a ten year retirement that he imposed upon himself due to his age and the implied death of Jason Todd. Unfortunately, as soon as the story starts sucking you in, it ends. We don't see Bruce lock up the cave or hang up the cowl. It ends essentially on a cliff hanger that readers are expected to fill in themselves. While I can see why they did it, it left me
feeling like something was missing. I wanted to see Batman confront the Joker. I wanted to see him hang up the cowl and pick up that first drink of booze. I wanted to see Alfred watching him a few feet away. However, in the end we're left our own imagination to fill in the details. The problem with that is that the imagination of fans isn't canon....
July 24, 2023
UPDATE 2023:
I just read a "Dark Knight by Miller reading order" thing online, and here was the suggested order:
Dark Knight I
Last Crusade
DK II
DKIII
Now, what the fuck?
The logic laid out was that Last Crusade comes first, chronologically, but DK I is the pinnacle of the series, so you should read it first.
My guy who wrote this, No. This is incorrect on many levels.
There's nothing in here you need to know in order to understand DKI, II, or III. It's a prequel that came like...30 years after the original? Anything you need to know comes in the actual first book.
Do comics sites just ask people to write as much shit as possible? "Crank out 25 articles today, I don't care what they're about, but DO make them different from whatever else is out there."
I feel like I could make a small fortune writing articles about how DKII is "The Best Frank Miller Batman Story." Well, if AI doesn't beat me to it...
It's short, but the story is decent. And John Romita Jr just keeps cementing himself as a favorite artist for me with everything he does. Frank Miller has a style all his own, and while I wouldn't have thought to replace it with JRJR, it works.
The worst thing I can say about this book is that it's probably unnecessary. Do we need a Dark Knight prequel? Do we need an anything prequel? Probably not.
But on the other hand, when we're talking about comics we NEED, I think that's a short list.
To put it all in Batman parlance, not the book we wanted, not the book we needed, but pretty aight. Does Batman say "aight"?
I just read a "Dark Knight by Miller reading order" thing online, and here was the suggested order:
Dark Knight I
Last Crusade
DK II
DKIII
Now, what the fuck?
The logic laid out was that Last Crusade comes first, chronologically, but DK I is the pinnacle of the series, so you should read it first.
My guy who wrote this, No. This is incorrect on many levels.
There's nothing in here you need to know in order to understand DKI, II, or III. It's a prequel that came like...30 years after the original? Anything you need to know comes in the actual first book.
Do comics sites just ask people to write as much shit as possible? "Crank out 25 articles today, I don't care what they're about, but DO make them different from whatever else is out there."
I feel like I could make a small fortune writing articles about how DKII is "The Best Frank Miller Batman Story." Well, if AI doesn't beat me to it...
It's short, but the story is decent. And John Romita Jr just keeps cementing himself as a favorite artist for me with everything he does. Frank Miller has a style all his own, and while I wouldn't have thought to replace it with JRJR, it works.
The worst thing I can say about this book is that it's probably unnecessary. Do we need a Dark Knight prequel? Do we need an anything prequel? Probably not.
But on the other hand, when we're talking about comics we NEED, I think that's a short list.
To put it all in Batman parlance, not the book we wanted, not the book we needed, but pretty aight. Does Batman say "aight"?
November 19, 2016
So this is a prequel to the Dark Knight Returns which mainly deals with whatever happened to Robin, in this case Jason Todd.
I did enjoy this. It's really great artwork from Romita Jr. which is reminiscent of The Dark Knight Returns. Even the panel layouts are similar. It's also interesting to see Poison Ivy and Killer Croc in the Dark Knight universe.
That being said, this story really didn't seem necessary. I'd like to think that maybe it's a story Frank Miller always wanted to tell, but more then likely this was a story driving by ka-ching. I liked the mysterious backstory of Dark Knight that left a lot up to the readers imagination, so it's almost like finding more out takes away some of the magic. Also, even though it did remind me a lot of Dark Knight, it still wasn't Dark Knight.
So in summary, it was a good Batman story, but when compared to a classic like The Dark Knight Returns, it loses something.
I did enjoy this. It's really great artwork from Romita Jr. which is reminiscent of The Dark Knight Returns. Even the panel layouts are similar. It's also interesting to see Poison Ivy and Killer Croc in the Dark Knight universe.
That being said, this story really didn't seem necessary. I'd like to think that maybe it's a story Frank Miller always wanted to tell, but more then likely this was a story driving by ka-ching. I liked the mysterious backstory of Dark Knight that left a lot up to the readers imagination, so it's almost like finding more out takes away some of the magic. Also, even though it did remind me a lot of Dark Knight, it still wasn't Dark Knight.
So in summary, it was a good Batman story, but when compared to a classic like The Dark Knight Returns, it loses something.
July 2, 2016
Mracan, tmuran, tipican Miler. Lepa prica ali se zavrsava opasnim cliff hanger-om pa bolje sacekati sa citanjem dok se neskupi ceo komplet.
October 22, 2016
It's just pretty Meh take its or leave it frank Miller just doesn't have it anymore IMO...... this is all just rambling exposition and monologue wasting time and covering up a decent story 3/5
May 12, 2017
Where is the GODDAMN Frank Miller? Let the man write ALONE!
November 30, 2020
This was a quick read! It’s a prequel to the Dark Knight Returns, which is one of my favorite Batman books (although I haven’t reread it recently). This didn’t exactly add anything to that narrative, but I thought the art was decent and I enjoyed quite a few scenes. The Bruce/Jason relationship was interesting, and I thought the ending scene was heartbreaking. A lot of the Joker scenes dragged for me though, and Croc seemed kind of silly. 3.5/5 stars.
September 16, 2017
precuela que no aporta nada al universo del regreso del caballero oscuro ni cuenta una historia satisfactoria, lo mejor el dibujo de un John Romita Jr en franca decadencia, varias tramas que no llevan a ningún lado y un final que no dice nada... no me ha gustado demasiado pero para pasar un rato muerto hace el apaño.
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