The Complete Frank Miller Batman

Batman

by Frank Miller, Dennis O'Neil (extra story), Richard Bruning (introduction)

The Complete Frank Miller Batman contains: Batman Year One, Wanted: Santa Claus Dead Or Alive and The Dark Knight Returns. With a new introduction by Richard Bruning, then DC design director. Batman Year One and The Dark Knight Returns are reprints of their trade paperbacks and not individual issues so they include the introductions to those volumes by Frank Miller and Alan Moore. Wanted: Santa Claus Dead Or Alive comes from DC Super Star Holiday Special 21.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Batman, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Superheroes, Comic Book

312 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 1989

About the author

Frank 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.

Reviews

[CS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bullet Review:

BOOM BOOM BOOM! Another book bites the dust!

Feeling so accomplished in 2017 - getting through this list of books that I've been reading for nearly 2 years!

This was a rollercoaster. Dense. Dark. Not a happy ending - but very good. Without this, Batman would not be what he is today.

Batfleck and all :/

[Albert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I friggin' loathe Frank Miller. I think he's the hackiest hack who ever hacked, and I think the world would be a better place if he'd take his pig-headed, misogynist misanthropy and go live on a mountaintop in unpublished isolation for the rest of his days. However, Batman: Year One and The Dark Knight Returns are two towering accomplishments, at least when set against the pathetic standard set by comic books in general. My uncle gave me this book when I was a lad, and I still read it every now and then. It's pretty great, even though I can't take Batman seriously anymore.

[Max's Comic Reviews and Lists · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frank Miller’s 2 Batman Masterpieces and then Santa

The Dark Knight Returns
The Single greatest Batman story and story ever made! The illustrations are amazing because they are detailed and imperfect. The character arcs and the conflict between characters is one of the reasons this is, in my opinion, the greatest piece of art ever produced. I could go on and on and on and on for 200 pages but I will just say,this is the most dark, gritty and the best interpretation of The Dark Knight EVER! The most beautiful and thought-provoking masterpiece of a story that is required reading. Letter Grade: (A+)

Wanted: Santa Claus Dead or Alive
Frank Miller’s pencils are pretty much the only interesting thing in this section of the Holiday Special. Otherwise this is just a missed opportunity for a fun but clever Santa/Batman story

As a backstory for Batman and commissioner goes this is undoubtedly the best one. Even when the main characters aren't kicking ass it is just as compelling as the action thanks to Frank Miller’s amazing understanding of the characters. The illustrations are undoubtably incredible. There is this a very dark feeling of despair through this book that helps bring along the story. A complete masterpiece. Letter Grade: (A+)

Letter Grade: (A+)

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friend lent me his leather-bound edition. Basically, I felt as if I should have set up a shrine to it, complete with incense. When you think of Batman comic books, this is what you're imagining.

[J. Griff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a beautiful, black leather HC edition with the main stories Frank Miller is famous for writing. Not sure I can say anything about these infamous tales that hasn’t already been covered. If for some reason you haven’t read Batman: Year One or The Dark Knight Returns please, please, please add them to your ‘To Read’ list as these are Comic 101 reads.

[John Ekleberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book (inside and out), worthy of my first GoodReads review. This fine leatherbound hardcover collectes The Complete (as of 1989) Frank Miller Batman- Batman: Year One, The Dark Knight Returns and a rarely-seen short piece Wanted: Santa Claus- Dead or Alive, scripted by Batman veteran Denny O'Neil with art by Miller.

The two headline stories, produced within a year of each other in 1986/87, are Miller's Alpha and Omega of The Batman legend. Year One, masterfully illustrated by David Mazzucchelli (who also collaborated with Miller on the excellent Daredevil: Born Again) is the pinnacle of serialized Batman comics. It's also the pinnacle of comic book origin stories, concerning itself just as much with James Gordon as with a young Bruce Wayne. They are men struggling in parallel against corruption, each destined to be a beacon of hope and support for the other.

Fast forward...

Years have passed, and Gotham has relapsed into depravity. In The Dark Knight Returns, Bruce Wayne obliterates his own fear and self-doubt (which culminated in the death of the second Robin and Wayne's subsequent retirement a decade earlier). Wayne sheds his skin to once again reveal his true self: The Batman. And once the demon is off the chain, Its shadow falls on Gotham like never before.

Having this pair of landmarks in a handsome single volume is a dream realized.

[Chris Lund · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are all such complex, dark stories that really push the character (and the genre) to an entirely new level. The idealized fantasy world of classic comic books has been stripped away and the portrayal instead reflects a much more realistic depiction of what might happen if these superheroes somehow existed in the real world. Knowing that this was written over 30 years ago might make one think that it would feel dated, but, to use a cliche phrase, it still seems as relevant now as it was back then.

[Grace Haapapuro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super complex and dark story that really takes all of the characters involved to new levels. Hard to top this one

[Justin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Complete Frank Miller Batman is an absolute must-have for Batman fans, Frank Miller fans, and pretty much anyone who loves comics. This deluxe, leather-bound, silver leaf hardcover collects Frank Millers seminal works Batman: Year One and Batman: the Dark Knight Returns, with a Christmas-themed short story serving as an interlude between the two epics.

These two Batman epics are considered among the best, if not the absolute best, Batman stories ever. Year One shows a young Bruce Wayne embarking on his one-man war on crime in a Gotham City that is as rife with corruption as it is plagued by criminals. Police Captain James Gordon is the other star of the series, and his struggle to remain an ethical cop in a sea of corruption is just as interesting as Batman's initial assaults against the criminal underworld. Miller's writing is flawless, and David Mazzuchelli's artwork sets the tone perfectly. His art reminds us that this is not bright shiny Metropolis we're seeing, but dirty grimy Gotham City. This brilliant story serves as the definitive origin of the Batman, and remains a classic to this day.

If Year One served as the first chapter in the Batman saga, then the Dark Knight Returns is the final chapter. In a nutshell, the series deals with a middle-aged Batman returning to crime fighting after a lengthy retirement. In reality, this series changed the look and feel of comic books forever. It was unlike anything that had come before it, and its influence on the genre is incalculable. Dark Knight is an uncompromising look at what really drives Bruce Wayne, Commissioner Gordon, the Joker and even Superman and Green Arrow, and what the potential sociopolitical consequences of superhero activity might be. And though it is set in the near future, it also serves as an indictment of the 1980's Reagan-era mentality. Miller again tapped a former Daredevil collaborator, Klaus Janson, to assist with the artwork, which is simply stunning. Colorist Lynne Varley does a fantastic job as well, adding vitality to each page that must be seen to be believed. The Dark Knight Returns is, in my humble opinion, the ultimate Batman story. Nothing I've read before or since, with the exception of Year One, has ever come close.

The fact that these two critically important tales are collected back-to-back, and in such a spectacular fashion, makes the Complete Frank Miller Batman an essential item for every comic fan's bookshelf. It also makes an excellent gift, as it is not something you're going to run across at your average chain bookstore. This volume gets my highest possible recommendation.

[Corban Ford · Rating 5 out of 5]

A simply beautiful volume containing one of comic book history's most iconic legends. Frank Miller's most rich and influential stories are held in this wonderfully crafted volume. Batman the Dark Knight Returns and Batman: Year one were both written within a year of each other and are both among the best Batman books..no, they're among the best graphic novels ever written, and to have them in one collection is just awesome in and of itself. With detailed notes from Miller as well as signature sketches, I am amazed and overjoyed to have been able to cop a copy (see what I did there?) for only $25.

[Jeremiah Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading this volume. Wow! I never read comic books as a child but this collection of Batman stories was amazing. The art was incredible and I had no idea that the Batman story was so rich.

[Donald · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book fully shaped my understanding of the world and language when i was a child. what a terrible thing for it to have done, but i cant cry about it now, can i?

[Staci · Rating 5 out of 5]

This made me love Batman again & understand that he is a bad-ass, not that Batusy dancin' fool from the 60s tv show. It also introduced me to Frank Miller.

[The Ether · Rating 5 out of 5]

9 / 10 for the collection - 10 / 10 for DKR.

Dark Knight Returns is one of the best Batman stories ever written. Year One I guess is okay, but I expected more bungling and perhaps potential deaths as Batman is still trying to figure out how to be Batman. The middle story is cute, but doesn't contribute to the Batman canon. DKR is amazing. The only issues I have with it are that some of the artwork is hard to clearly interpret and the story sometimes literally switches perspectives and flow in the middle of a sentence. If you have not read DKR, it's worth your time. Having read DKR several times previously always made me wonder why it hadn't been turned into a movie. Rereading now I realize it's because some of the nightmarish predictions in the book have become our reality (A movie theater shooting, a plane crashes into a building, guns and corruption are everywhere, etc) and making a movie mirroring the story would be... complicated to say the least.

PROS: Amazing story telling; I just love the literal different perspectives a graphic novel takes on when telling a story; Compelling and as a graphic novel, plenty of natural stopping points!

CONS: In DKR, the artwork is unconventional and sometimes requires a closer look to see what's going on; the first 2 stories in the collection are, IMHO, decent but not necessarily incredible; Whether good or bad, I really wanted to dig into this book, and in doing so I feel like it took me longer to read it than it maybe should have.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great stories. Oh that all comic books could be so well written. The art isn't always the greatest but when the story is this good, I feel like it doesn't need to be. Batman Year One is simply fantastic. I love how it basically shows a new Batman who doesn't quite know what he's doing. He has to figure things out. Jim Gordon seems to be a foil for Batman as he adapts to his new surroundings in Gotham and the corrupt police department. Neither of these characters are portrayed as being perfect, pretty far from it, which is really what makes this story so interesting. And the Dark Knight returns is just great as well.

[WadeofEarth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! That was fantastic! I really enjoyed Year One, totally could have skipped the shorty in the middle about Santa, but I simply couldn't put The Dark Knight Returns down! It was dark, gritty, intense, and thought provoking... I am actually speechless...

If you have any appreciation for Batman, this is a must read!

[Pavan Aaryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Batman's new version

[READERSBEWARE · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow so nitty and gritty each story a tapestry of the filth that was Gotham city and a Batman that was unafraid to get the revenge he needed. Frank miller did awesome telling us his story of Batman.

[Rachel Morgan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Probably my first and last graphic novel. I'm sure its excellent, I just don't like the style.

[Leelan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The main meat of this book is obviuously Frank Miller's groundbreaking The Dark Knight Returns>. The other stories are good too but TDK is phenomenal!

Bruce Wayne is in his fifties and finished with Batman over ten years ago. But he still has nightmares. He has to drink himself into a stupor to sleep at night. But after ten years nothing is enough anymore. Gotham is even worse than it was in his youth. There are no super-villians left. All of the other heroes have either left or retired. But the world is a much darker place than when he first put on the cowl.

That's how the book begins. Hopefully anyone reading this already knows what come next. Bruce becomes Batman again and "goes to town" on all of the criminals in Gotham once more.

But did you know that there was more to all of this than just a revamped superhero comic book?

I think Miller must be an English major. The Dark Knight Returns> is his retelling of Beowulf. It's all there. The four chapters of Beowulf's story are there in four colors. But Batman's Grendel is the oafish leader of the most powerful street gang in Gotham. His Brecca is Two-Face Harvey Dent. Grendel's mother is the Joker --- they even have their showdown in the Tunnel of Love! Beowulf killed Grendel's mother in water-filled caverns. But the most imaginative retelling is the final chapter. Beowulf fought the ultimate in supernatural villains, a dragon. In the end, Batman faces the greatest supranatural force to ever come to Earth --- SUPERMAN.

If you haven't read this book in whatever edition then you owe it to yourself. Find it. READ IT.

[Kayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

THE COMPLETE FRANK MILLER BATMAN by Frank Miller

This graphic novel was not bad, not exactly my taste so I didn't enjoy it immensely or anything. I liked the third installment the best ('The Dark Knight Returns'). It had some interesting parts overall, not a bad read. I didn't really like the graphics, though. Not sure why. but they just didn't appeal to me. THE COMPLETE FRANK MILLER BATMAN was entertaining, but nothing special. As it stands I'd recommend this only for those who are already Batman fans. :)

Alfred ~ "That refugee charity called..."
Bruce ~ "Write them a check."
Alfred ~ "And the committee for the preservation of obssessive behavior in middle-aged men?"
Bruce ~ "Write them a check."
Alfred ~ "Very good, sir. Your sense of humor is keen as ever, sir."

Overall Opinion: ★★★

~Kayla
My Blog

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm almost tempted to give this 4 stars. Batman: Year One is PERFECT. Wanted: Santa Claus-Dead or Alive is really only here for the sake of completion, and I usually skip it, and...I'll say it: DKR tries too hard. Frank Miller is trying to turn everything up to eleven, and it's entertaining, but at times, it's hard to tell what's happening from panel to panel, and Batman himself is not consistent throughout the book. For instance, in the second issue, Batman guns down one of the Mutants with a machine gun. Later, he faces the leader of the Mutants, but doesn't shoot him because "...that means crossing a line a drew for myself, thirty years ago."

So Batman doesn't kill people, except for when he does.

Still, I would give DKR 4 stars by itself. With Year One, in a leather-bound edition, with introductions by Miller and Alan Moore, it gets 5.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot begin to display how this book opened my eyes to a darker side of this world. It helped me when my innocence was taken from me at a young age, and also my first read.

The in-depth look at a character such as Bruce Wayne is one that can open anyone's mind to endless possibilities. Batman has been that one true light, that one defining line between the opposition of good and evil in life. Even based in the 1980's, this book was the ultimate factor and key money-getter for the newest Batman trilogy; which stands to show the impact among today's society and values even 30 years after without the help of far-out fictional movie magic, to a point that I believe held a higher grasp on the human mind.

Thank you Bob Kane for creating the biggest defining part of my life, and rest in peace.

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

All this leather bound tome needs is Alan Moore's "The Killing Joke" and you would have the ultimate batman graphic novel trilogy.

I've read both "Year One" and "Dark Knight Returns" multiple times, but not for a few years.

These stories are like wine: the more time that passes, the better they are. In the past month, I have taken the time to read the other Batman Graphic novels that are well regarded, and while I gave most of those four stars, these stories. Man. Five stars doesn't seem like enough.

The story, the art, the richness of the universe are so compact and engrossing, comparing the graphic novels in this edition to other Batman graphic novels seems unfair.

Highly recommend anyone who's a big fan of Batman, or a newbie to comics altogether to start with this gorgeous leather bound edition of Frank Miller's Batman works.

[Debbie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I do not care for graphic novels. The number I've read as an adult can be counted on one hand with room left over. When I was a kid there was no such thing, only comic books. My problem is (you note I'm placing the blame precisely where it belongs and not with the genre) that any skill set you need to read and follow graphic novels I lost a long time ago. I don't understand them, I can't figure out the story and I feel lost and very disappointed. In fact, this particular graphic novel left me more puzzled and confused than any of the other few I've read. In fact, I only finished reading it as part of a reading challenge I accepted. Otherwise it would have joined the very short list of titles I have on my "unfinished" shelf. All I can say is "WHEW, it's over."

[Fugo Feedback · Rating 4 out of 5]

Año Uno y DKR los leí en sus respectivas ediciones en castellano en varias ocasiones, y al día de hoy siguen pareciéndome dos de las mejores obras de Batman (y de DC en general) que se hayan hecho jamás. En cuanto a la historia corta "Wanted: Santa Claus Dead Or Alive", la leí hace poco porque vieen como revistita de extra en el cofre "Grandes autores de Batman: Frank Miller", y la verdad que me pareció... legible. Después veo de linkear las distintas reseñas, aunque ninguan de ellas sea particularmente interesante.

[Zoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I kind of liked "Year One" better than "The Dark Knight Returns" because Batman feels less like a total fascist in it, and also because of the focus on Gordon, who I found far more compelling than Wayne. "Dark Knight Returns" felt like a slightly less bloodthirsty Judge Dredd. It was still a cool story, but there was just too much racism, classism, sexism, transphobia, homophobia... everything really. "Year One" had a little less of that stuff.

In both of them I liked watching Wayne cope with his limitations, either lack of experience or physical deterioration.

[Mloy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw this book from across the room (of the bookstore) and immidiately fell head-over-heals in-love with it! Talk about judging a book by its cover, this book is pretty sweet!!! But aside from the fact that this is an absolutely aesthetically gorgeous book: black leather-bound with recessed/reverse silver emboss of the title and the window and the fancy gold gilded edge pages, Frank Miller is a genius and so what other reason do you really need?

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frank Miller re-invented Batman better than anyone expected or would have imagined. It is to this day Batman is viewed as the "Dark Knight" because of Miller.

My one thought is that the entire series needs to be reread a few times. The story is so quick and action packed you can overlook subplots and delicate details.

[Jules · Rating 3 out of 5]

I friggin love Batman, and Frank Miller's depiction of him is my favorite of the comics I've read (which is not many, but still). From what I've read so far, the most recent Batman movies seem to be based off his concepts.

I found this particular book at a garage sale and fell in love. I'm working my way through it.