Understanding THE DARK KNIGHT STRIKES AGAIN: Frank Miller's Self-Destructive Magnum Opus

A look back at Frank Miller and Lynn Varley's highly controversial and hated "The Dark Knight Strikes Again," a comic that returned DC Comics to the world of "The Dark Knight Returns" in 2001 and 2002, with a focus on what Miller was trying to accomplish with his dystopian war, the evolving and strange art of Miller and Varley, how the September 11th terrorist attacks impacted the story of DKSA, the shortcomings of an old Batman in the hands of late-stage Miller, and what DK2 means within the larger context of Miller's career.
PATREON - / mattdraper
TWITTER - / mattdraperyt
#Batman
#DCComics
#TheBatman
Music:
"The Hegemon" by Gunship
"Back to You" by Timecop1983
"Vampire Killer" ny Mega Drive
"Shadows" and "Vampires" by The Midnight
Sources:
www.denofgeek.com/comics/fran...
www.metabunker.dk/?p=2595
vocal.media/geeks/the-dark-kn...
www.avclub.com/frank-miller-1...
www.comicsbeat.com/the-lives-...
web.archive.org/web/200707051...
www.pastemagazine.com/comics/...

[@MattDraper]

Read the complete DK2 essay on Comic Book Herald! www.comicbookherald.com/understanding-the-dark-knight-strikes-again-frank-millers-self-destructive-magnum-opus/

[@samusfan21]

It’s your channel and you are absolutely free to tackle whatever topics you want but just out of curiosity, why do you not want to cover Sin City? Yeah, the later books are DKSA-level bad but I think at least the first 3 stories still hold up.

[@Ando1428]

I hated that he retconed his connection to dick Grayson in this book.

[@holbvgbbbbkfz]

Please do a batman and Robin video once u stop taking that story serious it is comic gold Maybe miller wanted it to be ironicall ?

[@holbvgbbbbkfz]

Yeah deck was the best

[@Ando1428]

@@holbvgbbbbkfz autocorrect sucks.

[@wdcain1]

The idea of Batman trying to take down an authoritarian US gov't that the citizens have sadly largely accepted could be a good story in the right hands. Frank just wasn't that person.

[@doomshill110]

Read Batman: Year 100 for a good version of that concept

[@Heru_Iluvatar]

He was and still is

[@jagtech490]

Literally just read Batman year one hundred

[@jagtech490]

@@Heru_Iluvatar Superman year one literally proves you wrong from how horrid it is

[@TB-to8uy]

@@jagtech490 You mispelled great.

[@HishamA.N_Comicbroe]

Despite faltering as a writer in recent years I still have huge respect for what Frank Miller did do during his golden years.

[@MattDraper]

Me too. His DD is some of my favorite fiction in general, not just comics

[@HishamA.N_Comicbroe]

@@MattDraper Same!

[@wdcain1]

I still have the trades that collect his Daredevil run. It still holds up. Not a bad issue in the bunch.

[@Dhampir101980]

No one can take away his legacy or deny his impact on Bruce and Matt. Every modern interpretation of those two owes their inspiration from Frank, even if only slightly. But, Hot Damn, should this storyline have not been allowed to be published. The fact that his own follow up 3rd act essentially ignores this one speaks volumes.

[@HishamA.N_Comicbroe]

@@Dhampir101980 Yeah exactly.

[@scoobers90]

At this point I don't think anything can tear down DKR. It's a monolith. It looms so large over the Batman mythos, over Frank's career, and comics at large.

[@MattDraper]

I agree. Like I say in the video, DKR has influenced so much of Batman while DK2 has no impact.

[@arvinbuenaagua5161]

"He was just too big."

[@danielolortegui381]

It doesn't hold up as well as Batman: Year One, though

[@JoaoFederle]

@@danielolortegui381 Mazzucchelli's art in Year One is the greatest depiction of Batman and Gotham ever put on paper. Shame that's the only Batman story of his as far as I know.

[@danielolortegui381]

@@JoaoFederle His artwork looks like it's moving. There's this really beautiful page where you see a helicopter moving in and it almost feels like you're watching a movie

[@themilkman5004]

I asked for this and Returns together for Christmas back in high school and completely had no idea about how crazy Strikes back is and always had a hard time reading it. Either the nonsensical story, how ugly it is and the Superman Wonder woman relationship.

[@mullaoslo]

For me it was the art.. It totaly turned me off the book, this is one book I'd actually want DC to animate in that basic style they do just to make it more coherent (unlike killing joke or long Halloween where I wish they adapted the artist style into the movie) It wasn't until linkara talked about it 10 years ago I was able to comprehend the story since again the art was so off-putting

[@themangoman9315]

@@mullaoslo yeah the art starts off looking about what you expect millers art to look like but by the end, it gets more insane

[@electricfire621]

To be honest The Dark Knight Returns never needed a sequel. DK 3 is way better than DK2 at least, but the way The Dark Knight Returns ended was perfect for me, just have Bruce retire and carry on his legacy through Carrie and the Sons of Batman, perfect ending that doesn't need a sequel.

[@themangoman9315]

Yet another thing it has in common with watchmen

[@cummywummy2896]

I always felt the same or would prefer a sequel where Batman is a commander in the brave front against terrorists with the sons of Batman, leaving the role of superhero to Carrie to be Batwoman

[@potatohat3994]

Damn Frank miller’s hate for Robin is so big it can fill the whole planet.

[@DinoDave150]

The only thing that can compare is his hatred of Superman and Green Lantern.

[@potatohat3994]

@@DinoDave150 true true

[@victorhugo5207]

There is a deep level of stoicism that one must have in order to not complain about DK2 and realize the sheer awesomeness of it's absurdity

[@DinoDave150]

@@victorhugo5207 There is a deep level of ignorance that one must have to not realize DK2 is complete and utter garbage.

[@BoyNamedSue4]

DKR: A talented writer at the top of his game making a story no one was expecting and he had freedom to play with characters. DK2: A writer trying to recapture lighting in the bottle, who’s writing has become very tropey in the decade and a half since. Also felt like he kept attempting to go bigger to live up with expectations.

[@turtleanton6539]

apt and also his art really sucked

[@KentaroMiyamoto21]

What would you call DK3 and ASBAR?

[@BoyNamedSue4]

@@KentaroMiyamoto21never read them.

[@KentaroMiyamoto21]

@@BoyNamedSue4 Fair enough

[@greenlong1987]

I was a young teenager when this came out. My comic store had them at the counter so of course I grabbed a copy. Except it was issue 2 and the only place it said it was on the spine, which I overlooked. If you think the story is jumbled and confusing, try starting on issue 2 lol

[@dr.s8972]

To read The Dark Knight Strikes Again is to watch a man's writing ability collapse like a dying star.

[@Jose-se9pu]

Its terrible fanfiction written by an insane 13 years old Batman fanboy. To this day I cant understand how DC aproved this.

[@migovas1483]

@@Jose-se9pu They knew it would make money, regardless...

[@dc_cristianz]

​@@Jose-se9pu because its a masterpiece

[@baiwatch1]

Writing ability? How about drawing ability.

[@coreylineberry8557]

Then to read All-Star Batman and Robin is to be sucked into the black hole as a result of the supernova, and reading Holy Terror is like the spaghettification, endless agony.

[@SaundersBro1]

There's one Frank Miller project you haven't mentioned that would be a fascinating video. The one no one in a million years could ever have expected. The time Frank's descent into madness was complete, and he thought it would be fun to write and direct his own comic book movie. The one where superfans and casuals alike threw their hands up and asked, "WHY?!" Of course, I'm referring to 2008's classic in badness: THE SPIRIT

[@yaboiiyadudee3644]

thank you for your inadvertent recommendation

[@POLE7645]

The Spirit can be described as Sin City crossed with Batman and Robin. That said, I found it absolutely hilarious, for all the wrong reasons,

[@floydharper1216]

Still better than holy terror

[@TitularHeroine]

I really enjoyed The Spirit. It was kind of like seeing the delirium of Gold Age nonsense gone completely off the leash.

[@DoNutx777]

Oh yeah the overbudgeted superhero / pulp adventure parody...... it is a parody right?

[@exquisitecorpse__]

I actually love Millars blocky and Manic art in this book, in a sort of surreal Ralph Steadman way. I dont want to read a whole book of it though.

[@themangoman9315]

Yeah I always liked its weirdness

[@broken1394]

I thought the Atom was Kirbyish.

[@QuintMarvel]

I think one thing you missed is that the weird layout of the panels is an allusion to the obnoxious pop-up ads that defined the internet for much of the early 2000s. I do believe there is a good story at the core of DKSA, but it needs to be heavily adapted.

[@TB-to8uy]

Strikes Again is pure silver age madness. In some ways it's scarier than the original and I love it for it. It takes no prisoners. You love or hate it. DKIII does use Strikes Again in relation to the other characters other than the main cast. Green Lantern's story being a prime example and I argue that Dark Crusade successfully reacaptures the atmosphere of the original the most, which is fitting given that it's the prequel.

[@onyxt3589]

You mean Last Crusade? I actually quite enjoyed it, but i feel like it was too open ended

[@changvasejarik62]

As weird as it is, its one of the few stories I want to see remade, and even adapted by dc animated. Not because it’s good but because I want to know what a good version would look like while keeping the main plot points. It’s an ugly comic but I look at it all I see is a beautiful challenge.

[@sebastienvondoom8615]

Three Jokers, working to solve a problem that Grant Morrison already solved more elegantly.

[@saracohle]

That too could be said of Doomsday Clock and the scene in Final Crisis Superman Beyond between Superman and the earth-4 Captain Atom.

[@ngocminhvu175]

Can i ask what's trying to solve, i don't have much interest in reading the thing

[@sebastienvondoom8615]

@@ngocminhvu175 Why Joker is so different over the years

[@Mondragora99]

Morrison did? When? I really don' t remember.

[@samshepelwich3631]

@@Mondragora99 it’s his prose issue mainly cant remover the issue number, but there are also hints of it throughout his run

[@enocescalona]

did nobody at DC looked at Frank's art and said "why the fuck would we publish this? what happened to you, man?" like, good lord, how would anyone approve of it? i still can't get over he made Luthor basically the Kingpin and frog Brainiac, fucking embarrassing.

[@arvinbuenaagua5161]

like matt said, it was highly anticipated. and it sold well too

[@powerbad696]

Each issue sold over 100,000 copies and $ 7.95 each. WOW.DC made much CHEDDAR!!! LOL.

[@dr.cheeks3589]

And the Martian Hunter looks like the Thing from the Fantastic Four or a Ninja Turtle

[@dwbmotorsports1]

Publisher pressure and alcoholism . I also think he deliberately put out sloppy material because he knew either way it would make DC and himself a ton of money. Personally, I think Miller's best work is when he has a good editor. Year One and Daredevil are examples.

[@strongman5243]

​@@dr.cheeks3589it was supposed to pay homage to Jack Kirby

[@overlycaffeinatedsquirrel779]

They literally made documentary about people a who have embraced their inner superhero to overcome obstacles - or unselfishly given to their communities - because they were inspired by Batman. Science has proven with study after study, the media you consume shapes who you are. Without a doubt decades of comic books shaped my beliefs about great power. As my mom would buy me comics hoping to spark a love of reading.

[@manperson5784]

It's as if the Joker himself wrote DK2 with how maddening it is

[@roguebritgravy1]

I think deep down behind the satire, the bizarre art style and convoluted plot that there is a somewhat decent story about heroes coming together to Overthrow a ominous, omniscient evil that has subdued superheroes and them returning to action. I dont get the lex luthor/ brainac duo instead of something of a callback but I do like the Joker shape-shifting creature. Had that more focus, I think it would have been a tragic insight into this version of dick greyson and the folly of this Batman's arrogant crusade/ obsession with crime. Were it revised and more ordered, we could have a post modern classic in the right hands.

[@spaghettisultan5484]

"All Star never finished and, no, you're not going to make me do it." Wouldn't want you to. Linkara had enough emotional stamina for it.

[@devanbarrios9216]

I honestly prefer Year One over Dark Knight Returns.

[@MattDraper]

Me too

[@powerbad696]

As do I.

[@travistolin5031]

Me too! I like everything about year one and I dislike a lot of aspects of DKR

[@ChateauLonLon]

I found TDKR maybe much more compelling, and the political satire a really interesting angle, but too much of it came across as ignorant and perhaps mean-spirited. It's a strange book. I loved so much of it, but so much was really screwy and detrimental to Batman as a whole. Year One is probably the better story, and at least TDRK had profound effects on the comic industry.

[@The_Renegade07]

Me too.

[@TechnicolorGhosts]

DK2's visual style is something you have to adjust to, especially if you're expecting something similar to DKR, but once you get on it's wavelength it's just a sight to behold. There's just no other Batman book that looks as wonderfully out there as DK2.

[@baiwatch1]

I would rather just reject DK2. The change in art style is too upsetting and unsatisfying to me.

[@RedDragonM1]

"Saaaaaay.....It's Miller time."

[@bbegins10]

DK2 greatly underrated. Key point that real crimes are political crimes is like a corrective to almost all superhero stories

[@DinerLingo]

I'm oddly fascinated & dismissive of DK2 at the same time. To me it reads like a coke-fueled, "Are you not entertained?!" moment. At least he admits he was throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks--the only problem is that he didn't remove what didn't, so it comes across as a bloated "sophomore slump," which is odd considering he'd been writing comics for 25 years prior. To make cultural comparisons to other weird, over-bloated follow-ups, it's like the Smashing Pumpkins's "Mellon Collie & the Infinite Sadness" to their "Siamese Dream." It's Richard Kelly's "Southland Tales" to his "Donnie Darko." I'm reminded of "Hannibal," Thomas Harris's sequel to "The Silence of the Lambs," published 11 years after the earlier book. From what I understand, Harris was dismayed over the adoration people gave Hannibal Lecter. He couldn't understand people identifying with & rooting for a serial killer, to the point that he became a meme/a brand. His response was basically, you want blood & guts? Fine, I'll give you so much blood & guts you'll be repulsed by it. In a retrospective essay on Harris, the writer Patrick J Sauer wrote, "I like to think that Harris partly ups-the-grotesque-ante in "Hannibal" to rub our collective noses in our collective love for a serial killer." With DK2, I can't help but think Miller is rubbing our noses too. I just don't know in what (& ultimately I don't think Miller knows either).

[@MattDraper]

Damn this is good.

[@turtleanton6539]

​@@MattDraper very apt

[@benhadlock]

Southland Tales was ahead of its time. Neo-Marxists and quantum entanglement? Yes, please.

[@AdamSoucyDrums]

As much as I’d love for you to cover All Star, DK2 is a much more *interesting* kind of bad than the former’s outright lunacy

[@kingmegaman2598]

I didn't expect you to talk about this story

[@MattDraper]

Me neither.

[@johnpittsii7524]

Thanks Matt for the Batman coverage. Much ❤ as always

[@UNCANNYGEORGE]

Wow! Really appreciated the in-depth analysis on DK2. I remember reading it around when it debuted and thought it was incredibly strange even without comparing it to DKR, and read it again a year or two ago and felt it was even weirder than I remembered.

[@jurassickaiju14]

"If there was ever a time to use the term 'sheeple', it's when describing Miller's approach to the common man, and Batman is here to beat some awareness into them." Mixed as I am on the story, I loved TDKR's idea of using the media and "faces on the street" style interviews to flesh out the world that these fantastic characters are inhabiting. I think it helps remind the audience that there's more than just the named characters out there. But see, this brings up a good danger point for doing satire. In TDKR we see a world populated by jerks and monsters...but when the chips are down and Gotham is on the verge of collapse, we see that people actually _can_ be good and decent and put aside their baser instincts to help one another. For all of our flaws and our filth, there's still parts of us that are worth saving and cultivating into tomorrow. DK2's humanity?...why should we care? There's none of that there, just a bunch of exaggerated characters of everybody Miller doesn't like. If everybody in your fictional world is a jerk, then why should we care about superheroes trying to save it? Might as well root for the villains. Or for Lara's suggestion that she and Superman just take over.

[@btwskate1]

The Dark Knight Returns is an excellent story but I feel it’s told better in the animated movie. The animated movie is so damn good

[@Jose-se9pu]

The animation, as good as it is, with Peter Weller giving an amazing performance, its missing the inner monologues.

[@kanashimi4356]

@@Jose-se9pu Perhaps but most of the monologue is preserved through dialogue instead. The first example that comes to mind is the final confrontation with the joker, in the comic they barely exchange a word but, in the movie pretty much every word of monologue translates into dialogue- with plenty added in as well. I think overall it adds to the Grander style the Film aims for and its an overall shift that I prefer. Although it does lead to a few scenes loosing a lot of their weight where there isn't a clear way to make the translation- like the scene where superman is recovering from the nuke.

[@victorhugo5207]

Maybe an animated DK2 would be just as good.

[@D_dompa]

The animated movie was great! but the Gordon bits was better in the comics IMO. the monologue was superb there.

[@JayJ4y95]

You cant do a 16 panel grid story in animation the way a comic book does. Your comment is uninformed and unenlightened

[@Mitcheck315]

As much as I hate Miller's interpretation of any non-batman-adjacent characters in TDKR, and how it's 100x worse in DK2, at least they're both not The Master Race

[@JFCDoomblade]

Oh man. Perfect timing for this video as someone currently in the middle of a Miller Batman re-read and on TDKSA, and I cannot overstate the madness that is one display in this book.

[@KingConan]

I just read this for the first time yesterday. Started great, weren’t downhill from there imo. I’m gonna check this vid out though 😁

[@darricktv9857]

I LOVE The Dark Knight Strikes Again.

[@JustTom339]

I can't believe a Frank Miller quote is the ultimate rebuttal to cancerous Twitter political discourse on fiction.

[@curadplastic_ass7256]

Great video as always.

[@victorhugo5207]

I read this story in black and white version and I loved it. One of the best Batman stories ever told. Black and white ink version will make you see the story the way Frank Miller intended you to view it. Sure, it might be comical but I think he carries through the plot effortlessly, smooth even. Without the colors, you can see the way Frank Miller wants to tell the story. I admit there is a more "art appreciation" element to it and requires a more deeper understanding and acceptance to embrace the story.

[@enik2006]

Another great video. 👍 Now I want to re-read it. It's been years.

[@darkknight32110]

really hoping you do a video on Batman and Dracula Red Rain because of how symbolically different they both are

[@joshmartin4914]

Here's two Frank Miller comics you could give a go: Elektra - Lives Again Elektra Assassin.

[@TupocalypseShakur]

10:40 To be fair, Miller was against killing Jason Todd and saw it as disgusting thing to portray.

[@loganthomas2421]

The funny thing is he would kill off Jason later on in Last Crusade so anything can go these days with Miller. And I mean anything

[@HeavilyArmedCarl]

That, from the guy that wrote "That Yellow Bastard"?

[@Rechargerator]

Good discussion on a tough topic. I was such a great fan of his early work, DK2 was so painful I only read it once and never looked at it again. Glad someone put the whole business in context. (It is just like Ditko's "Avenging World")

[@Danial_Duval]

Good video and I am glad you brought back that jazzy outro. Gives the video a classic 'Matt Draper' vibe.

[@timothyr23]

Strikes Again is Dylan going electric or Picasso's Les Demoiselles d'Avignon. Everyone hated it (and was pleased with themselves for the validation they got from other haters). This art is loud, brash, abstract, dissonant. Neither the images nor story "feel right." This was intentional. It's not superhero deconstruction. It's avant-garde superhero storytelling. I'll always love it.

[@mateuszjokiel2813]

None of that negates the fact it's just poorly written and visually unappealing. This in my mind totally defeats the purpose of a comic book - a piece of visual storytelling - existing. Art can be both avant-garde *and* shit.

[@tomashize]

Personally I love the fascinating mess. I really value passionate, eccentric writers like Miller. Including when he's objectionable or arguably passed his best.

[@d.j.mulcahy1657]

Even though you're not gonna talk about All-Star Batman, do you think you'll ever complete the trilogy by discussing DK3?

[@MattDraper]

I don't have any plans on it.

[@d.j.mulcahy1657]

@@MattDraper I’m also assuming you won’t look at Holy Terror.

[@Fugettaboutit]

I found this book to be a Frank Miller Batman fever dream...like you said a fascinating mess. Some interesting moments that really captured what these heroes were and still are, and then others which essentially perverted it too. I took at as more of a 'what if' deconstruction, surrealist pop-art kind of thing.

[@ethinwhite3454]

Another great video bud.

[@peterquinn7878]

I thought it was great. I really loved how FM draws everyone wearing absolutely HUGE hi-top sneakers. 😼

[@DevinQuigleyArt]

Frank, you do NOT get to insult the T-Rex.

[@kelynandrasko9888]

I honestly really enjoy dkr2 but like in a junk food fir break fast kind of way. Also if you dont like the colores version of this book the noir (black and white) is amazing

[@federicoarmando8359]

Its just f'ing crazy 😂 Ps: Your 'roulette' video was so so good.

[@silvasaurusrex]

I really liked DK2, but I understand now why so many people didn't.

[@jackelproductions7035]

Perfect timing, I need a thorough explanation for this story.

[@AkiDave]

It’s always a great time watching your videos. Ngl if they make more DKR sequels I think Romina jr would be best fit for the art style idk

[@Diggum13]

I hope you do all star Batman and Robin at some point, I’m a big defender of it as basically Frank Millers realization and a commentary on how he permanently changed Batman.

[@AK47-666]

The most underrated channel ever

[@erikschwartz1214]

An underrated view of Miller's Batman comics is his inclusion of the media. The regular people and media personalities getting a spotlight alongside the main story is genius.

[@KronosTheTitan]

I was already enjoying this video, but when I heard “Shadows” by The Midnight, I loved it even more. Great song choice!!

[@arthurr.r.lucasspublicdoma5621]

What about a video on Miller and Dave Gibbons's Martha Washington comics.

[@silverlightsinaugust2756]

There’s good in every bad piece of art I’ve ever known. Dark Knight Strikes Again is no exception. There’s tons of great ideas in the story, and I respect that shit.

[@thenationaltimelyactionhou9328]

When I read this book I was like, “Frank wtf?!”

[@joshmartin4914]

Oh, and here's another Miller comic I'd love you to do a video on: Superman: Year One. You could really delve into how widely different Miller's take is on Superman's origins as compared to how he tackled Batman's

[@guyzamed5327]

I honestly feel bad for the poor editor who had to read the script and look at the "art" samples from Frank and approve them. And also wonder why he approved it in the first place...

[@Principles_of_Psychology]

After reading through the comments, I feel like I have to speak up for DK2. Yes, its pacing and plotting are flawed. But the book has a wealth of ideas and themes that are brilliant in their own right. Here’s some examples: 1. The use of the Atom in the opening is startling, exciting and new. One of the best versions of the character. 2. The Catgirl and Lara -Superman’s daughter- are given a central place in the story, something that is rarely done with young women in comics. 3. The idea of the Kandorians acting as an army of minitiature super people is cool in a Silver Agey way. 4. The redemption arc of Superman felt grounded and was a much-needed correction from DKR. 5. The idea of a virtual, AI President of the US is very forward-looking and relevant. And perfect as an extrapolation of the way the President was portrayed in DKR. Now, I readily admit that you need to have a good background knowledge of American superhero comics to appreciate these ideas. But they are still there if you look for them. So I would cut DK2 a bit more slack: Despite its imperfections, it is a work of genius.

[@DethroneME]

For a long time I’ve always held SB as just a misstep or defended it as a bad execution of a far-off idea. But this video seals it for me. It is truly bad. I even forgot the story till you reminded me of the bonkers plot and terrible twists. Im just glad that Master Race was able to at least end with a high note or at least one I appreciated.

[@johnathonhaney8291]

Conclusion: Frank Miller never was ready for getting old. And his work suffered for it.

[@HMAlves]

I like this comic for all the wrong reasons. IS the BEST Miller parody out there. If today's Miller is a safe self parody of himself, confort zone Frank, as I called it. His time with 300 and Holy Terror is also a self parody, but a dark one, even hatefull a times. The DK2 for me is the BEST of both worlds. Have the rage and passion of early 2000's Miller but with a touch os weird and dumb that let you enjoy things a little.

[@laurelsilberman5705]

I watched this video progressively from between my fingers because it was like watching Miller in a one-man car crash 😰lol. Good video. Really funny commentary. And you couldn’t pay me to read All-Star so I can’t blame you for not making a video on it😂

[@DaniG._.German]

Great content. Can you make a video on Alan Moore's Marvelman?

[@davisr02]

Gonna need that video about All-Star Batman

[@nedsmitty1019]

I’m so glad someone is talking about this weird comic. Two minor nitpicks: Superman didn’t kill the pilots in the plane he blows up, it’s messy but you can see the pilots in their parachutes afterwards talking about how it was unusual that Superman blew up their planes. I can’t find the interview but Miller has confirmed this too. Also, Miller isn’t exactly a Libertarian since he supported Clinton in the 2016 election. He seems to hate every politician (Reagan and Trump especially) so I don’t think he’d particularly identify with any political party in the US.

[@pennyforyourthots]

As far as I know he's only a self-described Libertarian, but in my experience libertarianism in practice tends to be much messier than it is on paper because its pretty whack and internally inconsistent, so I think the label actually fits fairly well. The thing with Miller is that it seems like he hates everybody, but when you look at the types of ideas but tend to show up in his work, I feel like it's fairly easy to say that he's a conservative (which is what most Libertarians functionally are anyway). Despite his hatred of Reagan and Trump, I would argue that his politics mesh pretty well into theirs. I also don't think voting for Clinton is that much of a smoking guns and she's a fairly "moderate" democrat (honestly, even fairly conservative imo), and economically her policies are not that much different than Reagan or trump since they're all neoliberals. I think you're definitely correct in saying he wouldn't identify with any political party, and his public voting history is pretty all over the place, but if we're taking his views holistically, I think it's pretty fair to say he's fairly right-leaning.

[@mateuszjokiel2813]

Wait, are you saying Clinton isn't libertarian? What's next, are the Democrats left-wing now?

[@Dom_510]

It sucks Miller shot himself in the foot with this book, but I’ll always have great respect for him because of his DD run, Batman Year One and Returns. Great video as usual, can’t wait for whatever you have planned next!

[@clawsandwebs]

Of all the stories you were to cover, I did not anticipate this one

[@thelorde7530]

*LOVE YOUR CHANNEL...CAN YOU DO MORE IN DEPTH VIDEOS ON MOON KNIGHT, THE SENTRY, AND NOVA????*

[@tommyrbrown7192]

Hello Matt I really enjoy your video essays and was wondering if I could put in some requests for Sean Murphy's White knight books, anything by Scott Snyder that takes your interest and maybe some of the earth one comics. hope you are having a great month

[@thedukeoffunk]

DK2 does seem to affect a lot RE: Robin Joker. Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, Arkham Knight, even Red Hood in general has an element of that. From memory the takes on politics and media feel more relevant (even if unhinged) than ever, but too bad the work itself is a slog. I really do thing the art hurts it with a few pages in exception.

[@elliotwiley3470]

I think Red Hood/Arkham Knight comes from the pretty common critique of Robin and sidekicks as abused child soldiers. Miller was just another person to try and explore that. I never thought of the Return of the Joker connection though. That’s a fun comparison and I do wonder now if this planted the seed of that a little, kind of like the Phantasm/Reaper Batman Year Two connection.

[@thedukeoffunk]

@@elliotwiley3470 good point! I guess I was thinking more about Joker infecting Batman in Arkham Knight, been a few years since I played it haha

[@jonathanmetze9796]

Well played sir

[@justingatcomb8966]

Yooooo, the midnight? I was already invested then I heard the shadows come on and I hit subscribe

[@tomasgordilloreale5841]

Every Batman panel in "another nail" is beautiful

[@Xander_P.G.K]

I will always respect Miller for Year One and DKR. He and others did a good job at making Batman a more serious and grounded character along with other comics. But after that, Miller lost his mind. I understand that a tragedy like 9/11 could do something like that to a person, but I think Miller might've needed therapy before writing. I don't mind his political opinions, except for that Islamiphobic comic, which I won't forgive (and I thank DC for not having Batman or any hero attached to that garbage). The bastardization of Robin in both stories doesn't help with how I feel.

[@DinoDave150]

I wish I could say the same. After Holy Terror, I completely lost any and all respect for Miller and was seriously tempted to give away all the comics I had with his name on it. I have yet to do so since I like to enforce, "separate art from artist" but he's basically dead to me for all I'm concerned.

[@rolorolo8844]

Thanks bro, I needed this video stating why TDKSA is hated or disliked 👍

[@chrislister570]

The whole point of DKR was to be the finale to Batman's story. How do you make a sequel to a finale?

[@KentaroMiyamoto21]

With how this turned out, not well.

[@alchemistofsteel8099]

It could of been about Carrie Kelly trying to rebuild thr justice league and Superman breaking free of thr governments culture

[@MisterSouji]

I'd love to see an animated version of this. The animated DKR movie was great. They could make a bad story good with the right effort.

[@jamesdotson797]

Excellent critique Matt! I definitely feel this is a "fascinating" story. Not in any sort of good way, but sort of a strange mashup of bad ideas and strong emotions. I think there was some potential in the creation of DK2, but it desperately fell flat. I remember when I initially read it; I had to take breaks because it seemed like reading it would make me tired or not feel well. The salvaging of this story (if indeed possible); I think would be the events actually stemming from dementia of a very close to death Bruce Wayne. I know that probably seems like a bit much, but I like to think there's a writer out there who could possibly improve the story.

[@stevencates2069]

When I saw the thumbnail I was super worried that you were gonna say this is frank millers secret magnum opus or something like that lol

[@ReaperXC]

A great writer and artist in his day with a legacy that lives on. A lot forget that he inspired death in the family.

[@johnathonhaney8291]

Even more forget that the ACTUAL writer of Death In The Family was Jim Starlin, another writer/artist who kept his talent, principles and sanity better than Miller ever managed.

[@jaredgarcia8638]

Why not do Batman Ego though?

[@cosmoissleeping]

Even if you ignore the numerous terrible story points, which are MANY, I remember buying this and being like, "the art and coloring is godawful as well." The weird void of colors behind the characters in each panel is just lunacy

[@joeker5208]

@MattDraper since you said you wouldn’t do a video on All-Star B&R, than do one on DKR: The Last Crusade

[@ErnReich]

Have you done Miller’s Elektra books? Or his Big Guy and Little Robot?

[@DeathAlchemist]

You could always do Martha Washingtin, nobody on youtube ever talked about that.

[@johnathonhaney8291]

Indeed, Give Me Liberty remains to my mind Miller's best work (even if Dave Gibbons did the art).

[@austinmeghu]

The way Frank wrote Robin so terribly. Such a failure of a comic.

[@MLBlue30]

Worse is his unsympathetic, cruel and callous interpretation of Batman that many people can't accept could be the real Bstman. Batman is at his best when he is compassionate and not the creep he turned him into.

[@thegadflygang5381]

Anything Miller does is alteast intriguing and very readable. I spent years hearing how terrible "ALLSTAR BATMAN AND ROBIN" was only to pick it up on the cheap and immediately love it. Ahhhh, people had a rough time accepting that the manically depressed vigilante born of childhood trauma was being tough on his new ward

[@zillafire101]

There's tough, and there's forcing him to eat sewer rats.

[@adamjaxn3156]

It did reinforce how crazy someone had to be to become a vigilante who dresses up in a elaborate costume.

[@fluffynator6222]

1:07 - Three Jokers? A sequel to what exactly?

[@nazeirsvibingandstuff769]

You know something frank Miller did a great job even though the dark knight strike again was a absolute failure but he show it's world of view in the 21th century how terrible it is and including events, satire,ideas, etc,etc His graphic novels are represented of events and culture around us in the 21th century see all his books makes me wanna be looking forward for Frank Miller newer books.

[@michaelheffner7684]

Hopefully one day you’ll talk about Dark Knight 3. And no, I’m not gonna say the full title of the third book… it was edgy nonsense intended to shock readers. As for you covering Dark Knight Golden Child? I’d love to see your take on that too but, some folks would call it “too political” of a video because they can’t handle that kind of topic

[@NobleRaider2747]

Idk, *The Master Race* is kinda fitting

[@erikschwartz1214]

TDKR is like a classic Spielberg blockbuster, while TDKSA is more like an arthouse film.

[@joshuariccio9754]

Can you do a video of the 12 issue series Justice by Jim Krueger and Alex Ross?

[@johnathonhaney8291]

Seconded! A series that actually understood DC heroes while putting them through the ringer...a balancing act too many falter on.