In praise of a classic on Frank Miller’s birthday… — UPDATED 1/27/21: Frank Miller turns 64! I wrote this for The Dark Knight Returns’ 30th anniversary and in anticipation of Dark Knight III. My sentiments remain exactly the same, so I present this again. Dig it. — Dan — Today, we kick off DARK KNIGHT WEEK, celebrating one of the greatest comics ever — including interviews with an all-star array of comics talent about the landmark work that’s coming up on its 30th anniversary. (Click here and here to see what the likes of Greg Capullo, Mike Allred, Mark Waid, Darwyn Cooke and others thought of the classic.) But to start things off, here’s 13 QUICK THOUGHTS on just why the original Dark Knight Returns was — and remains — magnificent. — 1. I read The Dark Knight Returns when it came out in issues and right away, I could feel that this was a seismic shift. I was 19 but I was extremely well versed in Batman lore. As much as I loved O’Neil and Adams and Englehart and Rogers, I knew this was something else entirely. This was a story of heavy weight. — 2. Yet it was incredibly entertaining, with one dynamite set piece after another. The alternating use of tiny panels and stunning splash pages gave The Dark Knight immediacy, intimacy, import and power all at the same time. 3. The Dark Knight Returns and Batman: Year One are the omega and alpha of Batman stories. Apologies to all others who have tried, but there is no need for anyone to do an origin story or last story again. Everything else should be about what came in between. — 4. When I say last story, I include The Dark Knight Strikes Again and DK III in this. The former was unrepentantly terrible and the latter is wholly unnecessary. But that’s not going to stop me from reading it because I am a sucker. 5. This: — 6. I find the Batman vs. Superman aspect of the story to be among its weakest elements and am kind of disappointed that it’s the element that drove DK2, is driving DK III and will drive Dawn of Justice. Even if done well, Batman always exists best in his own world. (UPDATED 1/27/18: DKIII turned out OK. BvS? Not...