Details: Started being released in 2015. Published by DC Comics. Written by Frank Miller and Brian Azzarello. Pencils by Andy Kubert. Nine issues in total.
After Frank Miller’s disastrous run on All Star Batman & Robin, the Boy Wonder, I’d pretty much given up hope on Frank Miller and the Dark Knight series. Thankfully, Dark Knight III redeems Miller, or should I say that Miller does okay work when he’s supervised by a competent adult. Writing duties for this miniseries fall to Miller and Brian Azzarello. It’s likely Azzarello’s influence that made this series so readable. I’m sure Miller has plenty of good ideas, but like George Lucas and the Star Wars prequels, sometimes you need someone around who can say no to you and tell you when your ideas are stupid.
This nine issue series picks up where the last Dark Knight books left off. Batman is old and his protege is picking up where Batman left off. Somehow, the Kandorians, a miniaturized city of Kryptonians like Superman, break free and try to take over the world. Now it’s up to Batman and what remains of the Justice League to battle these Kandorians and protect the world.
I think the best part of these books is how unlike the other Dark Knight books it is. Those books try very hard to be dark, noir stories. The Dark Knight III, while similar in tone to the other books at first, is more about coming back into the light. It’s a more optimistic book and I greatly appreciate that.
Andy Kubert is on art duties and, as always, he delivers. Kubert is one of my favorite artists in comic books and when he’s drawing a book, you know that it’s going to be good.
Overall, I liked this book. This was a fun story that was inclusive of many other characters in the DC Universe other than Batman. Most importantly to me, this book showed that Miller can still produce a viable story in the comic book industry, as long as he’s forced to partner with another writer who can keep him in check.
Score: 7/10
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