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Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns #4
In this final legendary issue, it's Batman vs. Superman with the fate of the Earth at their feet. Nuclear Armageddon stands just within reach as the two biggest heroes on earth battle it out and the world watches on. Can The Dark Knight possibly take down the Man of Steel? This series contains material suggested for mature readers.
52 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1987
24 people are currently reading
304 people want to read
About the author
Frank Miller
1,358 books5,388 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 40 reviews
February 9, 2024
So this is it: two men with 'steel' will will try to break each other; Batman (B) is Achilles - Superman (S) is Odysseus - both believe they are 'serving' the greater good. Thus you have the ultimate test of Utilitarianism; a test that rends the bonds of friendship; even as complacent society watches 'reality shows' on TV. This is a hard book to read; at times I have wanted S to win - more often I have wanted B to win - you will have to read this and make your own decision.
February 15, 2018
A great ending to a older style story. The main conflicts (ie Russia) maybe old and irrelevant but depicts a great old Batman whos at the end of his tether.
February 20, 2018
This is brilliant. And now I want to watch the animated version from warner!
July 10, 2017
A thing of beauty!!
A worthy end to a magnificent story
A worthy end to a magnificent story
April 2, 2019
I'm sad to admit this was my least favorite issue in the volume. It starts with too much talk from journalists that got boring real fast, then the fight with superman was not as thrilling as imagined. Luckily the ending was good and salvaged the work.
April 24, 2017
epic story, and make sure to also watch the animated movie with the same name, one of the best batman comics I ever read, complicated story mixing superheros with politics and other various factors, makes it a master piece for Frank Miller
November 5, 2025
So many cool panels here - Batman on a horse!! Superman all shrivelled absolutely sent me, and the prose! Fantastic finale, I loved the Superman vs Batman fight, all the nuclear war stuff, and a brilliant ending! The bat lives on!
Read
September 19, 2025finally finished it all!! last one was bit tough to get through
September 25, 2022
Wow...
December 13, 2020
The finale. A showdown between Batman and Superman. A chance for Batman to show Gotham that he is not evil, and to also disappear from public view. Epic fight. Good ending to the series.
October 5, 2017
Holy Moly– YES.
As someone who thoroughly disliked Man of Steel and didn't finish the Dark Knight movie, I have to say that this graphic novel series was surprisingly fantastic and showed me something about DC that the movies just didn't communicate to me.
Favorite out of the series. So impactful and iconic.
First of all, this was my first graphic novel, so I may just be reeling from this new style I've been exposed to. But I cannot deny how much the style, art, and story absorbed me from the very beginning.
For people like me who have never read a graphic novel or superhero comic before, I'll lay out the main things about this read that surprised me that I liked:
1) The style was like watching a really old cartoon– in each panel, you can tell that there is almost a shocking amount of thought going into the components and layout of each panel. It's more poignant than a movie because every single panel/frame tells a miniature story of it's own. I didn't know that the position and dialogue of the characters mattered so much– I'm used to funny comics, so I didn't consider the careful design of the story through the panels in Dark Knight Returns. It was super cool because it was like a game where the goal is to find all the information/symbolism in a picture (speech bubbles, posters in the background, color, lighting, etc). It was like a powerful storyboard to a movie– I could almost hear a soundtrack!
2) Satisfying characters. Although the backstories of the characters are not fleshed out as much as in a book or movie, the character art, dialogue, and storyline is so masterfully designed/plotted out that it makes up for the lack of words (as in a book) or screentime (as in a movie). I particularly thought the speech choices for Clark Kent and Commissioner Gordon said a lot about their characters in a way that was to the point and almost better than reading a book or watching a movie. I hate every DC movie I've seen (with the exception of Wonder Woman :)), and this book does a much better job of handling the characters than the movies, in my opinion. I've always been uncomfortable with Batman because I didn't understand his motivation or how we were supposed to think of him– but, reading this, I get now that he's troubled and you're supposed to go-"heyyy...maybe, wait....are you...?" etc, every once in a while. From the movies, I got that he had issues, but I wasn't sure whether I was supposed to forgive them or not. This Batman made a lot more sense to me. I also really liked...Yindel? Is that her name? The art style made each character sharp and unique, which I loved. I loved the art for Yindel and Robin!
3) Variety. It wasn't just one type of panel. I really liked how some panels had rounded edges to show that we were watching TV, and how other panels were huge for cityscapes or falling-off-building shots... the art wasn't just good and perfect for the story– it was also creative and varied in its design, and that went for the speech bubbles as well– I was surprised that I could easily figure out if a character was thinking, talking, on TV, in a recording, etc. Certain styles were used when people were talking in different ways, which I suspect is common in graphic novels, but I had never considered it before, and I liked that that was an aspect of this type of book. The fact that the panel styles changed strategically, modeling quick movie scenes and with interested transitions/cut-off points between each– that was neat. Also, the repetition of different styles of panels (like with the TV broadcasts) made the story more impactful and exciting.
4) For people who don't like dark or intense stuff– hey, there's violence but it isn't that bad! I'm not even kidding! There's bright red blood and punching and people planning how to destroy each other and these creepy mutant guys that maybe want to eat people? I didn't really understand them besides the fact they were mean and had crazy teeth... point is, I was expected huge, distasteful amounts of blood and gore and guns and explosions– but, like the panels, the conflicts were varied, and it wasn't a giant punch-fest! There was more psychological stuff going on, really. And there was hardly any swearing (which I wasn't worried about but was expecting). A huge part of the reason I hate most DC movies I've seen is how dark they are– not scary, but just the whole hopeless ambience really gets me down, and the knowledge that people are making the Joker as awful as possible just to freak you out and make you doubt yourself– that gets under my skin. But the Joker here was actually a really interesting character who didn't make me uncomfortable– you got a sense of...if not his depth, than of the depth and uniqueness of his evil.
I thought Batman v. Superman was just "pretty good" until the end– but I really, really liked Dark Knight Returns 4. I may even call it epic– iconic, of course! And I'm saying this as someone who knows of comic superheroes only what I've heard from A) my nerd friends B) pop culture and C) Big Bang Theory.
Complaints? Couldn't stand the bold/italicizing of every third word. Made for some interesting dialogue, but it was mainly distracting.
In general, a surprisingly good read in a style I found awesome– with less violence and more variation in design than I expected! I recommend it to teens– I don't think tweens would understand some political themes and darker ideas presented in the book... and you want the readers to understand. It makes a bigger impact that way.
As someone who thoroughly disliked Man of Steel and didn't finish the Dark Knight movie, I have to say that this graphic novel series was surprisingly fantastic and showed me something about DC that the movies just didn't communicate to me.
Favorite out of the series. So impactful and iconic.
First of all, this was my first graphic novel, so I may just be reeling from this new style I've been exposed to. But I cannot deny how much the style, art, and story absorbed me from the very beginning.
For people like me who have never read a graphic novel or superhero comic before, I'll lay out the main things about this read that surprised me that I liked:
1) The style was like watching a really old cartoon– in each panel, you can tell that there is almost a shocking amount of thought going into the components and layout of each panel. It's more poignant than a movie because every single panel/frame tells a miniature story of it's own. I didn't know that the position and dialogue of the characters mattered so much– I'm used to funny comics, so I didn't consider the careful design of the story through the panels in Dark Knight Returns. It was super cool because it was like a game where the goal is to find all the information/symbolism in a picture (speech bubbles, posters in the background, color, lighting, etc). It was like a powerful storyboard to a movie– I could almost hear a soundtrack!
2) Satisfying characters. Although the backstories of the characters are not fleshed out as much as in a book or movie, the character art, dialogue, and storyline is so masterfully designed/plotted out that it makes up for the lack of words (as in a book) or screentime (as in a movie). I particularly thought the speech choices for Clark Kent and Commissioner Gordon said a lot about their characters in a way that was to the point and almost better than reading a book or watching a movie. I hate every DC movie I've seen (with the exception of Wonder Woman :)), and this book does a much better job of handling the characters than the movies, in my opinion. I've always been uncomfortable with Batman because I didn't understand his motivation or how we were supposed to think of him– but, reading this, I get now that he's troubled and you're supposed to go-"heyyy...maybe, wait....are you...?" etc, every once in a while. From the movies, I got that he had issues, but I wasn't sure whether I was supposed to forgive them or not. This Batman made a lot more sense to me. I also really liked...Yindel? Is that her name? The art style made each character sharp and unique, which I loved. I loved the art for Yindel and Robin!
3) Variety. It wasn't just one type of panel. I really liked how some panels had rounded edges to show that we were watching TV, and how other panels were huge for cityscapes or falling-off-building shots... the art wasn't just good and perfect for the story– it was also creative and varied in its design, and that went for the speech bubbles as well– I was surprised that I could easily figure out if a character was thinking, talking, on TV, in a recording, etc. Certain styles were used when people were talking in different ways, which I suspect is common in graphic novels, but I had never considered it before, and I liked that that was an aspect of this type of book. The fact that the panel styles changed strategically, modeling quick movie scenes and with interested transitions/cut-off points between each– that was neat. Also, the repetition of different styles of panels (like with the TV broadcasts) made the story more impactful and exciting.
4) For people who don't like dark or intense stuff– hey, there's violence but it isn't that bad! I'm not even kidding! There's bright red blood and punching and people planning how to destroy each other and these creepy mutant guys that maybe want to eat people? I didn't really understand them besides the fact they were mean and had crazy teeth... point is, I was expected huge, distasteful amounts of blood and gore and guns and explosions– but, like the panels, the conflicts were varied, and it wasn't a giant punch-fest! There was more psychological stuff going on, really. And there was hardly any swearing (which I wasn't worried about but was expecting). A huge part of the reason I hate most DC movies I've seen is how dark they are– not scary, but just the whole hopeless ambience really gets me down, and the knowledge that people are making the Joker as awful as possible just to freak you out and make you doubt yourself– that gets under my skin. But the Joker here was actually a really interesting character who didn't make me uncomfortable– you got a sense of...if not his depth, than of the depth and uniqueness of his evil.
I thought Batman v. Superman was just "pretty good" until the end– but I really, really liked Dark Knight Returns 4. I may even call it epic– iconic, of course! And I'm saying this as someone who knows of comic superheroes only what I've heard from A) my nerd friends B) pop culture and C) Big Bang Theory.
Complaints? Couldn't stand the bold/italicizing of every third word. Made for some interesting dialogue, but it was mainly distracting.
In general, a surprisingly good read in a style I found awesome– with less violence and more variation in design than I expected! I recommend it to teens– I don't think tweens would understand some political themes and darker ideas presented in the book... and you want the readers to understand. It makes a bigger impact that way.
April 13, 2015
Man of Steel, the Superman receives the order to stop Batman just after the War between Russia and America developed to another level.
After certain events, the Batman leaves Superman with the memory of the one man who beat him. And then, he passes away. Or does he? That's left for you to find out.
As for the whole quadrology, I really enjoyed reading it. I really enjoyed ending it while knowing that the Batman legacy isn't lost after all, and that if one Batman falls, ten will arise.
After certain events, the Batman leaves Superman with the memory of the one man who beat him. And then, he passes away. Or does he? That's left for you to find out.
As for the whole quadrology, I really enjoyed reading it. I really enjoyed ending it while knowing that the Batman legacy isn't lost after all, and that if one Batman falls, ten will arise.
November 22, 2022
Reread 11.2022: still 4.5 stars
July 31, 2025
The story opens with a literal global crisis. The Cold War tensions reach a breaking point as the USSR launches a nuclear missile in response to Superman’s actions in Corto Maltese. Though Superman manages to redirect the missile, the resulting EMP plunges the U.S. into darkness, symbolically and literally. As the world reels, Gotham (of all places) finds its footing, thanks to an aging, battered, but unyielding Batman.
What makes this issue so powerful is the poetic irony: while the rest of the nation falls into chaos, Gotham rises, becoming a model of order and resilience under Batman’s leadership. His methods may be controversial, but the results speak volumes. It’s a testament to Bruce Wayne’s willpower—even near death after his battle with the Joker, he’s the one man capable of restoring hope.
But the government can’t allow a vigilante to upstage their symbol. Superman (now a pawn of the establishment) is sent to stop Batman once and for all. This leads to the fight. Batman vs. Superman. Mythic. Personal. Raw. And yet, unlike in so many modern interpretations, this isn’t just about brute strength; it’s about ideology, legacy, and two friends torn apart by duty and belief. Miller crafts the confrontation with emotional and philosophical weight, while Lynn Varley’s moody colors and Klaus Janson’s gritty lines make every page feel epic and grounded.
Batman’s "death" is staged with precision and gravitas. The destruction of the Batcave. Alfred’s passing. The funeral. It all feels like the end of an era. But then comes the heartbeat. The wink. The reveal. Bruce Wayne isn’t finished—he’s simply evolved. The legend of Batman has become something even greater: a symbol of quiet revolution, built from the shadows.
“The Dark Knight Returns #4” is not just a conclusion, it’s a transformation. Batman is no longer the lone vigilante on a rooftop. He’s a movement. A myth reborn in secrecy, with Carrie Kelley, Oliver Queen, and the Sons of Batman now part of a new legacy.
Miller’s finale is heavy with consequence, rich with subtext, and ultimately filled with hope—the kind only earned after surviving absolute darkness.
Highly recommended for anyone who wants to see Batman not just fight crime, but outsmart the world.
What makes this issue so powerful is the poetic irony: while the rest of the nation falls into chaos, Gotham rises, becoming a model of order and resilience under Batman’s leadership. His methods may be controversial, but the results speak volumes. It’s a testament to Bruce Wayne’s willpower—even near death after his battle with the Joker, he’s the one man capable of restoring hope.
But the government can’t allow a vigilante to upstage their symbol. Superman (now a pawn of the establishment) is sent to stop Batman once and for all. This leads to the fight. Batman vs. Superman. Mythic. Personal. Raw. And yet, unlike in so many modern interpretations, this isn’t just about brute strength; it’s about ideology, legacy, and two friends torn apart by duty and belief. Miller crafts the confrontation with emotional and philosophical weight, while Lynn Varley’s moody colors and Klaus Janson’s gritty lines make every page feel epic and grounded.
Batman’s "death" is staged with precision and gravitas. The destruction of the Batcave. Alfred’s passing. The funeral. It all feels like the end of an era. But then comes the heartbeat. The wink. The reveal. Bruce Wayne isn’t finished—he’s simply evolved. The legend of Batman has become something even greater: a symbol of quiet revolution, built from the shadows.
“The Dark Knight Returns #4” is not just a conclusion, it’s a transformation. Batman is no longer the lone vigilante on a rooftop. He’s a movement. A myth reborn in secrecy, with Carrie Kelley, Oliver Queen, and the Sons of Batman now part of a new legacy.
Miller’s finale is heavy with consequence, rich with subtext, and ultimately filled with hope—the kind only earned after surviving absolute darkness.
Highly recommended for anyone who wants to see Batman not just fight crime, but outsmart the world.
April 29, 2025
Finished it a few days ago, maybe a week at most. Today is 28 April, 2025. Before finishing, I sort of started from the first, as I had begun it, and then there was a large gap.
Did not like it very much. It may actually have been the worst of the books. The first is too old to remember. But now, I remeber a little, two-face, that was bad, maybe worse.
Just the action, so much, and so much commentary from different sources, not bad, in principle as a story telling technique for graphic novels. It was just all a bit much, and too fast paced, for nothing. Even if it was the culmination and supposed to be climactic - all the running around and everything seemed unnecessary. Of course, the excuse was given by the secondary plot, involving superman and the cold war turning hot..
And batman really recruted all those boys from some other genre, clockwork orange, perhaps Akira...
It was not like he was going to fight them after jail, they became part of his team, just on sight.
And the whole unnecessary fight with superman.
And then the twist..
He took all his money out and started working in the same cave, just at a different corner, and with a hundred rowdy boys, and a girl, and this is supposed to be a good ending?
And the night of lights out, even if the fires and crashes are all believable, the whole panoply, in the entire context of speed, action, no moment to just sit and relax for one person in that world, was a bit much.
And Lola, who calls Tom, after every segment or sentence..is that where Family Guy took Trisha and Tom from? Who are the original models? Whoever, no one in this universe, would cut off the guy wanting to talk about the impending missile, and just move to some other thing, about some flowers or cakes (it didn't say which), or say that they had already moved to that segment, and no one would be unconcerned personally, and no one would be thinking about ratings, and the station, and that channel, and the job, the salary, or even some year end academy award for reporter unflinching at the most untoward situation..
Did not like it very much. It may actually have been the worst of the books. The first is too old to remember. But now, I remeber a little, two-face, that was bad, maybe worse.
Just the action, so much, and so much commentary from different sources, not bad, in principle as a story telling technique for graphic novels. It was just all a bit much, and too fast paced, for nothing. Even if it was the culmination and supposed to be climactic - all the running around and everything seemed unnecessary. Of course, the excuse was given by the secondary plot, involving superman and the cold war turning hot..
And batman really recruted all those boys from some other genre, clockwork orange, perhaps Akira...
It was not like he was going to fight them after jail, they became part of his team, just on sight.
And the whole unnecessary fight with superman.
And then the twist..
He took all his money out and started working in the same cave, just at a different corner, and with a hundred rowdy boys, and a girl, and this is supposed to be a good ending?
And the night of lights out, even if the fires and crashes are all believable, the whole panoply, in the entire context of speed, action, no moment to just sit and relax for one person in that world, was a bit much.
And Lola, who calls Tom, after every segment or sentence..is that where Family Guy took Trisha and Tom from? Who are the original models? Whoever, no one in this universe, would cut off the guy wanting to talk about the impending missile, and just move to some other thing, about some flowers or cakes (it didn't say which), or say that they had already moved to that segment, and no one would be unconcerned personally, and no one would be thinking about ratings, and the station, and that channel, and the job, the salary, or even some year end academy award for reporter unflinching at the most untoward situation..
April 10, 2022
In the last Book of the Saga of the Dark Knight Returns. Nuclear Armageddon has fallen upon the face of the earth and the man of steel is ordered to take down the Dark Knight. The two heroes duke it out on the streets of Gotham as the world watches. Superman is arguably one of the strongest characters in fiction. It is so mesmerizing that Batman is able to fight with Superman as an equal. This one shows how powerful Batman is and how Batman is more than just a character. Batman is an idea, he symbolizes justice and doing the right thing even when people tell you otherwise. Batman’s legacy lives on through his history in gotham and through the sons of batman who Bruce Wayne his life’s work
December 12, 2024
Man. This is still a masterpiece; it's BETTER at thirty-five than it was when I was a teenager or even in my twenties. And this is coming from someone who has outgrown most comic books, even the ECs don't hit the way they used to and I have to adjust my expectations as a reader to still appreciate them for anything other than the artwork. Likewise, the Christopher Nolan Batman movies seem increasingly childish with each passing year, I could not get into Matt Reeves' The Batman and it's harder to appreciate Batman: The Animated Series. But it is clearer and clearer with each passing year why Frank Miller's four Dark Knight books have stood the test of time. But The Dark Knight series contends with the best prose novels I've read as an adult, as well as the best live action films.
September 21, 2017
Didn't quite take the turn I was expecting. Felt a bit like they weren't sure where they wanted to take this story. Overall, though, I enjoyed the series (still not sure if the misogyny is an honest tone or a statement). Maybe Dark Knight Strikes Again will be a satisfying follow-up
March 22, 2022
Probably 3.5 stars. I like the overall storyline, and particularly the setup at the end which is intriguing. However, the reasons behind the Batman vs Superman fight weren't explained sufficiently for me. I know these guys are men of few words - but really!
July 18, 2017
Awesome
Conclusion of the greatest Batman story ever, a masterpiece of writing and art...I don't know how many times I've read and reread the story...it never gets old.
Conclusion of the greatest Batman story ever, a masterpiece of writing and art...I don't know how many times I've read and reread the story...it never gets old.
July 21, 2018
Un final épico!!!
July 9, 2019
Definitely not the ending I was expecting.
February 27, 2020
Omg what’s next?!?
June 25, 2021
I think this one was my favorite.
December 7, 2021
This comics beats all others like Batman beat Superman😂
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 21, 2022
i hated this entire series. i didn't like a single character and it was awkwardly dystopian. after having read alan moore, this seems below mediocre. glad it's over.
March 21, 2022
Breathtaking art style. Plot is a little... thin, but it's a comic book so take what you can get.
June 19, 2022
Seems like they rushed this. The part where Superman gets nuked is one of the ugliest things I have ever seen.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews