10 Comics You Should Re-Read As An Adult
2. The Dark Knight Returns
If there's a more misunderstood Batman story than The Dark Knight Returns, I haven't heard of it. This has been seen by most Batman fans - not to mention the higher ups at Warner Bros. for the longest time now - as the definitive Batman story and the best work of Frank Miller.
Both of which are untrue as the correct answer to both is obviously Batman Year One, but that's for another time.
The Dark Knight Returns is not meant to be the definitive Batman. Much like Kingdom Come - but to a more severe extent - this is meant to be a cautionary tale of the DC Universe. Batman basically being a fascist, him and Superman being at each other's throats, the general state of the DC Universe in this alternate future - this future could not possibly be anymore dystopian, and yet that angle sometimes gets lost in the spectacle of the comic's grander moments.
A lot of this misunderstanding likely comes from Frank Miller kinda drinking his own kool-aid as the years went on, but a lot of it also comes from the misguided impression fans have made of Batman since. If you read this comic as a kid and loved it, try reading it again. While you'll probably still love it, you'll likely come to a different conclusion about this story than you did the first time.