The Dark Knight Returns, by Frank Miller, is one of the most influential comic book miniseries in the history of comics. Its impact cannot be understated as this series changed the way superhero comics and films are structured, developed, and their overall meaning. Batman has never possessed superpowers and often faces enemies who do. Batman has always had to rely on his superior intellect, human physique, investigative skills, and masterful planning. When Bruce Wayne was a child, he saw his parents murdered before his eyes by a robber. Bruce then inherits the family fortune and with it trains his mind and body to the absolute peak of human perfection and dedicates his life to fighting crime and instilling fear in Gotham's criminals. The Dark Knight Returns is set in the future after the death of Jason Todd, his second Robin. In "The Dark Knight Returns," Bruce hasn't donned Batman's cape and cowl in 10 years. Bruce is in his forties/early fifties and his body is starting to deteriorate. He drinks alcohol as a defense mechanism for Jason Todd's death and must face several enemies including old friends and an anti-vigilante police force to save the city. Author Frank Miller wrote this comic in an interesting way and has since changed Batman for the future of his comics and films. Miller begins with Bruce Wayne talking to the Commissioner as they are both noticeably older and Bruce is disappointed with how Gotham turned out and still shows signs of guilt over Jason's death. This is evident in his thoughts as he comments to himself that he failed to protect the city or even protect Jason. It's also present in the environment where we see Bruce remember... middle of paper... about movies selling the rights to movie studios to produce movies about these superheroes. Another way comics changed forever was how audiences reacted to them: comics were now analyzed and critically examined like a book would be. The heroes, sidekicks and villains were now criticized, as were the authors. This put more pressure on authors for better comics. All the comics have gone Miller's way and become darker and more detailed. . . letting the audience know about the psyche of these heroes and villains and how complex and similar they are to the audience. Ultimately, the influence of “The Dark Knight Returns” on American culture and comics as a whole cannot be understated. Long considered one of the best graphic novels of all time, the characters in this novel were transformed as they helped pave the way for a revolution in comics and the superhero industry.