There are more than enough obstacles for Dark Knight III to overcome. Frank Miller's original Dark Knight Returns was a turning point for superhero comics when it debuted in 1986. It was a moment in time when these characters grew up and proved that they could be viewed with the same reverence as any brand of American folklore.
Then the ill-fated sequel, Dark Knight Strikes Again, came out in 2001 and the legacy of Miller took on a different tone. While Dark Knight Returns was sharp, timely and dissected the idea of the superhero, the sequel was loud and messy, with none of the universality of the original.
So when DC announced a third installment, there was more eye rolling than genuine anticipation. Like Before Watchmen had proven, sometimes sequels to classics are best left to the imagination. But now that Dark Knight III #1 is finally on shelves, it looks like Miller's narrative is about to change again, with some help from writer Brian Azzarello and artist Andy Kubert.
Set in the same future version of Gotham City, where crime is still rampant and the so-called "good fight" is increasingly lopsided, Master Race continues where the first two left off. Superheroes are outlaws, the Man of Steel is just a shell of himself and a certain Dark Knight has just been spotted for the first time in three years.
Azzarello is walking a tightrope here because while he's playing in Miller's legendary sandbox, he's always going to run the risk of coming off like a cover band. In the debut issue, though, he manages to make the book feel like Dark Knight without coming across as too reverent to the original.
Like Returns, we get the trademark skewering of the talking head mass media (updated to include parodies of John Stewart and Bill O'Reilly) but Azzarello is sure to include other themes that suit him as a writer, including the current issues surrounding police brutality and race relations. This is actually a topic that Azzarello has written about before in Batman, so to have him tackle it here proves that he's injecting his own voice into this pre-existing universe.
But police brutality and race are a mere backdrop to the central focus of this debut issue: legacy. Throughout the story, we see the growing conflict between the established figures of the DC Universe and a new generation of burgeoning icons. In the first two installments, these characters were mere understudies, but now they're ready to mold their own destiny. It's not going to be easy getting there, though.
Commissioner Yindel is still attempting to escape Gordon's shadow; Lara, the daughter of Wonder Woman and Superman, is searching for her place in the world; and Carrie Kelly … well, she's taken on a far more important role here than anyone would have guessed.
Three women, three incredibly vital roles—this is a Dark Knight sequel that successfully manages to both pay homage to the past and look to the future as a new generation of readers are introduced to this world.
Adding to this new Dark Knight book is artist Andy Kubert, who manages to channel Miller in many ways, while still retaining his own voice. The same cluttered, chaotic layouts from Returns are back, especially in those "talking head" segments, but Kubert's work is more refined and focused than Miller's was in Dark Knight Strikes Again.
It's more reminiscent of the original, with heavy shadows and small, cramped panels to jam all of the action into. But Kubert does pull back for big reveals, as seen in Wonder Woman's fight against the minotaur or when we finally see what Superman has been up to since Strikes Again.
Miller does contribute directly to Master Race #1 as the co-writer and artist of The Atom mini-comic that helps flesh out the story of the supporting characters, including Lara. Despite the controversy surrounding the cover, the interior work is far more refined and true to Miller's talent. It'll be interesting to see how vital these mini-comics actually are as the story plays out.
This first issue of Master Race should be enough to at least silence some of the doubters for now. Despite being a sequel to a 30-year-old classic, it manages to stay fresh, thanks to the creative team's ability to respect the past, while also laying some new ground.
It's a story about legacy, of finding yourself, of stepping out from the shadows of those before you and blazing a new trail. It's true for the characters in the book, and it's true for the creators behind it.
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