Projecttextprofolio
Projecttextprofolio
Projecttextprofolio
Kianna Orteza
Professor Derohanessian
English 113B
6 May 2015
Project Text
Batman:The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller is a graphic novel published in 1980s,
of an aging Batman that has now been in retirement for ten years. Batman is an iconic fictional
American superhero, who was published by DC Comics and created by Bob Kane and Bill
Finger in 1940. The character Batman has been around for seventy-five years, each year Batman
being more relatable than the last. In addition Batman is modified to society's mentality and
cultural events of its time. Batman has been shaped to represent a means of reality and justice. As
we take a closer look into the story of Batman we see that Batmans means of being an average
human and his act to restore equality has changed throughout the generations. How certain text
and different images can now convey this representation, how Batman himself has shaped and
represented reality and justice.
The representation of reality in this graphic novel is the reality that superheroes do not
have to be mutants or creatures from another plain. Superhero can be ordinary people that have
be called to action due to tragic events in their life. Batman is a well representation of this reality
because compared to superhero such as Superman. Superman has the ability to fly, superhuman
strength, x-ray vision, heat vision and super-speed. While batman on the other hand is a
superhero known for his intellectual skills. Batmans ability to use tools as his source of power
and how is observation of the opponents weakness to his advantage. The representation of justice
in Batman is his constant saving of Gotham. Batmans representation of justice is based on his
personal experience with his family and the want to provide revenge and do right for others.
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Throughout generation Batman has been able to represent justice and reality in different
ways and each generation being different due to its audience and the cultural/social events in that
time. Such as comic book The Batman Adventure #1 published in June 1st, 2003. In The Batman
Adventure #1 we get a representation of justice and reality as we see through the first half of the
micropanel as something tragic happening and Batman relying on others for there help. Such as
in reality we are often betrayed by people we are helping or trust. When we see the joker get
saved by Batman, however when Batman gets stuck in the rubble we see the Joker does nothing.
This gives a perspective of reality since as once said people generally tend to betray one another,
however in addition a reality that Batman is still an average guy saving the day and needing
scarfaces help to get out of the rubble. Justice can be conveyed in The Batman Adventures #1 by
its means of how this new elected mayor of Batman tries to take over his bat symbol with an
umbrella, although at the end Batman once again gets his signal back. Historically in 2003, it
was a time of many different political actions such as Voters recall Governor Gray Davis from
office and elect Arnold Schwarzenegger to succeed him. Events such as a recall in government in
the present time 2003, influenced the writing in how it incorporated little ideas such as that with
the new mayor. With the comparison of The Batman Adventure #1 comic book to The Dark
Knight Returns graphic novel we see that even after twelve years having been passed we are still
able to convey the representation of justice and reality. Notice that with twelve years having
been passed, in The Dark Knight Returns we are still able to represent reality in when Bruce and
a friend talk about Jason. How talking about jason brought a certain emotion of grief,
symbolizing and representing that even a superhero such as Batman can go through grief.
A picture is worth a thousand word says Napoleon Bonaparte. With the thought that
Napoleon Bonaparte has now left us, as we connect the images and the text on a graphic novel
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the picture is worth twice a thousand words. The images and text provide justification as to why
batman saves people over and over. Also justifies the reasons why Batman represents justice and
reality. In The Batman Adventures #1 page 2 says Who am I? On page two we have little no no
words and even few but very detail and vivid images of who batman truly is. With the same page
we see why and how Batman justifies justice. At a young age he loses his family, the promises he
made to himself, the studies the honing of the mind and body and also the many signs. We see
reality on this page as we all make promises and become who we are due to past event may they
be tragic or not. In The Dark Knight Returns throughout the book but focusing on book one. We
see the images have become darker, how certain panels seem to convey reality however not the
reality we once knew. The Dark Knight Returns is set to batman coming back after being retired,
this helps with the representation of reality as we get older and age our days seem to grow
darker. They don't seem so alive hence that Frank Miller tones the color scheme to a more darker
path. An example of how the colors and text are different yet are the same in both comics is on
page 18 and 19 book one. The story of how Batman became Batman is more dark, most pictures
are black and have few wordings. Some colors that strike the reader and stand out is the color
red.
Batman represents justice and reality and has even shaped his own character to portray
that exact message. Batman represents justice and reality through his means of action. Batman
throughout his seventy-five years of existence as a heroic character has always been saving
civilians of Gotham. Though his main intentions is due to his own tragic past Batman however
has manage to save people and provide good in a society where crime is always rising. Batman
represents reality through that exact example, we tend to do certain things because of our past
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and tragic events. Just as Batman said in the first book, who I am is because of the promises I
made.
Batman has been an iconic fictional superhero created by DC comics that has become
part of many individuals life. That has been able to relate to us citizens time and time again.
Batman man has not only become a dark knight that most know for only his bat symbol but has
become a symbol of justice in a world where not everything is always black and white, A symbol
for reality in a fictional world. Batman is not just a superhero but a symbol.
Work Cited
"Batman Wiki." Batman Wiki. Wikia, n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2015.
Copyscape. "2003." What Happened in Inc. Pop Culture, Prices and Events. The People History
Where People Memories and History Join, n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2015.
Miller, Frank, Klaus Janson, and Lynn Varley. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. New York,
NY: DC Comics, 2000. Print.
"THE BATMAN ADVENTURES # 1 from DC Nation Comics @ KidsWB.com."THE
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BATMAN ADVENTURES # 1 from DC Nation Comics @ KidsWB.com. DC Comics, 1
June 2003. Web. 24 Apr. 2015.