Since the Dark Knight Strikes Back fans have been patiently waiting for the Third installment in the Dark Knight series. On November 25, 2015 the team of Miller, Azzarello, Kubert, Janson and Anderson have released Book One of the Dark Knight The Master Race. The comic has captured the style that Frank Miller has established in the previous graphic novels. Yet the comic reads differently due to the team collaboration and the nature of the story. Book One of the Dark Knight The Master Race, which can be purchased here, is an unexpected follow up to the Dark Knight Returns and the Dark Knight Strikes Back.
The comic in the very first book pulls no punches as it quickly establishes the bleakness of this world. The world has changed since the events took place in The Dark knight Strikes Again as corruption in Gotham has been on the rise. This is due to many factors the most prominent being that the Superheroes who stopped Lex Luthor and Brainiac are no longer able to maintain order. Wonder Woman has chosen to return to Themyscira to protect and raise her son in a safe environment. While Superman has been frozen in his artic base as his daughter cannot free him. Meanwhile in Gotham Carrie Kelley has taken the mantle of Batman, due to Bruce’s supposed death, and is captured by the police. Frank Miller in book one of the Dark Knight has captured the scenario of when heroes are killed or retired without their replacements being ready to follow in their footsteps.
The comic utilizes many different techniques that allow it to be a successful first issue. The comic tends to use word boxes over word bubbles. Typically this goes against the rules of comics but in this case it quickly establishes the setting of how bleak the word has become. Furthermore, the word boxes establish that both Wonder Women and Superman are not involved in the world at the present time. This put more focus on Carrie as she attempts to carry the title of Batman in the wake of Bruce. The other technique that would normally fail in a comic book is the element of mystery. In this title the mystery of how this corruption occurred and how these superheroes are not involved only piques a readers interest, as they want to find out what had happened. Ultimately Book One of the Dark Knight the Master Race utilizes word boxes to establish a back history that is clouded in mystery to intrigue a readers interest.
Fans have been waiting for this comic to come out for a long time. One thing can be said whether you love the comic or hate it, it is an unsuspected approach, as Frank Miller creates the final arc of the comic that defined and re-envisioned a superhero that can only live up to one named Batman.
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