Batman: The Dark Knight - Master Race

The Dark Knight Saga #3

by Frank Miller, Brian Azzarello, Andy Kubert (Illustrator)

Una nueva guerra está comenzando. Un ejército de poder inimaginable, comandado por la propia hija de Superman, se está preparando para reclamar a la Tierra como su nuevo mundo. La única fuerza capaz de detener a esta raza superior, Batman, está muerto. Larga vida al nuevo Batman…

Contiene Dark Knight III: The Master Race #1 al 9 (Noviembre de 2015 a Junio de 2017), de la edición USA.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Batman, Dc Comics, Fiction, Comic Book, Graphic Novels Comics

376 pages, Hardcover

First published September 19, 2017

About the author

Frank Miller is an American writer, artist and film director best known for his film noir-style comic book stories. He is one of the most widely-recognized and popular creators in comics, and is one of the most influential comics creators of his generation. His most notable works include Sin City, The Dark Knight Returns, Batman Year One and 300.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Alejandro · Rating 4 out of 5]

The lightning can strike twice!


I bought this in its single comic book issues, but I’d chosen this TPB edition to be able of making a better overall review.


This TPB edition collects “DK III: The Master Race” #1-9.


Creative Team:

Writers: Frank Miller & Brian Azzarello

Illustrator: Andy Kubert

Inker: Klaus Janson

Colors: Brad Anderson


FOUR TO RETURN, THREE STRIKES & NINE MASTER(Y)

When Frank Miller did the first delivery in this saga, The Dark Knight Returns, in four parts, back then in 1986, he got back the character of Batman to his original grim & gritty roots, when he was created in 1939, becoming a staple in Batman literature, one of the best graphic novels ever made.

However, when Frank Miller returns to make the sequel, The Dark Knight Strikes Again, this time in three parts, in 2002, well, everything went wrong, even the absence of Klaus Janson in the inks was felt, since not only the writing didn’t work, but not even the artwork was in the least any acceptable.

So, having one masterpiece and one cr…mmh…aah…mediocre work, two extremes in the bar of comic book quality, it was impossible to bet how the third delivery would result. But I knew that for better or worse, I couldn’t just let it pass, since deep in my soul, I still had hope that the lightning would strike (in the good way) again…

…and happily, it did!

This time, Frank Miller, now in 2017, in DK III: The Master Race, it was needed nine parts to make it possible to be a success (at least in my humble opinion). Miller got the cooperation of Brian Azzarello to bring order to the mess resulted in the second volume, and even good ol’ Klaus Janson returns to bring his priceless detail in the inks, that along the new addition of Andy Kubert at the pencils, definitely it's a gorgeous book to look at, and with Miller and Azzarello writing, also a delight to read.


BATMAN AND THE WHOLE WORLD

I can’t lie that I could wish a totally Batman-focused story, without involving the rest of DC Universe. Frank Miller did outstanding jobs in The Dark Knight Returns & Batman: Year One, using only the already vast Batman inner universe, BUT after those, in works like The Dark Knight Strikes Again & All-Star Batman & Robin, the Boy Wonder, it seemed like Miller was unable to deliver more Batman tales without having to involve the Justice League and the rest of DC Universe, that if the the titles would clearly indicate Justice League, I wouldn’t complain (much), but if you put just Batman in the title, well, you’d expect that it should be a story about Batman and his direct related characters.

Here, it isn’t any different, BUT the good side was that finally it worked. Maybe NOT as a Batman story per se, BUT it worked as a good Justice League story, having Batman in a pivotal role.

The brave and the bold move here, it was that Azzarello helped Miller to prove that his expanded universe, that it was just awful in The Dark Knight Strikes Again, it can work, with the proper adjustments.


SUPERMAN & BATMAN, THE WORLD’S FINEST…AGAIN

Since the first volume, it was famous for the battle between Batman and Superman, and it was clear that the lineament by DC, in its universe post-Crisis, it was that Superman and Batman should fight all the possible times.

I can understand that they have very opposite ways to see life and how to impart justice, but I am old school, my first contact with those two characters where in Silver Age comics and Super Friends cartoons, so to me, they were allies, the were friends, they were the world’s finest.

So, I am thrilled to see that finally, they are buddies again, they still have different points of view, but friendship isn’t about cloned thinking, friendship is about mutual respect by the ideas of the other.


CARRIE KELLEY, A DARK KNIGHT ON HER OWN

Carrie Kelley.

Regular Teenager. Self-appointed sidekick. Robin. Catgirl. Batman. Batgirl. Batwoman. Partner.

She was introduced in The Dark Knight Returns and since then, we have been able to watch her growing up, in one of the most difficult places to do that, Gotham City, and she proved that she was the one to be the stone where Bruce Wayne can lean on, trusting that she’d take the best call on each situation, even if that decision wasn’t the one that Bruce Wayne would take.

Batman’s sidekicks wasn’t about having help in the now, but finding someone able to take his legacy in the future. Not matter, how much times, Bruce Wayne would cheat death, on his own making or by the actions of others, but sooner or later, he knows that he’ll need to give up his cowl to someone else…

…and Carrie is that one. No a single doubt about it.

Because, she won’t be the same as good…

…she will be even better.

She wasn’t recruited by The Batman…

…The Batman was recruited by her.


SO, WHAT THE HECK IS THIS ABOUT?

In this third volume of Frank Miller’s Dark Knight, the humankind is facing the threat of new kind of master race, a religious zealot army of Kryptonians with the goal of becoming our new gods.
And if that wasn’t bad enough…

…Lara, the daughter of Superman and Wonder Woman is taking the side of the evil Kryptonians.

Lara wasn’t raised by humble farmers in Kansas. Lara was trained by her mother to be the best possible warrior, and Lara is too aware that she is superior than any amazon.

She is offered stop meddling between the Earth’s ants, and taking her rightful place above us, way up in the sky.

The Batman has been retired (again) for several time, but in the light of this new global menace…
…the Dark Knight is needed again.

However, even Batman will need all the possible assistance on this…

…the Justice League is needed again.

But the team is broken, each member is broken on their own ways, and the zealot Kryptonians are swift, blunt and merciless, so they’ll be taken apart and beaten…

…hard…

…too hard.

The world is on its darkest hour, so it will need all the possible hope, willpower, courage, speed, commitment and intelligence…

…even in the smallest representation.

[Sam Quixote · Rating 2 out of 5]

Evil Kryptonians invade Earth. The World’s Finest are scattered. Bruce Wayne is dead. Long live... Batman? This is Dark Knight III: The Master Race.

I have a lorra opinions on this one and many are spoilerific so if you’re planning on reading this for yourself and are just wondering what I thought of this one, the quick verdict is: nah. I mean, it’s always exciting to read a Frank Miller Batman book considering that if anyone’s responsible for the modern version of Batman we currently have, it’s him, and he wrote two of Batman’s greatest books, The Dark Knight Returns and Year One. But his latter-day Batman stuff has been almost the polar opposite in terms of quality. DKII was an outright disaster and All-Star Batman & Robin gave us the psychotic (yet highly quotable!) Goddamn Batman.

The good news is that Dark Knight III isn’t Dark Knight II but it’s nowhere near Miller’s best work either. Instead, The Master Race is like if Michael Bay wrote a Batman comic: it’s flashy and loud, it looks good, but it’s way too long, massively unwieldy and entirely hollow with bad storytelling, cardboard cutout characters and overall just really, really stupid. I wouldn’t recommend it.

Ok, SPOILERS from here on out, alright? Let’s dissect the monster…

The (what we’ll generously call) “characters”: Miller writes a fine Batman/Bruce Wayne and Carrie Kelly but, probably to emphasise the scale of this story, most of the Justice League get thrown into this one and Miller does not write any of those characters well. Wonder Woman is just Generic Physically Strong Lady with no personality while Flash, Aquaman and The Atom are reduced to plot devices.

If you’ve read Miller’s other DC books you’ll know that he doesn’t like Superman or Green Lantern (in fact I’m pretty sure he despises both - check out what he has Batman call Hal Jordan in All-Star!). At the beginning of the story he has Superman - the epitome of hope - give up hope and freeze himself in the Fortress of Solitude for YEARS. Fuck. You. Frank Miller. That’s not Superman; that’s your incredibly cynical interpretation. Green Lantern meanwhile gets beaten up and his arm cut off. Sheesh.

Also, this is a BATMAN BOOK, at least in theory. I don’t want Batman relegated to a supporting role, I want Batman to be front and centre for the entire book, and I don’t feel that that’s an unreasonable expectation considering this is sold as a Batman comic.

The new characters - the evil Kandorians Quar and his son Baal - couldn’t be more one-dimensional villains. Like all of the characters, they’re vastly underwritten with a single-use function in place of anything remotely resembling characters. They’re just there to be the heels, gurning and demanding that everyone submit while they take over the world. It’s so unimaginative and boring to read.

For Quar and co, I think the writers are going for a DC version of Islamic fundamentalists - religious loons who blow themselves up for their domineering ideology. Sounds edgy and very timely but neither Miller or his co-writer Brian Azzarello do anything besides make the comparison - more superficiality.

At best the story is basic; at worst, it’s completely inept. It’s less a story and more a collection of big screen set-pieces: Quar blowing up Kandor, the nuclear explosion in Russia, Lara and Superman fighting, the Kryptonite rain, the invasion of Wonder Woman’s kingdom, and the final battle. It’s not so bad reading them as single issues on a bi-monthly basis but reading all nine issues together as a collection, I couldn’t help but notice how clunky it all is - it doesn’t make for a cohesive narrative at all. The bare-bones story awkwardly lurches from one set-piece to the next.

Miller/Azzarello make no effort in making Lara’s conversion to Quar’s cult the least bit convincing. She goes from being like any teenage girl who’s rebelling against her mother (Wonder Woman), to suddenly becoming a fanatic willing to sell out her people and practically kill her father (Superman)! Why - because she thinks Baal’s kinda cute? Pfft. Gimme a break. Lara plays such a big part in this book and her motivations are utter bullshit.

The most striking aspect of The Dark Knight Returns was seeing an old Bruce Wayne - Batman at the end of his career, near the end of his life, embarking on his final adventure. Granted, DKII almost FUBAR-ed everything, but I still think an old, shattered Bruce Wayne on his last legs is interesting to read about - it’s always been a standout characteristic of Miller’s Dark Knight series.

And then this book destroys that aspect completely by tossing Bruce into a Lazarus Pit and making him young again. Facepalm. It’s like Miller doesn’t even understand the appeal of his work. Sigh. I understand why it was done though: to ensure more and more and more Dark Knight books that sell like crazy (like this one did) get churned out which you can’t do if Bruce Wayne’s dead/practically dead.

The less said about the backups, the better - they’re included purely to justify the high price point of the individual issues by pumping up the page count. They add nothing to the main story and are absolutely pointless. All they show is how badly Miller’s art has deteriorated over the years.

Other smaller parts of the book annoyed me: the social media captions dotted throughout were irritating and the news talking heads thing is played out but I suppose it’s an unavoidable feature of the Dark Knight series. The Bat-Army is just not a good idea. I know it’s a reversal of how the villains usually have lackeys but it doesn’t work for Batman who’s the perpetual lone wolf, occasionally accompanied by the Bat-family/Justice League. The Bat-Army look really dumb - and they’re useless! Deploying the bats in the finale was corny and silly - Miller/Azzarello trying to make up for Batman’s lack of involvement in the story up to that point.

Positives? The set-pieces in themselves weren’t bad. The Kryptonite rain scene was cool for its originality and silliness while Wonder Woman and her Amazons defending their home was badass, like a DC version of Miller’s 300. I really enjoyed Andy Kubert’s pencils throughout. His style looked intentionally altered to resemble Miller’s style - or maybe that was just Klaus Janson’s inks (Janson’s style has always had a close resemblance to Miller’s). Brad Anderson’s colours are excellent too - the art team did a really good job. And that striking final page - yeah!

DKIII: The Master Race turned out to be a bloated, shambolic wreck of a Batman story. Kudos on the ambitious scale of the story but the writing team’s execution was sorely lacking. It’s no DKII but unfortunately it’s not that much better either. A decidedly un-masterful Batman book from a former master storyteller.

[Donovan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an inconceivable mash up of The Dark Knight Returns and The Dark Knight Strikes Again. Looking to the past, TDKSA is garbage. Don't deny it—it's a horribly illustrated plotless mess of a book whose Superman-centricity ignores Batman almost completely. While one of the plot threads here definitely is a Superman story, the overarching plot gets back to the gritty yet wacky roots The Dark Knight Returns is known for.

My main complaint? Off-kilter artwork. Frank Miller's artwork is thankfully not exclusive, and it’s good when it’s subtle, but the man can’t draw the human body. Andy Kubert is fantastic when he’s not doing his best Miller impression, which he unfortunately does too often throughout the story. That being said, the entire book is viewable but I wouldn’t call it pretty. I wish there had been a better Bat artist drawing for Miller, say Sean Murphy, Jock, Chris Burnham, or Yanick Paquette.


A Short Note on the Hardcover...

Rating: B

This is actually a pretty decent standard (non-oversized) hardcover. It has a nice glossy dust jacket, glossy wraparound graphic cover (no cheap black paper over board!), thick glossy paper, and a usable glued binding that’s sure to loosen up with reading time. But there are almost no extras, just about ten pages of Andy Kubert’s sketchbook. But I couldn’t wait for the deluxe so I popped on this. So should you.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than DKR 2 (But could anything be worse than that mess?), but not as good as the original. This is almost a World's Finest comic, focusing mainly on Batman and Superman. Some of the characters were very one dimensional, especially all the villains. The text speak drove me nuts. I had to translate each line in my head to English and none of it ultimately matters to the story. Frank Miller's art in the backups is wildly inconsistent. The early issues which weren't inked look like blown up thumbnails. The lack of detail is awful. But once Klaus Jansen comes in to do inks, Miller's art becomes much more palatable. Andy Kubert knocks it out of the park. He's got this nice, concise style and once Klaus Janson inks it, it does remind you of the art in Dark Knight Returns.

[Khurram · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really loved the third volume of the Dark Knight. I do have a submission to make I actually read the 9 individual issues rather then TPB.

The story was great I do enjoy the grumpy old Batman, with a younger assistant, who is more in keeping with Batman's darker thinking any previous Robin or Batgirl.

The world has changed Batman is gone. Superman is missing but he is no longer the last Kryptonian. Now when the world faces it's darkest hour. The Darkest Knight must return along with other forgotten heroes.

A couple of things I was not crazy about. The artwork is great for Batman and the male characters but I did to particularly like the was most of the female characters were drawn. Also I did not see the point of the could out directories in the middle of each book. Why not just add it to the story or a separate side story, after the main story.

An overall great story arc, just a couple of format issues. I can't wait to see what happens next in the Dark Knight Universe.

[Lyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d say my three favorite comic book writers are Frank Miller, Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman.

Frank’s run on Daredevil was my first experience with his style and I was blown away when I was a kid reading these off the stand. (BTW I still KICK myself for trading or selling some of those issues and I am spending a lot more than 50 cents to buy those old issues back).

His Batman work is also noteworthy and here he returns to his older Batman in the Master Race series.

Batman is now an old man, not just older as in the Batman Returns issues, maybe in his 70s, and the younger Batgirl is sharing crime fighting duties with her mentor. Miller goes on to describe the rest of the DC pantheon of superheroes and especially the changes with Superman, Wonder Woman and their daughter, Lara.

When a group of Kryptonians, godlike creatures with Superman’s powers, threaten Earth and all of humanity, Miller sets up an exciting, riveting story about now just Batman but of the JLA group to see how they all respond to the crisis.

More than just this though, Miller has created an allegory about race and caste and allegiances to each, involving morality questions and humanistic concerns.

The writing and art are excellent and this is a must read for DC fans and for anyone who loves comics.

[Mohamed Metwally · Rating 4 out of 5]

After some time started to read the final episode in Miller's Dark Knight series.
Batman finally sees what a kryptonian can do, being on the villain side, and so he calls on the only one who can stand up to a kryptonian (beside himself of course) and that is Superman.
Quar and his gang of Kryptonians represent the problem of the oppressed, who when freed from their oppression become tyrants seeking to oppress the humans who are weaker, and to them deserving of worshipping Quar and his tribe as the mighty rulers and self proclaimed guardians of earth and all its inhabitants. Up comes the mighty hereos of the earth and the universe led by the Bat and superman to teach Quar his right place in a mighty battle that pulls other favorite superhoeroes in the battle for freedom.

The art was the most amazing of the series being an artful conclusion to the Dark Knight saga...

This was my introduction to the DC universe that I have chosen after much research, and I believe it was a good place to start, the Batman is and will always be a near psychotic hero who borders on being the villain at some times, when he persists on following his own interpretation of what is right, regardless of everyone around him. I have always been a Superman kind of guy, but Batman has proved to be a very interesting character...

Off next to Justice League by Geoff Jones, to expand more on the other characters and their relations to each other. As for Frank Miller, will be reading Sin City next...

MiM

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Dark Knight: Master Race is the third volume of The Dark Knight series, after The Dark Knight Returns, one of the greatest comics volumes of all time, and The Dark Knight Strikes Again, one of the greatest comics disappointments of all time. I had begun reading the third volume in single issues, impressed by the promise (hype) leading up to it, but fearful given some of what I had perceived as recent disappointments from Miller. And make no mistake about it, this is Frank Miller’s baby; he, through Dark Knight, and Batman One, singlehandledly changed the way Batman was perceived, and he (with Alan Moore, and a few others at the time) also fundamentally changed the way readers saw superheroes. Dark, brooding, burdened by their own problems and the nature of evil on a Grand Scale. But the fact that Miller was doing this with (another comics great) Brian Azzarello, and Andy Kubert was drawing it instead of Miller: Was Miller sick, was he crazy, what was going on?!

My impression of the series from the three single issues I read (this volume is 8 issues) was that it was promising, better than DK II. I liked it okay, but not enough to continue. Involving Azzarello (100 Bullets) seemed initially like a good move. Kubert seemed to be drawing close to spec for (control freak) Miller. Clean and strong lines. Each main issue was accompanied by Miller-drawn inter-calary comics featuring The Atom, WonderWoman, and so on. Interesting, textured storytelling. Nothing much happened in the first three issues, there was this slow, operatic pacing, John Romita came in to help with the art, changing the style, so I stopped reading, until Mad Tom’s review encouraged me to go back and finish it.

I like the wider Justice League background, featuring Batwoman and a renewed Superman. But ultimately, this is a Batman story, about Batman front and center, and this is a good thing, and it finishes strong, Superman and Batman fight together. In my view, we return to the view of Batman in Dark Knight Returns. And that’s a good thing.

Read longer and smarter reviews from folks such as MadTom and Sam Quixote for mor plot and deeper insights.

[Char]

I gave up on this at about 70 pages or so. I didn't realize when I requested this from Edelweiss that it was #3. I think I'm supposed to know what's going on here already, but I don't. This is my fault and not the fault of the book, author or artist. I just couldn't figure it out starting from here.
No rating.

[James DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll be honest. I thought this was gonna be pure shit. I don't like The Dark Knight Returns and Frank Miller is a hit or miss. Especially his Batman now days hasn't been to my liking (All Star Batman was just...wow) However I took a gamble and read this bad boy. You know whaT? Not half bad.

The story starts off with Batman being dead. Well not really but you know that. Then Atom unleashes a army of Kryptians and with the help of Superman/Wonder Woman's daughter they begin to release hell on earth. Batman steps up and is like "Nah bro, not this time" and unfreezes a frozen Superman. Then the war for the master Race Begins!

What I liked: The pacing up until issue 6 was great. I also thought the ending was really strong. To watch Batman and Superman (And others) team up was great. I actually ENJOYED Bruce's monologue in this. The fights were both brutal and powerful and entertaining throughout.

What I didn't like: The art sometimes was good, sometimes awful. Also the issue 7-8 were kind of mehs in comparison to the rest. I also thought Green lantern subplot was...weird? And just not all that interesting.

Overall this was a welcomed surprise. Fun, entertaining, little messy in execution but easily Frank's best work in years. Funny enough I like it more than Returns. Yeah fight me. FUCK YOU! No but really, this was solid shit. A 3 out of 5.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A build off of the characters from The Dark Knight novels.

MY GRADE: B plus.

[Rory Wilding · Rating 3 out of 5]

It has been three decades since the publication of The Dark Knight Returns, written and drawn by Frank Miller, who along with Alan Moore, was the saviour of the modern comic book on how his reinvention of Batman became a template towards subsequent stories over the years, as well as influencing a new wave of "dark" superheroes. Sadly, his return to this universe was not as welcoming with The Dark Knight Strikes Again, a sequel that lacks any emotional nuance and tries to be edgy for the sake of shock value, as well as some of the worst art being produced in any era.

No longer the genius from the 1980s and has become a cranky old man based on his recent outings, Miller collaborates with some young blood by once again returning to the Dark Knight universe with a third instalment that encapsulates the best and worst of both its predecessors. Three years have passed since the Batman defeated Lex Luthor's dictatorial rule over the United States and saved the world from tyranny. When an army of evil Kryptonians escape from the bottled city of Kandor — with the help of Ray Palmer/The Atom and Superman's own daughter Lara — they immediately begin to terrorize the Earth. Responding to the invasion, Batman sets out to assemble his former allies against the invaders.

Part of the brilliance from reading The Dark Knight Returns was its dark blend of satire and super-heroics, as Miller was responding to the political climate of the 80s, whilst applying the broad sensibilities of costumed characters. Throughout the course of four issues, that story is all about escalation, something that applies to The Master Race. From its initial issue, in which we witness the return of a Bat-figure fighting against police brutality, all the way to the final issue where the Justice League is somewhat reassembled to fight this global threat, this story gets bigger and bigger, to the point it starts to lose focus.

Known for writing crime fiction and is no stranger to Batman comics, Brian Azzarello is an ideal fit to co-write with Miller, and there are flashes of TDKR throughout such as a political subtext with talking media heads, including the current American president, more into the relationship between Bruce Wayne and Carrie Kelley (who is wearing a better costume than her skimpy Catsuit previously), and there is also a pretty good Superman story about trying to be a father and how being an all-powerful alien doesn’t have to lead into world domination.

However, the rest of the Kryptonian population seems to contradict Superman's peaceful sensibilities and frankly, there's not much else, not least from their cult leader Quar, who is no General Zod. Because of these villains and bringing back many DC's iconic characters that, much like The Dark Knight Strikes Again, it crams in too much that it somewhat sidelined Batman, who goes through a major change later in the series and yet nothing comes out of it.

As the primary artist of The Master Race with inks by Klaus Janson, Andy Kubert has a talent of altering his art style, having now drawn three different versions of Batman. Clearly a fan of Miller's 80s work, Kubert replicates it with great effect with call-backs to TDKR and some impressive panel layouts, allowing the action to be kinetic. In expanding the Dark Knight universe, each issue has a backup feature showcasing this world's version of DC superheroes, which gives some context to the main story. However, the biggest crux towards the backups is the return of Miller as an artist (with the addition of Eduardo Risso and John Romita Jr), and just reminds you the work he did on TDKSA, as his illustrations is sketchy and incomplete, and plainly misunderstanding how human anatomy works.

This is not The Dark Knight Returns or indeed The Dark Knight Strikes Again, but it falls somewhere in the middle as The Master Race embodies what works and doesn't work in the Dark Knight universe. Frank Miller has talked about the possibility of doing a fourth instalment, but apart from his great work from decades ago, the greatest thing he did was passing the torch down to the creators who have learned from him and can tell their Batman stories.

[Lashaan Balasingam · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.

Frank Miller teams up with Brian Azzarello to write up the third installment in The Dark Knight Saga. Batman: Master Race is a significant improvement to its predecessor, Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again, and revitalizes the hopes of fans with the prospect that this saga can finally be graced with a satisfactory ending.

Let’s clear the air a little bit. Absolutely anything would’ve been a huge improvement to what Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again was. The atrocity that Frank Miller gave fans as a sequel of his classic Batman: The Dark Knight Returns was a stain on this universe, but Batman: Master Race offers us an entertaining story to resuscitate this saga.

Originally intended to be an eight-issue limited series, Batman: Master Race was later on expanded to a much-needed nine-issue series. If bought as single issues, fans would be surprised by the incorporation of a mini-comic within the original sized magazine that usually features different characters and story to go with them. Within the hardcover volume, these comics are put into full-size and are present in-between each chapter.

The story essentially runs us through the Dark Knight’s legacy and what he’s become to the eyes of others after everything he’s been through and everything he put the people of Gotham through. Batman’s new sidekick, Carie Kelley, also drops her role as Robin in order to embrace another mantle that has been long established within the Batman lore. There’s also a sub-plot that focuses on Lara, daughter of Wonder Woman and Superman , and her identity crisis. As a whole, Batman: Master Race reflects on the status of Gods that is often attributed to the members of the Justice League in Frank Miller’s Dark Knight Saga.

It would be no fun if there wasn’t a major crisis to drive the story forward and that is what we get with a banished group of evil Kryptonians threaten the world. While that ensues, Frank Miller’s iconic social and political commentary interweaves with the plot through various social media platforms. . You’ll even see known figures pondering on current events here and there, such as Donald Trump who’ll be bickering some of his typical shenanigans.

Timely as it is, the invasion of these Kryptonians also represents a larger theme of terrorism. Barely concealed, an underlying idea of uniting the people against the evil is being pushed forward. Having some of these Kryptonians act like martys and participate in kamikazes only reinforces the idea of terrorism. With a global actor of this nature, the story manages to convert on it in order to create some very grand moments that make Batman: Master Race such a fun ride.

The artwork was not my cup of tea. Andy Kubert is the only one who succeeded in maintaining Frank Miller’s artwork style while keeping his own signature within his work, but the rest of the crew who got the chance to illustrate either miserably failed (especially Frank Miller—most of the time) or did an average job. I sometimes had to wonder how Frank Miller mastered the art of creating cringe-worthy illustrations. Just the way he’d draw Lara from behind was absolutely shameful. I guess you just can’t teach an old dog new tricks.

Fans of this saga should definitely give this volume a shot. Frank Miller plans on releasing a fourth volume (I guess he really wants to end this saga on HIS note, without Brian Azzarello’s vision of it all in there). With the way this story arc ends, I think there are some interesting avenues to explore. I just hope he doesn’t plan on doing the artwork alone or that he simply doesn’t ruin this saga.

Yours truly,

Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
____________________________

Let's all agree that absolutely anything would've been a huge improvement to what Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again was. The atrocity that Frank Miller gave fans as a sequel of his classic Batman: The Dark Knight Returns was a stain on this universe, but Batman: The Master Race offers us an entertaining story to bring back hope to this run.

The story essentially runs us through the Dark Knight's legacy and what he's become to the eyes of others after everything he's been through and everything he put the people around him through. Including Gotham. There's a sub-plot that focuses on Lara and her identity crisis, but as a whole, Batman: The Master Race brings us the Justice League in Frank Miller's Dark Knight Saga.

The artwork was not my cup of tea. Andy Kubert is the only one who succeeded in maintaining Frank Miller's artwork style while keeping his own signature, but the rest of the crew who got the chance to illustrate either miserably failed (especially Frank Miller, most of the time) or did an average job.

Fans of this saga should definitely give this volume a shot. Frank Miller plans on releasing a fourth volume (I guess he really wants to end this saga on HIS note, without Brian Azzarello's vision of it all in there). Hopefully he doesn't ruin it.

P.S. Full review coming soon.

Yours truly,

Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this from Netgalley and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

This was quite possibly the best Batman story I've ever read and the strangest Batman artwork I've ever seen. Loved the cameos from the various members of the Justice League, and the inserted issues highlighting each of them.

The concept of the story was a good one: what would happen if the residents of Kandor were brought back to full size on earth? I definitely liked the way this played out!

[Daniel Clausen · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you need him the most, that's when Batman is most likely to appear! Even if he happens to be 70 years old.

This book is the third in Frank Miller's Dark Knight cannon. The first of that series is a classic and remains untouchable to many comic book fans (including this one). The second of that series? Probably the best that could be said is that it is a bit out there. Some would even say it doesn't belong because it tarnishes the reputation of the first book. It is certainly different and worth a read.

Whatever your opinions of the second in the cannon, you should definitely check out this book. It evolves the Batman mythology in important -- if not entirely revolutionary -- ways. The book also shows some important tonal shifts in Frank Miller's work.

The Batman we see in this book has aged considerably and is reliant on his protege Carrie Kelley. In the original book, Batman was in his 50s. In this book, Batman might be in his 70s...and thus, he's doubtful that there is anything he can meaningfully contribute to a fight.

The biting caricature of politics is still in the book but is somewhat muted. The muteness of his caricature can probably be attributed to a number of things - first, since the original Dark Knight graphic novel it has become common practice to parody the politics of our time; and two, our politics has become so ridiculous that it naturally resists parody. Nothing could be more ridiculous than politics as it has evolved today -- a constant cycle of self-parody, shark-jumping, and shock-jockeying. Thus, the bits of politics we do get in the book come off very light. (There is nothing as iconic as Ronal Reagan in a radiation suit trying to assure Americans that there is nothing to worry about.)

Thus, of all things, it is the hopefulness that stands out. And perhaps as the third in the series, that is the most punk rock thing to do -- To suggest that heroes still exist who can save us.

When our modern institutions fail, when politicians become venal, self-serving narcissistic clowns, when the threats of yesterday mutate into the virulent threats of today, the one thing we can count on is Batman...and Superman!

Perhaps that is the most surprising thing about this comic -- it's a depiction of Superman. In the past Dark Knight comics, Superman has been depicted as a soft, loyal-to-a-fault tool of the US government; or, as a soft, easy to blackmail agent of an authoritarian US government. But he is always a haplessly consistent tool.

The depiction of Superman here could not be more different...or inspiring. In a conflict that involves fanatic nationalism/racism and where there is constant reference to "one's people" and "blood ties", Superman is depicted as the model immigrant. An alien from another planet who has assimilated into the culture, harbors a deep love for his new people (as well as his old), is deeply introspective and often ridden with guilt for things he cannot change...oh, and one more thing. In addition to being superpowered, he has been hiding that fact that he is also super-competent (along the lines of a Batman). The implication is that he is always hiding his true abilities, perhaps as a way of showing deference and love for the humans around him, including Batman.

So, in a sense, this book of the Dark Knight series takes us full circle. Instead of a Batman as a paranoid, violent, sociopath, suspicious of government and sitting on a not-so-small arsenal, we get a tolerant, hopeful Batman, willing to admit that a young female protege and the ultimate illegal alien are his better parts.

Batman is (literally) reborn as a student of golden age heroism.

Is there anything more punk rock than that? Is there any better way to evolve the Dark Knight cannon?

[Lost Planet Airman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the one true heir to Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. Since TDKR only ties in Joker and Superman, we do still need to acknowledge that Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again exists, but I think we can agree that there are some questions of legitimacy.

Nine issues of the main story are interleaved with nine shorter issues of supporting and sidebar tales, to form a wonderful little tale that goes from the mysterious non-return of Bruce Wayne/Batman, to saving the world from a terrifying tyranny of powe-mad alien religious fanatics. And all with a minimum of political histrionics.

My recommendation? Read (or reread) TDKR. Skim TDKSA, or read the Wikipedia article, so you know how other Justice League members fit into this story.

Then relish the awesomeness that is Dark Knight III: The Master Race #1

[Drew Canole · Rating 3 out of 5]

2025 read: I still quite enjoyed this. I liked the art team, especially Klaus Janson. It was super fun to see him working with Miller pencils in the backup stories. Azzarello and Andy Kubert keeps this project looking and feeling like a professional modern book - but I do miss the wildness of DK2. The backups let Miller do whatever he feels like doing.

2017 read:Probably the best thing Miller has done in the past 20 years. I really enjoyed the story and Andy Kubert's art was very nice. I think it's really more of a Superman story than a Batman one. Since the main villains are Superman related.

Miller also contributed art to the backup stories. The art started off very poor, but by issue 9 I think the art work was quite nice. Plus, Miller contributed a few fantastic covers. Overall though, his artwork was incredible inconsistent ranging from some of his best work to almost childish refrigerator artwork. Very strange.

I hope we see Miller being more active in the near future.

[Deepu Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

How to fall in love again with Batmen? Read this masterpiece.
I am glad that I didn't give up on batman comics after reading the Batman dark Knight strikes again.
This one has the story to remember for years and I loved the artwork so much, in some pages when our heroes getting up to fight those scenes were just mesmerising.
I love how Batman never gives up he always has a trick in his sleeves ( so tight) and how superman believes in him so the very devotional Robin (Carrie).
I gave it 5 stars cuz it just touched my soul in a way that I always expected from the Batman comics.
Must read.

[Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

It's actually not bad which makes me think that Azzarello probably did most of the work and think god Miller didn't draw this. Also this book probably contains the best Batman covers of all time

[Logan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good! So we finally got a conclusion to Frank Miller's Dark Knight Saga and I'm happy to report this WAY better then Dark Knight Strikes Again! Firstly I got to say, this is not really essential, I think if you just read Dark Knight Returns your good, I would only recommend you continue the series If your curious or you like Frank Miller DC universe, cause it essentially is its own thing. But if you hated DK Strikes Again, I think you'll be happy with this one. So the story is Batman is continuing his War on Crime, meanwhile The Kryptonian's that were living inside The Bottle of Kandor in Superman's Fortress bust out and now they wanna take over the earth, hence "The Master Race". My one gripe with the story is it starts off a bit slow for the first 3 issues, I know for some like my dad, that's when they tossed the book to the side (Not literally) and gave up on the series; me I stuck with it, but from issue 4 onwards the pacing picks up and its just one cool moment after the next! The book also still has the Media aspect this series is famous for and I liked how they did Social commentary on America's political climate today (e.g. Donald Trump). The art was not that great for me, this series had multiple artists work on it, Andy Kubert being one of them; what disappointed me was I felt the artists weren't doing there art, they were doing their best impression Frank Miller's art. Miller's art was never really that amazing and I was disappointed, cause I would preferred to see other artists do there interpretation of this series; however its still WAY better then the art from Dark Knight Strikes again! But overall I liked this one and I think its a perfect conclusion to Frank Miller's trilogy!

[Murtaza · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this graphic novel, the third in the Dark Knight series, there will be many details and story arcs about different characters within the DK universe. The novel continues with the timeline that was left at the end of the dark knight strikes again. The story begins with Carrie who is a new vigilante in Gotham City. She does her best to improve the city for everyone while following Bruce Wayne's path, so he can guide her and also help him get back in shape while helping him save the planet from the upcoming invasion of the Kandor's with assistance from his past justice league members.

There is also a mini-comic feature in the book with different comic book artists and writers like John Romita Jr. and Eduardo Risso with their take on the storyline in the DK universe. The book has featured Atom, Flash, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern Superman and Batgirl. The story gets intense every page and panel of the book with a new element added that has never been in the canon ever before. Each of the major characters is shown in their purest form and their significance in the overall story of how they can represent and assist Bruce Wayne and Carrie in their conflict.

Throughout the book, Andy Kubert and Klaus Janson provided stunning panels and flash pages that capture the most emotional moments and showed great respect for their art forms in addition to their distinctive style and bringing the nostalgia of the old DKR comic. There is no doubt that Brian Azzarello and Frank Miller are world-class writers in managing the storyline in order for it to have suspense, thrill, emotion, and fun moments that are fitting to the characters of the book. You will also appreciate their work in the Mini-Comic series, which features a rotating roster of writers and artists.

Final Verdict: As a series, it delivered its share of highs and lows, but this latest instalment shows a lot of improvement from the first and second book, bringing in modern versions of Wonder Woman, Supergirl, and Batgirl, in addition to demonstrating their greater involvement in helping Batman and Superman recover and taking the initiative to fight Kandor's Kryptonian army.
The book would be of particular interest to Batman fans who enjoy reading about Carrie (Batgirl) and the Cape Crusader and discovering what the next chapter holds for the Dark Knight.

[Daniel Sevitt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Blade Runner came back after 30-some years. Star Wars has a new lease of life. Couldn't The Dark Knight still work? Perhaps, but it doesn't. This has nothing of the original in it except an odd moment or two where Carrie shines. I've always been more about the writing than the art, but The Dark Knight Returns revolutionized the look of comics by taking a formal panel grid and then playing with page layouts. Most of the panels were tiny intricate works of art so that when there was a splash page, it sang. This is just a big dumb comic like a lot of other big dumb comics. The most damning thing i could say now about this project is that it's just nothing special.

That said, I love my out-sized hardback edition which is simply beautiful to look at and hold.

[Ma'Belle · Rating 2 out of 5]

"I wish Frank Miller would just goddamn die already," is one thing I found myself thinking as I approached the end of this monster. This hot mess. This shit show. And yet, there's some gold in this shit. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day, right?

I actually really like the premise for this alternate-future-universe story, and though I don't usually use my reviews for synopsis, I'm going to talk about the Cool Ideas for a bit. Batman has his famous giant penny and that T-Rex in the cave, but one of the oddities Superman keeps locked away in his Fortress of Solitude is a whole miniaturized, living civilization in a bottle. Specifically, a Kryptonian city called Kandor. I've seen it make cameos a handful of times in comics over the years - usually as the brunt of a slapstick punchline demonstrating how fragile these tiny people are, living in their dense little aquarium. But what if some of the superpowered folks finally figured out a way to offer them salvation? To re-embiggen them, thereby resurrecting a nearly-extinct race! Well, without consulting the big Man of Steel himself (because he has for some reason retired himself by way of autocryogenesis), Atom Man, or The Atom, or whatever that poor substitute for Ant Man/Hank Pym is called, sets it all up without looking closely at the social dynamics that have been existing in that tiny-but-populous city. Sure, at a quick glance it sounds like liberation of a whole society that's been willfully imprisoned for a long time by one of the most powerful and allegedly compassionate, just, truthful beings on Earth.

So on day one of allowing the enkapsulated Krypotonians to fly around with the big kids again, they've got a platform for the first THOUSAND of them. They're all happy and probably just want to live their lives in mostly peaceful, scientifically advanced, full-sized ways, out of the bottle. But right before Atom Man/Ray Palmer pushes the button, there's a devastating coup down there - some radical extremist terrorist cult within Kandor sneaks themselves onto the platform and kills all the non-extremist peers. And, I want you to think about this for a minute: there are a LOT of them, and we should know by now that each of them will, under the Earth's yellow sun, have all the powers of Superman. But in any population over 150 (so called "Dunbar's Number" in the social sciences), accountability, transparency of behavior and intent, stability of relationships all drop significantly, so even if all the "good" Kandorians had been embiggened, the probability of some suuuuuper powerful new villains being propped up and let loose would have been suuuuuuper high. But basically, the main "Master Race" storyline is about a huge group of powerful aliens led by one particularly megalomaniacal dude called Quor Father. Oh, and in a really twisted play on the reality of many people whose ancestors and culture have been genocided by colonialism, we've got Lara, the fucking DAUGHTER OF SUPERMAN AND WONDER WOMAN, who obviously is super powerful and badass, and was raised by Amazonian warrior women, but here she's reduced to a constantly sexually-posed, easily-manipulated, evil, unfortunate mistake that is mostly heart-shaped buttocks and a blue ponytail. Because, let's get back to it: this is a Frank Miller soapbox comic.

For those who don't know, Frank Miller has shown himself over the years to be extremely misogynistic, racist, and xenophobic, among other things. But I didn't know this for a long time. When I first encountered his popular and money-making works, it was through the film adaptation of Sin City, which remains to this day one of the most faithful and visually superb film versions of a book ever. A couple years later I read all the Sin City comics/graphic novels, along with the first two Dark Knight Saga books. I was freshly in my twenties, white, educated in some of the top-rated regions and institutions of the U.S., still convinced that I was a straight male because that's what I was told to be and I'd learned to pretend/pass, and I really embraced the gritty, edgy, film noir-inspired art and character design of Frank Miller's world. He's one of those odd artists whose pages sometimes look like they were drawn by a 5th-grader (and not a very talented one) and other times are able to convey a great deal of nuance, expression, and heavy mood.

It wasn't until later that I looked more closely at the archetypes, representations, and narratives that Miller pushes to the forefront in all of his work. I even read the godawful graphic novel Holy Terror, which was Frank Miller's independent platform to espouse his anti-Islamic, white supremacist, patriarchal ideology. It basically served as propaganda to scream, "NEVER FORGET 9/11! IF WE LET BROWN PEOPLE AND ARABS IN PARTICULAR LIVE FREELY, WE'LL REGRET IT LATER, JUST YOU WAIT AND SEE!" I watched his second Sin City movie through more refined, informed, and intersectionally feminist eyes, and realized all of Frank Miller's powerful, hyper-feminine characters and Big Male Brute characters serve the MRA delusion that all the violent, awful things men do in the world are really because women *make* them do it. For Miller, women hold all the power in their pussies, ass, tits, and voluptuous lips, and men are helpless marionettes being strung along to do their bidding. Black and brown people are primitive thugs barely worth making it to his stories except for the role of token violent tools. Ugghhhh.

So back to this particular book I'm reviewing and the things in it that merit such a low rating. We've got numerous sentences that seem to carry weight but are never finished, literally trailing off but not being finished on the next page or panel as a comic book typically does well. We've got major events being alluded to that were never shown or mentioned previously. Lara only ever flies, fights, or holds still in an awkward cat-like squatting position so that Miller can always draw her ass cheeks ballooning out from different angles. In lieu of an actually decent Joker villain, there's a topless Nazi woman who seriously just has huge, red swastikas on both her boobs AND both of her exposed butt cheeks. Superman and Wonder Woman have two kids; she raises them while he sleeps, but they're both named after humans Clark Kent loved and grew up with that have nothing to do with Diana. The only non-white people we see in maybe the whole book are either never seen again after one panel, or we see them get graphically and unnecessarily killed by the next page.

A few surprising positive things in this book: somehow Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) ends up being one of the coolest, most intriguing characters in the whole story. And I pretty much HATE Green Lantern. And I was worried when I saw that he's mostly drawn identically to a character from Holy Terror, but I ended up wanting to see more of his story and enjoying his mechanics more than I normally would (compared to ANY Lantern-centric story). Aqua-Man also makes some of the most impressive, but too-brief cameos. The future Gotham Commissioner is a woman who looks and acts just about like Jim Gordon, but mostly holds her own and is a pretty good character. The future Batgirl, Carrie, speaks in some weird accent and slang (maybe Scottish? I don't even know tbh) and annoyingly addresses Batman as "Boss," but I really liked some of the random shit she says and her attitude and character trajectory are something to root for. The one panel I was compelled to photograph and post as a ready-made reaction meme is just a tiny close-up of Batgirl yelling, "BALLS NASTY!" with her fists pumping and a grin on her face, after seeing old man Bruce Wayne come out of retirement and land a big punch against the big baddie. Other than that, though, Miller really tries to inject humorous comments at the most inappropriate times, so most of his jokey lines made me grimace. Speaking of his bad sense of humor, Miller includes too-obvious versions of Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and Barrack Obama as political celebrities commenting on the events of the story. And they're really not good as caricatures, or even timely jokes.

I haven't read other reviews of The Master Race yet, but I'm interested to see what others are seeing between the lines as the meaning or overall philosophy Miller is asserting here. Because really, we can't just read a Frank Miller comic as a fun, dark, escapist action story. When you've looked in his mind and through his perception, like Being John Malkovich style, it becomes painfully obvious that Miller just uses iconic characters, whether of his own creation or others', as mouth-pieces for his own view of the world.

[Μιχάλης · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ένα πραγματικά άχρηστο τρίτο μέρος στην σειρά του The Dark Knight Returns. Το πρώτο ήταν αριστούργημα, το δεύτερο κακό, αυτό εδώ απλά αχρείαστο.
Ο Φρανκ Μίλλερ εδώ κατεβάζει το φασιστόμετρο από το 9 (του Strikes Again) στο 7, παρουσιάζοντας μας κάτι πρόσφυγες-Κρυπτονιανούς, μαζί με μία προσφυγοπούλα δεύτερης γενιάς (την κόρη του Superman και της Wonder Woman) να προσπαθούν να καταλάβουν τον κόσμο. Μερικοί είναι και βομβιστές αυτοκτονίας.
Ναι, δεν είναι το χάλι του Holy Terror, αλλά δεν το λες και διακριτικό...
Και ο γέρο Μπατμαν προσπαθεί να τους σταματήσει.

Πραγματικά, η ιστορία μπορούσε να χωρέσει σε 4 τεύχη, αλλά εδώ ο Φρανκ Μίλλερ πιθανότατα την έδωσε στον (υπερεκτιμημένο) Azarello να την κάνει 9, με αποτέλεσμα ένα τρομερά αποσυμπιεσμένο και ταυτόχρονα ακα��ανόητο αφήγημα.
Όλα τα λεφτά τα αξίζει το σχέδιο του Andy Kubert, που είναι εξαιρετικό (οι συμπληρωματικές σύντομες ιστορίας δια χειρός Miller είναι άνισα σχεδιασμένες)

Ο τόμος δεν αξίζει τίποτα, παρά τα βαριά ονόματα που εμφανίζονται στο εξώφυλλο και μερικές καταπληκτικές σελίδες. Είναι άλλη μία Dark Knight αρπαχτή.

[Sarah ♡ (let’s interact!) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars 🦇

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was skeptical, but curious to read this - and I'm glad I did. Indeed, I was (very) pleasantly surprised/pleased with the overall experience.... Specifically, after DK2, which I considered a mediocre letdown after the sublime, paradigm-shifting DK1, this was more satisfying.

Granted, this may all be a matter of personal perspective. Part of me thinks Miller intentionally wrote/aimed this one (DK3) for my demographic, the baby boomers: we were in our 20's and 30's in 1986, when DK1 (The Dark Knight Returns) was originally released and immediately vaulted to iconic/pantheon status, helping accelerate the resurgence of comic books and fuel the explosion in "graphic novel literature," which others disparage, but I celebrate... In any event, those same readers (like me), today, are in their 50's and 60's, confronting their mortality, considering their legacies, and obsessing about the next generation... In that context, Miller was pushing a lot of my buttons.... In any event, it spoke to me (more so than I expected)....

If you enjoyed DK1, but were put off by DK2, I'd suggest you give DK3 a try....

[Trey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gods vs. Humanity: Which is the 'master race'? That's what's explored in this third installment of the Dark Knight. Miller/Azzarello/Kubert and Janson (the baddest firm of outlaws if ever there was one) offer a visual, storytelling style that is spare but potent. Shout out to Brad Anderson on colors.
The Kryptonians in the Bottle of Kandor make their move against the humans, the ants that need to be shown their place, their inferiority, by they - the gods. A key player in this story is Lara, daughter of Wonder Woman and another JLA member. She totters on the apex of neutrality as friend or foe. Batman recruits his newly promoted Batwoman, and together with the Justice League wage a battle for existence, survival.... for superiority?
The artwork and writing have a special quality to them, though it doesn't attain the caliber of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. Regardless, it's with admiration and joy that I recommend this graphic novel.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC and allowing me to post my honest review.

[Scott Foley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Redemption.

That’s the word I would use to describe Batman: The Dark Knight–Master Race.

I mean this both literally and thematically.

From a literal standpoint, Master Race undoes the travesty of Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again. Of course, these are both sequels to the seminal Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.

Master Race is the first Batman book I’ve read in quite a while that kept me turning the pages. When I had to put it down, I couldn’t wait to pick it back up.

Some say that The Dark Knight Returns helped to usher in the Dark Age of comics. It played a role in taking Batman back to his dark roots, establishing a general psychosis to the character, and promoting the idea that Batman and Superman would be anything but super friends. It’s impact can be felt even to this day.

The Dark Knight Strikes Again was just a hot mess. I haven’t read it in a long time, but I remember feeling that it had nothing in common with its predecessor and seemed intent on being as crazy as possible even at the sacrifice of plot, character, good taste, and logic.

Master Race takes the best aspects of both books, blends them together, and churns out an incredibly satisfying read. Carrie Kelley, the young girl who took on Robin’s mantle back in The Dark Knight Returns, is front and center in this book. The Dark Knight Strikes Again brought Superman’s daughter Lara into the fold, as well as Wonder Woman, the Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkboy and Hawkgirl, Atom–all of whom reappear in Master Race. This time, though, they are treated with depth and care. In fact, some would say they are all actually redeemed.

There’s that word again.

Master Race redeems every single character in its pages. They each go through a personal journey, and they each come out better for it. I don’t want to get into the particulars due to revealing too much plot, but this book made me look at these characters as heroes again. Redemption strikes me as a theme of the book.

Which is probably the most ironic thing ever.

Master Race also, in my eyes, redeems Frank Miller. Frank Miller is a gifted writer and artist–he proved that on books like The Dark Knight Returns, Daredevil, Batman: Year One, and the first Wolverine miniseries. Unfortunately, his work on The Dark Knight Strikes Again made me question both his talent and character. That book seemed like a total cash grab. It almost acted like it wanted to make a point to the reader–that the comic fan will buy anything if there’s enough hype surrounding it. It definitely turned me off from Miller for a while.

So why did I return for Master Race? Brian Azzarello. I’ll read anything that man writes. I knew that if he played a hand in Master Race, it would be worth my time to check it out. I’m so glad I did. I have no idea as to the politics of Azzarello teaming up with Miller, but if DC made it happen to ease fan apprehension, it worked like a charm on me.

It’s so ironic that two men who are known for grim and gritty, hard-boiled writing provided one of the most inspiring Batman stories that I’ve ever read. As much as The Dark Knight Returns created a Dark Age, I could see Master Race igniting a Heroic Age. It truly counteracted all of the negativity surrounding our society at the moment.

Maybe you’ll agree with me, maybe you won’t, but I definitely recommend you read Batman: The Dark Knight–Master Race and see for yourself.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is fantastic! It is however by no means as good as the Dark Knight Returns, but beautiful artwork and some good throwbacks to the original are awesome! The book is however by no means perfect, there are scenes that throwback to the original with say a panel of the (then) president Reagan, but replacing it with trump and using some of his more bland dialogue of the “we’re gonna make them pay for it!” Or “it’ll be the best you’ve seen I guarantee it” it doesn’t hit the same as the original did, in twenty years time it might, but it really doesn’t hit the mark. Though there are many moments in the book which have pretty good writing, there are some highly questionable moments, which make you sit and think why they did something so silly or out of place. The ending left me both happy and disappointed, there was so much they could have done and should have done, it didn’t stop me wanting more. All in all, it is a great read, and it a reasonably befitting story for the Dark knight Returns saga, though depending on how you like this, you may want to leave DKR as a stand-alone. Highly recommended :)

[Brandon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sixteen years after publishing “The Dark Knight Strikes Again”, and thirty-one years after his ground-breaking first Batman run with “The Dark Knight Returns”, Frank Miller returns to The Caped Crusader with THE DARK KNIGHT III: THE MASTER RACE.

I’ll be the first to say that The Dark Knight Returns is pretty much flawless – it completely re-energized and revolutionized Batman for the modern age and its influence can certainly be seen in the decades that would follow.  When I heard that Miller was going to return to his Dark Knight universe in 2017, I was cautiously optimistic.  It seems that whenever a creator decides to return to a property that he or she created decades prior, the results are generally a mixed bag (I don’t expect much from Ghostbusters III, to be honest, although Bill & Ted III was pretty good).  In this instance, I think I was right.

First things first, my opinion may be a bit skewed here.  I thought I had read The Dark Knight Strikes again, but according to Goodreads, I hadn’t marked it as read.  When I took a brief glace at the plot of the book, I think it’s safe to say I missed this one.  Which, judging by its general reception, that might have been a good thing?  So, I suppose that would explain why I had no idea what the hell was going on for most of this book.  Or maybe I just had a hard time following the plot.

I can safely say that I don’t have a problem with Frank.  I’ve read many of his books over the years and rarely have I come out on the other side with a bad taste in my mouth, but this one just didn’t do anything for me.  I really didn’t care much for the off-shoot stories that were inserted in between the main issues of The Master Race storyline.  I get that they connected, but they felt like filler and I would literally groan when I would see one was about to begin.

The bottom line is that I feel it’s too difficult to take something as iconic as The Dark Knight Returns and try and build sequels on it.  The expectations are too high.  Maybe that’s not a fair thing to put on Miller, who feels he had a story he wanted to tell, but I feel like it’s especially true in this case.