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Adapting Frank Miller’s iconic deconstruction of the Dark Knight mythos is a herculean effort for any creative team ballsy enough to try it. Not only was it a meta-commentary on the logical end-point of Batman’s borderline-insanity and obsessive nature, but a pitch-black satire on the entirety of the superhero enterprise. There’s just so much narrative that adapting proves a challenge of which tone to stick with, what material to exercise, and just how long do they want this thing to last?
Well, by this point, the minds running DC’s direct-to-video animated film line deserves your trust that you’ll figure it all out. The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 is an immensely satisfying work that acts as something of a vocal warm-up for the operatic mayhem to follow in Part 2. It begins with Batman living a dull life in retirement, watching as Gotham has descended into chaos with its savior/symbol, and ends with the reemergence of his greatest villain from a catatonic state. In-between these well-known moments Batman takes on the mutants, Carrie Kelley becomes the new Robin, and panel-after-panel is giving vivid life from the source text.
It’s notable that despite the numerous flirtations various other Batman properties have done with this material, including Tim Burton’s 1989 film, the Nolan trilogy, and a segment in Batman: The Animated Series’ episode “Legends of the Dark Knight,” just how well this material takes to the film medium. BTAS’ tiny segment was proof that Miller’s distinctive angular artwork could translate well to animation, but seeing it here is really something else. Not only were they faithful to the look and feel of the original work, but they fine-tuned it enough for fluidity’s sake.
While not everything is a successful translation of the bleak source material, or its abundant dark humor. Look no further than the media’s various talking heads. In the comic, they acted as something of a Greek chorus and response to more paranoid and unhinged mental ramblings of Batman, and losing much of Batman’s inner monologue weakens the presence of the media’s interjections. It feels tilted too far to one side of the equation instead of finding a nice balance.
And for all of the grit and darkness on display, there’s also a few instances too many of the animation being brightly lit or somehow dulling the grittier, darker tone of the material. This is slightly to be expected given how inky and scratchy Frank Miller’s drawings can be, but when something like the fight with the mutant gang leader is so expertly done, then moments of a too sleek and shiny looking Gotham-in-chaos tend to standout more.
This isn’t enough to hamper the overall work as it sets up the pieces beautifully for the carnage that’s about to unfold. I mean, we still have Batman fighting Superman, the Joker, and heaps of Cold War paranoia (which for a while there felt antique, but appears to be making a comeback). It’ll take you a minute to not expect Kevin Conroy and company’s infamous voices to emerge from these characters, but give Peter Weller and the others a chance, they do solid work. (Highest points goes to Ariel Winter who is positively perfect as Carrie Kelley/Robin.)
The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 is a deeply entertaining and engrossing adaptation of the first half of the material. I swear, ending it on Joker’s awakening was a stroke of genius that gets you pumped for the real visceral action that’s about to happen. It pays homage to the material while effectively working as a solid variation of it. Isn’t that all you can really ask of an adaptation?
