The reviewer finds 'Batman: The Dark Knight Returns' to be a messy and poorly executed comic, despite its interesting premise and strong artwork. The political satire falls flat, and the characters feel inconsistent and out of touch.
The reviewer acknowledges that the intentions behind 'Batman: The Dark Knight Returns' are not poor, as it tackles relevant political themes in a world where public trust is waning. However, the execution is deemed a 'hot mess'. The characters, particularly Carrie Kelly and Lara Kent, feel inconsistent and out of touch with the current generation. The political satire is considered base-level and ineffective, lacking nuance. Despite the strong artwork by Rafael Grampá and Jordie Bellaire, the heavy dialogue and peculiar writing style detract from the overall experience. The reviewer feels the comic misses an opportunity to be better, given its interesting premise and talented artists.
Quick quotes
This book — written by the (in)famous Frank Miller and illustrated by Rafael Grampá — is kind of a hot mess.
Miller’s attempts at satire don’t really go beyond very base-level, Stephen Colbert-style digs at Trump’s showmanship and speech patterns.
The one positive I can really say about this book is that the art is amazing — Rafael Grampá and colorist Jordie Bellaire really knocked it out of the park.