Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1

The first part to The Dark Knight returns feels a lot more complete than the second half. It thrusts Frank Miller's adaptation of the Caped Crusader in both a loyal and fresh way, displaying a lot more of a flawed character who turns back to the cowl through compulsion more than why he started it.

What massively works in this productions favour is the bold and varied art direction the story is presented in, displaying a grittier and bloodier batman we are used to, and parallels the mood and tone of the character. This may seem obvious considering the post-modernist violent setting, however the violence did go further than I thought they were going to take it (BUT THIS IS NOT A BAD THING)!

Dynamics between characters are also very well written for animation and you can appreciate the subtle nuances between relationships as well as hear dialogue that reflects a character arch throughout the story.

The voice acting may feel just a little bit stiff here and there, and some of the features in the comics appear to be somewhat left out or brushed over quickly, however this is a different format to a comic so the artist should be allowed to trim some of the fat off in order to make the film feel like a cohesive narrative.

Overall, this piece feels like a lot of effort from DC has been put in to both reward the fans and pay homage to Frank Millers contribution to their wonderful icon. For animation work and superhero stories, this is one of if not the best piece of art made and is on par with the very well made Nolan films as well.