Why did the Dark Knight Retire? How did Jason Todd die in the DK universe? What role does the Joker play?
In less than a week, you can find the answers to all of those questions in the pages of the one-shot The Dark Knight Returns: The Last Crusade. Delayed for quite a few months now, the prequel to the Frank Miller epic story is finally ready to shed some light on the darkness of Batman’s world before he came out of retirement. Written by Miller and Brian Azzarrello (the duo behind the current DKIII: The Master Race), the book features art drawn by longtime collaborator John Romita, Jr. who also worked with Miller on his classic Daredevil story, The Man Without Fear.
Speaking with IGN, the two discussed why this story was important to tell.
Miller: …there was the hanging question of, why in the devil did Batman quit in the first place?
They’re all questions that Dark Knight raised. Any good story includes a backstory, and if the story’s good enough, you want to go back and revisit it and figure out what the hell you were talking about. [Laughs]
Romita: I think, after what Frank just said, that one line, “What happened to Jason?” you can grab a 57-page graphic novel out of that. That is a testament to the guy who wrote the original story.
It’s also quite obvious (just look at the cover) that the Joker is going to play a pretty key role in this story. But how does Miller’s Joker differ from other versions of the character?
Miller: …I believe that the Joker is not so much insane as satanic. He’s evil incarnate, and he’s so malicious that it goes beyond anything we could understand. That’s what’s so terrifying about him, is that he simply wants to do as much harm and damage as he possibly can.
Sounds like the Joker to me. I’ve been anxiously awaiting this book, especially since The Master Race has been so good (read Eric Joseph’s latest review here).
IGN has also provided a few preview pages.
The Dark Knight Returns: The Last Crusade is available June 15th.