New Clip for “Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2”

To fans of all things Batman, get excited.  The conclusion to the animated adaptation of The Dark Knight Returns is set to be released on January 29, 2013.  To temporarily satisfy our appetites, a clip from the film has recently been released.

We were first given The Dark Knight Rises, Part 1 in September of 2012.  It sets up the four issue story originally written by Frank Miller in 1986.  It is one of the most definitive Batman story lines ever, and has shaped and colored the character we’ve seen in the modern Batman film interpretations.  We owe a lot to this book, and it has been exiting to see it in its animated format.

Part 1 set up the story of a retired Batman who has been out of the crime fighting game for ten years and now thought by many to have been nothing more than a myth.  A new mutant gang has taken over the city, and Gotham has found itself worse off than ever before.  With the spunky encouragement of Carrie Kelley (AKA Robin), the Dark Knight finds his final reason to don the cape and cowl.

Part 2 completes the story and sets up one of the greatest battles of all time, Batman vs. Superman, as well as the resurrection of his rivalry with the Joker.  The newest clip shows that 55-year-old Batman clearly still has it.  His fighting style has evolved to such a gritty, brutal force, but still displays all the things we loved so much about Batman to begin with.

Part 1 was received with great reviews sitting with a 7.9/10 rating on IMDB.  I would say the only issue that I can take with this series is the complete overhaul of voice actors I have grown up with.  I am a child of the 80s so when I think of animated Batman, I think of Kevin Conroy, and Mark Hamill.  However, I can appreciate the need to evolve and change things up to revive the series, and stay fresh to new audiences.  The Dark Knight Returns features Peter Weller (Robocop), Ariel Winter (Modern Family), and David Shelby (Dark Shadows) as Gordon.

As stated earlier, if you love Batman, you’ll love The Dark Knight Returns.  If you weren’t already, get excited for Part 2 late January!