Batman. The Dark Knight Returns: Museum Object and Cultural History
Batman. The Dark Knight Returns: date made: 1986. Object Name: comic book. Object Name: book.
The object in the museum catalogue
This bound compilation of the four issue Batman comic book series, The Dark Knight Returns (DC Comics, 1986) helped push the graphic novel into the mainstream of American literature. Frank Miller's gritty and violent storytelling, inked by Klaus Janson and colored by Lynn Varley, impacted future interpretations of the iconic caped crusader, influencing a generation of popular culture.
Batman is one of the most well known fictional characters in American History. Introduced by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger in Detective Comics #27 (1939) the Batman is a masked vigilante without superpowers who relies on exceptional intellect, physical strength, and an array of technologies to fight evil doers. The crimefighter, a mainstay in the DC Comics Universe, has been the subject of a live-action television program (1966-1968,) numerous animated series and video games, and the basis for a blockbuster film franchise, including director Tim Burton's "Batman" (1989.)
Materials, dates and provenance
- date made: 1986
- Object Name: comic book
- Object Name: book
- Object Name: graphic novel
- Physical Description: paper (overall material)
- Measurements: overall: 6 3/4 in x 10 1/4 in; 17.145 cm x 26.035 cm
- place made: United States: New York
- Subject: Comics
- Subject: Batman
- Subject: Superman
- ID Number: 2013.3039.434
- catalog number: 2013.3039.434
- nonaccession number: 2013.3039
- Credit Line: Gift of George R. Zug
- Data Source: National Museum of American History
Sources and reuse
Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of American History through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed.
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