Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2 · reception & legacy

How Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2 has been received, argued over, and remembered.

The arc

Praised on release as the rare DC animated project that earned a 'better than most live-action Batman movies' reputation, its stock only rose after 2016, when Batman v Superman borrowed its imagery and fans started saying 'just watch the animated version instead.'

What's debated

The perennial fan debate: is Part 2 the clear superior half, and does stripping out Frank Miller's growling inner monologue make the adaptation cleaner — or gut the whole point of the book?

Its footprint

Its armored Batman-vs-Superman showdown became the reference image for that matchup, endlessly screencapped and held up against Zack Snyder's live-action homage — and Michael Emerson's whispery, unnerving Joker is a recurring 'most underrated Joker' talking point.

Where it stands

A fixture near the top of 'best DC animated movies' rankings and Letterboxd's go-to answer for animated Batman alongside Mask of the Phantasm.