When Frank Miller’s Batman: The Dark Knight Returns graphic novel was released, it was a revelation to superhero fans. I can still recall when it came out back in the eighties and it was the hottest thing since sliced bread for comic freaks everywhere. I also felt this was the beginning of the darker Batman we eventually saw in the first Tim Burton film, and of course the Christopher Nolan films that followed.
Now Variety tells us that sales for The Dark Knight Returns have gone through the roof after the announcement of the upcoming Batman Vs Superman movie. Variety reports that digital sales have gone up a whopping 161% since the Batman Vs Superman announcement, and The Dark Knight Returns will probably always be a classic that new generations will continue to go back to.
This incredible surge in sales is what Variety says is “a single month sales record for a full-priced DC Entertainment eBook. The print edition showed a similar increase, according to Bookscan.” Sales for Superman: Uncahined #2 and Batman #22 were also the top two selling comics for July, and Justice League #22 made it to #4 on the charts, which clearly shows that fans are chomping at the bit for the next Superman / Batman flick, as well as a possible Justice League movie down the road. (When the Avengers exploded, sales for the comics went similarly ballistic.)
Being that I read and loved The Dark Knight Returns back in the eighties, I always wondered why it wasn’t adapted into a live action movie, and apparently Zack Snyder announced that it will indeed be the inspiration for the Batman Vs Superman movie. Apparently the fans want to see what the next movie will be like, hence the increased comic sales, and if Snyder’s drawing from Frank Miller’s masterpiece, it’s a great place to start.
