I just finished watching the dark knight: Returns and just had to come on here and as I’m sure everyone knows this already, but that animated movie and comics will in my opinion withstand the test of time when it comes to essential batman stories. Just like “the killing joke” you can see in the dark knight returns just how completely connected batman and joker truly are. Joker falls into a coma only to wake up when batman comes outta retirement, and of course i need everyone to comment about if they think batman snapped joker’s neck or did the joker do it himself to finally prove his point, “that anyone no matter how high and noble they may be, anyone can be corrupted”. Also i completely forgot that this was the first time batman and superman fought each other. And also, did anyone else notice the resemblance of that fight in the animated movie and the batman vs.superman movie?
I was telling my Dad today how I think this is the best adaptation of a book to animation, after he had just watched Gotham By Gaslight. TDKR is literally as close to the book as they could’ve possibly done, with only a few extra small changes. I think he broke his neck, as this is Frank’s style and the sort of thing he would’ve wanted. At the time when he wrote the book he was pushing boundaries, so I believe that would’ve been the case.
Batman did break joker’s neck, but only paralyzed him. Joker twisted so he would die and Batman would be accused of his murder.
@Wildstorm-Jeff answered my theory on the Joker neck snap which I fully believe is correct? Multiple views & no plans of stopping. Included one of my favorite lines. Forgive me if I misquote, but I don’t want to check for accuracy. Batman to thug leader in the mud pit. “ You don’t get it boy, this isn’t a mud hole…it’s an operating table & I’m the surgeon. Chills.
I’ve never really been a big fan of TDKR. I remember posting about this on another TDKR oriented thread some time ago.