Lot Details
This lot is a set (#1-#4). The details below describe #1.
| Story | The Dark Knight Returns |
|---|---|
| Edition | First Print · Direct Edition |
| On sale | Feb 25, 1986 |
| Cover price | 2.95 USD · 4.50 CAD |
| Pages | 52 |
| Genre / era | Superhero · Copper Age |
| Characters |
Abner, Alfred Pennyworth, Batman, Carrie Kelley, Doctor Bartholomew Wolper, James Gordon
and 4 moreJoe Chill, Joker, Lola Chong, Martha Wayne |
Issue details: Grand Comics Database, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Batman: The Dark Knight #1-#4
Credits
Lot Details
This lot is a set (#1-#4). The details below describe #1.
| Story | The Dark Knight Returns |
|---|---|
| Edition | First Print · Direct Edition |
| On sale | Feb 25, 1986 |
| Cover price | 2.95 USD · 4.50 CAD |
| Pages | 52 |
| Genre / era | Superhero · Copper Age |
| Characters |
Abner, Alfred Pennyworth, Batman, Carrie Kelley, Doctor Bartholomew Wolper, James Gordon
and 4 moreJoe Chill, Joker, Lola Chong, Martha Wayne |
Issue details: Grand Comics Database, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Batman: The Dark Knight
DC Comics published Batman: The Dark Knight Returns in 1986 as a four-issue prestige miniseries written and drawn by Frank Miller, with inks by Klaus Janson and colors by Lynn Varley. The narrative presents an aging, retired Bruce Wayne who reassumes the mantle of Batman in a dystopian, Cold War era Gotham City. Produced on high-quality Baxter paper with square-bound spines, the format diverged from traditional newsprint comic books and targeted the expanding specialty comic shop market.
The series introduced several major creative shifts that reshaped mainstream superhero storytelling. It featured a reimagined, hardened Carrie Kelley as a new female Robin and culminated in a physical confrontation between Batman and Superman that altered the dynamic between the two characters in future publications. Miller used a rigid sixteen-panel grid structure paired with media broadcast sequences to reflect the political anxieties and media saturation of the 1980s.
The Dark Knight Returns played a pivotal role in shifting the public perception of comic books from juvenile entertainment to a recognized form of literary fiction. Along with Watchmen, published the same year, the series established a darker, psychologically complex tone for superhero comics in the Modern Age. Collector interest centers on first printings of the original four prestige format issues, with specific focus on condition due to the vulnerable dark cardstock covers and square spines.
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October 27 - November 3, 2026
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Bidding Range
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Increment
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| $0.00 - $50.00 | $1.00 |
| $50.00 - $100.00 | $5.00 |
| $100.00 - $500.00 | $10.00 |
| $500.00 - $1,000.00 | $25.00 |
| $1,000.00 - $5,000.00 | $50.00 |
| $5,000.00 - $10,000.00 | $100.00 |
| $10,000.00 - $20,000.00 | $200.00 |
| $20,000.00 - $50,000.00 | $500.00 |
| $50,000.00 - $100,000.00 | $1,000.00 |
| $100,000.00+ | $5,000.00 |
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