The Dark Knight Returns - Elongated - P. A. Nolte

I read DKR and DKSA for inspiration this week, and Ralph Dibny really jumped out at me.  He always seems so easily overlooked in favor of Plastic Man.  For example, in his brief appearance in DKSA, he's called on to help save Plastic Man before quietly exiting the story forever.  I mean, come on.  Miller depicts him as a skirt-chasing alcoholic shilling Gingo-based products, and that was a few years before Infinite Crisis saw print.  I had to know more.

Oh, and this is written in the style of DKR's 16-panel grid.


1-3/ In a dark dressing room.  Ralph Dibny, sitting at one end of the couch, extends his arm out to grab a small tumbler he'd set down on the end table on the other end of the couch.  The half-emptied bottle of Pappy Van Winkle is on the table next to him.  He is dressed in his purple Elongated Man unitard.  The wall behind him is decorated with framed newspaper clippings and pictures of Ralph shaking hands with celebrities, politicians, businessmen, and superheroes alike.

Ralph (CAP): What am I still doing in this silly suit?

Ralph (CAP): This is my life?

Ralph (CAP): ...

Ralph (CAP): Could be worse.

4/ He finishes the drink.

Ralph (CAP): Could be sober.

5/ Ralph refills the glass.  Over his shoulder is a picture of the JLA.

Ralph (CAP): Who wazzit told me he can't get drunk anymore?  Mason?  Poor bastard.

6/ Focus on the picture.  Gathered are Ralph, Red Tornado, The Flash, Black Canary, Hawkman, Green Arrow, and Wonder Woman.

Ralph (CAP): And O'Brien's been a friggin' teetotaler since he went straight.

7/ Focus on this younger, happier Ralph.

Ralph (CAP): "That stuff'll kill ya, y'know."

8/ Focus on Ralph's big smile.

Ralph (CAP): I'm counting on it.

Ralph (CAP): Bastard.

9/ Ralph finishes the drink.

10-12/ He sinks into the sofa.  All signs of life drain away as his eyes hover vacantly at whatever passes in front of him.  The darkness of the room is oppressive.  An intern calls out through the door.

Ralph (CAP): I miss Sue.

Intern (OP): Knock Knock?

13/ The intern, wearing a headset, peeks in through the cracked door, letting light in.  Ralph gives her a grimace.

Intern: Five minutes, Mr. Dibny.

Ralph: Thanks.

14/ Ralph refills the glass.  Again.

Ralph (OP): It's a good life, I guess.

15/ Ralph finishes the drink.  Again.

16/ The empty glass.  In the background, Ralph closes the door behind him.

Ralph (CAP): Good enough.

The Dark Knight Returns - Turn the Page, Part 3 - Ray Wonsowski

Previously, young antique dealer AUGUST TURN stumbled upon an armoire that in actuality is a portal to the Dark Dimension. Doctor CLEA Strange  discovers that TURN has an eye for magicked items, and arms her new  charge as they prepare for the crossing...

Panel 1 - Interior, the antique shop. CLEA gives AUGUST the silver dagger.

CLEA: Be ready, August. The Dark Dimension is...

Off-panel: What is this?!?

Panel 2- stepping out of the armoire is a confused but angry Miller-esque DARK KNIGHT. He is huge and aggressive, ready to tear through the store.

DARK KNIGHT: Where am I?!? Do you know who I am?!?

Panel 3- CLEA wiggles her fingers, and the DARK KNIGHT warps painfully out of our reality. AUGUST hides behind CLEA in fear, as this is the first salvo of what may be a long fight.

DARK KNIGHT: I'm the goddamn BatmaAARRRGH!!!

SoundFX: FrrT!

Panel 4- CLEA walks through the distortion into the armoire, AUGUST follows close behind.

CLEA: My uncle has much to answer for...

AUGUST: Your uncle's Frank Miller?

...to be continued...

Dark Knight Returns – The Darkest Night – MK Stangeland Jr.

(5 Panels)

Panel 1: Night, just outside of GOTHAM CITY, at the entrance to a cave.

Panel 2: Continuation from PANEL 1.

SFX: (From inside cave) arg…

Panel 3: Continuation from PANEL 2 – we see BATMAN emerging from the cave. He looks worse for the wear, but still standing and ready for action; he bears a look of defiant determination against whoever or whatever might try to tell him its time to pack it up and go home, even against the world itself.

BATMAN: grrrr….

Panel 4: BATMAN stands at the entrance to the cave, looking into the night sky.

TEXT BOX (1): Striking terror.

TEXT BOX (2): Still best part of the job.

Panel 5: Panel switches to behind BATMAN to show what he’s looking at – the background that BATMAN is facing should be the skyline of GOTHAM CITY.

It’s not the skyline of GOTHAM itself that BATMAN is looking at, but rather the sky above it – the sky is lit up from countless lights being shined into the sky, resulting in either a large number of lights each forming their own little homemade version of the BATSIGNAL or a large number of smaller lights which have been coordinated to form an impromptu version of the BATSIGNAL. Which version is up to the artist depending on which actually plays out better artistically on the page itself.

TEXT BOX: But an argument could be made otherwise.

(END PAGE)

The Dark Knight Returns - Freedom of the Press - Grant McLaughlin

This takes places during the course of The Dark Knight Returns.  Pinpointing the exact moment isn't terribly important.  We are, however, working firmly in Frank Miller and Klaus Janson's 4 by 4 grid.

1 - Night.  Close-up of Superman's red boot touching down on the balcony outside Lana Lang's place of residence (obviously you can't get that latter part across in one panel; I'm just giving context).

CAPTION (LANA): I hear him touch down outside.

2 - Still outside, Superman opens the balcony door and enters the dimly lit condo.  The scene is pretty much entirely in dark silhouette, the only colour being the bright red and yellow of Superman's logo on his cape.

CAPTION (LANA): He's never been nearly as subtle as he thinks he is.

3 - Superman approaches Lana from behind.  Lana sits at her desk, facing away from Supes and working away at some writing.  A television sits in front of her, providing much of the light in the room.  Framed news stories adorn the walls around her.

LANA: Funny, I didn't think it was your M.O. to sneak up on people under cover of darkness.

4 - Close up on Superman, surprised and a little hurt by the comment.

NO COPY

5 - On the TV, the host that Lana keeps speaking with on the panel show throughout the graphic novel.  Whatever they're saying isn't clear, but a Batman symbol with a question mark through it sits behind their talking head.

SUPERMAN (off-panel): Are you going to keep defending him?

6 - Close-up of one of the framed newspapers.  It's a byline that reads "Batman: Gotham's Knight", with a "Written by Clark Kent" visible beneath.

LANA (off-panel): There was a time I wasn't the one who had to.

7-  On Lana, writing away at her work, still not looking up at Superman.  Superman is behind her, looking at one of the newspapers (presumably the one on panel 6).

SUPERMAN: He's too bright.

LANA: Funny coming from you.

SUPERMAN: You know what I mean.

8 - On Superman as he turns to speak directly to Lana.

SUPERMAN (1): His methods were always too loud, too brash.

SUPERMAN (2): It worked 20 years ago, but the world's changed.

9 - On Lana, still writing away.

LANA: I don't know what you and Lois tell yourselves.

10 - Close-up of another framed newspaper, this one titled "Where has Superman gone?" with "Written by Lana Lang" beneath.

LANA (off-panel): But maybe it isn't the world that's changed.

11 - Close-up of Lana's writings.  There's all manner of words scrawled on the paper she's working on, but the portion that should be emphasized / visible is "the world needs heroes", which should be located between the two word balloons.

LANA (1): Things have always been dark.  It used to be that you were the shining beacon in the night.

LANA (2): I don't know you can blame Batman that you stopped.

12 - Superman has moved ever closer to Lana, who still doesn't look up from her work.

SUPERMAN: His methods are all about creating fear.

13 - Lana turns to face Superman, finally losing her cool as she metaphorically (and perhaps literally) points at Superman accusingly.

LANA: And as far as I'm aware, he's never turned them on you.

14 - Close up on Superman, shocked at what he's hearing.

LANA (off-panel): So what are you so afraid of?

15 - Superman blanches, not responding.

CAPTION (LANA): He's never been subtle.

16 - Superman is gone, leaving with such speed as to blow about the many papers on Lana's desk and in her home.

CAPTION (LANA): But then, neither have I.

The Dark Knight Returns – THE BOY AND THE BOOK – Derek Adnams

Page 1 – (11 Panels)

Layout:  Like the sixteen panel grid format Frank Miller used in DKR – four panels across the top, four panels underneath, one panel in the third row and a larger Panel 10 with an insert in spot sixteen taking up the remainder of the page.

1.1:  The cover to the first edition trade paperback of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.  It’s brand new, right off the shelf.

Caption:  Once upon a time there was a book.

1.2:  Interior, a small apartment, Christmas Morning.  A Boy of ten or eleven holding the book from Panel 1.1, smiling broadly.  There is wrapping paper littering the carpet and a decorated Christmas Tree just behind the Boy.

Caption:  And on a magical Christmas morning a boy was gifted this book.

1.3:  Interior, evening, a private hospital room in a sterile pediatrics ward.  The Boy from Panel 1.2 is lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to an IV.

Caption:  Shortly thereafter, the boy was imprisoned for what, to a young boy, seemed like an eternity.

1.4:  The Boy sitting up in the hospital bed, reading Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.  It’s night and the only light source is a lamp on his bedside table. 

Caption:  And the boy was left with only the book.

1.5:  Interior, night, the Boy’s room in the apartment from Panel 1.2.  He’s out of the hospital and sitting at a desk, drawing.  The desk is lit by a single desk lamp and the boy is wearing pajamas. 

Caption:  The boy lived inside the book, and knew that he wanted to make a book too. 

1.6:  What the Boy’s drawing: an extremely crude replica of a Frank Miller style Batman.

Caption:  But alas, the book was a force of nature and could never me replicated.

1.7:  The Boy, a teenager now, sitting at an old 1990-style word processor.  He’s behind the same desk from Panel 1.5, wearing a flannel shirt and blue jeans.

Caption:  He learned about words and for what they were meant. 

1.8:  The Boy, in his late twenties or early thirties, in a business suit, standing before a group of other people in business suits.  They are sitting around a conference table, watching the grown-up Boy giving a Power Point presentation.

Caption:  But he forgot then what he knows now and was an imitation of a happy man.

1.9:  Repeat of Panel 1.1, only a very well-worn and beaten copy.

Caption:  Then he remembered his old friend, the book -

1.10:  Large panel taking up half of the page of the Boy, now in his late-thirties or early forties, sitting at a desk, typing away on a laptop.  He’s wearing a grey t-shirt and black pants.  On the desk next to the laptop is the battered book from Panel 1.9.

Caption:  Becoming the boy again.

Caption:  This will be a good life . . .

1.11:  Inset to Panel 1.10, where a sixteenth panel would be if the 4 x 4 grid structure had been maintained for the entire page, and the smirking face of the grown-up Boy.

Caption:  . . . good enough.

Why The Dark Knight Returns?

. . . because if you were to pierce the fabric of spacetime and ask eleven year old me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would answer “Frank Miller.”  Go back a little further to Coles Books at the Seaview Square Mall just before Christmas in 1986 and you’ll know why – there, in the science fiction section, stands a wide-eyed boy reading a book unlike anything, ever.  That boy was me. This is the book:

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns made me want to create.  This was a classic superhero presented in a manner that was bold and new.  I was too young to truly appreciate everything Miller was doing, and there are plenty of resources available that deconstruct the work, but upon reading it again, for the first time in about 20 years, I can see how it made its way into the pages I write.  My penchant for “talking heads” scenes is a direct correlation to the repeated television screens used throughout Dark Knight Returns, only without the subtext that the newscasters, experts and pundits bring to Miller’s work.  Early in my writing I tried to jam as many panels onto a page as possible, subliminally borrowing from the 16 panel grid layout Miller used to heighten the sense of a claustrophobic Gotham City.  I just didn’t know how to tell a story.

As a kid, the grand vision of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns was lost on me.  What wasn’t lost on me were the images – iconic and beautiful.

Like this, the Dark Knight ready for battle:

Or the Dynamic Duo leaping through the night:

And of course the simple cover from Issue #1:

But the image that stuck with me the most was this page, and what Bruce says before dying:

Followed by Superman cradling the body of his fallen friend, telling the soldiers “Don’t touch him.”

This is the type of book I wanted, and still want, to create, and every time I sit in front of another blank page, eleven year old me appears as a reminder that I will never be able to “touch” this masterwork from Frank Miller.

But that doesn't mean I can't try.

One page at a time.