What if The Dark Knight Returns Universe had it's own animated series?

[BatmanFanatic93]

Now i know they made two animated movies based on the graphic novel but what if they done a animated series all about the dark knight returns story arc but expanded it more like keep it in the same tone like in the old batman animated series & bring back batman's old villains except for the joker cause he's dead  & also exploring the whereabouts of other batman characters like dick,babs,& everyone else.

[The Laughing Fish]

I prefer to keep TDKR as a one-off. After all it can get tiring watching an elderly Batman on the lookout, plus given that most of his rogues gallery have either been retired or killed I don't think you'd have anywhere to go as a show. Besides, The Dark Knight Strikes Again would have to be adapted since it's a sequel to TDKR and even though I've only read the synopsis, I would rather watch a documentary about animal abuse. I can't imagine how painful it must have been to actually read that comic.

If anything, I wouldn't mind if a new animated series was inspired by Under the Red Hood. The tone of that movie had something that could be ongoing as a show.

[thecolorsblend]

It might've been Nemesis but I kicked around ideas with somebody that TDKR actually did have a universe of it's own called the Pre-Crisis era. Basically the idea was that TDKR is to Batman what Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow is for Superman; a not-necessarily-canonical ending of that era. Some things, particularly Alfred and Bruce's conversation about Jason, make more sense before Crisis than they would after.

[Silver Nemesis]

Yes, that discussion was between you, me and BatmAngelus over on the comics board: http://www.batman-online.com/forum/index.php?topic=2340.0

Unfortunately only two other people posted in that thread, which is a pity because the TDKR-Pre-Crisis connection was a very interesting theory. One that actually stands up to analysis.

Does anyone else find it strange that we have a thread on The Dark Knight Returns with only 13 posts, but we have a thread on the Ice Princess that has almost 200 posts? I'm not criticising or anything. If that's what people want to discuss, it's cool. But it does seem a little disproportionate to me. 

[Azrael]

Yes, that discussion was between you, me and BatmAngelus over on the comics board: http://www.batman-online.com/forum/index.php?topic=2340.0

Unfortunately only two other people posted in that thread, which is a pity because the TDKR-Pre-Crisis connection was a very interesting theory. One that actually stands up to analysis.

Does anyone else find it strange that we have a thread on The Dark Knight Returns with only 13 posts, but we have a thread on the Ice Princess that has almost 200 posts? I'm not criticising or anything. If that's what people want to discuss, it's cool. But it does seem a little disproportionate to me.

Yeah, isn't that a little...?
No, it's a lot.

[phantom stranger]

Does anyone else find it strange that we have a thread on The Dark Knight Returns with only 13 posts, but we have a thread on the Ice Princess that has almost 200 posts? I'm not criticising or anything. If that's what people want to discuss, it's cool. But it does seem a little disproportionate to me.

Honestly, I've never much cared for DKR. I've tried to love it but can only get myself to love parts of it. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the impact it had on the character. But we've since had hundreds of Batman stories I've enjoyed more.

As for an animated series, if they ever did do it I'd want Michael Ironside to play Batman. Peter Weller is great but Ironside's version of the DKR Batman just worked so much better for me:

[The Dark Knight]

I love TDK Returns Batman. Also the ' epic one off moments'  it affords itself, Joker dying, Wayne Manor going up in flames, etc. The Batman entity exists in Bruce Wayne and will never leave him regardless of how old he may be. Something TDK Rises believes otherwise.

TDK Returns gets a lot across about the character that I find appealing. Batman being blamed for creating villains, Joker going into a deep slumber, etc.  Refusing to be silenced or going away quietly just because others are uneasy, be it the mutant leader or Superman himself. Defiance and determination is an important part for me. Get the job done and go all the way.

Overall I dig the spirit. Spirit being the key word as it is ageless. Finding the hurt of past defeats too much, thus turning his back on the whole thing. Then years later this older, grizzled warrior in turn finds the current state of society too much to bear. This outweighs his own personal hurt, and so "the war goes on".

[phantom stranger]

Overall I dig the spirit. Spirit being the key word as it is ageless. Finding the hurt of past defeats too much, thus turning his back on the whole thing. Then years later this older, grizzled warrior in turn finds the current state of society too much to bear. This outweighs his own personal hurt, and so "the war goes on".

See, that's the stuff I like as well. I just don't much care for the quasi-Mad Max type setting.

For me the Batman Beyond universe just worked better. I wish we saw more of the older Bruce Wayne as Batman in the show. It's been a while but I believe he only has about 15 minutes of screentime in the pilot.

[The Dark Knight]

In TDK Returns, Bruce is older but he's not a senior citizen ala Beyond. That's the key difference. Though the Beyond Bruce even then managed to cling onto that personality by assisting another.

When TDK Returns Bruce can't hold his own any more (ala Beyond Bruce) he has his legacy via the Sons of Batman.

The Beyond universe is a more balanced version and I do like it. Though as said, TDK Returns get the nod from me as a one-off event.