Frank Miller, Daredevil, and my problem with Batman

I have mixed feelings on Batman. Gotham is an ultraconservative's wet dream, a dystopian world where the unwashed masses of the city can't depend on Big Government to take care of them. They turn to a suburban Old Money libertarian to rise above the law and save the urban plebes from themselves. Christopher Nolan's recent film trilogy capitalizes on this interpretation of the character, and Scott Snyder's current run on the Batman comic does the same.

Or he's just a goofy guy in tights who lives with a young boy and butler/father figure. The 1960s Adam West TV show uses this iteration of the character, from the Silver Age Batman comics.

Frank Miller's work on Batman in the 1980s was pivotal in establishing the Serious Business version of the caped crusader. 1986's The Dark Knight Returns is one of my all-time favorites. I recently got around to reading 1987's Year One, but I came away with a foul taste in my mouth even though it's cited by many as the definitive Batman origin story and one of the best comics of all time.

I absolutely love Year One's art, by illustrator David Mazzucchelli and colorist Richmond Lewis. Both artists previously worked with Miller on Daredevil: Born Again the year before, and while Born Again is a great story, the art takes a huge step forward in Year One. The difference is Lewis' coloring, which she re-did for the collected edition release. Colorists are often overlooked in comics, but she made a huge difference here.

That leaves Miller's script as my source of Bat-strife. He's one of the most influential comic book creators of all time. What happened?

Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, Daredevil: Born Again, and Batman: Year One comprise a trilogy of sorts. Dark Knight Returns and Born Again were published concurrently in 1986, and Year One came the following February. While people love to compare the two Batman stories to each other, you'd be remiss to overlook Daredevil.

Batman and Daredevil are very similar characters. Both are orphaned rich guys who spend their free time fighting crime in gritty urban locales, both wearing costumes that use traditionally evil imagery. But while Daredevil is a hero of the people, Batman is only a hero for the people.

Daredevil's alter ego Matt Murdock was born and raised in the rough Hell's Kitchen neighborhood in Manhattan. He grew up poor, but got into law school and worked his way up the social ladder. Nevertheless, he remains connected to Hell's Kitchen, and does the majority of his crime-fighting there. In Born Again, Murdock constantly talks about how despite the rampant crime and poverty in Hell's Kitchen, it's still his beloved home.

Batman's alter ego Bruce Wayne grew up as part of Gotham's upper crust. Though he fights crime in the inner city, he lives on the outskirts at Wayne Manor, far away from the riffraff downtown.