Thursday, November 19, 2015
We discussed in class some of the Christian imagery in The Dark Knight Returns, specifically references to the Pietà (end of the Batman vs. Superman fight) and the cross (page 27). The weather, at least at the beginning, could also function as one. The heat wave is referenced very often in the TV (framing?) narration. The heat rises as violence and disorder in Gotham increases and Bruce's personal stress escalates. The heat wave breaks with a strong storm, at the same time as Batman starts to disrupt the growing crime wave. The weatherman describes the storm as "like the wrath of God...headed for Gotham," paralleling Miller's portrayal of Batman's return. His reappearance (to cleanse Gotham of crime/sin) specifically during a downpour parallels the story of the flood and further reinforces the narrative of Batman as an angry, godlike force.
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I think we could all agree that Miller lays it on a little thick with his religious symbolism. That being said, I think we all (to some degree, at least) can admire his dedication. You allude to one of my favorite aspects of Miller's religious symbolism, the framing of Gotham city as a hellscape. The scorching temperatures and rising steam type Gotham as a Hell before we've met a single citizen. Our first view of the city comes from above, we descend toward the street. Most of Miller's splash-pages (maybe all) also depict Batman descending into the city to unleash "the wrath of God."
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