Dear Frank,
If it's okay I'll call you Frank. You don't seem like the kind of cat that would go for Mr. Miller. Anyway, I have to confess something to you.
I hated you. I read "All-star Batman & Robin" and I saw "The Spirit" and I hated you. I allowed two outliers of garbage to taint my overall view of you and your work. The unabashed Bat-fan that I am cringed along every time you had Batman verbally abuse Dick Grayson, laugh manically, or scream "I'm the Goddamned Batman" from the rooftops. I couldn't stand that I ever purchased one of your works.
Then at the urging of a friend I went out and purchased the deluxe edition of "The Dark Knight Returns" on Blu-ray. While I watched the movie unfold I remembered how much I enjoyed reading the book after I had bought it the first time.
This lead to me purchasing my second copy. After rereading it I was so taken aback by the nuance, and the grand themes. I couldn't believe that I turned my back on a graphic novel that read like a popular fiction book. While you not only told a grand story about the Dark Knight you also developed interesting and unique backstories and action beats for the everyday people of Gotham City. Truly this is a work of art that will stand the test of time much like Alan Moore's masterpiece "Watchmen".
Your main narrative about the Dark Knight is also quite compelling. When compared to another fictional character like Dexter Morgan it is easy to see how a young man like Bruce Wayne could've become something different. Both were young men baptized in blood and born again from it. You get that the truth, the real truth about Bruce is that he is, at his base level, a psychopath. For the benefit of morality he chooses not to kill, but he does maim those that do wrong. You do not shy away from this, and in doing so you make the active choice not to insult the intelligence of your reader. You make him a very human character by balancing him out with the right amounts of morality, ego, narcissism, savagery, and cunning.
Anyway Frank, thank you. Not just for a timeless work like TDKR, but for your work on countless other fantastic pieces. Daredevil, Wolverine, Sin City, 300, and many others would not be possible without a talented individual like yourself.
You're one of the best in comics even if you are still responsible for "I'm the Goddamned Batman".
-John
