The Dark Knight Similarities between TDK and The Dark Knight Returns

[Professor Joker]

This might just be me, but as I learned more and more about TDK I started to notice a lot of similarites between that and TDKR.

-Both feature the joker and two face two of the main villians.

-Citizens for batman. Sons of the batman.

-The Police department turning on batman at some point. (I'm assuming when they smash the bat symbol that means they're against him)

-The tumbler. The tanked up batmobile.

-The phrase "I believe in harvey dent" is a line directly from TDKR

-citizens of gotham turn into a mob (organized at least)

-Batman rides a motorcycle type deal in both. (ok I know that's pushing it)


There might be more but we won't know until we see the movie. Am I crazy or are there a lot of material that was borrowed from TDKR and used/ adapted/ reinvented for TDK?

 

[The Battousai]

This might just be me, but as I learned more and more about TDK I started to notice a lot of similarites between that and TDKR.

-Both feature the joker and two face two of the main villians.

-Citizens for batman. Sons of the batman.

-The Police department turning on batman at some point. (I'm assuming when they smash the bat symbol that means they're against him)

-The tumbler. The tanked up batmobile.

-The phrase "I believe in harvey dent" is a line directly from TDKR

-citizens of gotham turn into a mob (organized at least)

-Batman rides a motorcycle type deal in both. (ok I know that's pushing it)


There might be more but we won't know until we see the movie. Am I crazy or are there a lot of material that was borrowed from TDKR and used/ adapted/ reinvented for TDK?

You're kidding, right?

 

[The Mighty Wind]

This might just be me, but as I learned more and more about TDK I started to notice a lot of similarites between that and TDKR.

-Both feature the joker and two face two of the main villians.

-Citizens for batman. Sons of the batman.

-The Police department turning on batman at some point. (I'm assuming when they smash the bat symbol that means they're against him)

-The tumbler. The tanked up batmobile.

-The phrase "I believe in harvey dent" is a line directly from TDKR

-citizens of gotham turn into a mob (organized at least)

-Batman rides a motorcycle type deal in both. (ok I know that's pushing it)


There might be more but we won't know until we see the movie. Am I crazy or are there a lot of material that was borrowed from TDKR and used/ adapted/ reinvented for TDK?

Outside of the Batman copycats most of that list is stretching it a lot. One point doesn't even exist (the line is from The Long Hallowe'en, the comic from which Nolan got his inspiration).

 

[turtlefocker]

I believe in Harvey Dent is in both TLH and TDKR

 

[The Battousai]

I believe in Harvey Dent is in both TLH and TDKR

Which one was released first?

 

[turtlefocker]

The uh, Long Halloween

 

[The Battousai]

The uh, Long Halloween

That's what I thought.

 

[CFE]

"The Long Halloween" was released in 1996. "The Dark Knight Returns" was released in 1986.

CFE

 

[I-T-B]

That's what I thought.

I sure hope you're jesting. TLH came out ten years after TDKR...

Edit - Nevermind, CFE beat me too it. Quickdraw...

 

[BubbaGump]

The uh, Long Halloween

That's what I thought.

You both deserve a slow and painful death.

 

[CFE]

Well it's not too big a deal. In "TLH"s defense, the entire "I Believe" motif did come from THAT book...NOT "Dark Knight Returns."

"I Believe in Harvey Dent."
"I Believe in Jim Gordon."
"I Believe in Bruce Wayne."
"I Believe in Gotham City."

"I Believe in Batman."

Technically (and this is a very anal obversation) the line spoken by Bruce in TDKR was "We must Believe in Harvey Dent" ... not "I Believe in Harvey Dent."

Clearly, in that miniscule aspect, Nolan and Co. pinched from Loeb as opposed to Miller. But honestly I CAN see a trade off between THOSE two specific stories as far as inspiration for "TDK."

---

CFE

 

[I-T-B]

You both deserve a slow and painful death.

It's funny because it's true.

 

[BubbaGump]

Well it's not too big a deal. In "TLH"s defense, the entire "I Believe" motif did come from THAT book...NOT "Dark Knight Returns."

"I Believe in Harvey Dent."
"I Believe in Jim Gordon."
"I Believe in Bruce Wayne."
"I Believe in Gotham City."

"I Believe in Batman."

---

CFE

Well technically, "We must BELIEVE in Harvey Dent" came from DKR first and Loeb just ripped it. Which isn't neccesarily a bad thing, but to totally credit it as Loeb's and Loeb's alone is false.

And don't give me the "he could've thought of it anyway" remark. This coming from the guy who "homages" Godfather scenes and Hannibal Lecter characterizations. He couldn't have.

 

[Professor Joker]

But honestly I CAN see a trade off between THOSE two specific stories as far as inspiration for "TDK."

---

CFE

That was all I was suggesting. You can see what pieces of what material they got inspired from.

 

[The Battousai]

You both deserve a slow and painful death.

I was given faulty information!

****ing turtle...

 

[BubbaGump]

I was given faulty information!

****ing turtle...

But you didn't know about in the first place so you're just as bad as him.

I'm gonna ask Hunter to ban you...

 

[The Battousai]

But you didn't know about in the first place so you're just as bad as him.

I'm gonna ask Hunter to ban you...

I'm sorry I didn't memorize the original release date when I read it

 

[turtlefocker]

*shifty eyes* someone hacked my account...

 

[Hole Shot]

This might just be me, but as I learned more and more about TDK I started to notice a lot of similarites between that and TDKR.

-Both feature the joker and two face two of the main villians.

-Citizens for batman. Sons of the batman.

-The Police department turning on batman at some point. (I'm assuming when they smash the bat symbol that means they're against him)

-The tumbler. The tanked up batmobile.

-The phrase "I believe in harvey dent" is a line directly from TDKR

-citizens of gotham turn into a mob (organized at least)

-Batman rides a motorcycle type deal in both. (ok I know that's pushing it)

- The both have Batman

- Bruce Wayne is Batman in both

- James Gordon is in both

- Alfred

- Batman beats up people

- Joker kills people

- Take place in Gotham City

- Stuff happens

- Batman gets a new more technologically advanced suit to fight Superman

 

[CFE]

- Batman gets a new more technologically advanced suit to fight Superman

Superman's gonna be in "TDK" !?

CFE

 

[DeaDheaD]

- The both have Batman

- Bruce Wayne is Batman in both

- James Gordon is in both

- Alfred

- Batman beats up people

- Joker kills people

- Take place in Gotham City

- Stuff happens

- Batman gets a new more technologically advanced suit to fight Superman

THIS GUY IS ON TO SOMETHING!!!!!

 

[DeaDheaD]

Superman's gonna be in "TDK" !?

CFE

Thats AMH's secret character

 

[Kaizer]

I'm sorry I didn't memorize the original release date when I read it

Well....

It IS kind of important knowing that without TDKR, we probably never would have had the Batman we have today. With that comic he reinvented the Dark Knight for a modern audience and without it, we probably never wuld have had the likes of The Long Halloween or The Killing Joke in the first place, and let's not forget, no Batman Begins or The Dark Knight.

So, yeah, it's kind of important to know that

The Dark Knight Returns and modern Batman (1986–present)

Frank Miller's 1986 limited series Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, which tells the story of a 50-year-old Batman coming out of retirement in a possible future, reinvigorated the character. The Dark Knight Returns was a financial success and has since become one of the medium's most noted touchstones.[44] The series also sparked a major resurgence in the character's popularity.[45] That year Dennis O'Neil took over as editor of the Batman titles and set the template for the portrayal of Batman following DC's status quo-altering miniseries Crisis on Infinite Earths. O'Neil operated under the assumption that he was hired to revamp the character and as a result tried to instill a different tone in the books than had gone before.[46] One outcome of this new approach was the "Year One" storyline in Batman #404-407 (Feb.-May 1987), where Frank Miller and artist David Mazzucchelli redefined the character's origins. Writer Alan Moore and artist Brian Bolland continued this dark trend with 1988's 48-page one-shot Batman: The Killing Joke, in which the Joker, attempting to drive Commissioner Gordon insane, cripples Gordon's daughter Barbara, and then kidnaps and tortures the commissioner, physically and psychologically.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman

 

[DaRkVeNgeanCe]

WOW some peeps is getting messed up, all up in here

 

[StorminNorman]

This thread makes me sad in so many ways...

To address the actual question at hand, yes - you could easily compare TDK to TDKR.

Ignoring the rather unimportant literal similarities (which is almost limited to the "Sons of the Batman" - "Citizens for Batman") what you have to look is much broader, the impact it has on the medium and genre.

TDKR (along with Watchmen - which coincidentally also comes to film in what looks to faithful manner (god bless Zach Snyder)) completely changed the industry and the way Superhero stories were viewed by the masses. If the plentiful reviews are correct (and there is no reason to even consider for a moment they are not) then it looks like this movie may change the expectations one has for a "Superhero film".

Like TDKR, the mainstream may expect darker, more complex superhero films and that is where the true similarity lies. The potential impact on the medium. Not silly meaningless things like Batman riding a motor cycle, Batman fighting cops or other aspects that are not at all exclusive to Frank Miller's creation.