The Dark Knight Returns

I picked this up a very long time ago and decided to give it a go since the newest instalment in the Nolan Batman series is upon us.  For those who don't know, this one has us visiting Batman ten years after he has retired.  He's 55 and his body isn't quite what it used to, and Gotham, and the world, are worse than ever.  It's enough to make an old man question what difference he's made, if any, to his world.  And just as Batman steps out of the woodwork and back into the spotlight, so do his enemies of old including Two-Face, The Joker, and even Superman when they realize that the world isn't big enough for the two heroes with different perspectives on what the world needs.
Written by comic heavy-weight Frank Miller this is a really great Batman story.  It really gets to the core of the character and redefines him in a smart and clever way, using his age as a way of really being sharp about what it means to be Bruce Wayne, to know what he knows, and how to deal with that.  The thing is full of some really great stuff.  I assume that most fans of the Bat have probably already delved into this (almost 20 year old) mini-series.  I'll aim to pick up the sequel, The Dark Night Strikes Back at some point when I'm out comic-shopping.  It's a nice little read, especially when gearing up for The Dark Night Rises.