This decontextualization of characters within the story reveals itself to be quite intentional and suits well the greater sense of anxiety that pervades the work. Where Gotham was the microcosm that Batman used to anchor his sense of self in The Dark Knight Returns, that “realistic” sense of place remains completely absent in the sequel. Where the thoughts of superheroes once served as a contrast to the superficial world of mass media, the artifice of mass media now is superimposed upon the superheroes. When Batman and Superman first appear, they appear as shadowy figures that fill up entire pages but who are covered with panels that represent television screens. While this potentially reads as a set-up for the superheroes breaking through the static of mass media, the conclusion of the work belies this interpretation. The “triumph” of Batman’s forces are significant largely because it frees the Superchix (scantily-clad, publicity hungry superhero groupies) from a presidential ban. Rather than replace the mindlessness of a media culture that allows for a computer generated president to be accepted, superheroes begin to participate in the culture; the Flash makes “rabbit ears” behind the televised images of Donald Rumsfeld and John Ashcroft and the liberal-communist Green Arrow loudly debates the conservative-libertarian Question on Chris Matthews’ ribald talk show.¡0 At this point, the artwork leans further from the realism (which gives the characters some integrity) through a clear move toward caricature (which makes them more ridiculous). Apparently, heroes are not relevant for the “heroic” work they do but are made relevant by entering and sustaining our mediate. Lana Lang is still reporting the news in the sequel but looks much younger and is quite shapely, something completely inconsistent with the first series but likely to be unquestioned in the superhero comic world in which women are impossibly shaped in order to appeal to heterosexual male desire. Highlight the focus on the narrative and semiotic modalities borrowed from hardboiled novels, particularly in Miller’s works like The Dark Knight Rises

Question

This decontextualization of characters within the story reveals itself to be quite intentional and suits well the greater sense of anxiety that pervades the work. Where Gotham was the microcosm that Batman used to anchor his sense of self in The Dark Knight Returns, that “realistic” sense of place remains completely absent in the sequel. Where the thoughts of superheroes once served as a contrast to the superficial world of mass media, the artifice of mass media now is superimposed upon the superheroes. When Batman and Superman first appear, they appear as shadowy figures that fill up entire pages but who are covered with panels that represent television screens. While this potentially reads as a set-up for the superheroes breaking through the static of mass media, the conclusion of the work belies this interpretation. The “triumph” of Batman’s forces are significant largely because it frees the Superchix (scantily-clad, publicity hungry superhero groupies) from a presidential ban. Rather than replace the mindlessness of a media culture that allows for a computer generated president to be accepted, superheroes begin to participate in the culture; the Flash makes “rabbit ears” behind the televised images of Donald Rumsfeld and John Ashcroft and the liberal-communist Green Arrow loudly debates the conservative-libertarian Question on Chris Matthews’ ribald talk show.¡0 At this point, the artwork leans further from the realism (which gives the characters some integrity) through a clear move toward caricature (which makes them more ridiculous). Apparently, heroes are not relevant for the “heroic” work they do but are made relevant by entering and sustaining our mediate. Lana Lang is still reporting the news in the sequel but looks much younger and is quite shapely, something completely inconsistent with the first series but likely to be unquestioned in the superhero comic world in which women are impossibly shaped in order to appeal to heterosexual male desire. Highlight the focus on the narrative and semiotic modalities borrowed from hardboiled novels, particularly in Miller’s works like The Dark Knight Rises

Answer 1

. The decontextualization of characters within the story serves to heighten the sense of anxiety that pervades the work and reflects the shift in focus from the microcosm of Gotham in The Dark Knight Returns to a world dominated by mass media in the sequel.

In this new world, superheroes are no longer the voices of reason in a chaotic society, but rather become entangled in the very media culture they once critiqued. Instead of breaking through the static of mass media, they participate in and contribute to it, losing their integrity in the process.

The artwork in the sequel also moves away from realism towards caricature, emphasizing the ridiculousness of the superheroes' actions. The portrayal of female characters, like Lana Lang, further reinforces the objectification of women in the superhero comic world.

Overall, Miller's use of narrative and semiotic modalities borrowed from hardboiled novels highlights the distorted and disorienting nature of the superhero world in the sequel, where heroes have become mere puppets in a media-driven society.