When Frank Miller wrote and drew The Dark Knight Returns in 1986, he didn’t just reimagine Batman—he detonated the character and rebuilt him inside a grim, dystopian Gotham City. This installment of our “1986: A Landmark Year in Comics” series revisits Miller’s bold reinvention of Gotham’s protector.

On the pod, we recount the buzz in the mid-’80s when Miller took on one of DC Comics' flagship characters, the editorial freedom he was given with TDKR, and the immediate fan and critical reaction to the story. We also debate the controversy surrounding inker Klaus Janson's work on the book, as well as the endless array of TDKR homages (and rip-offs) seen over the years—including the recent Absolute Batman.

And we tackle the big question: Is The Dark Knight Returns the greatest Batman story ever told… or just the most influential?