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DC Movies Wiki
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 2
Director: Jay Oliva
Producer: Bruce Timm
Sam Register
Writer(s): Bob Goodman
Release Date: January 29, 2013
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Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 2 is the twelfth animated film in the Batman animated film series and the sequel to 2012's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 1. It is based loosely on Frank Miller's 1986's story arc of the same name. The PG-13 rated film arrives January 29, 2013 from Warner Home Video in both Blu-Ray and DVD.

Plot[]

Feigning regret for his past, Joker convinces Dr. Wolper to take him on a talk show to tell his story; he makes plans for his escape with his old henchman who supplies him with mind-controlling lipstick. Meanwhile, Superman - who works as a government operative in exchange for being allowed to covertly help people - is asked by the President to end Batman's vigilantism. Framing these events is a growing hostility between the USA and the Soviet Union over possession of the island of Corto Maltese.

As Batman's continued presence humiliates the national authorities, Yindel becomes commissioner and orders Batman's arrest. Superman warns Batman that the government will not tolerate him much longer. Joker makes his talk show appearance as Batman fights with the GCPD on the studio roof; while they fight, Joker kills Wolper and gasses everyone in the studio to death and escapes. He finds Selina Kyle and uses one of her escorts and his lipstick to take control of a congressman and make him call for a nuclear strike on the Soviets before falling to his death.

Batman's investigation leads him to Selina Kyle, who he finds bound and dressed like Wonder Woman. Robin notices cotton candy on the floor and Batman deduces Joker is at the fairgrounds. There, Robin accidentally kills Joker's attacking henchman while Batman pursues the Joker, who indiscriminately guns down dozens of people. As Batman corners a wounded and partially blinded Joker, he admits to feeling responsible for every murder Joker has committed and intends to stop him permanently. The pair fight, which ends in Batman being stabbed repeatedly and him breaking Joker's neck in front of witnesses. Content that he made Batman lose control and that he will be branded a murderer, the Joker finishes twisting his neck, killing himself. The GCPD arrive and the profusely bleeding Batman fights his way to Robin and escapes as the Joker's body burns in flames.

After Superman deflects a Soviet nuclear missile, he is hit with the blast and badly injured; the detonation creates an electromagnetic pulse that wipes out all electrical equipment in the United States and causes a nuclear winter. As the city descends into chaos, Batman, Robin, and Gordon rally the Sons of Batman and the citizens of Gotham to restore order, and Yindel accepts that Batman has become too powerful to take down. While the rest of the powerless America is overrun with crime, Gotham becomes the safest city in the country, embarrassing the President's administration and causing them to send Superman to finally stop Batman; Batman and Superman agree to meet in Crime Alley. Wearing a powerful exoframe and supported by Kelley and former Green Arrow Oliver Queen, Batman fights Superman, using various tactics to make the fight even. When Superman gains the advantage, Queen hits him with a Kryptonite arrow that severely weakens him. Batman beats Superman and claims that he intentionally made the Kryptonite weak, only wanting to be the man who beat Superman. Batman then dies of a heart attack while Wayne Manor self-destructs and Alfred dies of a stroke.

In the aftermath, the world learns that Bruce Wayne was Batman; all of his secrets are destroyed with the manor and his finances have disappeared. As Superman leaves Bruce's funeral, he gives Kelley a knowing wink after noticing a faint heartbeat. In the underground caves beneath the ruins of Wayne Manor, Bruce is revealed to have faked his death and makes preparations to continue his mission more discretely, allied with Kelley, Oliver and his followers. Bruce states that this will be a good life, "good enough".

Cast[]

Special Features[]

  • Standard and high definition versions of the feature film.
  • UltraViolet™*.
  • Sneak Peek at Superman: Unbound.
  • Featurette - "The Joker: Laughing in the Face of Death" .
  • Documentary - "Superman vs. Batman: When Heroes Collide" .
  • Featurette - "From Sketch to Screen".
  • Look Back - Sneak Peek at Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1.
  • Two bonus episodes from Batman: The Animated Series.
  • Digital Comic.

Gallery[]

Videos[]

Animated Films
Stand-alone films Superman (1941) | Gen¹³ (1998) | The Batman vs. Dracula (2005) | Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo (2006)
Tales of the Black Freighter (2009) | JLA Adventures: Trapped In Time (2014) | The LEGO Batman Movie (2018) | Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2018) | Teen Titans GO! To the Movies (2018) | Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2019)
Animated Original Movies 2007: Superman: Doomsday
2008: Justice League: The New Frontier | Batman: Gotham Knight
2009: Wonder Woman | Green Lantern: First Flight | Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
2010: Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths | Batman: Under the Red Hood | Superman/Batman: Apocalypse
2011: All-Star Superman | Green Lantern: Emerald Knights | Batman: Year One
2012: Justice League: Doom | Superman vs. The Elite | Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 1
2013: Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 2 | Superman: Unbound | Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox
2014: Batman: Assault on Arkham
2015: Justice League: Gods and Monsters
2016: Batman: The Killing Joke | Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders
2017: Batman and Harley Quinn | Batman vs. Two-Face
2018: Batman: Gotham by Gaslight | Batman Ninja
2019: Justice League vs. The Fatal Five | Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
2020: Superman: Red Son
2021: Batman: Soul of the Dragon | Injustice
2022: Catwoman: Hunted | Batman and Superman: Battle of the Super Sons
2023: Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham
DC Animated Universe Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993) | Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero (1998) | The Batman/Superman Movie (1998) | Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000) | Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman (2003)
Superman: Brainiac Attacks (2006)
DC Showcase The Spectre (2010) | Jonah Hex (2010) | Green Arrow (2010) | Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam (2010) | Catwoman (2011) | DC Showcase: Sgt. Rock (2019) | DC Showcase: Death (2019) | DC Showcase: The Phantom Stranger (2020) | DC Showcase: Adam Strange (2020) | Batman: Death in the Family (2020) | DC Showcase: Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth! (2021) | DC Showcase: The Losers (2021) | DC Showcase: Blue Beetle (2021) | Constantine: The House of Mystery (2022)
Animated Film Universe Post-Flashpoint (2013) | Justice League: War (2014) | Son of Batman (2014) | Justice League: Throne of Atlantis (2015) | Nightwing and Robin (2015) | Batman vs. Robin (2015) | Batman: Bad Blood (2016) | Justice League vs. Teen Titans (2016) | Justice League Dark (2017) | Teen Titans: The Judas Contract (2017)
Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay (2018) | The Death of Superman (2018) | Reign of the Supermen (2019) | Batman: Hush (2019) | Wonder Woman: Bloodlines (2019) | Justice League Dark: Apokolips War (2020)
Tomorrowverse Superman: Man of Tomorrow (2020) | Justice Society: World War II (2021) | Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One (2021) | Batman: The Long Halloween, Part Two (2021) | Green Lantern: Beware My Power (2022) | Legion of Super-Heroes (2023) | Justice League: Warworld (2023) | Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths Part One (2024) | Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths Part Two (2024)
Batman Unlimited Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts (2015) | Batman Unlimited: Monster Mayhem (2015) | Batman Unlimited: Mechs vs. Mutants (2016)
LEGO DC Super Heroes DC Super Heroes Unite (2013) | Batman: Be-Leaguered (2014) | Justice League vs. Bizarro League (2015) | Attack of the Legion of Doom (2015) | Justice League: Cosmic Clash (2016) | Gotham City Breakout (2016)
The Flash (2018) | Aquaman: Rage of Atlantis (2018) | Batman: Family Matters (2019)
DC Super Hero Girls Super Hero High (2016) | Hero of the Year (2016) | Intergalactic Games (2017) | Brain Drain (2017)
Super-Villain High (2018) | Legends of Atlantis (2018)