The Dark Knight Returns presents a 55-year-old Bruce Wayne coming out of retirement in a dystopian Gotham City. Frank Miller's mature, politically charged narrative and dark artistic style revolutionized superhero comics. The series made "grim and gritty" storytelling the industry standard. Its portrayal of Batman influenced every subsequent adaptation, from Tim Burton's films to Christopher Nolan's trilogy. The confrontation between Batman and Superman became iconic. It proved superhero comics could be sophisticated adult literature, paving the way for works like Watchmen.