The Dark Knight (2008) ends with Batman taking the blame for Harvey Dent's death in order to protect Gotham City from the truth and ensure that Dent's legacy as a hero remains intact. After a lengthy battle with the Joker, Batman is forced to make the ultimate sacrifice and disappears into the
The Dark Knight Returns is a 1986 four-issue comic book miniseries starring Batman, written by Frank Miller, illustrated by Miller and Klaus Janson, with color by Lynn Varley, and published by DC Comics. It tells an alternative story of Bruce Wayne who, at 55 years old, returns from a decade of retirement to fight crime while facing opposition from the Gotham City police force and the United States government. The story also features the return of classic foes Two-Face and the Joker, and culminates in a confrontation with Superman, who is now an instrument of the government.