Finished Batman: The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller.

This graphic novel reinvents the legend of Batman by setting the story in Gotham City ten years after Bruce Wayne retired from being a superhero. Gotham is more violent and crime-ridden than ever, thanks to a gang calling themselves the Mutants. The gang’s reign of terror prompts Bruce to unleash his inner vigilante and become Batman once more — with some interesting results.

First of all, let me say this book is deep. Really deep. Miller has a lot to say about vigilantes versus criminals, the role of the media and police in society, and more. You could read it a couple of times and still not catch everything.

There’s a lot in The Dark Knight Returns to like, especially if you’ve ever wanted to see Batman and Superman really go toe to toe. I also liked the way Commissioner Gordon was handled — as a competant man who’s dedicated his life to his city and still has plenty of fight left in him. Plus, there are cameos by a lot of classic superhero characters.

But overall, the book just didn’t work for me. The story was okay, but I think the media hysteria angle was a little overdone. And I didn’t particularly care for the art. Pages and pages of the book consist of small, television bubbles that show news anchors reading about the latest crimes. There are also bubbles devoted to various news-debate programs that focus on whether or not releasing the Joker back into society is a good thing. (Bet you can’t guess the answer to that one.) I’m reading the book for Batman art, not television bubbles.

Plus, I thought the latest Robin was just sort of stuck in the story to save Batman on a couple of occasions. She didn’t have a real personality of her own or a lot to do, besides bail out Batman. And yes, she’s a girl, but Batman kept referring to her as boy and threatening to fire her. Weird.

I’ve enjoyed some of Miller’s work in the past, including Sin City and 300, and I guess I was just disappointed with The Dark Knight Returns, especially the art. I’m sure other folks feel different, but thumbs down from me.

Up next: The Accident Man by Tom Cain.

Finished Don’t Look Down by Suzanne Enoch.

This is the second in Enoch’s contemporary romance series featuring retired cat burglar Samantha Jellicoe and rich businessman Richard Addison. This time, Sam gets caught up in a murder investigation in Palm Beach, Fla., when a prospective client for her new security firm business is murdered in his own home. Rick bets Sam that the police can solve the crime before she can, and Sam sets out to prove him wrong.

I really enjoyed the first book in the series, Flirting with Danger, because it reminded me a lot of the movie To Catch A Thief. Don’t Look Down has a lot of the same elements, including snappy dialogue and some fun, breaking-and-entering scenes. Sam’s also a pretty cool heroine who can take care of herself in a pinch. What can I say? I love strong heroines and heist books (although this one isn’t as much about the heist as the first book was).

However, one thing I didn’t like was the way Sam and Rick thought about their relationship. Both used the word obsessive or obsession more than once. I get that they’re in the new stage of their relationship where they just can’t get enough of each other, but the word obsessive bothered me. Made me think of Romeo and Juliet, for starters, or some other angsty, teen drama. Also, Rick trying to control Sam, and Sam freaking out about going straight (and walking into the police station) both got a little old after a while.

Also, the title — I didn’t understand what the title had to do with the book. There’s no highwire or towering heights or anything like that mentioned in the book. Maybe it’s referring to Sam and Rick admitting their love for each other? I don’t know. I take most titles with a grain of salt, but this one stuck in my mind as not relating to the overall book that well.

Overall, if you’re looking for a light, fun read with a nice mystery element, you’ll probably enjoy this one. So, thumbs up.

Up next: Batman: The Dark Knight Returns