{"id":438661,"date":"2026-02-21T22:40:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-21T22:40:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/438661\/"},"modified":"2026-02-21T22:40:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-21T22:40:09","slug":"the-dark-knight-returns-being-his-origin-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/438661\/","title":{"rendered":"The Dark Knight Returns Being His Origin Story"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"taxonomy\">Posted in: <a href=\"https:\/\/bleedingcool.com\/comics\/comics-publishers\/dc-comics\/batman-4\/\" rel=\"category nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Batman<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/bleedingcool.com\/comics\/\" rel=\"category nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Comics<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/bleedingcool.com\/comics\/comics-publishers\/dc-comics\/\" rel=\"category nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">DC Comics<\/a> | Tagged: <a href=\"https:\/\/bleedingcool.com\/tag\/comicspro\/\" rel=\"tag nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">comicspro<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/bleedingcool.com\/tag\/dark-knight\/\" rel=\"tag nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">dark knight<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/bleedingcool.com\/tag\/frank-miller\/\" rel=\"tag nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">frank miller<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/bleedingcool.com\/tag\/jim-lee\/\" rel=\"tag nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">jim lee<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/bleedingcool.com\/tag\/klaus-jansen\/\" rel=\"tag nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">klaus jansen<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"excerpt\" style=\"font-weight:lighter;margin:6px 0;font-size:1.1em;clear:both;\">Jim Lee on Batman: The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller, Klaus Jansen and Lynne Varley being his origin story, at ComicsPRO<\/p>\n<p>Article Summary&#13;<br \/>\nJim Lee credits Batman: The Dark Knight Returns as the comic that inspired him to become an artist.&#13;<br \/>\nAt ComicsPRO, Jim Lee shared his personal story and the impact of Frank Miller and Klaus Janson&#8217;s work.&#13;<br \/>\nLee praises The Dark Knight Returns for transforming not only Batman but the entire comic book industry.&#13;<br \/>\nHe introduced Frank Miller and Klaus Janson as the creative team behind this groundbreaking Batman story.&#13;<\/p>\n<p>DC Comics Publisher, President and CCO Jim Lee, currently <a href=\"https:\/\/bleedingcool.com\/comics\/now-batman-163-by-jim-lee-jeph-loeb-is-delayed-till-end-of-may-2026\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">nine months late on his current Batman comic,<\/a> introduced Klaus Janson and Frank Miller to the stage at ComicsPRO, the retailer event being held in Glendale, California, yesterday. And also talked about his own origin story and the role of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns forty years ago.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/mlpnk72yciwc.i.optimole.com\/cqhiHLc.IIZS~2ef73\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:75\/https:\/\/bleedingcool.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/jim-lee.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-opt-src=\"https:\/\/mlpnk72yciwc.i.optimole.com\/cqhiHLc.IIZS~2ef73\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:75\/https:\/\/bleedingcool.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/jim-lee.jpg\" width=\"1684\" height=\"999\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20100%%20100%%22%20width%3D%22100%%22%20height%3D%22100%%22%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Jim Lee On Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Being His Origin Story\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-2372845\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\tJim Lee at DC Dark Knight panel at ComicsPRO 2026<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<br style=\"clear: both\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/mlpnk72yciwc.i.optimole.com\/cqhiHLc.IIZS~2ef73\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:75\/https:\/\/bleedingcool.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-4396.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-opt-src=\"https:\/\/mlpnk72yciwc.i.optimole.com\/cqhiHLc.IIZS~2ef73\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:75\/https:\/\/bleedingcool.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-4396.jpg\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1211\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20100%%20100%%22%20width%3D%22100%%22%20height%3D%22100%%22%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Jim Lee On Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Being His Origin Story\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-2372843\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\tJim Lee at DC Dark Knight panel at ComicsPRO 2026<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<br style=\"clear: both\"\/><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Can you guys all remember where you guys were in February 1986? Don&#8217;t tell me you weren&#8217;t alive. That makes me feel very, very bad. Anyway, I was a senior in college, about to graduate, staring down a very responsible, very sensible path in medical school. My future seemed really mapped out, the predictable, practical and then The Dark Knight Returns came out\u00a0 and, somewhere between midterms and med school applications, that book burst through my dorm room window, and smacked me square in the head like a lightning bolt. Sorry, that&#8217;s the wrong character. But this book, it said, criminals are a superstitious and cowardly lot, and, as Frank and Klaus are my witnesses, I must become a comic book artist. Not a terribly fast one. Certainly not the most reliable. But absolutely, undeniably, this is what I had to do. This book didn&#8217;t just change Batman. It didn&#8217;t just change comics. It changed my life. And I would not be standing here in front of you all today, as President of DC Comics, without it. I suspect I&#8217;m not alone. I&#8217;m pretty sure about 90% of the modern industry traces some of its origin story back to those incredible four volumes.\u00a0 But enough about my accidental origin story. Let&#8217;s bring out the creative team behind the seminal work that redefined a character, revitalised an art form and reminded the world just how powerful and revolutionary comics can be. Please join me, welcoming the architects of that lightning bolt moment, Mr Frank Miller and Klaus Jansen.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/mlpnk72yciwc.i.optimole.com\/cqhiHLc.IIZS~2ef73\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:75\/https:\/\/bleedingcool.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-4397.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-opt-src=\"https:\/\/mlpnk72yciwc.i.optimole.com\/cqhiHLc.IIZS~2ef73\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:75\/https:\/\/bleedingcool.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-4397.jpg\" width=\"1674\" height=\"1212\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20100%%20100%%22%20width%3D%22100%%22%20height%3D%22100%%22%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Jim Lee On Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Being His Origin Story\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-2-2372842\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\tFrank Miller at DC Dark Knight panel at ComicsPRO 2026<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<br style=\"clear: both\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/mlpnk72yciwc.i.optimole.com\/cqhiHLc.IIZS~2ef73\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:75\/https:\/\/bleedingcool.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-4356.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-opt-src=\"https:\/\/mlpnk72yciwc.i.optimole.com\/cqhiHLc.IIZS~2ef73\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:75\/https:\/\/bleedingcool.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-4356.jpg\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20100%%20100%%22%20width%3D%22100%%22%20height%3D%22100%%22%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Jim Lee On Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Being His Origin Story\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-2-2372844\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\tFrank Miller and Klaus Jansenat DC Dark Knight panel at ComicsPRO 2026<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<br style=\"clear: both\"\/><\/p>\n<p>More on that to come\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/bleedingcool.com\/comicspro\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">and catch up with more of ComicsPRO right here.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Enjoyed this? 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