Batman fans will be able to bid on a piece of comic book history. Heritage Auctions has announced that the original cover for Book One of writer/artist Frank Miller's iconic 1986 series The Dark Knight Returns will be for sale in Heritage Auctions' June 16-19 Comics & Comic Art Signature Auction.

Miller worked on the cover with Lynn Varley. It features a silhouette of Batman in the sky with lightning striking behind him. "That was a real favorite of mine," Miller said about the cover. "It was nearly a silhouette. I love doing covers, and I love conjuring iconic imagery. It's just a fun challenge." However, the iconic image was not the original one that Miller had in mind. One of the earlier versions featured a crouched Batman on a power line, which was later used as the cover for the 2015 collection, Batman Noir: The Dark Knight Returns. The idea for the cover of the first issue came after it was written, drawn, and being inked by Klaus Janson. "In the case of the lightning bolt, that really was a bolt out of the blue," said Miller. "That was a moment of inspiration."

The Dark Knight Returns is celebrated as a turning point in Batman's history. After the 1960s Batman television series left pop culture thinking of him as a campy comedic character, comic book writers and artists worked on bringing the character back to his original darker roots. The Dark Knight Returns showed an even darker future for the character. It followed a 55-year-old Bruce Wayne, who had retired from being Batman ten years earlier after the death of Robin/Jason Todd. With Gotham City now worse off than ever before, thanks to a gang calling themselves The Mutants, an older Batman returns to take back the city. In the first issue, Batman also has to deal with Two-Face, who returns to crime after being released from Arkham.

the dark knight returns animated movie
Image via DC Comics

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The Dark Knight Returns, along with Alan Moore and David Gibbons' Watchmen, is considered to be what kicked-off the modern age of comic books. "What Dark Knight did to superhero comics and the superhero genre itself, it was a big, fat Dope Slap," said Miller. "It just slapped the genre awake." Decades after the series was originally released, the cover of the first issue continues to remain iconic. "This cover to the first issue of the revolutionary story is easily one of the most famous comic-book covers from any era, as well as the single most resonant image from the series," said Heritage Auctions Vice President Todd Hignite. He went on to say:

"It defined the entire superhero genre from the 1980s to this very moment, not only in comics but in the broader culture. Such a widely reproduced, instantly recognizable and transcendent image speaks to generations. I can't think of a more important piece of comic art to have ever come to auction."

The Dark Knight Returns has influenced many of the different adaptations of the character. In 2012 and 2013, a two-part animated film adaptation was released, which starred Peter Weller as Batman. Christopher Nolan's 2012 film The Dark Knight Rises told the story of a retired Bruce Wayne returning to the role of Batman. Ben Affleck's Batman in Zack Snyder's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was also an older, darker version of the character, who also has a similar fight with Superman. The cover was even recreated in the film during the final fight with Doomsday. "When I took on the job of working on Batman, I understood from the beginning that in every sense, I was contributing to a collective work and bringing my best to it," said Miller. "And as it was going along, and going very well, I expected I would see it popping up, reflected back. I just didn't expect it so damned much."

The Heritage Auctions' June 16-19 Comics & Comic Art Signature Auction will open for bidding later this month, you can browse the auction items here. In the meantime, fans can also watch the animated version of The Dark Knight Returns, which is currently available to stream on HBO Max.