Ten Most Amazing, Insane Moments from Frank Miller's "Dark Knight" Saga

One of the most fun aspects about Frank Miller's work on "The Dark Knight Returns" and "The Dark Knight Strikes Again" was just how over-the-top he would get at times. From the Joker's flying killer baby robots to the insanely badass Batmobile and beyond, there seemed no limit to where Miller's imagination would take the stories.

Now, with the first chapter of "Dark Knight III: The Master Race" having been released, we felt this was the perfect time to revisit some top ten craziest (awesome) moments from the previous two series.

10: The Dark Knight Rides

In "Batman: The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Falls," the Soviets launch a nuclear bomb at the United States. Superman manages to divert it to the desert, but the resulting explosion causes a gigantic electromagnetic pulse that wipes out all of the electricity in the United States. The massive blackouts lead to countrywide looting.

However, Batman and his new soldiers, the Sons of the Batman, as well as some errant members of the Mutants (who Batman had taken control of earlier in the series) take control of law and order in Gotham City, showing their order by arriving on horses on an amazing full page spread by Miller and inker Klaus Janson.

9: Joker Kills "Doctor Ruth"

In "Batman: The Dark Knight, Hunt the Dark Knight," the Joker appears on a stand-in for Late Night with David Letterman along with his psychiatrist, Dr. Bartholomew Wolper. The good doctor is convinced that Batman's fascism has caused the rise of crime in Gotham City, while Joker is but a victim of the Batman's actions. Having been catatonic while Batman was away, now that the Dark Knight has returned, the Joker is awake and playing into Wolper's beliefs.

The other guest on the show that night was a stand-in for Dr. Ruth Westheimer, the famous sex therapist, who was a frequent guest on Late Night during the early '80s, when she became world famous for being this little woman in her late 50s with a thick German accent talking about sex. Joker first reveals that he is not at all reformed when he suddenly makes out with Doctor Ruth (who had just blamed sexual repression as the cause for Joker's villainy), driving her insane right before she dies, with a maniacal Joker venom-enduced grin on her face.

8: The Atom Explores the Inner-Carrie Kelley

The first book of "The Dark Knight Strikes Again" opens with Carrie Kelley, now dressed as Catgirl, rescuing Ray Palmer, the Atom, from captivity. While escaping, she needs to jump out of a tall building and land on her transportation. In order to do so, she needs both hands free, so she decides to hold Ray in her mouth. The journey is a bumpy one, and she ends up accidentally swallowing him at one point, leading to his exit via her throwing him up. The next time they team, Ray requests that she let him choose his own hiding place.

7: Wonder Woman Throws Lightning Bolts While Riding A Flying Horse!

At the end of the second book of "The Dark Knight Strikes Again," Brainiac is attacking Metropolis, and Superman and Captain Marvel are not having much effect in stopping him. Wonder Woman and Superman's daughter wants to enter the fray, but her mother tells her to hold off for now. Instead, Wonder Woman shows what she can do, courtesy of some of Zeus' lightning bolts. In a double-page spread by Miller and Lynn Varley, we get an amazing shot of the hero throwing lightning bolts while astride a flying horse!

6: Joker's Deadly Little Babies

After killing Doctor Ruth, the Joker turns his attention to the entire studio audience, as well as Dr. Wolper and Letterman, killing them through the use of flying baby dolls that shoot venom from their mouths. It is such a creepy visual, especially when Joker rides on one of the dolls while surveying all the dead people in the audience!

5: The New Batmobile Debuts

In "Batman: The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Triumphant," Batman decides to take care of the Mutants, the evil gang of misfits who are tearing Gotham City apart. And what better way to confront them than in a new Batmobile, which is just an insane design by Miller.

4: He's Got The Whole World In His Hand

In the final book of "The Dark Knight Strikes Again," Lex Luthor's endgame has gone into effect. He has launched satellites that contain laser cannons that he will use to wipe out most of the world's population, leaving him a manageable amount of people to control. Luthor mocks his prisoner, Batman, but he learns that the Dark Knight allowed himself to be captured (and beaten) because he wanted to be there to see Luthor's face when he learns Hal Jordan, the exiled Green Lantern of Earth, has returned and is protecting Earth from the lasers by literally holding the planet in a giant hand.

3: Batman Confronts The Mutant Leader

As we discussed earlier, the Batmobile is a formidable tool in the hands of Batman. But the leader of the Mutants plays to Batman's vanity, demanding the hero to face him alone, without the benefit of his giant, rolling weapon. Batman can't help but comply, leading to the iconic shot of him foolishly leaving the safety of the Batmobile in order to fight a giant man decades younger than him. It does not go well, of course -- but Batman manages to win the rematch after Carrie Kelley saves his life during the first fight.

2: Superman & Wonder Woman's High-Flying Sex Scene

In "The Dark Knight Strikes Again's" second book, Superman and Wonder Woman rekindle their romance by having sex in the sky. Their amorous session creates such a force that they literally make the Earth move a little bit. Adding to the over-the-top nature of the scene, Miller and Lynn Varley dedicate about five pages to the unforgettable sequence.

1: The Joker Takes Matters Into His Own Hands -- Well, Neck

After killing the Letterman audience, the Joker heads to a nearby carnival to cause more havoc. Batman tracks him down and corners him in the House of Mirrors. He manages to subdue the Joker, and while the villain is gravely injured, Batman manages to hold back from actually killing him. The Joker, has other plans, however. He decides to get one last "screw you" in on Batman, and actually breaks his own spine, killing himself so Batman will look like a murderer! A scene that so messed up, but in a clever way, resulted in one of the series' most iconic images.