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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. After returning from the fair, whose face does Batman continue to see over and over again?

2. When Clark Kent meets with Bruce, what important information does he tell him?

3. Who rescues Batman from the television studio roof?

4. In pursuit of Batman at the fair, what do the commissioner and the cops find instead?

5. After the detonation of the nuclear weapons, what disables all the electronics in Gotham and the Western hemisphere?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the author build suspense leading up to Clark Kent's arrival in Gotham City?

2. Why does Clark Kent believe Bruce will ruin everything?

3. What does Clark Kent/Superman mean when he says, "...like a murderer, you'd cover it up again"?

4. What is the importance of Superman's efforts to intercept the nuclear warhead from Russia?

5. Why does Superman find it important that the "...humans not be reminded that they walk amongst giants..."?

6. What is the significance of the boy with the radio and the priest who thought to treat him in a mean manner during the aftermath of the electromagnetic pulse?

7. How does Batman utilize his brain instead of his brawn when fighting the Mutants' leader a second time?

8. Why does the author include the stories of Arnold Crimp and Iron Man Vasquez?

9. How is the last confrontation between The Joker and Batman in the House of Mirrors ironic?

10. Why does the author interchange the scenes of Captain Yindl arriving on her first day as commissioner and Commission Gordon's and Carrie's beginning with Batman?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Vigilantism is a major theme in "The Dark Knight Returns." Choose one of the characters (Bruce Wayne, Alfred, Clark Kent, Commissioner Gordon, Commissioner Yindel) and analyze how he/she reacts to acts of vigilantism throughout the story. Find descriptions from the text to support your answer and provide evidence for your opinion.

Essay Topic 2

Gotham is a metropolis and has big city/urban problems. Compare the fictionalized city of Gotham to a real life metropolis or the city you live in. Does your city have the same or different issues as Gotham? Use the text to support your answer and provide evidence for comparison.

Essay Topic 3

The title of this graphic novel is "The Dark Knight Returns." Explain how the metaphor of Batman as a knight is presented and supported throughout the novel. What scenes/actions does Batman display that is reminiscent of a knight? Find descriptions from the text to support your answer and provide evidence for your opinion.

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This section contains 1,063 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample