Mage vs The Dark Knight returns: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Heroes, Comics & graphic novels, Comic books, Graphic Novels
Mage
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The first of two volumes reprinting the classic early issues of creator MATT WAGNER’s epic fantasy trilogy. THE HERO DISCOVERED reveals the fledgling adventures of the reluctant everyman hero, Kevin Matchstick. After…
The Dark Knight returns
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"Together with inker Klaus Janson and colorist Lynn Varley, writer/artist Frank Miller completely reinvents the legend of Batman in his saga of a near-future Gotham City gone to rot, ten years after the Dark Knight's…
Side by side
The verdict
- Readers rate The Dark Knight returns highest: The Dark Knight returns 4.3 · Mage 4.0.
- The Dark Knight returns is the quickest read — about 3 hours vs 8 for Mage.
- The Dark Knight returns has the widest readership — 490 ratings behind its score.
Scores by source
| Mage | The Dark Knight returns | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.1 (122) | 4.6 (5) |
| Hardcover | 3.6 (5) | 4.2 (490) |
| Google Books | — | 5.0 (1) |
| Apple Books | — | 4.5 (381) |
Reception
| Mage | The Dark Knight returns | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 122 | 490 |
| Editions | 14 | 17 |
| Citations | — | 33 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 51 | 5 |
| Reading it now | — | 2 |
| Written reviews | 8 | 1 |
| Wikipedia attention | 1389 | 24133 |
| Pages | 464 | 204 |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Mage or The Dark Knight returns?
The Dark Knight returns has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Dark Knight returns 4.3/5, Mage 4.0/5).
Which is shorter to read: Mage or The Dark Knight returns?
The Dark Knight returns is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Dark Knight returns (204 pages, ≈ 3 h 47 m); Mage (464 pages, ≈ 8 h 36 m).
Which is harder to read: Mage or The Dark Knight returns?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Mage: Light; The Dark Knight returns: Light.