If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.

What did DC think about then-US President being shown in a dark light in Batman: The Dark Knight Returns? Frank Miller says they agreed it was "fair game"

For Batman: The Dark Knight Returns writer-artist Frank Miller, putting Ronald Reagan in the story was "fair game"

News by Jules Chin Greene, Staff Writer

Published on Tue Mar 10 2026

Popverse's top stories

DC's The Dark Knight Returns features a range of familiar Batman characters like The Joker, Two-Face, and Barbara Gordon, but there's another familiar face in the pages of Frank Miller, Klaus Janson, and Lynn Varley's story: Ronald Reagan.

Now, Ronald Reagan was President of the United States at the time that Miller wrote The Dark Knight Returns, so it's only natural that the writer include panels of the President while showing the larger political context beyond Gotham. However, Miller's inclusion of Reagan in The Dark Knight Returns may still raise a few eyebrows, which he addressed at ComicsPRO 2026.

When Miller was asked if DC had any objections to his putting Ronald Reagan into The Dark Knight Returns, he had a succinct answer: "No."

"By any standards, this is fair game. This is fair use, which is the legal term for it. It is satire, it is parody. Just as a newspaper cartoonist can draw the President of the United States, a comic book artist can as well. Perhaps it would have been different if I had drawn actor Ronald Reagan by name and said anything about him that wasn't true. But to do a cartoon imitation of the absurdity of some of his excesses and, of course, his personality... sorry, he ran for that Office," Miller said.

Reagan isn't the only leader to have made an appearance in DC Comics around this time. Dave McKean's cover for Hellblazer #3 features graffiti of Margaret Thatcher with vampire teeth behind John Constantine. As Miller said, it's "fair game."

He is vengeance, he is the night, he is... one of Popverse's favorite subjects. Learn how to do a Dark Knight movie marathon right with our Batman movie guide, and for the true World's Greatest Detectives out there, dive deep into the heart of Gotham City by getting to know Batman with Popverse. Here are some of our latest Batman stories:

About ComicsPRO Industry Conference

Every year, the giants of the North American comic industry congregate behind closed doors for a closed-door conference to talk about the changing landscape of comics, what they've learned, and what they are all planning to do in the future. It's not a comic convention for fans, though - it's in a B2B event called the ComicsPRO Annual Meeting, and this year Popverse is going there to bring it all to you. At the 2026 Comics PRO Annual Meeting, Popverse will be covering the announcements, the conversations, and the insight from the likes of Marvel Comics, DC Comics, VIZ Media, Yen Press, Image Comics, Skybound Entertainment, and more.

Dates

Feb 19 - Feb 22

Location

Glendale, California
United States

Visit the event page

Follow Popverse for upcoming event coverage and news

Jules Chin Greene: Jules Chin Greene is a journalist and Jack Kirby enthusiast. He has written about comics, video games, movies, and television for sites such as Nerdist, AIPT, and Multiverse of Color.