One of the most common misconceptions in comic book history is the title of Frank Miller's groundbreaking 1986 mini-series, which nearly everyone remembers as Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. In reality, the title was simply BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT. "The Dark Knight Returns" was only the title of Issue #1’s opening chapter and wasn’t used in any of the following three issues. Each issue featured a unique chapter title on both the cover and spine: Issue #1 was titled "The Dark Knight Returns," Issue #2 was "The Dark Knight Triumphant," and so on.
The 1986 Graphitti hardback collection, meanwhile, had the title The Dark Knight on its dust jacket and Batman: The Dark Knight in the indicia. It's believed that the DC and Warner Books trade paperbacks (which I don’t own) were the first to refer to the entire story as The Dark Knight Returns.
This confusion mirrors the common tendency to refer to the iconic 1977 blockbuster as A New Hope, when its original title was simply STAR WARS.
Above, you’ll find the indicia page from Batman: The Dark Knight #2 (which confirms the proper title of the series), along with the cover and indicia spread from the 1986 Graphitti hardback collection.
