Iconic comic pro Frank Miller sat down with The Hollywood Reporter recently to discuss the upcoming release of The Dark Knight III: The Master Race which he is writing with Brian Azzarello. Inker Klaus Janson also sat in on the conversation allowing for a lively go-between for the long-time collaborators, though Miller refused to admit his own impact on the industry he has been a part of for decades. On the table for discussion, in addition to the title itself, was a retrospective look at some of the ways Miller has challenged comic readers over the years.

“People are talking about diversification these days, but Frank was doing that 30 years ago,” Klaus told THR in reference to Miller’s groundbreaking Carrie Kelley, the very first female Robin from the 1980s. And while Miller himself brushed the compliment aside, scoffing that he wanted to see a Robin costume on a girl more than he cared about the groundbreaking-ness of putting a woman at Batman‘s side, it is still apparent that Kelley has remained a very personal creation for Miller that he cares about a lot. He referred to her as “the apple of Batman’s eye” and his own.

Issue one of The Dark Knight III: The Master Race doesn’t hit shelves – literally or digitally – until November 25, but Miller was willing to let out [spoilers] that Carrie Kelley will be back in this new story and still very central to Batman’s life. He told the reporter: “She is the complete symbol of youth…She is the future, and she’s everything that Batman is working towards.”

Miller had great things to say about working alongside Azzarello though he admitted he feels a great deal of protectiveness towards his title character and how he makes up a yin-yang dynamic with Superman: “When it comes to Batman, I’m a raging dictator. I’m looking hard to remind Brian about what I think the essence of the character is. Batman is very, very unlike other heroes. Superman is very much a super ego, wanting an orderly world, whereas Batman is an agent of chaos, looking to disrupt order. He’s a super id. They’re a perfect balance — they’re the World’s Finest team, they belong together… punching each other senseless.”

Little was reported on anything that could feasibly spoil any of the plot of The Dark Knight III: The Master Race aside from the fact that Kelley will be appearing in the story. As spoilers tend to not go over well on the internet, this is probably a good thing. And with the release date around the proverbial corner, it’s not like Batman fans have all that long to wait before they get to start reading.

What are you hoping to see in The Dark Knight III: The Master Race? Tell me in the comments below!

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HT THR
Image via DC Comics