▁Barry ▁Allen ▁inc arn ation ▁of ▁the ▁Flash . ▁▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁ ▁The ▁Man ▁of ▁Ste el , ▁a ▁six - issue ▁com ic ▁book ▁limited ▁series ▁written ▁and ▁pen ci led ▁by ▁John ▁By r ne , ▁in ked ▁by ▁Dick ▁Gi ord ano ▁and ▁published ▁by ▁DC ▁Comics , ▁deb uts . ▁The ▁mini - series ▁was ▁designed ▁to ▁rev amp ▁the ▁Super man ▁myth os , ▁using ▁the ▁history - alter ing ▁effects ▁of ▁Cris is ▁on ▁In finite ▁Earth s ▁as ▁an ▁explanation ▁for ▁numerous ▁changes ▁to ▁previous ▁continu ity . ▁Bat man : ▁The ▁Dark ▁Knight ▁Returns , ▁a ▁four - issue ▁com ic ▁book ▁limited ▁series ▁written ▁and ▁drawn ▁by ▁Frank ▁Miller ▁and ▁published ▁by ▁DC ▁Comics , ▁deb uts . ▁ ▁It ▁re int rodu ced ▁Bat man ▁to ▁the ▁general ▁public ▁as ▁the ▁psych olog ically ▁dark ▁character ▁of ▁his ▁original ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁conception , ▁and ▁helped ▁to ▁us her ▁in ▁an ▁era ▁of ▁" gr im ▁and ▁g rit ty " ▁super h ero es ▁from ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 8 0 s ▁to ▁mid - 1 9 9 0 s . ▁Watch men , ▁a ▁twelve - issue ▁com ic ▁book ▁limited ▁series ▁written ▁by ▁Alan ▁Moore , ▁illustrated ▁by ▁Dave ▁Gib b ons ▁and ▁published ▁by ▁DC ▁Comics , ▁deb uts . ▁To ▁date , ▁Watch men ▁remains ▁the ▁only ▁graph ic ▁novel ▁to ▁win ▁a ▁Hugo ▁Award , ▁and ▁is ▁also ▁the ▁only