A Brief Bio
Frank Miller is one of my most influential American comic artist and writer, that I knew of when I start reading graphic novels in a young age. I most recognized his work, when reading his run on Batman such as Dark Knight Returns and my personal favorite origin story Batman Year One. Frank Miller is also famous for other graphic novels including the creation and the story of Elektra: The Assassin, the Sin City series, 300, Ronin, Daredevil and among many others. Frank Miller’s art style is very pulp noir influenced and his black & white neo-noir art style really enhances that. Frank Miller drew realistic rooftops for his graphic novel Man Without Fear to feel “authentic as possible.” Frank Miller’s art style was looked upon as being very original during his early years making comics. Although Frank Miller is viewed as a acclaimed writer and artist for his early works. Frank Miller has often drew controversy with his political and conspiracy viewpoints on the War on Terror and the Occupy Wall Street Movement in 2011. Alan Moore criticized his work on Sin City as being “homophobic and misogynistic.” Frank Miller’s Holy Terror is one of Frank Miller’s controversial stories and is viewed as being discriminating to many Arabs or people that have Persian decent. Many criticized that Holy Terror as “anti-Islamic propaganda.” Frank Miller’s recent work such as the Dark Knight Strikes Again and All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder received mixed to majority negative reviews, and made many critics and fans alike, to think Frank Miller is loosing his creative edge. Frank Miller is acclaimed for his art style and his early stories, but now he is heavily criticized for his controversial opinions and his sub par recent work.
“Comics Is Not For Kids”
In the 1950s many comics were marketed for young children. In this era Batman was looked upon as being light hearted and campy. n the mid 1960s Batman was on the diverge of being cancelled and Bob Kane even had negations to killing off Batman altogether. In the 1970s Neal Adams decide to bring Batman to his darker roots and wanted to separate Batman from being like the Adam West 1960 TV show. In the 1980s Frank Miller decide revamp Batman as a 55 year old retired Bruce Wayne in the near future in the Dark Knight Returns story. Frank Miller also did a rebooted origin story of Batman in the Batman Year One graphic novel. Both of these gritty Batman stories were both critical acclaimed and also proved to the public, that you can offer adult or mature storytelling in a comic book. If you read a Frank Miller comic (Daredevil, Dark Knight Returns, Batman Year One, Sin City etc)there are controversial acts of drug usage,prostitution, drug dealing and the overall reflection of the crime rate of early 1980s and early 1990s urban America (more so New York City). As a comic book reader, Frank Miller were one of the very few comic book writers at the time, who wasn’t shy to shows us that you can put mature, dark & gritty overtones in a comic book and make it seem believable.
The Noir Influenced
As a fan of Graphic Novels and being a inspiring artist in a young age, I have been always been influenced by Frank Miller’s classic black & white dynamic art style. I love how Frank Miller uses the atmosphere of his art to fit along with the narrative. To me it seems that Frank Miller’s art style has a way of combining with the attitudes and the emotions of the characters. I’m really a big fan of the classic noir style and drama, which also made me to be attracted to his art and his stories. But I like how Frank Miller has away to make his own noir style to feel original and timeless. I like how Frank Miller often combine classic noir with a superhero pulp action. Every time you flip a page or read his dialogue from his stories you automatically know it was done by Frank Miller.
His Daredevil Run and the “Dark Age of Comic Books“
Frank Miller stories of Daredevil Man Without Fear, and Daredevil Born Again (one of my most favorite Daredevil stories) were one of many works that help Frank Miller made his career even more recognizable. The type off story that Frank Miller was able to show us in Daredevil is a type of a gritty world within New York City and the struggles of Matt Murdock being a vigilante. In Born Again Frank Miller showed us what was life is like if your worst enemy”The Kingpin” got a hold of your secret identity. In Born Again Matt Murdock becomes paranoid (which I couldn’t blame him) and begins to not trust anyone around him. Matt Murdock’s paranoia causes isolation from his friends, including Foggy Nelson and others that were once close to him. Frank Miller transformed Daredevil into more of anti-hero along the lines with other Marvel anti heroes including the Punisher, Ghost Rider and Blade etc. The Man Without Fear is the key inspired stories that help the creation of the hit Daredevil show on Netflix.
The Dark Knight Era and the “Dark Age of Comic Books”
After Neal Adams’s run, Frank Miller became one of the key players of renovating Batman that we recognized today. Frank Miller snatched Batman out of his shiner days and brought him to more of his Dark Knight era. Frank Miller began with the Dark Knight Returns to help Batman to go closer to his darker character traits. The Dark Knight Returns reception sold very well and even received a positive review form TIME magazine. Many recognized the Dark Knight Returns as one of the greatest Batman stories every told. However, like many popular tales The Dark Knight Returns did attract some negative criticism of calling Dark Knight Returns overrated just behind Watchmen (which makes my head spin). The Dark Knight Returns alongside Watchmen, influenced the “Dark Age of the Comic Book genre.” Frank Miller’s Batman Year One and The Dark Knight Returns did help inspired many elements of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy.
Creator Owned Work
I truly love Frank Miller’s work such as his run on Batman, Daredevil and Wolverine but what I really enjoy reading the most is Frank Miller’s creator own graphic novels. Sin City is truly one of my favorite graphic novel series that resonated with me as a graphic novel reader. When I read the whole story archs of Sin City (in no particular order) including the Hard Good Bye, Yellow Bastard, The Big Fat Kill, Family Values, Hell & Back, Booze, Broads and Bullets and a Dame To Kill For each story allows me enter a world that is dark, fun, and just so out of this world. Sin City to me made me appreciate the pulp noir genre, depicted in both in movies and graphic novels. I also like the way that Sin City use onomatopoeia words as effects to fit alongside the action sequences, panels and overall narrative structure of the story. Aside from the Sin City series I also enjoyed such of his creator owned works including 300, interpreted Ronin which I really enjoyed the blend of Frank Miler’s own style and inspired styles of manga illustrations, and his most underrated graphic novel in my opinion Give Me Liberty: An American Dream. To me Frank Miller main highlights is his creator-owned stories.
Creative Decline and Controversy
Over the years Frank Miler’s recent work isn’t the same reflection like his earlier work. One of Frank Miller’s disappointing stories was the sequel Dark Knight Strikes Again which is a pale comparison of the Dark Knight Returns. The Dark Knight Strikes Again in my opinion has poorly drawn illustrations, horrible corny dialogue, especially when comes to Batman and a mediocre and cheesy story. Since Dark Knight Strikes Again, I believed it went all way down there form there. In 2008 Frank Miller alongside acclaimed artist Jim Lee decide to do another Batman story with the original Robin the Boy Wonder Dick Grayson. The book was titled All Star Batman Robin the Boy Wonder. The book topped DC comics charts when it was released but drew negative criticism due to the writing. In story Batman depicted as cruel and just straight up child abuser when it comes to training Robin. The whole story is about Batman being borderline psycho after dealing with the death of his parents. Batman often handle his anger by fighting and crippling many criminals that dare to confront him. Bruce takes out his anger when comes to training young Robin where he physically abuses, and even slapped Robin in the face after grieving of the death of his parents.But wait it gets “very worst” in a scene in the Batcave, Batman dose not feed Robin, Batman even addressed he should catch rats when he gets hungry (like what the Hell Batman). Alfred wants to comfort Robin while he is sadden, but Batman on other hand gets mad at Alfred when he dose so. The book also inspired a meme of Batman being the “God dam Batman.” Frank Miller’s All Star Batman attracted many negative criticism from many comic book websites and blog sites and even a critic suggested that “All Star Batman should be avoided with all cause.” However, Frank Miller continue to make stories like the Holy Terror, which is often viewed as “Batman takes on Al-Qaeda.” Look I’m okay with controversial comics that dabble into political themes, unless it is handled maturely. But I have to admit that when I read the Holy Terror it was borderline offensive. The whole story just seems like a preachy anti-Islam American statement. The protagonist of the story is Fixer who originally actually suppose to be Batman, but Frank Miller decide to make his own character that had the same character traits as “Dirty Harry” that fights against members of Al-Qaeda. Frank Miller respond to the controversy of his book The Holy Terror in San Diego Comic-Con International. Frank Miller addressed, “character (Fixer) is much more well adjusted in committing terrible acts of violence on very evil people” and he also included, “that he hope the graphic novel piss people off.” Well that’s one way to market your book (sarcasm). Frank Miller decide try to take a chance by sitting on the directors chair for better or worse. Frank Miller directed the Spirit, a movie that had the similar to style of Sin City and has inspiration of crime noir and pulp fiction stories. The movie attracted numerous negative reviews for its Looney Toones plot, goofy dialogue and over the top wacky characters (Samuel Jackson as the Octopus is laughably bad in this movie). The Spirit currently has a “14%” on Rotten Tomatoes and did poorly in the box office, the movie only made in $39,031,337 million in the box office with a budget of $60 million, ouch!. But this didn’t stop Frank Miller from not directing anymore movies. Frank Miller decide to join with director Robert Rodriguez to make adapt Sin City: A Dame To Kill For (which got me very excited at first). But Sin City: A Dame To Kill For became another box office flop that was released in August 22, 2014. The movie had a slightly higher budget than Spirit with $65 million but unfortunately ranked in the same amount of money as Spirit, by only ranking in $39 million worldwide. The movie was flooded with mixed to negative critic reviews and poor marketing due to the long year gap from the first film. Overall Frank Miller is having a hard time over coming the harsh criticism in the present and having a hard time capturing his same success like he did in the past.
The Future: Dark Knight III The Master Race
Frank Miller alongside writer Brain Brian Azzarello who is famous for the 100 Bullets series, JOKER and Wonder Woman run, are going back finish the trilogy of the Dark Knight Returns, that is viewed as a DC Batman classic in 1986. From recent response Frank Miller addressed that “he is thrilled to do another Batman story” and he promise that him and alongside Brain Azzarello “would do our best.” Frank Miller seemed excited to do another Dark Knight story even though the last one received harsh criticism. But maybe Dark Knight III: The Master Race will reflect on that Frank Miller is wiling to make up for his past mistakes but only time will tell. If you want to know more my thoughts of Frank Miller going back to his old school roots. Check the link here
Conclusion
Frank Miller is one of my influential comic writers and artist but I know his recent opinions and his recent work doesn’t match up with his early work. However, every time Frank Miller writes a new story and even though it might “suck” I would still read it anyway, because I always hoping he’ll do another great story just like his Dark Knight Returns era. Well maybe Dark Knight Master Race will be that type of achievement for him who knows. Regardless of my thoughts of Frank Miller, I would like to know what’s your thoughts on Frank Miller do you like him more than I do? Or does his recent controversy and recent stories prevents you from liking his work? Please express your thoughts on the comment section down below.
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