Westside Goth Show #31: Comic Adaptations

Absolute Ronin

I am actually going to spend my cash on this. Around 60 bucks online but it's priced at 99 dollars. This is my second fav Frank Miller book and my trade is like, fifteen years old. Looks like around 25 pages of extra. Lets hope though its worth that crazy price tag.

Frank Miller Is Gangsta

Long time ago, as a wee comic fan of around nine years I would buy random comic books with Spider-Man or X-Men on the cover. But I had a soft spot for the Batman. I watched the old Adam West TV series, loved the Tim Burton movie, and was awaiting the new cartoon series. One special year my Uncle Mike hooked me up with two Batman books... Frank Millers The Dark Knight Returns(DKR for short) and Batman: Year One. For a nine year old-these books totally took me by surprise. They were darker, heaver in tone, and more violent than anything I had ever read-and up to that point seen on TV and movies.

Though, honestly, DKR isn't exactly a favorite book of mine it is visceral. The style and craft of Frank Miller is really hard to describe. The man just knows how to go about his artwork in a way where you see why he's such an icon. The story is fine, but the artwork always intrigued me more. That's why Batman: Year One is my favorite Batman comic of all time. I admit, I prefer my superheroes a little sunnier but Frank and artist David Mazzachulli's famed update of Batman(and Jim Gordon's) first year in Gotham City still puts other superhero titles to shame. Mazzachulli's beautiful art and Frank's writing just go together. You have to understand, as a young kid, I was handed the classics and most everything paled in comparison. Some of the books I loved when I was young no longer hold weight in my eyes but DKR and Year One continue to be examples of comics as literature.

Now as I got older I didn't exactly become a hardcore collector because, well, I didn't have much money and between other interests I got comics when I could and followed titles if able. During a time in which I was part of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Book Club I started buying trades like Preacher and Death but one time out I noticed they were selling a book called Ronin by Frank Miller. So I picked it up. I don't follow comic creators but this was the legend so I had to see what this was about and damn did Ronin kick some serious ass. The series was done after his stint on Daredevil and before DKR. Frank Millers story set in a decaying futuristic Manhattan about a reborn Samurai looking to finally defeat the demon Agat. This book looks so different than anything else I've ever read and a story so dark, menacing with so many thrilling moments I find it hard to believe some people never mention Ronin when talking about Franks great works.




Frank Miller has gone on to of course do works like Sin City and 300 which are both seminal comic works and have(or soon to) receive movie adaptations. I picked up the Sin City books after seeing the movie. Both those titles are stunning in their artwork. 300 specifically for its wide page formatting making everything more grand. Over recent years though he has been criticize for his work on All Star Batman & Robin with Jim Lee but I find myself greatly amused at the title. I look at it as camp and whether or not its terrible, I find it more shocking and gripping then most "good" comics. I mean, he just makes "bad" so fun to follow. Now I haven't the biggest Miller collection. I hope that titles like Martha Washington and Hard Boiled amongst others to get some reprints. I'm going to actually pawn an organ to get the Daredevil Omnibus.

The point to all this is pretty much say "Hey, Frank Miller is an icon, love him or hate him." Millers artwork stood out because it wasn't "superhero" art because he brought a real cinematic edge to his work and stole from the greats. His stories are written for a more mature audience. But most importantly, he's not afraid to piss people off with his work because he can do that, because he is Frank Miller. I salute him. He introduced me to mature comics and showed me books that are more timeless then 90% of comics being released today or even tomorrow. Plus he is total gangsta. Looking forward to the movies for 300 and Sin City 2.

Looking Ahead to February... March... April...

I always said If I was going to read daredevil, I'd just read Frank Millers legendary run. Though, truth be told I was waiting for a cheap set of Essentials which would give me the run in glorious black and white for 16.99 a pop but Marvel Comics decided to give it the Omnibus format. Now, the last batch of Omnibus' I already had in some shape and form. The Uncanny X-Men one was very tempting and if went 9 issues longer would have had my entire favorite period in time but since it didn't, and cost 100 bucks, I skipped it. I love Grant Morrison's New X-Men but already had it in paperback collection. But Daredevil Omnibus? I love me some Frank Miller and with Mail Order Comics could get a decent discount(over 30 dollars off) so I have it check marked.

Though it forced me to decide to finally give American Virgin the axe and not to pick up the new Brave & the Bold(I'm sure I'll see it quickly traded anyway). Plus I figured I could pick up Alien Vs. Predator Omnibus($25) some other time and pick up the Showcase Presents House of Mystery vol. 2 when it comes out. That I'm definitely not skipping. So, my order list will include my usual list of X-Men, Checkmate, Green Arrow, Spirit, Tranquility, Superman: Confidential, and Pirates of Coney Island as well as the first All Star Superman collection and Adam Warrens Empowered OGN. All comes out to just over $100 before bags and boards and shipping and handling. That doesn't include what I will spend in February(and March and April...).

I'm a bit too tired to explain to you why I would splurge on Frank Miller books. I'm also too lazy to put information links in right now. Next time I will.