Why Frank Miller Is Forever Relevant — Thoughts About the Master
By Ron

It’s interesting, these days, working in a comic-book store, to listen to people talk about those in the comic book business – particularly the writers. They throw names around like Johns, Bendis, (Alan) Moore, and, of course, (Frank) Miller. To some extent, when you hear these names, there’s a certain reverence for these men – these creators. There’s a passion, a respect, a love, and a sense that, in spite of the fact the vast majority of name-speakers have never met these men, they are, on some level, deep friends. But, to all coins, to all things you hear, there is a second side, and it seems to me, a humble observer, that there is no darker side than on the coin bearing the face of Frank Miller.

Most people who come to the shop looking for Frank’s work these days are only familiar with him because of the films Sin City, 300, and The Spirit. They come in, looking ashamed to wander into such an unfamiliar place, heads held low, eyes darting about as if they were ready to commit a crime, mumbling something about “that comic about that movie”. Of course, I know what they are talking about, so I guide them to the section we keep for Frank, and tell them of his work, but not just of Sin City or 300, but of Ronin, Daredevil, Hard Boiled, The Dark Knight Returns, and so many others that it’s a wonder I simply don’t lose my voice.

Of course, these people, well, they’re just kids; so with eyes glazed over, they nod and play along as I educate them, all the while wanting only Sin City (but only the story the movie was based on) or 300 (but in paperback, and “regular” size). At this point, it’s my turn to nod and play along, having lost all hope in future generations based upon these bumbling block-heads. Still, deep down, as I ring them up for a trade paperback of The Hard Goodbye, I hold onto the hope that these youths will one day venture back through the doors of my story, and want to read more by Frank.

Alas, though, in current times, it seems these youths are the only ones interested in Frank, a fact that breaks my heart.

When I first entered the land of comics, not too long ago, I would hear people refer to Frank Miller on the same side of the coin as they were referring to Alan Moore and Brian Michael Bendis. They would often use words like “genius”, “visionary”, “amazing”, and “the best there is”. Now, though, the coin has been flipped, and these same people, the ones who would have gladly licked clean the soles of Frank’s shoes, use words like “hack”, “nut-job”, “has been”, and “washed-up”.

I know why they use these words, of course, but I don’t understand it.

I mean, this is the man who redefined comics when he took over Daredevil, only to redefine them again and again and again with Ronin, The Dark Knight Returns, and Sin City! How could anybody think this man is washed-up, or a hack? It’s enough to boggle the mind, or at least it is for me.

But, like I said, I know why they say these things. Primarily, it has to do with a little book called All-Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder, and the fact that people don’t like seeing The Dark Knight as cruel, sadistic, uncaring, and as an outlaw. Or, more aptly, the same people who read The Dark Knight Returns when it came out twenty-four years ago don’t like reading about the same Batman that made them become interested in the character in the first place. They either want a mostly detective Batman, reminiscent of Brian Azzarello’s Broken City (a great book in its own right), or a horribly written Batman, like Grant Morrison’s Batman and Robin. They don’t want to see a Batman that operates on the fringes of the law, who is willing to bend the rules to make sure his city stays safe, and who will show a young apprentice how cruel the world really can be in order to protect him from it. In short, they don’t want great story-telling, in-depth characters that lurk in the shadows, and all the things that have made Batman who is for over sixty years! No, they just want Adam West dancing.

Now, I will say that this isn’t the only reason people have begun to wrongfully hate Frank. There is the film The Spirit – but why they allow that to taint their view of his comic book writing skills is beyond me. And, for the record, I will not say that The Spirit was a masterpiece, but when you take it for what it is, a film that’s a throwback to what made comic books popular in the first place, it’s a pretty enjoyable movie. Problem is, people wanted Sin City, and what they got was, well, a different movie, like it should be. Pretty much, they’re mad at Frank for being original, which is ironic as I just pointed out, in reference to his comic book writing these days, they’re mad at him for revisiting the past.

For the sake of argument, I’ll say that Frank Miller has been active in the comics world for thirty-two years, so since he was twenty-one-ish and I was negative-eight-ish. In that time, he saved a comic character from disappearing into one of the many holes of the Marvel Universe, Daredevil; in the process, he created probably the strongest female character in comics to date with Elektra; he helped to redefine one of the most popular characters in all of comics when he teamed with Chris Claremont on Wolverine; he rocked the industry with his creator-owned Ronin; gave history new life with 300; brought the world The Dark Knight Returns, a book that has easily influenced more comic book writers than any other book in the medium (and, yes, I’m saying it’s more influential than Watchmen); and put a new twist on crime-noir with his often imitated (I’m looking at Jim Lee here) but never duplicated Sin City… and yet, now, he is criticized and beaten up over… over what? A damn good book that people are afraid to like and a movie that featured Samuel L. Jackson in a Nazi uniform?

Come on, people!

This is Frank Miller, a true genius of comic books. Take him out of the picture, and you wouldn’t have Brian Bendis, Ed Brubacker, Brian Wood, Andy Diggle, or any number of other creators out there! These are people who would kill to have half the talent of Frank Miller, and they can’t deny it.

To this day, Frank is still chief of creators in comic-dom. Why, you may ask?

Well, for starters, he knows how to finish what he starts (and if you point to All-Star Batman…, I’ll point to Jim Lee sitting at his Playstation, wondering how come comics don’t draw themselves), he knows how to have an original idea and make it work (sorry, Bendis, but how many different Avengers teams can you create and destroy just to tell stories with crappy endings?), and he’s not one to be arrogant or think that he is God’s gift the world (okay, cheap shot at Alan Moore, I know, but it’s true).

As far as comics go, Frank is The Man, and he’ll probably never admit it.

He is the human embodiment of comics.

This is a man who, despite all of the negative attention his work gets, can still put out a book that becomes a bestseller because it’s great and people can’t get enough of it. For all the people that dislike All-Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder, I can promise that when it starts up the last part of it’s run in February 2011 under the new banner of Dark Knight: Boy Wonder, it will be the number one selling comic for DC, and it will probably beat any of the scraps of paper Marvel puts out. And I know without a doubt when the 300 prequel, Xerxes, gets a release date announced, the fans will be clamoring to pre-order their copies.

So, I gotta tell all the veteran comic readers who have been putting Frank down over the years to stop. Just… just stop. You know the only reason you’re mad at him is because he isn’t putting out so much these days. I’m telling you that genius takes time. Rome wasn’t built in a day, The Dark Knight Returns wasn’t written in a day, either. Step back, let Frank breathe, and I guarantee you will be amazed by what he does next, because that’s just who Frank is. You got to trust me on this one, and trust Frank.

And for all the new people who wander into the comic shops, head hanging low, looking embarrassed to be found there, trying to find that 300 soft-cover that doesn’t exist and just get out: don’t be ashamed; don’t try and hide. Look up, look around you, see the thousands of titles that there are, and then go and get 300 and Sin City, but get Ronin, too, and snag that last copy of The Dark Knight Returns, and know, as you buy them and read them, that the majority of the massive amount of books that you just saw wouldn’t have been possible in world without Frank.