Miller, Frank - Books - Magic Bean Dip

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Batman : The Dark Knight Returns

Frank Miller

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 338 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

If any comic has a claim to have truly reinvigorated the genre, then The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller--known also for his excellent Sin City series and his superb rendering of the blind superhero Daredevil--is probably the top contender. Batman represented all that was wrong in comics and Miller set himself a tough task taking on the camp crusader and turning this laughable, innocuous children's cartoon character into a hero for our times. The great Alan Moore (V for Vendetta, Swamp Thing, the arguably peerless Watchmen) argued that only someone of Miller's stature could have done this. Batman is a character known well beyond the confines of the comic world (as are his retinue) and so reinventing him, while keeping his limiting core essentials intact, was a huge task.Miller went far beyond the call of duty. The Dark Knight is a success on every level. Firstly it does keep the core elements of the Batman myth intact, with Robin, Alfred the butler, Commissioner Gordon, and the old roster of villains, present yet brilliantly subverted. Secondly the artwork is fantastic--detailed, sometimes claustrophobic, psychotic. Lastly it's a great story: Gotham City is a hell on earth, street gangs roam but there are no heroes. Decay is ubiquitous. Where is a hero to save Gotham? It is 10 years since the last recorded sighting of the Batman. And things have got worse than ever. Bruce Wayne is close to being a broken man but something is keeping him sane: the need to see change and the belief that he can orchestrate some of that change. Batman is back. The Dark Knight has returned. Awesome. --Mark Thwaite

Batman: Year One

Frank Miller

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 102 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Good, But Not as Good as Expected 3 out of 5 stars.
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If you ever hear about Batman: Year One, it's most likely the praise of the story's origins and reinvention. I read it pretty fast, in a day or so, and it was pretty entertaining, but not as good as I'd hoped. I think Frank Miller is a pretty good storyteller, but maybe it's just not my thing. Regardless, it was a good read and it gave me a little bit of insight towards Batman's origins.

I'd give it a 3.5 if I could, but I'm leaning more towards 3 on this one. Pick it up if you're a Batman fan though, definitely.

Masterpiece 5 out of 5 stars.
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Frank Miller hits the nail on the head with Year One. This is the way Batman is supposed to be...this is the true Dark Knight...Kudos to Miller for his intriguing tale.

Editorial Review:

A new deluxe trade paperback edition of one of the most important and critically acclaimed Batman adventures ever, written by Frank Miller, author of THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS!
In addition to telling the entire dramatic story of Batman's first year fighting crime, this collection includes reproductions of original pencils, promotional art, script pages, unseen David Mazzucchelli Batman art and more.

Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again

Frank Miller, Lynn Varley

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 234 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

The Dark Knight Strikes Again is Frank Miller's follow-up to his hugely successful Batman: the Dark Knight Returns, one of the few comics that is widely recognized as not only reinventing the genre but also bringing it to a wider audience.Set three years after the events of The Dark Knight Returns, The Dark Knight Strikes Again follows a similar structure: once again, Batman hauls himself out of his self-imposed retirement in order to set things right. However, where DKR was about him cleaning up his home city, Gotham, DKSA has him casting his net much wider: he's out to save the world.The thing is, most of the world doesn't realize that it needs to be saved--least of all Superman and Wonder Woman, who have become little more than superpowered enforcers of the status quo. So, the notoriously solitary Batman is forced to recruit some different superpowered allies. He also has his ever-present trusty sidekick, Robin, except that he is a she, and she is calling herself Catwoman. Together, these super-friends uncover a vast and far-reaching conspiracy that leads to the President of the United States (Lex Luthor) and beyond.The Dark Knight Strikes Again is largely an entertaining comic, but much of what made The Dark Knight Returns so good just doesn't work here. Miller's gritty, untidy artwork was perfect for DKR's grim depiction of the dark and seedy Gotham City, but it jars a bit for DKSA, which is meant to depict an ultra-glossy, futuristic technocracy. Lynn Varley's garish coloring attempts to add a slicker sheen, but the artwork is ultimately let down by that which worked so well for DKR--this time around, it just feels sloppy and rushed. The same is true of the book's denouement, which happens so quickly that it leaves the reader reeling and looking for more of an explanation. Moreover, DKSA is packed full of characters who will mean little to those unfamiliar with the DC Comics universe (e.g., the Atom, the Elongated Man, the Question).Perhaps the book's biggest failing is that where The Dark Knight Returns gave comic book fans a base from which to evangelize to theuninitiated, The Dark Knight Strikes Again is just preaching to the converted. Comic book superhero fans will find much to enjoy here, but others would be better off sticking with the original. --Robert Burrow

Ronin

Frank Miller

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 46 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Indelible Imagery. Wonderful plot. My favorite Miller work. 5 out of 5 stars.
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I still have my well-worn copy of Ronin from the early '80s. It stands today for me, as it did back then, as peerless among comic art. Though it is probably one of the least valuable comics in my whole collection in monetary terms, is the most priceless in terms of overall feel.

Even though I think Sin City and 300 have ported to the screen very successfully, I worry that Ronin won't measure up to those standards. It will take a truly masterful producer and director to pull it off. I sincerely hope that Miller keeps as much creative control as he has on the previous movies. Ronin deserves that.

Decent, but overrated 3 out of 5 stars.
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This book is by no means bad, its just not very good. Were this book an unknown writers first tale, or a 2.99 pickup at the comic shop, I would be completely satisfied with what I received. As it is, this book is often given credit that it simply doesn't deserve. The future Miller envisions is boringly realized. We see almost nothing outside of a small compound, and what we do see are humans reduced to monsters with no character at all. The title character is boring. He's a samurai who lost his master. Thats it. Thats your whole characterization. The twist at the end is unnessesary and somewhat silly. In short, its a decent book, but its not a classic. Way overrated, but still a good read.

Sin City: El duro adios (Spanish Edition)

Frank Miller

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 97 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

go get 'em Marv 5 out of 5 stars.
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Frank Miller is, quite frankly, the greatest comic book writer/arist ever. Hands down. He redefined Batman. He rescued Daredevil. And he is constantly making comic book history. See Sin City. First, the story is great, Marv is trying to... redeem himself in a sort of way by avenging the one person who ever showed him kindness (though I'd have to say, his parole officer also is 'on his side'). It's some sort of cross between the real world and the comic book universe. Some elements of both. And the artwork, I tell ya, Miller outdid himself. It's all pen and ink, and what Miller does with just a white page and black ink is magical. This is definitely a comic book must. Loved it.

Editorial Review:

The Hard Goodbye (el duro adios) launches the award winning, internationally famous series of graphic novels by Frank Miller, and is one of the three graphic novels upon which the Sin City film is based (release date 4/1/05), which the author co-wrote and co-directed with Robert Rodriguez (Once Upon a Time in Mexico). Tough-guy Marv finds the girl of his dreams, an incredible beauty named Goldie. But when Goldie is murdered on their first night together, Marv scours the bars and back alleys of Sin City to find her killer in hopes of avenging her death. The Hard Goodbye won 1993 Eisner Awards for Best Graphic Album, Best Writer/Artist and Best Inker.

That Yellow Bastard (Sin City, Book 4: Second Edition)

Frank Miller

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 32 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A Very Good Cop in a Very Bad Town 5 out of 5 stars.
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A fan favorite due to the movie, John Hartigan is probably the most unusual character in the Sin City roster - an honest and honorable cop in a very corrupt and dishonest city. Not surprisingly, things do not go well for him. Betrayed by his partner and set up as the patsy for a heinous crime, he represent the epitome of honor as he quietly and passively accepts his fate in order to protect the innocent.

On the other side is Hartigan's polar opposite. The title character is probably the single most despicable character in the series who tortures little kids before killing them, uses family connections to get himself off while framing an innocent man. The great thing about this book is that it really presents the two extremes of humanity and puts them at crossing paths to each other.

The story has more sticking power than many of the others by Frank Miller. No doubt this is due to the ending, far more poignant than that of others. It is too bad that Miller did not continue with this story line in other volumes as there are enough loose ends here for a number of good stories. Perhaps, though, the ambiguity is part of the charm.

Editorial Review:

Just one hour to go. Hartigan's polishing his badge and working himself up to kissing it goodbye, it and the thirty-odd years of protecting and serving, tears, blood, and triumph that it represents. He's thinking about his wife's smile, about the thick, fat steaks she's picked up at the butcher's, about the bottle of champagne she's got packed in ice, about sleeping in 'til ten in the morning and spending sunny afternoons flat on his back. But with one hour left to go, he gets word about that one loose end he hasn't tied up: a young girl who's helpless in the hands of a drooling lunatic. Just one hour to go ... and Hartigan's gonna go out with a bang.

The Big Fat Kill (Sin City, Book 3: Second Edition)

Frank Miller

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 32 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

great 4 out of 5 stars.
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I've said it before and I know I'll continue to say it, when it comes to comic book artists, no one tops Frank Miller (and no, I haven't forgotten about Alan Moore). He comes in an works magic. I love the pen and ink artwork, both simple and complex. And Miller is great with noir. Sin City is everyone's favorite town of sin populated with everyone's favorite losers. You're gonna love it.

Not Bad, but Certainly Not the Best 3 out of 5 stars.
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After the strong start of the Sin City series of THE HARD GOODBYE and A DAME TO KILL FOR, the books take a bit of a dip with this third volume, THE BIG FAT KILL. It is not bad, but it lacks that stick-to-the-ribs impact of the first two, mostly due to characters that are not as interesting as others we have seen.

Dwight McCarthy is simply not as intriguing a character as Marv from Volume 1 (nor as interesting as John Hartigan in the volume that follows this). This was not a major liability in the second volume, A DAME TO KILL FOR, for the simple reason that Dwight was overshadowed by one of the most captivating characters in the series, the ultimate femme fatale of Ava Lord. But here, Dwight has to stand more on his own and, although certainly not a bad character, he also certainly is not strong enough to really hold the audience as much as we would like.

Yes, there are the girls of Old Town. But their appeal is diluted as no one character stands out. Miho is quite something, but the fact that she does not talk limits her development. And personally, I always thought Gail was just not up to snuff for the Sin City series.

The book is saved by the action. Miho taking care of business the hard way, the Irish mercenaries, the high body count, make THE BIG FAT KILL worthwhile. The weaker characters are a detriment but, fortunately, not a deal breaker.

Editorial Review:

Criminals have always called the shots in Sin City, whether bootleggers, gamblers, or politicians. But ever since the first dame set up shop in Old Town, those side-streets have been run by the women who walk the night. It's been a delicate truce, but now there's a messy body and the mob's looking to reclaim those licentious streets. They're going to have to put down a tight band of dangerous women and a guy named Dwight to do it. Now Dwight, he knows something that the mob's gotta learn the hard way: sometimes standing up for your friends means killing a whole lot of people...

Hell and Back (Sin City, Book 7: Second Edition)

Frank Miller

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 33 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Neither a Bang Nor a Whimper 4 out of 5 stars.
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The final book in the Sin City series, HELL AND BACK is a solid conclusion that neither reaches the heights of some of the earlier books though, thankfully, also does not reach some of the low points we have seen. Any reader who makes it through everything will not be disappointed.

HELL AND BACK's main character is new to the Sin City collection. Wallace is a war vet with fighting skills that rival those of Marv. Like Marv, he is motivated by an altruisitic, indeed tender, concern for others that he deems worthy of his troubles. The girl he just meets and saves, Esther, is worthy enough. When Esther is kidnapped, Wallace kills about...oh, exact numbers are hard to come by, but an awful lot of scum bags to get her back.

We once again encounter Delia, the beautiful yet deadly assassin introduced in Book 6, BOOZE, BROADS & BULLETS and we get a better understanding of exactly what kind of organization she works for. Let us just say, not many people will be busted up over the pile of bodies left in Wallace's wake. I do not know if there are any plans to make this book into a Sin City movie, but if there are, some of the more tender-hearted may experience some sleeping problems after seeing it.

Given that HELL AND BACK introduces new and interesting characters, it is hard to complain that the book is considerably bigger than the others in the series. (Who would do so anyway?) If Frank Miller ever writes more of these stories, picking up right here would be a-ok.

Editorial Review:

In the Town Without Pity, good men are hard to find. Enter Wallace, a man of mystery. He's a nice guy who's very good at killing people. Out for an evening drive along the beach, he meets the woman of his dreams - and she's trying to kill herself. Why? And who are the shadowy cabal of power brokers who wrench her from his arms? When will all hell break loose? Comics legend Frank Miller, creator of the groundbreaking Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, pounds out his longest Sin City graphic novel to date - a bare-knuckle barrage of brutal action, dark secrets, and heroic sacrifice. What the hell - it's a love story! The most recent story in Miller's gritty crime saga, Hell and Back includes color sections and pinups by a who's who of comics luminaries.

Family Values (Sin City, Book 5: Second Edition)

Frank Miller

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 31 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Sin City Slumps 2 out of 5 stars.
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After the fast start of THE HARD GOODBYE, the Sin City series seemed mostly able to keep its steam. Although THE BIG FAT KILL was not up to snuff, both A DAME TO KILL FOR and THAT YELLOW BASTARD were solid entries that kept the momentum rolling. Alas, every series hits a dry spell and for Sin City, that dry spell is entitled FAMILY VALUES. Both the story as well as the art work is below the par we have come to expect.

The story is the type of revenge plot that is familiar in the Sin City catalogue. Yet it is not as well developed as others and the characters themselves simply are not as interesting, largely because they are not as fleshed out as they should be. Sure, some of the artwork here is good. But it should be. Frank Miller did not become successful by giving the reader junk. The problem is that, while some of the artwork is solid, some is not only below par but, hate to say it, rather amateurish. This is especially so with respect to some of the portrayals of Miho.

One cannot help but think that Frank Miller was simply going through the motions here and needed a break to regain some fresh ideas. If you plan on reading the whole series, well then of course you will include this book. But if you are only interested in picking the best to spend some time with, pass this one by.

Editorial Review:

Marking a departure for Miller from an entire career of serialized stories, this 128-page epic spilled out of him all at once... and you can't help but read it the same way! Family Values is a milestone among Miller's work, allowing him enough room to tell this classic story of grit and revenge exactly the way he wanted to. With deadly Miho running on roller-blades, Dwight running on adrenaline, and the Sin City mob on clean-up detail, this yarn from the Town Without Pity is not to be missed.

Booze, Broads, & Bullets (Sin City, Book 6: Second Edition)

Frank Miller

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 21 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

"It turns out I'm good at killing. And I like it. I like it a lot." 4 out of 5 stars.
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BOOZE, BROADS, & BULLETS gets the Sin City series back on track after the unfortunate swing and miss of Vol. 5, FAMILY VALUES. A collection of short stories, it intermixes familiar faces while introducing some new ones. Marv, the old favorite from THE HARD GOODBYE, is in a couple of stories and we see his two-fisted philosophy of protecting the unprotected in action. Dwight from THE BIG FAT KILL also helps out a damsel-in-distress de jour. While Miho and the girls of Old Town dispense their own rough justice to the deserving saps who ask for it.

As for the new faces, the most interesting is the female killer Delia, the subject of three stories here. She provides the quote which constitutes the title of this review and she means what she says. Delia does enjoy killing and she is awfully good at it. Delia represents exactly what I like about the Sin City books - female characters that can be not only the source of solace and comfort to men, but the exact opposite as well. Besides Delia, we also meet Amy, aka Daddy's Little Girl. Amy may not kill people directly like Delia, but she sure is a catalyst for their deaths. Although these characters might be new, the hard stories and noir edge are exactly what we have come to expect from the residents of Basin City.

All in all, BOOZE, BROADS, & BULLETS is a solid addition to the Sin City catalogue. Everyone will have their favorite stories in this volume and everyone will see some of the stories as not quite as good. But looked at as a whole, if you have made it this far into the series, you probably will not be disappointed with this book.

Editorial Review:

The most diverse volume of Sin City material available, Booze, Broads, & Bullets, showcases Frank Miller's vignettes and color experiments from throughout the years of his groundbreaking crime series, and includes art created especially for the original collection. A good entry point for new readers wondering what Sin City is all about - or longtime readers who can't get enough - Miller has painted a gritty, decadent, and gloriously dirty portrait. Have a taste of the city ... just one little taste. Just one.

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Miller, Frank Books

Frank Miller

Frank Miller

Frank Miller, Lynn Varley

Frank Miller

Frank Miller

Frank Miller

Frank Miller

Frank Miller

Frank Miller

Frank Miller