Miller, Frank Books - Page 2

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.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

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.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

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.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

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.

Daredevil: The Man Without Fear

Frank Miller

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

daredevil, man without fear 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

wow....everything miller has a hand in seems to be gold. i'm pretty new to comics, but i got hooked on miller's style after reading the dark knight returns (this was further cemented with batman year one). this book's art is also some of my favourite, as i always loved what romita jr did with the uncanny bunch. this book didn't seem to have the same serious and dark tone of batman year one, but it's much of the same overall feeling. i think it aims at a slightly younger audience, and it's very very close to getting 5 stars from me (it's at like 4.25).

The origin to Daredevil THE MAN WITHOUT FEAR... 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

One of the best Daredevil stories out there, wriiten by daredevil comics extraordinaire, Frank Miller(Daredevil Visionaries), and pencilled by one of my favorite artists, John Romita Jr. (Amazing Spiderman, Punisher Warzone)

This is the first Daredevil story I've ever read, and it made an impression and got me hooked. An origin story for Daredevil, the Man Without Fear. As a young boy growing up in Hell's Kitchen, Matt Murdock, son of a small time boxer, had a hard time dealing with the bullies, often calling him daredevil, which will be the name of his alter ego later on. Young Matt saved an old man from a truck carrying radioactive wastes. But by doing so, Matt exposed himself to the radioactive products which takes away his sight, but heightened his remaining sences. Later he meets a blind martial artist known as Stick, who teaches him to fight using his heightened senses. In college, Matt studies law and meets his best freind, Franklin Nelson, or 'Foggy' as most people call him, and also meets Electra Natchios, one of the loves of his life. This is the story of a boy turning into a man, the Man Without Fear, Daredevil. Very well written by Frank Miller, and look out for any Daredevil stories written by Frank Millar, if it's Daredevil and written by him, it's gotta be good. This book is one of the many great Daredevil books written by Mark Miller.

The art by John Romita Jr. was superb as well, his depiction of Matt Murdock was very good (I'd like to point out that Matt Murdock have red hair in some comics, and blonde in others, in this book, he's blonde.....interesting fact). John Romita Jr. is one of my favorite artists and his style works very well with DD.

Great origin book of Daredevil, a great read, great art, and bound to provide great entertainment. A great place to start if you're just getting into Daredevil comics.

Editorial Review:

This classic tale explores Matt Murdock's formative years -- detailing the relationship between him and his father, and the events that led to the fateful accident that created Daredevil.

The DC Comics Guide to Inking Comics

Klaus Janson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

The BEST book on INKING, yet.... 5 out of 5 stars.
9 of 9 people found this review helpful.

I've read a lot of books on how-to-do comic art, some on writing and publishing, and this book stood out as soon as I began reading it. Last night I finished, and have to recommend this as the best book I ever read on the subject of comic book inking, and there is little need to improve over it as a feast of information. What Janson leaves out can be found in other books, but he carved the meat off the bone where others before were clawing off unappetizing chunks.

Absolutely brilliant tips, tricks and approaches are found in these pages. The reviewer that calls this book 'preachy' merely is set to stumble into the holes awaiting most comic book artists on their way to mediocrity. Janson's primary lesson through every chapter is TO CONVEY INFORMATION TO THE COMIC READER. An inker clarifies and improves on the pencils, tightens them, and makes sure the storytelling in improved from pencils if not maintaining. Inside he covers light and dark, feathering, line weight, textures, and other basics that just aren't touched on in other books with the insight Klaus provides. And to help, he provides lots of lush B&W inked art from a period that probably influenced him - the Adams/Giordano/Wrightson/Kane period of DC comics. He also compared pencils to inks with more current art he inked over from Kane and Miller.

While Janson's own ink style is rough and appears heavy handed, it does everything it has to with grit. Sometimes the art cries out, "USE THE CIRCLE TEMPLATE!!" but over all it demonstrates how he thinks in planning textures, placement of black and white or tone, and use of feathering to describe form. What the neo-Amero-Japo-manga artists need to learn, as does any art student going anywhere, is that art books give you information, and the more information they give you then the more their worth. Super enticing, glossy, sex bent art work should be reserved for the books people buy to enjoy the art and story, not the training manuals telling you info you use to plug into your own work. Janson hit it right on with this book, the rest is left up to you to DO and IMPROVE.

Other books with good inking information - "Marvel Way" by Lee/Buscema has nice beginning info, and quick but pertinent info on weak and strong inking examples. "Rendering in Pen and Ink" by Guptill is a genius book on how to render and draw in ink for illustrators (or comic artists). "How To Draw Manga: Pen & Tone Techniques" by Ryo Touda handles a brilliant look at manga pens and tones. Everything else I fail to mention by name because it really isn't worth buying. You can put together a foundation of inking information with these 4 books that can't be beat at any art school in the nation.

Hard Boiled

Frank Miller, Geof Darrow

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

One Hell of a Ride 5 out of 5 stars.
6 of 8 people found this review helpful.

The artwork alone will blow you away.

Loosely based on the same story that inspired "Blade Runner," this book is an irreverant thrill-ride from start to finish. Every page is a masterwork of illustration, and the detail is beyond belief.

It's classic Miller, with over-the-top violence, coupled with a disenfranchized cynicism that writers often imitate but can't duplicate. In this book, he masters the use of understatement, recognizing exactly when to step aside and let the art speak for itself.

You won't be disappointed.

Nifty 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

Haven't bought a comic in a while. Hollywood, having finally admited to running out of ideas has turned to the great and ultra-cool comics (Hellboy, Sin City, V for Vendetta, etc) in order to make some dough, has once again sparked my interest in graphic novels. I bought this one based soley on the art and was not dissapointed.

The ultra-violence can get a bit tedious (If you like tons of bloody naked people getting mauled by flaming vehicles....then prepare for your boat to float), but overall its not a bad read.

The story is ok. Not amazing but interesting never-the-less.

The cool thing about this book is the illustration. Which, is a virtual "Where's Waldo" of advertising icons, naked people, drug parephanilia, blood, and robots. Folks who say you can reread this a few times just to look at the amazing detail are telling it to you straight.

Editorial Review:

Carl Seltz is a suburban insurance investigator, a loving husband, and devoted father. Nixon is a berserk, homicidal tax collector racking up mind-boggling body counts in a diseased urban slaughterhouse. Unit Four is the ultimate robot killing machine - and the last hope of the future's enslaved mechanical servants. And they're all the same psychotic entity.

Batman: Black & White, Vol. 1

Frank Miller, Neil Gaiman

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Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

A mixed bat-bag worth checking out 3 out of 5 stars.
1 of 6 people found this review helpful.

The main problem with this collection of tales from BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHTS is that many of the artists don't understand that drawing for B&W is different than for color. While these short stories exhibit more storytelling experimentation than most mainstream comics (and the lack of adherence to strict continuity is refreshing), the first two volumes are much better.

Editorial Review:

The Eisner Award winning volume that introduced the acclaimed BATMAN: BLACK AND WHITE graphic novel series is offered in a new edition, now at DC Comics standard trim size of 6.75 x 10.25the same dimensions as the other two volumes in the series. BATMAN: BLACK AND WHITE explores the many sides of the Dark Knight in stories written and illustrated by some of comics greatest talents, including Neil Gaiman, Frank Miller, Jim Lee, Bruce Timm and many others.

Elektra by Frank Miller Omnibus

Frank Miller

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Horrible edition 2 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

Marvel unfortunately ruined one of the greatest graphic novels ever. "Elektra assassin" script Miller/art Sienkiewicz was an amazing ride; action, magic, cyborgs, spies, and political satire, laugh-out-loud funny and full of suspense, and with art that is as over-the-top insanely beautiful and innovative today as it was 20 years ago. I was so happy to get one of my favorites in a new hardcover version...
But...
This edition is slightly larger than the original (maybe 10%), but it looks as if it was VERY poorly scanned from the original art... The images are slightly blurry when compared to the older TPB. The other stories, with art/script by Miller are better, sharp, with good colors, but "Elektra lives again" (someone called it a "Dark Knight" version of Daredevil...) was A LOT bigger when originally released, and slightly wider, so here you get it at least at a 40% reduction in size!
With the DC "absolute" editions as comparison, this is just an insult...

Editorial Review:

Good ninjas never die, let alone the baddest one of all! Fan favorite Frank Miller ushers his awesome assassin through good and evil, life and death, rebirth and more! Who is the otherworldly entity in pursuit of the presidency? When has Elektra met her greatest triumphs and tragedies? Why did she die, and how did she return? Where do smarmy cyborgs and killer dwarves come from? And What If all this had never happened at all? Guest-starring Daredevil! Collects Elektra: Assassin #1-8, Elektra Lives Again, Bizarre Adventures #28, What If? #35.

Wolverine by Claremont & Miller (Marvel Premiere Classic)

Chris Claremont, Frank Miller

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 27 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Always a Classic 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

The first mini delving into the story of Wolverine as a character. In this book we get to see the great background that made Wolverine/Logan the Icon he is today. I recommend this for any fan of Wolverine and or the X-Men. As a warning the dialogue is typical Claremont as its very comic booky and sometimes cheesy.

The Beginning 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Great book awesome story and fun to read. Read in one sitting and then read it again a few days later. Couldn't keep my hands off it. Simply incredible way to bring it all together.

One of the best comic stories ever written... 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Combining the talents of two of comics' true superstars, Chris Claremont and Frank Miller, this 6-part story takes the character of Wolverine in a whole new direction and served as the start of his own long-running solo series.

A must have for fans of the character, fans of the X-men, or just those who love a good story.

Editorial Review:

The master of mutants joins the master of ninjas in Wolverine's first solo series - replete with romance, intrigue and mayhem! Our beleaguered berserker's in Japan on a mission of the heart, if he can survive the Hand first! Plus: the introduction of everyone's favorite riotous ronin, Yukio! Collects Wolverine #1-4, Uncanny X-Men #172-173.

300: The Art Of The Film

Frank Miller, Zack Snyder, Tara DiLullo

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 24 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Concepts galore 3 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Translating a graphic novel into the world of cinema can be a tricky business.

And the first step is concept art -- creating basic images of the characters, costumes, and important, visually-striking scenes. "300: The Art Of The Film" is crammed with such images, detailing virtually every part of the movie... but it's very skimpy on explanations and information.

It starts off with a couple of prefaces -- one by an expert on military history, and the other explaining the purpose of revealing the concept art. Then concept art itself: it basically outlines the story, beginning with the "inspection" of newborn Spartan boys and ending with another battle brewing between the Spartans and Persians.

These include pages and pages of rough sketches and detailed drawings for the cinematogrpahers, some representing only a few seconds (a fist hitting a slave's face). Then there are plenty of costume sketches, depictions of unreal-looking monsters, tents, and the gorgeous sets for things like Xerxes' opulant golden litter. Actually, it's more of a portable house.

But it has more than just concept art -- there are clay models, special effects shots, elaborate makeup and costume for things like the hunchbacked traitor, Xerxes' chain-porn costume, and things like knives stuck in a eye, and even green-screen shots before the CGI gloss was put on. And there are shots showing how they managed certain effects, like the people who controlled the animatronic "wolf."

And with every sketch and behind-the-scene shot, they show the finished result as it appears in the movie. A lot of them have the original art by Frank Miller as well, to show us how close the movie actually is to its source material. Visually speaking, it's a feast of behind-the-scenes information.

Buuuuut....

"300: The Art Of The Film" suffers from a lack of background information -- they show us loads of information, but don't tell WHY they were done, or even the intricacies of HOW. Come on, they must have had some trial-and-error in this film. While we can see the art for ourselves, we're rarely told much about why they chose this costume, or that monster, and how they created some of the weirder visuals.

So while the book is visually rich, it feels incomplete, like they left a lot of the text out to keep the guide from getting too long. Sometimes pages and pages will go by with only a few sparely-written paragraphs describing the intricacies of the movie. "300" is a visual movie, but come on, there's more to it than that.

"300: The Art Of The Film" has loads of art, but not much explanation in how it got from art to movie. It stumbles badly as a behind-the-scenes guide, but it's still an intriguing visual read.

Editorial Review:

What does it mean to turn one of the great graphic novels of our time into a major motion picture? In 1998, Frank Miller shook the comics world with his groundbreaking series 300. Marking Miller's first collaboration with watercolor artist Lynn Varley (Ronin, The Dark Knight Returns) in over a decade, 300 was a gritty reimagining of a battle in which 300 Spartan soldiers fought to hold back the entire Persian army. The series won five Eisner Awards, including Best Limited Series, Best Writer/Artist (Miller) and Best Colorist (Varley). 300: The Art of the Movie takes you behind the scenes as director Zack Snyder (Dawn of the Dead) adapts 300 to the silver screen. With 200 pages of production photos, concept art and much, much more, 300: The Art of the Movie is sure to delight Miller fans and movie buffs alike.