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Frank Miller (comics)
Encyclopedia
Frank Miller is an American
comic book artist
, writer and film director
best known for his dark, film noir
-style comic book
stories and graphic novel
s Ronin, Daredevil: Born Again
, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
, Sin City
and 300. He also directed the film version of The Spirit
, shared directing duties with Robert Rodriguez
on Sin City
and produced the film 300
.
, and raised in Montpelier, Vermont
, the fifth of seven children of a nurse mother and a carpenter
/electrician
father. His family was Irish Catholic
. Living in New York City's Hell's Kitchen
influenced Miller's material in the 1980s. Miller lived in Los Angeles
, California
in the 1990s, which influenced Sin City
. Miller moved back to Hell's Kitchen by 2001 and was creating Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again
as the 9/11 terrorist
attacks occurred about 4 miles from that neighborhood. On November 7, 2011, Miller posted a strongly worded statement on his website in opposition to the Occupy Movement
.
's Gold Key Comics
imprint
, on the licensed TV-series comic book The Twilight Zone
drawing the story "Royal Feast" in issue #84 (June 1978), and "Endless Cloud" in #85 (July 1978).
One-time Marvel editor-in-chief Jim Shooter
recalled Miller going to DC Comics
after having broken in with "a small job from Western Publishing
, I think. Thus emboldened, he went to DC, and after getting savaged by Joe Orlando
, got in to see art director Vinnie Colletta
, who recognized talent and arranged for him to get a one-page war-comic job". The Grand Comics Database does not list the job, which may or may not have been signed; Miller's first listed work is the six-page "Deliver Me From D-Day", by writer Wyatt Gwyon, in Weird War Tales
#64 (June 1978). A two-page story, however, written by Roger McKenzie
and titled "Slowly, painfully, you dig your way from the cold, choking debris...", appears in Weird War Tales
#68 (Oct. 1978). Other fledgling work at DC included the six-page "The Greatest Story Never Told", by writer Paul Kupperberg
, in that same issue, and the five-page "The Edge of History", written by Elliot S. Maggin, in Unknown Soldier #219 (Sept. 1978). and his first work for Marvel Comics
, penciling the 17-page story "The Master Assassin of Mars, Part 3" in John Carter, Warlord of Mars
#18 (Nov. 1978). Miller had a letter he wrote to Marvel as a comics fan published several years earlier in 1973 (The Cat
#3)
At Marvel, Miller would settle in as a regular fill-in and cover artist, working on a variety of titles. One of these jobs was drawing Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #27–28 (Feb.–March 1979), which guest-starred Daredevil
. At the time, sales of the Daredevil title were poor; however, Miller saw something in the character he liked and asked editor-in-chief Jim Shooter
if he could work on Daredevil's regular title. Shooter agreed and made Miller the new penciller on the title. As Miller recalled in 2008,
Daredevil #158 (May 1979), Miller's debut on that title, was the finale of an ongoing story written by Roger McKenzie
. Although still conforming to traditional comic book styles, Miller infused this first issue with his own film noir
style. After this issue, Miller became one of Marvel's rising stars, and began plotting additional stories with McKenzie. Miller sketched the roofs of New York in an attempt to give his Daredevil art an authentic feel not commonly seen in superhero comics at the time. As one journalist noted,
Miller was so successful with the title that Marvel once again began publishing Daredevil monthly rather than bimonthly. With issue #168 (Jan. 1981), Miller took over full duties as writer and penciller, with Klaus Janson
as inker
. Issue #168 saw the first appearance of the ninja
mercenary
Elektra
, who despite being an assassin-for-hire would become Daredevil's love-interest. Miller would write and draw a solo Elektra story in Bizarre Adventures #28 (Oct. 1981).
With his creation of Elektra, Miller's work on Daredevil was characterized by darker themes and stories. This peaked when in #181 (April 1982) he had the assassin
Bullseye
kill Elektra. Miller finished his Daredevil run with issue #191 (Feb. 1983); in his time he had transformed a second-tier character into one of Marvel's most popular.
Additionally, Miller drew a short Batman
Christmas
story, "Wanted: Santa Claus - Dead or Alive", written by Denny O'Neil for DC Special Series
#21 (Spring 1980). This was his first professional experience with a character with which, like Daredevil, he would become closely associated.
As penciler and co-plotter, Miller, together with writer Chris Claremont
, produced the miniseries
Wolverine
#1-4 (Sept.-Dec. 1982), inked by Josef Rubinstein
and spinning off from the popular X-Men
title. Miller used this miniseries to expand on Wolverine's character. The series was a critical success and further cemented Miller's place as an industry star.
His first creator-owned
title was DC Comics' six-issue miniseries Ronin (1983–1984). This series shows some of the strongest influences of manga
and bande dessinée
on Miller's style, both in the artwork and narrative style. In the early 1980s, Miller and Steve Gerber
made a proposal to revamp DC's three biggest characters: Superman
, Batman, and Wonder Woman
, under a line called "Metropolis" and comics titled "Man of Steel" or "The Man of Steel", "Dark Knight" and "Amazon". However, this proposal was not accepted. In 1985, DC Comics named Miller as one of the honorees in the company's 50th-anniversary publication Fifty Who Made DC Great
.
In 1986, DC Comics released writer-penciler Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
, a four-issue miniseries
printed in what the publisher called "prestige format" — squarebound, rather than stapled; on heavy-stock paper rather than newsprint, and with cardstock rather than glossy-paper covers. It was inked
by Klaus Janson
and colored
by Lynn Varley
.
The story tells how Batman
retired after the death of the second Robin
(Jason Todd), and at age 55 returns to fight crime in a dark and violent future. Miller created a tough, gritty portrayal of Batman, who was often referred to as the "Darknight Detective" in 1970s portrayals. Released the same year as Alan Moore
's and Dave Gibbons
' DC miniseries Watchmen
, it showcased a new form of more adult-oriented storytelling to both comics fans and a crossover mainstream audience. The Dark Knight Returns influenced the comic-book industry by heralding a new wave of darker characters. The trade paperback collection proved to be a big seller for DC and remains in print 25 years after first being published.
By this time, Miller had returned as the writer of Daredevil. Following his self-contained story "Badlands", penciled by John Buscema
, in #219 (June 1985), he co-wrote #226 (Jan. 1986) with departing writer Dennis O'Neil
. Then, with artist David Mazzucchelli
, he crafted a seven-issue story arc that, like The Dark Knight Returns, similarly redefined and reinvigorated its main character. The storyline, Daredevil: Born Again
, in #227-233 (Feb.-Aug. 1986) chronicled the hero's Catholic
background, and the destruction and rebirth of his real-life identity, Manhattan
attorney Matt Murdock, at the hands of Daredevil's archnemesis, the crime lord Wilson Fisk, also known as the Kingpin
.
Miller and artist Bill Sienkiewicz
produced the graphic novel
Daredevil: Love and War in 1986. Featuring the character of the Kingpin, it indirectly bridges Miller's first run on Daredevil and Born Again by explaining the change in the Kingpin's attitude toward Daredevil. Miller and Sienkiewicz also produced the eight-issue miniseries Elektra: Assassin
for Epic Comics
. Set outside regular Marvel continuity, it featured a wild tale of cyborgs and ninjas, while expanding further on Elektra's background. Both of these projects were well-received critically. Elektra: Assassin was praised for its bold storytelling, but neither it nor Daredevil: Love and War had the influence or reached as many readers as Dark Knight Returns or Born Again.
Miller's final major story in this period was in Batman issues 404-407 in 1987, another collaboration with Mazzucchelli. Titled Batman: Year One
, this was Miller's version of the origin of Batman in which he retconned many details and adapted the story to fit his Dark Knight continuity
. Proving to be hugely popular, this was as influential as Miller's previous work and a trade paperback released in 1988 remains in print and is one of DC's best selling books and adapted as an original animated film video
in 2011.
Miller had also drawn the covers for the first twelve issues of First Comics
English language reprints of Kazuo Koike
and Goseki Kojima
's Lone Wolf and Cub
. This helped bring Japanese manga to a wider Western audience.
During this time, Miller (along with Marv Wolfman
, Alan Moore
and Howard Chaykin
) had been in dispute with DC Comics over a proposed ratings system for comics. Disagreeing with what he saw as censorship
, Miller refused to do any further work for DC, and he would take his future projects to the independent publisher Dark Horse Comics
. From then on Miller would be a major supporter of creator rights and be a major voice against censorship in comics.
, Miller completed one final project for Epic Comics
, the mature-audience imprint
of Marvel Comics
. Elektra Lives Again
was a fully painted graphic novel
written and drawn by Miller and colored by longtime partner Lynn Varley
. Telling the story of the resurrection
of Elektra from the dead and Daredevil's quest to find her, as well as showing Miller's will to experiment with new story-telling techniques.
1990 saw Miller and artist Geof Darrow
start work on Hard Boiled
, a three-issue miniseries. The title, a mix of violence and satire
, was praised for Darrow's highly detailed art and Miller's writing. At the same time Miller and artist Dave Gibbons
produced Give Me Liberty
, a four-issue miniseries for Dark Horse. Give Me Liberty was followed by sequel miniseries and specials expanding on the story of protagonist Martha Washington
, an African-American woman in modern and near-future southern North America, all of which were written by Miller and drawn by Gibbons.
Miller also wrote the scripts for the science fiction
films RoboCop 2
and RoboCop 3
, about a police cyborg
. Neither was critically well-received. In 2007, Miller stated that "There was a lot of interference in the writing process. It wasn't ideal. After working on the two Robocop movies, I really thought that was it for me in the business of film." Miller would come into contact with the fictional cyborg once more, however, writing the comic-book minieries, RoboCop vs. The Terminator, with art by Walter Simonson. In 2003, Miller's screenplay for RoboCop 2 was adapted by Steven Grant
for Avatar Press
's Pulsaar imprint. Illustrated by Juan Jose Ryp
, the series is called Frank Miller's RoboCop
and contains plot elements that were divided between RoboCop 2 and RoboCop 3.
In 1991, Miller started work on his first Sin City
story. Serialized in Dark Horse Presents
#51-62, Miller wrote and drew the story in black and white to emphasize its film noir
origins. Proving to be another success, the story was released in a trade paperback
. This first Sin City "yarn" was rereleased in 1995 under the name The Hard Goodbye. Sin City proved to be Miller's main project for much of the remainder of the decade, as Miller told more Sin City stories within this noir world of his creation, in the process helping to revitalize the crime comics
genre. Sin City proved artistically auspicious for Miller and again brought his work to a wider audience without comics.
Daredevil: Man Without Fear was a five issue miniseries published by Marvel Comics in 1993. In this Miller and artist John Romita Jr. told Daredevil's origins differently than in the previous comics, and provided additional detail to his beginnings.
Miller also returned to superheroes by writing issue #11 of Todd McFarlane
's Spawn
, as well as the Spawn/Batman crossover for Image Comics
.
In 1995, Miller and Darrow collaborated again on Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot
, published as a two-part miniseries by Dark Horse Comics
. In 1999 it became an animated series on Fox Kids
. During this period, Miller became one of the founding members of the comic imprint Legend, under which many of his Sin City works were released, via Dark Horse. Also, it was during the 1990s that Miller did cover art for many titles in the Comics Greatest World
/Dark Horse Heroes line.
Written and illustrated by Frank Miller with painted colors by Varley, 300 was a 1998 comic-book miniseries
, released as a hardcover collection in 1999, retelling the Battle of Thermopylae
and the events leading up to it from the perspective of Leonidas of Sparta. 300 was particularly inspired by the 1962 film The 300 Spartans
, a movie that Miller watched as a young boy. In 2007, 300 was adapted by director Zack Snyder
into a successful film
.
off with the long awaited sequel
to Batman: The Dark Knight Returns for DC Comics
after Miller had put past difference with DC aside. Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again
was initially released as a three issue series. Miller also returned to writing Batman in 2005, taking on the writing duties of All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder, a series set inside of what Miller describes as the "Dark Knight Universe." and drawn by Jim Lee
.
Miller has said he opposes naturalism in comic art. In an interview on the documentary Legends of the Dark Knight: The History of Batman, he said, "People are attempting to bring a superficial reality to superheroes which is rather stupid. They work best as the flamboyant fantasies they are. I mean, these are characters that are broad and big. I don't need to see sweat patches under Superman
's arms. I want to see him fly."
Miller's previous attitude towards movie adaptations was to change after he and Robert Rodriguez
made a short film based on a story from Miller's Sin City
entitled "The Customer is Always Right". Miller was pleased with the result, leading to him and Rodriguez directing a full length film, Sin City
using Miller's original comics panels as storyboards. The film was released in the U.S. on April 1, 2005. The film's success brought renewed attention to Miller's Sin City projects. Similarly, a film adaptation of 300
, directed solely by Zack Snyder
, brought new attention and controversy to Miller's original comic book work. A sequel to the film, based around Miller's first Sin City series, A Dame to Kill For
, has been reported to be in development.
and The Dark Knight Returns were both a critical success, and Batman: Year One
was met with even greater praise for its gritty style. Most of his previous work such as Ronin, 300 and Sin City
were very successful. However, Miller's later work often has been met with criticism. Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again
received mixed to negative reviews. All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder in particular was met with harsh criticism.
Some of Miller's works have been accused of lacking humanity, particularly in regard to the abundance of prostitutes portrayed in Sin City. When it was released in 2008, Miller's film adaptation of Will Eisner's The Spirit
met with largely negative reviews, earning a metascore of 30/100 at the review aggregation site Metacritic.com. The film adaption, however, was very different from the original source material.
His work Holy Terror has been criticized for its negative portrayal of Muslims.
Outside of the comic and political circuit, his influences includes art historian Kenneth Clark
, and the animation by Fleischer Studios
.
include:
include:
include:
Miller was a producer for the film 300
, which was adapted shot for shot into a feature film in 2007. The 2003 film version of Daredevil
predominantly use the tone established and stories written by Miller, who had no direct creative input on the film (except for a cameo appearance
).
Kirby Awards
Harvey Awards
Cannes Film Festival
Scream Awards
People of the United States
The people of the United States, also known as simply Americans or American people, are the inhabitants or citizens of the United States. The United States is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...
comic book artist
Comic Book Artist
Comic Book Artist was an American magazine founded by Jon B. Cooke devoted to anecdotal histories of American comic books, with emphasis on comics published since the 1960s...
, writer and film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
best known for his dark, film noir
Film noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
-style comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
stories and graphic novel
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
s Ronin, Daredevil: Born Again
Daredevil: Born Again
"Born Again" is a Daredevil story arc written by Frank Miller, drawn by David Mazzucchelli and published by Marvel Comics. The story arc originally appears in Daredevil #227-#233....
, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns is a four-issue comic book limited series written and drawn by Frank Miller, originally published by DC Comics under the title Batman: The Dark Knight in 1986. When the issues were released in a collected edition later that year, the story title for the first issue...
, Sin City
Sin City
Sin City is the title for a series of neo-noir comics by Frank Miller. The first story originally appeared in "Dark Horse Presents Fifth Anniversary Special" , and continued in Dark Horse Presents #51–62 from May 1991 to June 1992, under the title of Sin City, serialized in thirteen parts. Several...
and 300. He also directed the film version of The Spirit
The Spirit (film)
The Spirit is a 2008 American superhero noir film, written and directed by Frank Miller and starring Gabriel Macht, Eva Mendes, Sarah Paulson, Dan Lauria, Paz Vega, Jaime King, Scarlett Johansson, and Samuel L. Jackson. The film is based on the newspaper comic strip The Spirit by Will Eisner...
, shared directing duties with Robert Rodriguez
Robert Rodriguez
Robert Anthony Rodríguez is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer, editor and musician. He shoots and produces many of his films in his native Texas and Mexico. He has directed such films as Desperado, From Dusk till Dawn, The Faculty, Spy Kids, Sin City, Planet...
on Sin City
Sin City (film)
Sin City, also known as Frank Miller's Sin City, is a 2005 crime thriller film written, produced and directed by Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez...
and produced the film 300
300 (film)
300 is a 2007 American fantasy action film based on the 1998 comic series of the same name by Frank Miller. It is a fictionalized retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae. The film was directed by Zack Snyder, while Miller served as executive producer and consultant...
.
Personal life
Miller was born in Olney, MarylandOlney, Maryland
Olney, a census-designated place and an unincorporated area of Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, is located in the north central part of the county, twenty miles north of Washington, D.C. It was largely agricultural until the 1960s, when growth of the Washington suburbs led to its conversion into...
, and raised in Montpelier, Vermont
Montpelier, Vermont
Montpelier is a city in the U.S. state of Vermont that serves as the state capital and the shire town of Washington County. As the capital of Vermont, Montpelier is the site of the Vermont State House, seat of the legislative branch of Vermont government. The population was 7,855 at the 2010...
, the fifth of seven children of a nurse mother and a carpenter
Carpentry
A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
/electrician
Electrician
An electrician is a tradesman specializing in electrical wiring of buildings, stationary machines and related equipment. Electricians may be employed in the installation of new electrical components or the maintenance and repair of existing electrical infrastructure. Electricians may also...
father. His family was Irish Catholic
Irish Catholic
Irish Catholic is a term used to describe people who are both Roman Catholic and Irish .Note: the term is not used to describe a variant of Catholicism. More particularly, it is not a separate creed or sect in the sense that "Anglo-Catholic", "Old Catholic", "Eastern Orthodox Catholic" might be...
. Living in New York City's Hell's Kitchen
Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan
Hell's Kitchen, also known as Clinton and Midtown West, is a neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City between 34th Street and 59th Street, from 8th Avenue to the Hudson River....
influenced Miller's material in the 1980s. Miller lived in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in the 1990s, which influenced Sin City
Sin City
Sin City is the title for a series of neo-noir comics by Frank Miller. The first story originally appeared in "Dark Horse Presents Fifth Anniversary Special" , and continued in Dark Horse Presents #51–62 from May 1991 to June 1992, under the title of Sin City, serialized in thirteen parts. Several...
. Miller moved back to Hell's Kitchen by 2001 and was creating Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again
Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again
Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again is a Batman mini-series by Frank Miller with Lynn Varley. It is a sequel to Miller's 1986 miniseries, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.-Overview:...
as the 9/11 terrorist
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
attacks occurred about 4 miles from that neighborhood. On November 7, 2011, Miller posted a strongly worded statement on his website in opposition to the Occupy Movement
Occupy movement
The Occupy movement is an international protest movement which is primarily directed against economic and social inequality. The first Occupy protest to be widely covered was Occupy Wall Street in New York City, taking place on September 17, 2011...
.
Career
Setting out to become an artist, Miller received his first published work at Western PublishingWestern Publishing
Western Publishing, also known as Western Printing and Lithographing Company was a Racine, Wisconsin firm responsible for publishing the Little Golden Books. Western Publishing also produced children's books and family-related entertainment products as Golden Books Family Entertainment...
's Gold Key Comics
Gold Key Comics
Gold Key Comics was an imprint of Western Publishing created for comic books distributed to newsstands. Also known as Whitman Comics, Gold Key operated from 1962 to 1984.-History:...
imprint
Imprint
In the publishing industry, an imprint can mean several different things:* As a piece of bibliographic information about a book, it refers to the name and address of the book's publisher and its date of publication as given at the foot or on the verso of its title page.* It can mean a trade name...
, on the licensed TV-series comic book The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone is an American television anthology series created by Rod Serling. Each episode is a mixture of self-contained drama, psychological thriller, fantasy, science fiction, suspense, or horror, often concluding with a macabre or unexpected twist...
drawing the story "Royal Feast" in issue #84 (June 1978), and "Endless Cloud" in #85 (July 1978).
One-time Marvel editor-in-chief Jim Shooter
Jim Shooter
James Shooter is an American writer, occasional fill-in artist, editor, and publisher for various comic books. Although he started professionally in the medium at the extraordinarily young age of 14, he is most notable for his successful and controversial run as Marvel Comics' ninth...
recalled Miller going to DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
after having broken in with "a small job from Western Publishing
Western Publishing
Western Publishing, also known as Western Printing and Lithographing Company was a Racine, Wisconsin firm responsible for publishing the Little Golden Books. Western Publishing also produced children's books and family-related entertainment products as Golden Books Family Entertainment...
, I think. Thus emboldened, he went to DC, and after getting savaged by Joe Orlando
Joe Orlando
Joseph Orlando was a prolific illustrator, writer, editor and cartoonist during a lengthy career spanning six decades...
, got in to see art director Vinnie Colletta
Vince Colletta
Vincent Joseph Colletta was an American comic book artist and art director best known as one of industry legend Jack Kirby's frequent inkers during the 1950s-1960s period called the Silver Age of comic books...
, who recognized talent and arranged for him to get a one-page war-comic job". The Grand Comics Database does not list the job, which may or may not have been signed; Miller's first listed work is the six-page "Deliver Me From D-Day", by writer Wyatt Gwyon, in Weird War Tales
Weird War Tales
Weird War Tales was a war comic book title with supernatural overtones published by DC Comics which ran from September 1971 to June 1983.-Background:...
#64 (June 1978). A two-page story, however, written by Roger McKenzie
Roger McKenzie (comics)
Roger McKenzie is an American comic book writer best known for his work on Daredevil with Frank Miller.McKenzie and Miller's first collaboration was on a two-page story entitled "Slowly, painfully, you dig your way from the cold, choking debris..." published in DC Comics' Weird War Tales #68...
and titled "Slowly, painfully, you dig your way from the cold, choking debris...", appears in Weird War Tales
Weird War Tales
Weird War Tales was a war comic book title with supernatural overtones published by DC Comics which ran from September 1971 to June 1983.-Background:...
#68 (Oct. 1978). Other fledgling work at DC included the six-page "The Greatest Story Never Told", by writer Paul Kupperberg
Paul Kupperberg
Paul Kupperberg is a former editor for DC Comics, and a prolific writer of comic books and newspaper strips.-Biography:Kupperberg entered the comics field from comics fandom, as had his brother, writer/artist Alan Kupperberg...
, in that same issue, and the five-page "The Edge of History", written by Elliot S. Maggin, in Unknown Soldier #219 (Sept. 1978). and his first work for Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
, penciling the 17-page story "The Master Assassin of Mars, Part 3" in John Carter, Warlord of Mars
John Carter, Warlord of Mars
John Carter, Warlord of Mars is a Marvel Comics series created in 1977 by Marv Wolfman and Gil Kane , based on the Barsoom series of Edgar Rice Burroughs and featuring the eponymous character....
#18 (Nov. 1978). Miller had a letter he wrote to Marvel as a comics fan published several years earlier in 1973 (The Cat
The Cat
- People :"The Cat" the nickname of several people, including:* Peter Bonetti , British footballer for Chelsea, the St. Louis Stars, Dundee United and England* Greg Cattrano , American lacrosse player...
#3)
At Marvel, Miller would settle in as a regular fill-in and cover artist, working on a variety of titles. One of these jobs was drawing Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #27–28 (Feb.–March 1979), which guest-starred Daredevil
Daredevil (Marvel Comics)
Daredevil is a fictional character, a superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett, with an unspecified amount of input from Jack Kirby, and first appeared in Daredevil #1 .Living in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood...
. At the time, sales of the Daredevil title were poor; however, Miller saw something in the character he liked and asked editor-in-chief Jim Shooter
Jim Shooter
James Shooter is an American writer, occasional fill-in artist, editor, and publisher for various comic books. Although he started professionally in the medium at the extraordinarily young age of 14, he is most notable for his successful and controversial run as Marvel Comics' ninth...
if he could work on Daredevil's regular title. Shooter agreed and made Miller the new penciller on the title. As Miller recalled in 2008,
Daredevil and the early 1980s
Roger McKenzie (comics)
Roger McKenzie is an American comic book writer best known for his work on Daredevil with Frank Miller.McKenzie and Miller's first collaboration was on a two-page story entitled "Slowly, painfully, you dig your way from the cold, choking debris..." published in DC Comics' Weird War Tales #68...
. Although still conforming to traditional comic book styles, Miller infused this first issue with his own film noir
Film noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
style. After this issue, Miller became one of Marvel's rising stars, and began plotting additional stories with McKenzie. Miller sketched the roofs of New York in an attempt to give his Daredevil art an authentic feel not commonly seen in superhero comics at the time. As one journalist noted,
Miller was so successful with the title that Marvel once again began publishing Daredevil monthly rather than bimonthly. With issue #168 (Jan. 1981), Miller took over full duties as writer and penciller, with Klaus Janson
Klaus Janson
Klaus Janson is a German-born American comic book artist, working regularly for Marvel Comics and DC Comics and sporadically for independent companies...
as inker
Inker
The inker is one of the two line artists in a traditional comic book or graphic novel. After a pencilled drawing is given to the inker, the inker uses black ink to produce refined outlines over the pencil lines...
. Issue #168 saw the first appearance of the ninja
Ninja
A or was a covert agent or mercenary of feudal Japan specializing in unorthodox arts of war. The functions of the ninja included espionage, sabotage, infiltration, and assassination, as well as open combat in certain situations...
mercenary
Mercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
Elektra
Elektra (comics)
Elektra Natchios, usually referred to only by her first name Elektra, is a fictional character in publications from Marvel Comics.Elektra is a kunoichi – female ninja assassin – of Greek descent. She wields a pair of bladed sai as her trademark weapon. She is a love interest of the superhero...
, who despite being an assassin-for-hire would become Daredevil's love-interest. Miller would write and draw a solo Elektra story in Bizarre Adventures #28 (Oct. 1981).
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
Bullseye
Bullseye (comics)
Bullseye is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe.A psychopathic assassin, Bullseye uses the opportunities afforded by his line of work to exercise his homicidal tendencies and to work out his own personal vendetta against Daredevil.Although he possesses no...
kill Elektra. Miller finished his Daredevil run with issue #191 (Feb. 1983); in his time he had transformed a second-tier character into one of Marvel's most popular.
Additionally, Miller drew a short Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
story, "Wanted: Santa Claus - Dead or Alive", written by Denny O'Neil for DC Special Series
DC Special Series
DC Special Series was an umbrella title for one-shots and special issues published by DC Comics between 1977 and 1981. Each issue featured a different character and was often in a different format than the issue before it. DC Special Series was published in four different formats: Dollar Comics, 48...
#21 (Spring 1980). This was his first professional experience with a character with which, like Daredevil, he would become closely associated.
As penciler and co-plotter, Miller, together with writer Chris Claremont
Chris Claremont
Chris Claremont is an award-winning American comic book writer and novelist, known for his 17-year stint on Uncanny X-Men, far longer than any other writer, during which he is credited with developing strong female characters, and with introducing complex literary themes into superhero...
, produced the miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
Wolverine
Wolverine (comic book)
Wolverine is a number of Marvel Comics comic book series starring the X-Men member Wolverine.-Publication history:The first Wolverine was a limited series written by Chris Claremont with pencils by Frank Miller, inks by Joe Rubinstein, letters by Tom Orzechowski, and colored by Glynis Wein...
#1-4 (Sept.-Dec. 1982), inked by Josef Rubinstein
Josef Rubinstein
Josef "Joe" Rubinstein is a comic book artist and inker, most associated with inking Marvel Comics' The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe.-Career:...
and spinning off from the popular X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
title. Miller used this miniseries to expand on Wolverine's character. The series was a critical success and further cemented Miller's place as an industry star.
His first creator-owned
Creator ownership
Creator ownership is an arrangement in which the creator or creators of a work of fiction retain full ownership of the material, regardless of whether it is self-published or by a corporate publisher. In some fields of publishing, such as fiction writing, creator ownership is a standard arrangement...
title was DC Comics' six-issue miniseries Ronin (1983–1984). This series shows some of the strongest influences of manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
and bande dessinée
Franco-Belgian comics
Franco-Belgian comics are comics that are created in Belgium and France. These countries have a long tradition in comics and comic books, where they are known as BDs, an abbreviation of bande dessinée in French and stripverhalen in Dutch...
on Miller's style, both in the artwork and narrative style. In the early 1980s, Miller and Steve Gerber
Steve Gerber
Stephen Ross "Steve" Gerber was an American comic book writer best known as co-creator of the satiric Marvel Comics character Howard the Duck....
made a proposal to revamp DC's three biggest characters: Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
, Batman, and Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
, under a line called "Metropolis" and comics titled "Man of Steel" or "The Man of Steel", "Dark Knight" and "Amazon". However, this proposal was not accepted. In 1985, DC Comics named Miller as one of the honorees in the company's 50th-anniversary publication Fifty Who Made DC Great
Fifty Who Made DC Great
Fifty Who Made DC Great is a one shot published by DC Comics to commemorate the company's 50th anniversary in 1985. It was published in comic book format but contained text articles with photographs and background caricatures...
.
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and the late 1980s
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns is a four-issue comic book limited series written and drawn by Frank Miller, originally published by DC Comics under the title Batman: The Dark Knight in 1986. When the issues were released in a collected edition later that year, the story title for the first issue...
, a four-issue miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
printed in what the publisher called "prestige format" — squarebound, rather than stapled; on heavy-stock paper rather than newsprint, and with cardstock rather than glossy-paper covers. It was inked
Inker
The inker is one of the two line artists in a traditional comic book or graphic novel. After a pencilled drawing is given to the inker, the inker uses black ink to produce refined outlines over the pencil lines...
by Klaus Janson
Klaus Janson
Klaus Janson is a German-born American comic book artist, working regularly for Marvel Comics and DC Comics and sporadically for independent companies...
and colored
Colorist
In comics, a colorist is responsible for adding color to black-and-white line art. For most of the 20th century this was done using brushes and dyes which were then used as guides to produce the printing plates...
by Lynn Varley
Lynn Varley
Lynn Varley is an award-winning colorist, notable for her collaborations with her former husband, comic book writer/artist Frank Miller, whom she divorced in 2005.-Biography:...
.
The story tells how Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
retired after the death of the second Robin
Robin (comics)
Robin is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson, as a junior counterpart to DC Comics superhero Batman...
(Jason Todd), and at age 55 returns to fight crime in a dark and violent future. Miller created a tough, gritty portrayal of Batman, who was often referred to as the "Darknight Detective" in 1970s portrayals. Released the same year as Alan Moore
Alan Moore
Alan Oswald Moore is an English writer primarily known for his work in comic books, a medium where he has produced a number of critically acclaimed and popular series, including Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and From Hell...
's and Dave Gibbons
Dave Gibbons
Dave Gibbons is an English comic book artist, writer and sometime letterer. He is best known for his collaborations with writer Alan Moore, which include the miniseries Watchmen and the Superman story "For the Man Who Has Everything"...
' DC miniseries Watchmen
Watchmen
Watchmen is a twelve-issue comic book limited series created by writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons, and colourist John Higgins. The series was published by DC Comics during 1986 and 1987, and has been subsequently reprinted in collected form...
, it showcased a new form of more adult-oriented storytelling to both comics fans and a crossover mainstream audience. The Dark Knight Returns influenced the comic-book industry by heralding a new wave of darker characters. The trade paperback collection proved to be a big seller for DC and remains in print 25 years after first being published.
By this time, Miller had returned as the writer of Daredevil. Following his self-contained story "Badlands", penciled by John Buscema
John Buscema
John Buscema, born Giovanni Natale Buscema , was an American comic-book artist and one of the mainstays of Marvel Comics during its 1960s and 1970s ascendancy into an industry leader and its subsequent expansion to a major pop culture conglomerate...
, in #219 (June 1985), he co-wrote #226 (Jan. 1986) with departing writer Dennis O'Neil
Dennis O'Neil
Dennis J. "Denny" O'Neil is an American comic book writer and editor, principally for Marvel Comics and DC Comics in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, and Group Editor for the Batman family of books until his retirement....
. Then, with artist David Mazzucchelli
David Mazzucchelli
David Mazzucchelli is an American comic book artist and writer. His latest work is the award-winning graphic novel, Asterios Polyp.-Career:...
, he crafted a seven-issue story arc that, like The Dark Knight Returns, similarly redefined and reinvigorated its main character. The storyline, Daredevil: Born Again
Daredevil: Born Again
"Born Again" is a Daredevil story arc written by Frank Miller, drawn by David Mazzucchelli and published by Marvel Comics. The story arc originally appears in Daredevil #227-#233....
, in #227-233 (Feb.-Aug. 1986) chronicled the hero's Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
background, and the destruction and rebirth of his real-life identity, Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
attorney Matt Murdock, at the hands of Daredevil's archnemesis, the crime lord Wilson Fisk, also known as the Kingpin
Kingpin (comics)
The Kingpin is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . Kingpin is one of the most feared and powerful crime lords in the Marvel Universe. The character is a major adversary of Daredevil, the Punisher, and Spider-Man...
.
Miller and artist Bill Sienkiewicz
Bill Sienkiewicz
Boleslav Felix Robert "Bill" Sienkiewicz [pronounced sin-KEV-itch] is an Eisner Award-winning American artist and writer best known for his comic book work, primarily for Marvel Comics' The New Mutants and Elektra: Assassin...
produced the graphic novel
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
Daredevil: Love and War in 1986. Featuring the character of the Kingpin, it indirectly bridges Miller's first run on Daredevil and Born Again by explaining the change in the Kingpin's attitude toward Daredevil. Miller and Sienkiewicz also produced the eight-issue miniseries Elektra: Assassin
Elektra: Assassin
Elektra: Assassin is an eight-issue limited series published by Epic Comics, an imprint of Marvel Comics, between August 1986 and March 1987...
for Epic Comics
Epic Comics
Epic Comics was a creator-owned imprint of Marvel Comics started in 1982, lasting through the mid-1990s, and being briefly revived on a small scale in the mid-2000s.- Origins :...
. Set outside regular Marvel continuity, it featured a wild tale of cyborgs and ninjas, while expanding further on Elektra's background. Both of these projects were well-received critically. Elektra: Assassin was praised for its bold storytelling, but neither it nor Daredevil: Love and War had the influence or reached as many readers as Dark Knight Returns or Born Again.
Miller's final major story in this period was in Batman issues 404-407 in 1987, another collaboration with Mazzucchelli. Titled Batman: Year One
Batman: Year One
"Year One", later referred to as "Batman: Year One", is an American comic book story arc written by Frank Miller, illustrated by David Mazzucchelli, colored by Richmond Lewis, and lettered by Todd Klein...
, this was Miller's version of the origin of Batman in which he retconned many details and adapted the story to fit his Dark Knight continuity
Continuity (fiction)
In fiction, continuity is consistency of the characteristics of persons, plot, objects, places and events seen by the reader or viewer over some period of time...
. Proving to be hugely popular, this was as influential as Miller's previous work and a trade paperback released in 1988 remains in print and is one of DC's best selling books and adapted as an original animated film video
Batman: Year One (film)
Batman: Year One is a 2011 animated superhero film based on the four-issue story arc Batman: Year One printed in 1987. It premiered at Comic-Con on July 22 and was officially released October 18, 2011. The film was directed by Lauren Montgomery and Sam Liu...
in 2011.
Miller had also drawn the covers for the first twelve issues of First Comics
First Comics
First Comics was an American comic-book publisher that was active from 1983–1991, known for titles like American Flagg!, Grimjack, Nexus, Badger, Dreadstar, and Jon Sable...
English language reprints of Kazuo Koike
Kazuo Koike
is a prolific Japanese manga writer, novelist and entrepreneur.-Biography:Early in Koike's career, he studied under Golgo 13 creator Takao Saito and served as a writer on the series....
and Goseki Kojima
Goseki Kojima
was a Japanese manga artist.-Biography:Kojima was born on the same day as Osamu Tezuka. After getting out of junior high school, Kojima painted advertising posters for movie theaters as his source of income....
's Lone Wolf and Cub
Lone Wolf and Cub
is a manga created by writer Kazuo Koike and artist Goseki Kojima. First published in 1970, the story was adapted into six films starring Tomisaburo Wakayama, four plays, a television series starring Yorozuya Kinnosuke, and is widely recognized as an important and influential work.Lone Wolf and Cub...
. This helped bring Japanese manga to a wider Western audience.
During this time, Miller (along with Marv Wolfman
Marv Wolfman
Marvin A. "Marv" Wolfman is an award-winning American comic book writer. He is best known for lengthy runs on The Tomb of Dracula, creating Blade for Marvel Comics, and The New Teen Titans for DC Comics.-1960s:...
, Alan Moore
Alan Moore
Alan Oswald Moore is an English writer primarily known for his work in comic books, a medium where he has produced a number of critically acclaimed and popular series, including Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and From Hell...
and Howard Chaykin
Howard Chaykin
Howard Victor Chaykin is an American comic book writer and artist famous for his innovative storytelling and sometimes controversial material...
) had been in dispute with DC Comics over a proposed ratings system for comics. Disagreeing with what he saw as censorship
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
, Miller refused to do any further work for DC, and he would take his future projects to the independent publisher Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
. From then on Miller would be a major supporter of creator rights and be a major voice against censorship in comics.
The 1990s Sin City and 300
After announcing he intended to release his work only via the independent publisher Dark Horse ComicsDark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
, Miller completed one final project for Epic Comics
Epic Comics
Epic Comics was a creator-owned imprint of Marvel Comics started in 1982, lasting through the mid-1990s, and being briefly revived on a small scale in the mid-2000s.- Origins :...
, the mature-audience imprint
Imprint
In the publishing industry, an imprint can mean several different things:* As a piece of bibliographic information about a book, it refers to the name and address of the book's publisher and its date of publication as given at the foot or on the verso of its title page.* It can mean a trade name...
of Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
. Elektra Lives Again
Elektra Lives Again
Elektra Lives Again is a 1990 graphic novel by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley that was published through the Marvel Comics imprint Epic Comics. It is a spin-off from Miller's run on Daredevil and tells the story of the return of Ninja warrior Elektra from death...
was a fully painted graphic novel
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
written and drawn by Miller and colored by longtime partner Lynn Varley
Lynn Varley
Lynn Varley is an award-winning colorist, notable for her collaborations with her former husband, comic book writer/artist Frank Miller, whom she divorced in 2005.-Biography:...
. Telling the story of the resurrection
Resurrection
Resurrection refers to the literal coming back to life of the biologically dead. It is used both with respect to particular individuals or the belief in a General Resurrection of the dead at the end of the world. The General Resurrection is featured prominently in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim...
of Elektra from the dead and Daredevil's quest to find her, as well as showing Miller's will to experiment with new story-telling techniques.
1990 saw Miller and artist Geof Darrow
Geof Darrow
Geofrey "Geof" Darrow is a comic artist known for his work on books such as Hard Boiled and Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot, which was adapted into an animated TV series of the same name.-Character design and Moebius collaborations:...
start work on Hard Boiled
Hard Boiled (comic)
Hard Boiled is a three-issue comic book mini-series written by Frank Miller and drawn by Geof Darrow. Its first issue was published by Dark Horse Comics in 1990...
, a three-issue miniseries. The title, a mix of violence and satire
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
, was praised for Darrow's highly detailed art and Miller's writing. At the same time Miller and artist Dave Gibbons
Dave Gibbons
Dave Gibbons is an English comic book artist, writer and sometime letterer. He is best known for his collaborations with writer Alan Moore, which include the miniseries Watchmen and the Superman story "For the Man Who Has Everything"...
produced Give Me Liberty
Give Me Liberty
Give Me Liberty is a four-issue comic book mini-series published by Dark Horse Comics in 1990. It was created and written by Frank Miller and drawn by Dave Gibbons...
, a four-issue miniseries for Dark Horse. Give Me Liberty was followed by sequel miniseries and specials expanding on the story of protagonist Martha Washington
Martha Washington (comics)
Martha Washington is a fictional character created by Frank Miller, first appearing in the four-issue comic book series Give Me Liberty, published in 1990 by Dark Horse Comics.-Fictional character biography:...
, an African-American woman in modern and near-future southern North America, all of which were written by Miller and drawn by Gibbons.
Miller also wrote the scripts for the science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
films RoboCop 2
RoboCop 2
RoboCop 2 is a 1990 science fiction action film directed by Irvin Kershner and starring Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Dan O'Herlihy, Belinda Bayer, Tom Noonan and Gabriel Damon. Set in the near future in a dystopian metropolitan Detroit, Michigan...
and RoboCop 3
RoboCop 3
RoboCop 3 is a science fiction action film, released in 1993, set in the near future in a dystopian metropolitan Detroit, Michigan, and filmed in Atlanta, Georgia. Most of the buildings seen in the film were slated for demolition to make way for facilities for the 1996 Olympics. Nancy Allen as...
, about a police cyborg
Cyborg
A cyborg is a being with both biological and artificial parts. The term was coined in 1960 when Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline used it in an article about the advantages of self-regulating human-machine systems in outer space. D. S...
. Neither was critically well-received. In 2007, Miller stated that "There was a lot of interference in the writing process. It wasn't ideal. After working on the two Robocop movies, I really thought that was it for me in the business of film." Miller would come into contact with the fictional cyborg once more, however, writing the comic-book minieries, RoboCop vs. The Terminator, with art by Walter Simonson. In 2003, Miller's screenplay for RoboCop 2 was adapted by Steven Grant
Steven Grant
Steven Grant is an American comic-book writer best known for his 1985-1986 Marvel Comics mini-series Punisher, with artist Mike Zeck and for his creator-owned character Whisper.-Biography:...
for Avatar Press
Avatar Press
Avatar Press is an independent American publisher of comic books, founded in 1996 by William A. Christensen, and based in Rantoul, Illinois.Avatar initially published only mini-series; however, they have since begun to branch out...
's Pulsaar imprint. Illustrated by Juan Jose Ryp
Juan Jose Ryp
Juan Jose Ryp is a Spanish comic book artist known, among other things, for his work on Black Summer with Warren Ellis. In Spain he contributed to erotic comics anthology magazines.-Biography:...
, the series is called Frank Miller's RoboCop
Frank Miller's RoboCop
RoboCop refers to a number of comic book series spun off from the feature film of the same name.The main character is a fictional cyborg -Detroit police officer who begins as a human police officer Alex J. Murphy, who is killed in the line of duty by a vicious crime gang. Subsequently, Murphy is...
and contains plot elements that were divided between RoboCop 2 and RoboCop 3.
In 1991, Miller started work on his first Sin City
Sin City
Sin City is the title for a series of neo-noir comics by Frank Miller. The first story originally appeared in "Dark Horse Presents Fifth Anniversary Special" , and continued in Dark Horse Presents #51–62 from May 1991 to June 1992, under the title of Sin City, serialized in thirteen parts. Several...
story. Serialized in Dark Horse Presents
Dark Horse Presents
Dark Horse Presents was the first comic book published by Dark Horse Comics in 1986 and was their flagship title until its September 2000 cancellation. The second incarnation was published on MySpace, running from July 2007 until August 2010...
#51-62, Miller wrote and drew the story in black and white to emphasize its film noir
Film noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
origins. Proving to be another success, the story was released in a trade paperback
Trade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
. This first Sin City "yarn" was rereleased in 1995 under the name The Hard Goodbye. Sin City proved to be Miller's main project for much of the remainder of the decade, as Miller told more Sin City stories within this noir world of his creation, in the process helping to revitalize the crime comics
Crime comics
Crime comics is a genre of American comic books and format of crime fiction. The genre was originally popular in the 1940s and 1950s and is marked by a moralistic editorial tone and graphic depictions of violence and criminal activity. Crime comics began in 1942 with the publication of Crime Does...
genre. Sin City proved artistically auspicious for Miller and again brought his work to a wider audience without comics.
Daredevil: Man Without Fear was a five issue miniseries published by Marvel Comics in 1993. In this Miller and artist John Romita Jr. told Daredevil's origins differently than in the previous comics, and provided additional detail to his beginnings.
Miller also returned to superheroes by writing issue #11 of Todd McFarlane
Todd McFarlane
Todd McFarlane is a Canadian cartoonist, writer, toy designer and entrepreneur, best known for his work in comic books, such as the fantasy series Spawn....
's Spawn
Spawn (comics)
Spawn is a fictional comic book superhero who appears in a monthly comic book of the same name published by Image Comics. Created by writer/artist Todd McFarlane, Spawn first appeared in Spawn #1...
, as well as the Spawn/Batman crossover for Image Comics
Image Comics
Image Comics is a United States comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties. It was immediately successful, and remains...
.
In 1995, Miller and Darrow collaborated again on Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot
Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot
The Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot is a 1995 comic book written by Frank Miller, drawn by Geof Darrow and published by Dark Horse Comics...
, published as a two-part miniseries by Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
. In 1999 it became an animated series on Fox Kids
Fox Kids
Fox Kids was the Fox Broadcasting Company's American children's programming division and brand name from September 8, 1990 until September 7, 2002. It was owned by Fox Television Entertainment airing programming on Monday–Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings.Depending on the show, the...
. During this period, Miller became one of the founding members of the comic imprint Legend, under which many of his Sin City works were released, via Dark Horse. Also, it was during the 1990s that Miller did cover art for many titles in the Comics Greatest World
Comics Greatest World
Comics' Greatest World was an imprint of Dark Horse Comics. It was created by Team CGW. Originally conceived in 1990, it took three years for the line to be released, which led to an industry-wide perception that it was created to capitalize on the speculator mania of the early 1990s. When the...
/Dark Horse Heroes line.
Written and illustrated by Frank Miller with painted colors by Varley, 300 was a 1998 comic-book miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
, released as a hardcover collection in 1999, retelling the Battle of Thermopylae
Battle of Thermopylae
The Battle of Thermopylae was fought between an alliance of Greek city-states, led by King Leonidas of Sparta, and the Persian Empire of Xerxes I over the course of three days, during the second Persian invasion of Greece. It took place simultaneously with the naval battle at Artemisium, in August...
and the events leading up to it from the perspective of Leonidas of Sparta. 300 was particularly inspired by the 1962 film The 300 Spartans
The 300 Spartans
The 300 Spartans is a 1962 Cinemascope film depicting the Battle of Thermopylae. Made with the cooperation of the Greek government, it was shot in the village of Perachora in the Peloponnese...
, a movie that Miller watched as a young boy. In 2007, 300 was adapted by director Zack Snyder
Zack Snyder
Zachary Edward "Zack" Snyder is an American actor, film director, screenwriter, and producer. After making his feature film debut with the 2004 remake Dawn of the Dead, he gained wide recognition with the 2007 box office hit 300, adapted from writer-artist Frank Miller's Dark Horse Comics...
into a successful film
300 (film)
300 is a 2007 American fantasy action film based on the 1998 comic series of the same name by Frank Miller. It is a fictionalized retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae. The film was directed by Zack Snyder, while Miller served as executive producer and consultant...
.
Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again and the 2000s
Miller started the new millenniumMillennium
A millennium is a period of time equal to one thousand years —from the Latin phrase , thousand, and , year—often but not necessarily related numerically to a particular dating system....
off with the long awaited sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to Batman: The Dark Knight Returns for DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
after Miller had put past difference with DC aside. Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again
Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again
Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again is a Batman mini-series by Frank Miller with Lynn Varley. It is a sequel to Miller's 1986 miniseries, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.-Overview:...
was initially released as a three issue series. Miller also returned to writing Batman in 2005, taking on the writing duties of All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder, a series set inside of what Miller describes as the "Dark Knight Universe." and drawn by Jim Lee
Jim Lee
Jim Lee is a Korean-American comic book artist, writer, editor and publisher. He first broke into the industry in 1987 as an artist for Marvel Comics, illustrating titles such as Alpha Flight and Punisher War Journal, before gaining a great deal of popularity on The Uncanny X-Men...
.
Miller has said he opposes naturalism in comic art. In an interview on the documentary Legends of the Dark Knight: The History of Batman, he said, "People are attempting to bring a superficial reality to superheroes which is rather stupid. They work best as the flamboyant fantasies they are. I mean, these are characters that are broad and big. I don't need to see sweat patches under Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
's arms. I want to see him fly."
Miller's previous attitude towards movie adaptations was to change after he and Robert Rodriguez
Robert Rodriguez
Robert Anthony Rodríguez is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer, editor and musician. He shoots and produces many of his films in his native Texas and Mexico. He has directed such films as Desperado, From Dusk till Dawn, The Faculty, Spy Kids, Sin City, Planet...
made a short film based on a story from Miller's Sin City
Sin City
Sin City is the title for a series of neo-noir comics by Frank Miller. The first story originally appeared in "Dark Horse Presents Fifth Anniversary Special" , and continued in Dark Horse Presents #51–62 from May 1991 to June 1992, under the title of Sin City, serialized in thirteen parts. Several...
entitled "The Customer is Always Right". Miller was pleased with the result, leading to him and Rodriguez directing a full length film, Sin City
Sin City (film)
Sin City, also known as Frank Miller's Sin City, is a 2005 crime thriller film written, produced and directed by Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez...
using Miller's original comics panels as storyboards. The film was released in the U.S. on April 1, 2005. The film's success brought renewed attention to Miller's Sin City projects. Similarly, a film adaptation of 300
300 (film)
300 is a 2007 American fantasy action film based on the 1998 comic series of the same name by Frank Miller. It is a fictionalized retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae. The film was directed by Zack Snyder, while Miller served as executive producer and consultant...
, directed solely by Zack Snyder
Zack Snyder
Zachary Edward "Zack" Snyder is an American actor, film director, screenwriter, and producer. After making his feature film debut with the 2004 remake Dawn of the Dead, he gained wide recognition with the 2007 box office hit 300, adapted from writer-artist Frank Miller's Dark Horse Comics...
, brought new attention and controversy to Miller's original comic book work. A sequel to the film, based around Miller's first Sin City series, A Dame to Kill For
A Dame to Kill For
A Dame to Kill For is a comic book limited series first published by Dark Horse Comics in 1993. It is the second story in Frank Miller's Sin City series, and the first to be published in miniseries format. It was written and drawn entirely by Frank Miller...
, has been reported to be in development.
Critical reaction
Miller's work has often been met with positive reception. Daredevil: Born AgainDaredevil: Born Again
"Born Again" is a Daredevil story arc written by Frank Miller, drawn by David Mazzucchelli and published by Marvel Comics. The story arc originally appears in Daredevil #227-#233....
and The Dark Knight Returns were both a critical success, and Batman: Year One
Batman: Year One
"Year One", later referred to as "Batman: Year One", is an American comic book story arc written by Frank Miller, illustrated by David Mazzucchelli, colored by Richmond Lewis, and lettered by Todd Klein...
was met with even greater praise for its gritty style. Most of his previous work such as Ronin, 300 and Sin City
Sin City
Sin City is the title for a series of neo-noir comics by Frank Miller. The first story originally appeared in "Dark Horse Presents Fifth Anniversary Special" , and continued in Dark Horse Presents #51–62 from May 1991 to June 1992, under the title of Sin City, serialized in thirteen parts. Several...
were very successful. However, Miller's later work often has been met with criticism. Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again
Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again
Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again is a Batman mini-series by Frank Miller with Lynn Varley. It is a sequel to Miller's 1986 miniseries, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.-Overview:...
received mixed to negative reviews. All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder in particular was met with harsh criticism.
Some of Miller's works have been accused of lacking humanity, particularly in regard to the abundance of prostitutes portrayed in Sin City. When it was released in 2008, Miller's film adaptation of Will Eisner's The Spirit
The Spirit
The Spirit is a crime-fighting fictional character created by writer-artist Will Eisner. He first appeared June 2, 1940 in "The Spirit Section", the colloquial name given to a 16-page Sunday supplement, distributed to 20 newspapers by the Register and Tribune Syndicate and reaching five million...
met with largely negative reviews, earning a metascore of 30/100 at the review aggregation site Metacritic.com. The film adaption, however, was very different from the original source material.
His work Holy Terror has been criticized for its negative portrayal of Muslims.
Outside of the comic and political circuit, his influences includes art historian Kenneth Clark
Kenneth Clark
Kenneth McKenzie Clark, Baron Clark, OM, CH, KCB, FBA was a British author, museum director, broadcaster, and one of the best-known art historians of his generation...
, and the animation by Fleischer Studios
Fleischer Studios
Fleischer Studios, Inc., was an American corporation which originated as an Animation studio located at 1600 Broadway, New York City, New York...
.
Cameo appearances
Frank Miller has appeared in five films in small roles, dying in each.- In RoboCop 2RoboCop 2RoboCop 2 is a 1990 science fiction action film directed by Irvin Kershner and starring Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Dan O'Herlihy, Belinda Bayer, Tom Noonan and Gabriel Damon. Set in the near future in a dystopian metropolitan Detroit, Michigan...
(1990), he plays "Frank, the chemist" and dies in an explosion in the drug lab. - In Jugular Wine: A Vampire Odyssey (1994), he is killed by vampires in front of Marvel ComicsMarvel ComicsMarvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
' Stan LeeStan LeeStan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics....
. - In DaredevilDaredevil (film)Daredevil is a 2003 American superhero film written and directed by Mark Steven Johnson. Based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, the film stars Ben Affleck as Matt Murdock, a blind lawyer who fights for justice in the courtroom and out of the courtroom as the masked vigilante Daredevil...
(2003), he appears as a corpse with a pen in his head, thrown by BullseyeBullseye (comics)Bullseye is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe.A psychopathic assassin, Bullseye uses the opportunities afforded by his line of work to exercise his homicidal tendencies and to work out his own personal vendetta against Daredevil.Although he possesses no...
, who steals his motorcycle. The credits list Frank Miller as "Man with Pen in Head". - In Sin CitySin City (film)Sin City, also known as Frank Miller's Sin City, is a 2005 crime thriller film written, produced and directed by Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez...
(2005), he plays the priest killed by Marv in the confessional. - In The SpiritThe Spirit (film)The Spirit is a 2008 American superhero noir film, written and directed by Frank Miller and starring Gabriel Macht, Eva Mendes, Sarah Paulson, Dan Lauria, Paz Vega, Jaime King, Scarlett Johansson, and Samuel L. Jackson. The film is based on the newspaper comic strip The Spirit by Will Eisner...
(2008), which was written and directed by Miller, he appears as "Liebowitz", the officer whose head is ripped off by the Octopus and thrown at the Spirit. The name alludes to Jack LiebowitzJack LiebowitzJacob "Jack" S. Liebowitz , was an American accountant and publisher, known primarily as the co-owner with Harry Donenfeld of National Allied Publications .-Early life:...
, a co-founder of what would become DC ComicsDC ComicsDC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
.
DC Comics
Titles published by DC ComicsDC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
include:
- Weird War TalesWeird War TalesWeird War Tales was a war comic book title with supernatural overtones published by DC Comics which ran from September 1971 to June 1983.-Background:...
(a):- "Deliver Me from D-Day" (with Wyatt Gwyon, in #64, 1978)
- "The Greatest Story Never Told" (with Paul KupperbergPaul KupperbergPaul Kupperberg is a former editor for DC Comics, and a prolific writer of comic books and newspaper strips.-Biography:Kupperberg entered the comics field from comics fandom, as had his brother, writer/artist Alan Kupperberg...
, in #68, 1978) - "The Day After Doomsday" (with Roger McKenzieRoger McKenzie (comics)Roger McKenzie is an American comic book writer best known for his work on Daredevil with Frank Miller.McKenzie and Miller's first collaboration was on a two-page story entitled "Slowly, painfully, you dig your way from the cold, choking debris..." published in DC Comics' Weird War Tales #68...
, in #68, 1978)
- Unknown Soldier #219: "The Edge of History" (a, with Elliot S. Maggin, 1978)
- BatmanBatmanBatman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
:- Batman: The Greatest Stories Ever Told Volume 1 (tpb, 192 pages, 2005, ISBN 1-4012-0444-9) includes:
- DC Special SeriesDC Special SeriesDC Special Series was an umbrella title for one-shots and special issues published by DC Comics between 1977 and 1981. Each issue featured a different character and was often in a different format than the issue before it. DC Special Series was published in four different formats: Dollar Comics, 48...
#21: "Wanted: Santa Claus--Dead or Alive!" (a, with Dennis O'NeilDennis O'NeilDennis J. "Denny" O'Neil is an American comic book writer and editor, principally for Marvel Comics and DC Comics in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, and Group Editor for the Batman family of books until his retirement....
, 1979)
- DC Special Series
- Absolute Dark Knight (hc, 512 pages, 2006, ISBN 1-4012-1079-1) collects:
- Batman: The Dark Knight #1-4 (w/a, 1986)
- Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again #1-3 (w/a, 2001)
- Batman: Year OneBatman: Year One"Year One", later referred to as "Batman: Year One", is an American comic book story arc written by Frank Miller, illustrated by David Mazzucchelli, colored by Richmond Lewis, and lettered by Todd Klein...
(hc, 144 pages, 2005, ISBN 1-4012-0690-5; tpb, 2007, ISBN 1-4012-0752-9) collects:- BatmanBatman (comic book)Batman is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics hero of the same name. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #27, published in May 1939. Batman proved to be so popular that a self-titled ongoing comic book series began publication in the spring of 1940...
#404-407 (w, with David MazzucchelliDavid MazzucchelliDavid Mazzucchelli is an American comic book artist and writer. His latest work is the award-winning graphic novel, Asterios Polyp.-Career:...
, 1987)
- Batman
- All-Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder #1-10 (w, with Jim LeeJim LeeJim Lee is a Korean-American comic book artist, writer, editor and publisher. He first broke into the industry in 1987 as an artist for Marvel Comics, illustrating titles such as Alpha Flight and Punisher War Journal, before gaining a great deal of popularity on The Uncanny X-Men...
, 2005–2008)- Issues #1-9 collected as Volume 1 (hc, 240 pages, 2008, ISBN 1-4012-1681-1; tpb, 2009, ISBN 1-4012-2008-8)
- Dark Knight: Boy Wonder #1-6 (w, with Jim Lee, on hiatus)
- Batman: The Greatest Stories Ever Told Volume 1 (tpb, 192 pages, 2005, ISBN 1-4012-0444-9) includes:
- Ronin #1-6 (w/a, 1983) collected as Ronin (tpb, 302 pages, 1987, ISBN 0-4463-8674-X; hc, 328 pages, 2008, ISBN 1-4012-1908-X)
- SupermanSuperman (comic book)Superman is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics hero of the same name. The character Superman began as one of several anthology features in the National Periodical Publications comic book Action Comics #1 in June 1938...
#400: "The Living Legends of Superman" (a, with Elliot S. Maggin, among other artists, 1984) - History of the DC UniverseHistory of the DC UniverseHistory of the DC Universe is a two-issue comic book limited series created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, and published by DC Comics following the end of Crisis on Infinite Earths. It was an attempt to summarize the new history of the DC Universe to establish what was canonical after Crisis...
introduction only (hc, 1988, ISBN 0930289269) - FanboyFanboy (comics)Fanboy is the title of a six issue comic book miniseries by Mark Evanier and Sergio Aragonés which was published by DC Comics in 1999.-Series overview:...
#5 (a, with Mark EvanierMark EvanierMark Stephen Evanier is an American comic book and television writer, particularly known for his humor work. He is also known for his columns and blogs, and for his work as a historian and biographer of the comics industry, in particular his award-winning Jack Kirby biography, Kirby: King of...
, among other artists, 1999) collected in Fanboy (tpb, 144 pages, 2001, ISBN 1-5638-9724-5) - Superman and Batman: World's FunnestSuperman and Batman: World's FunnestSuperman and Batman: World's Funnest is an American single issue prestige format comic book published in 2000 by DC Comics. It was written by Evan Dorkin and illustrated by numerous artists. The issue still takes place in New Earth, which makes it canon to the main continuity of DC Universe...
: "Last Imp Standing!" (a, with Evan DorkinEvan DorkinEvan Dorkin is an American comics artist and writer. His best known works are the comic books Milk and Cheese and Dork...
, among other artists, one-shot, 2000) - OrionOrion (comics)Orion is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in New Gods #1 , and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby.-Jack Kirby Era:...
#3: "Tales of the New Gods: Nativity" (a, with Walt SimonsonWalt SimonsonWalter "Walt" Simonson is an American comic book writer and artist. After studying geology at Amherst College, he transferred to the Rhode Island School of Design, graduating in 1972. His thesis project there was The Star Slammers, which was published as a black and white promotional comic book...
, 2000) collected in O: The Gates of Apokolips (tpb, 144 pages, 2001, ISBN 1-5638-9778-4)
Marvel Comics
Titles published by MarvelMarvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
include:
- John Carter, Warlord of MarsJohn Carter, Warlord of MarsJohn Carter, Warlord of Mars is a Marvel Comics series created in 1977 by Marv Wolfman and Gil Kane , based on the Barsoom series of Edgar Rice Burroughs and featuring the eponymous character....
#18: "Meanwhile, Back in Helium!" (a, with Chris ClaremontChris ClaremontChris Claremont is an award-winning American comic book writer and novelist, known for his 17-year stint on Uncanny X-Men, far longer than any other writer, during which he is credited with developing strong female characters, and with introducing complex literary themes into superhero...
, 1978) collected in Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter, Warlord of Mars (tpb, 632 pages, Dark HorseDark Horse ComicsDark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
, 2011, ISBN 1-5958-2692-0) and John Carter, Warlord of Mars Omnibus (hc, 624 pages, 2012, ISBN 0-7851-5990-8) - The Complete Frank Miller Spider-ManSpider-ManSpider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
(hc, 208 pages, 2002, ISBN 0-7851-0899-8) collects:- The Spectacular Spider-ManThe Spectacular Spider-ManThe Spectacular Spider-Man is the name of several comic books and one magazine series starring Marvel Comics' Spider-Man.The character's main series, The Amazing Spider-Man, was extremely successful, and Marvel felt the character could support more than one title. This led the company in 1968 to...
#27-28 (a, with Bill MantloBill MantloBill Mantlo is an American comic-book writer, primarily at Marvel Comics, best known for his work on two licensed toy properties whose adventures occurred in the Marvel Universe: the Eagle Award-winning Micronauts and the long-running Rom. An attorney, he also worked as a public defender...
, 1979) - The Amazing Spider-ManThe Amazing Spider-ManThe Amazing Spider-Man is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics, featuring the adventures of the fictional superhero Spider-Man. Being the mainstream continuity of the franchise, it began publication in 1963 as a monthly periodical and was published continuously until it was...
Annual #14-15 (a, with Dennis O'NeilDennis O'NeilDennis J. "Denny" O'Neil is an American comic book writer and editor, principally for Marvel Comics and DC Comics in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, and Group Editor for the Batman family of books until his retirement....
, 1980–1981) - Marvel Team-UpMarvel Team-UpMarvel Team-Up is the name of several American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series featured two or more Marvel characters in one story...
:- "Introducing: Karma!" (w/a, with Chris Claremont, in #100, 1980)
- "Power Play!" (w, with Herb TrimpeHerb TrimpeHerbert W. "Herb" Trimpe Herbert W. "Herb" Trimpe Herbert W. "Herb" Trimpe (b. May 26, 1939, is an American comic book artist and occasional writer, best known for his work on The Incredible Hulk and as the first artist to draw for publication the character Wolverine, who later became a breakout...
, in Annual #4, 1981)
- The Spectacular Spider-Man
- Marvel Two-in-OneMarvel Two-in-OneMarvel Two-In-One was an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics that featured the Fantastic Four member, the Thing, in a different team-up each issue with a different character. The series continued from the team-up stories starring the Thing in the final two issues of Marvel...
#51: "Full House--Dragons High!" (a, with Peter Gillis, 1979) collected in Essential Marvel Two-in-One vol.2 (tpb, 568 pages, 2007, ISBN 0-7851-2698-8) - DaredevilDaredevilDaredevil may refer to:*A stunt performerIn comics and their spin-offs:*Daredevil , a Marvel comic book superhero* Daredevil , a 2003 film starring Ben Affleck as the Marvel character...
:- Daredevil by Frank Miller & Klaus Janson Omnibus (hc, 840 pages, 2007, ISBN 0-7851-2343-1) collects:
- "A Grave Mistake" (a, with Roger McKenzieRoger McKenzie (comics)Roger McKenzie is an American comic book writer best known for his work on Daredevil with Frank Miller.McKenzie and Miller's first collaboration was on a two-page story entitled "Slowly, painfully, you dig your way from the cold, choking debris..." published in DC Comics' Weird War Tales #68...
, in #158, 1979) - "Marked for Death" (a, with Roger McKenzie, in #159-161, 1979–1980)
- "Blind Alley" (a, with Roger McKenzie, in #163, 1980)
- "Exposé" (a, with Roger McKenzie, in #164, 1980)
- "Arms of the Octopus" (w/a, with Roger McKenzie, in #165, 1980)
- "Till Death Do Us Part!" (w/a, with Roger McKenzie, in #166, 1980)
- "...The Mauler!" (a, with David MichelinieDavid Michelinie-Biography:Some of his earliest work is for DC Comics's House of Secrets and a run on Swamp Thing , following Len Wein and preceding Gerry Conway, illustrated by Nestor Redondo. Michelinie did a run on Aquaman in Adventure Comics which led to the revival of the Sea King's own title in 1977...
, in #167, 1980) - "Elektra" (w/a, in #168, 1981)
- "Devils" (w/a, in #169, 1980)
- "Gangwars" (w/a, in #170-172, 1981)
- "The Assassination of Matt Murdock" (w/a, in #173-175, 1981)
- "Hunters" (w/a, in #176-177, 1981)
- "Paper Chase" (w/a, in #178-180, 1982)
- "Last Hand" (w/a, in #181-182, 1982)
- "Child's Play" (w/a, with Roger McKenzie, in #183-184, 1982)
- "Guts & Stilts" (w, with Klaus JansonKlaus JansonKlaus Janson is a German-born American comic book artist, working regularly for Marvel Comics and DC Comics and sporadically for independent companies...
, in #185-186, 1982) - "Widow's Bite" (w, with Klaus Janson, in #187-190, 1982–1983)
- "Roulette" (w/a, in #191, 1983)
- "A Grave Mistake" (a, with Roger McKenzie
- Daredevil by Frank Miller & Klaus Janson Omnibus Companion (hc, 608 pages, 2008, ISBN 0-7851-2676-7) includes:
- "Badlands" (w, with John BuscemaJohn BuscemaJohn Buscema, born Giovanni Natale Buscema , was an American comic-book artist and one of the mainstays of Marvel Comics during its 1960s and 1970s ascendancy into an industry leader and its subsequent expansion to a major pop culture conglomerate...
, in #219, 1985) - "Warriors" (w, with Dennis O'Neil and David MazzucchelliDavid MazzucchelliDavid Mazzucchelli is an American comic book artist and writer. His latest work is the award-winning graphic novel, Asterios Polyp.-Career:...
, in #226, 1986) - "Born Again" (w, with David Mazzucchelli, in #227-233, 1986)
- Daredevil: Love and War (w, with Bill SienkiewiczBill SienkiewiczBoleslav Felix Robert "Bill" Sienkiewicz [pronounced sin-KEV-itch] is an Eisner Award-winning American artist and writer best known for his comic book work, primarily for Marvel Comics' The New Mutants and Elektra: Assassin...
, graphic novelGraphic novelA graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
, tpb, 64 pages, 1986, ISBN 0-8713-5172-2) - Daredevil: The Man Without Fear #1-5 (w, with John Romita, Jr.John Romita, Jr.John Salvatore Romita, Jr. is an American comic book artist best known for his extensive work for Marvel Comics from the 1970s to the 2000s...
, 1993)
- "Badlands" (w, with John Buscema
- Daredevil by Frank Miller & Bill Sienkiewicz Omnibus (hc, 384 pages, 2008, ISBN 0-7851-2777-1) collects:
- "Untitled" (w/a, in Bizarre Adventures #28, 1981)
- "What If Bullseye Had Not Killed Elektra?" (w/a, in What If? #35, 1982)
- Elektra: AssassinElektra: AssassinElektra: Assassin is an eight-issue limited series published by Epic Comics, an imprint of Marvel Comics, between August 1986 and March 1987...
#1-8 (w, with Bill Sienkiewicz, 1986–1987) - Elektra Lives AgainElektra Lives AgainElektra Lives Again is a 1990 graphic novel by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley that was published through the Marvel Comics imprint Epic Comics. It is a spin-off from Miller's run on Daredevil and tells the story of the return of Ninja warrior Elektra from death...
(w/a, graphic novel, hc, 80 pages, 1991, ISBN 0-7851-0890-4)
- Daredevil by Frank Miller & Klaus Janson Omnibus (hc, 840 pages, 2007, ISBN 0-7851-2343-1) collects:
- Marvel SpotlightMarvel SpotlightMarvel Spotlight is the name of several comic book series published by Marvel Comics as a try-out book for new characters. The first series ran for 33 issues from November 1971 to April 1977...
#8: "Planet Where Time Stood Still!" (a, with Mike W. Barr and Dick Riley, 1980) - Marvel PreviewMarvel PreviewMarvel Preview was a magazine-sized black-and-white showcase comic book published by Curtis Magazines, an imprint of Marvel....
#23: "Final Warning" (a, with Lynn Graeme, 1980) - Power Man and Iron FistPower Man and Iron FistPower Man and Iron Fist was a Marvel comic book featuring the superheroes Power Man and Iron Fist.-Hero For Hire/Power Man:...
#76: "Death Scream of the Warhawk!" (a, with Chris Claremont and Mike W. Barr, 1981) - Bizarre Adventures #31: "The Philistine" (a, with Dennis O'Neil, 1982)
- Fantastic Four RoastFantastic FourThe Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
(a, with Fred HembeckFred HembeckFred Hembeck is an American cartoonist best known for his parodies of characters from major American comic book publishers. His work has frequently been published by the firms whose characters he spoofs. His characters are always drawn with curlicues at the elbows and knees...
, among other artists, one-shot, 1982) - What If?What If (comics)What If, sometimes rendered as What If...?, is the title of several comic book series published by Marvel Comics, exploring "the road not traveled" by its various characters...
#34: "What If Daredevil Were Deaf Instead of Blind?" (w/a, 1982) - WolverineWolverine (comic book)Wolverine is a number of Marvel Comics comic book series starring the X-Men member Wolverine.-Publication history:The first Wolverine was a limited series written by Chris Claremont with pencils by Frank Miller, inks by Joe Rubinstein, letters by Tom Orzechowski, and colored by Glynis Wein...
#1-4 (a, with Chris Claremont, 1982) collected as Wolverine (hc, 144 pages, 2007, ISBN 0-7851-2572-8; tpb, 2009, ISBN 0-7851-3724-6) - Incredible Hulk Annual #11: "Unus Unchained" (a, with Mary Jo DuffyJo DuffyJo Duffy, sometimes credited as Mary Jo Duffy is a comic book editor and writer, known for her work for Marvel Comics in the 1980s, and DC Comics and Image Comics in the 1990s.-Biography:...
, 1981) - Marvel FanfareMarvel FanfareMarvel Fanfare is the title of two comic book series published by Marvel Comics. Both versions of Marvel Fanfare were anthology, showcase titles featuring a variety of characters from the Marvel universe.-Volume One:...
#18: "Home Fires!" (w/a, with Roger SternRoger SternRoger Stern is an American comic book author and novelist.-Early career:In the early 1970s, Stern and Bob Layton published the fanzine CPL , one of the first platforms for the work of John Byrne...
, 1984) - Sensational She-Hulk #50: "He's Dead?!" (with John Byrne, among other artists, 1993)
Dark Horse Comics
Titles published by Dark HorseDark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
include:
- The Life and Times of Martha Washington in the Twenty-First CenturyMartha Washington (comics)Martha Washington is a fictional character created by Frank Miller, first appearing in the four-issue comic book series Give Me Liberty, published in 1990 by Dark Horse Comics.-Fictional character biography:...
(hc, 600 pages, 2009, ISBN 1-5930-7654-1) collects:- Give Me LibertyGive Me LibertyGive Me Liberty is a four-issue comic book mini-series published by Dark Horse Comics in 1990. It was created and written by Frank Miller and drawn by Dave Gibbons...
#1-4 (w, with Dave GibbonsDave GibbonsDave Gibbons is an English comic book artist, writer and sometime letterer. He is best known for his collaborations with writer Alan Moore, which include the miniseries Watchmen and the Superman story "For the Man Who Has Everything"...
, 1990–1991) also collected as Give Me Liberty (tpb, 216 pages, 1992, ISBN 0-4405-0446-5) - Martha Washington Goes to War #1-5 (w, with Dave Gibbons, 1994) also collected as MWGTW (tpb, 144 pages, 1996, ISBN 1-5697-1090-2)
- Happy Birthday, Martha Washington (w, with Dave Gibbons, one-shot, 1995)
- Martha Washington Stranded in Space (w, with Dave Gibbons, one-shot, 1995)
- Martha Washington Saves the World #1-3 (w, with Dave Gibbons, 1997–1998) also collected as MWSTW (tpb, 112 pages, 1999, ISBN 1-5697-1384-7)
- Martha Washington Dies: "2095" (w, with Dave Gibbons, one-shot, 2007)
- Give Me Liberty
- Hard Boiled #1-3 (w, with Geof DarrowGeof DarrowGeofrey "Geof" Darrow is a comic artist known for his work on books such as Hard Boiled and Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot, which was adapted into an animated TV series of the same name.-Character design and Moebius collaborations:...
, 1990–1992) collected as Hard Boiled (tpb, 128 pages, 1993, ISBN 1-8785-7458-2) - Sin CitySin CitySin City is the title for a series of neo-noir comics by Frank Miller. The first story originally appeared in "Dark Horse Presents Fifth Anniversary Special" , and continued in Dark Horse Presents #51–62 from May 1991 to June 1992, under the title of Sin City, serialized in thirteen parts. Several...
(w/a):- Sin CityThe Hard Goodbye"The Hard Goodbye" is the first Sin City story. It was serialised, as "Sin City," in the comics anthology Dark Horse Presents by Dark Horse Comics and named "The Hard Goodbye" in the trade paperbacks...
(tpb, 208 pages, 1993, ISBN 1-8785-7459-0) collects:- "Episode 1" (in Dark Horse Presents 5th Anniversary SpecialDark Horse PresentsDark Horse Presents was the first comic book published by Dark Horse Comics in 1986 and was their flagship title until its September 2000 cancellation. The second incarnation was published on MySpace, running from July 2007 until August 2010...
, 1991) - "Episodes 2-13" (in Dark Horse Presents #51-62, 1991–1992)
- "Episode 1" (in Dark Horse Presents 5th Anniversary Special
- A Dame to Kill forA Dame to Kill ForA Dame to Kill For is a comic book limited series first published by Dark Horse Comics in 1993. It is the second story in Frank Miller's Sin City series, and the first to be published in miniseries format. It was written and drawn entirely by Frank Miller...
(tpb, 208 pages, 1994, ISBN 1-8785-7459-0) collects:- A Dame to Kill for #1-6 (1993–1994)
- The Big Fat KillThe Big Fat KillThe Big Fat Kill is a five-issue comic book limited series published by Dark Horse Comics in November 1994–March 1995.-Plot:The story opens in Shellie's apartment, where a drunken former fling is furiously rapping on her door, demanding to be let in. Shellie is obviously scared, but is...
(tpb, 184 pages, 1996, ISBN 1-5697-1171-2) collects:- The Big Fat Kill #1-5 (1994–1995)
- That Yellow BastardThat Yellow BastardThat Yellow Bastard is a six-issue comic book limited series, and the sixth in the Sin City series. It was published by Dark Horse Comics in February–July 1996, It follows the usual black and white noir style artistry of previous Sin City novels, with the exception of yellow on Roark Junior...
(tpb, 240 pages, 1997, ISBN 1-5697-1225-5) collects:- That Yellow Bastard #1-6 (1996)
- Family Values (graphic novelGraphic novelA graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
, tpb, 128 pages, 1997, ISBN 1-5697-1313-8) - Booze, Broads, & Bullets (tpb, 160 pages, 1998, ISBN 1-5697-1366-9) collects:
- "Just Another Saturday Night" (in Sin City #1/2, 1997)
- "Fat Man and Little Boy" (in San Diego Comic Con Comics #4, 1995)
- "The Customer is Always Right" (in San Diego Comic Con Comics #2, 1992)
- Silent Night (one-shot, 1995)
- "And Behind Door Number Three?" (in The Babe Wore Red and Other Stories one-shot, 1994)
- "Blue Eyes" (in Lost, Lonely, & Lethal one-shot, 1996)
- "Rats" (in Lost, Lonely, & Lethal one-shot, 1996)
- "Daddy's Little Girl" (in A Decade of Dark Horse #1, 1996)
- Sex & Violence (one-shot, 1997)
- "The Babe Wore Red" (in The Babe Wore Red and Other Stories one-shot, 1994)
- Hell and BackHell and Back (A Sin City Love Story)Hell and Back is a nine-issue comic book limited series, first published by Dark Horse Comics in July 1999–April 2000.-Plot:...
#1-9 (tpb, 312 pages, 2001, ISBN 1-5697-1481-9) collects:- Hell and Back, a Sin City Love Story #1-9 (1999–2000)
- Sin City
- RoboCop vs. The Terminator #1-4 (w, with Walt SimonsonWalt SimonsonWalter "Walt" Simonson is an American comic book writer and artist. After studying geology at Amherst College, he transferred to the Rhode Island School of Design, graduating in 1972. His thesis project there was The Star Slammers, which was published as a black and white promotional comic book...
, 1992) - Madman ComicsMadmanMadman is a fictional character, a comic book superhero created by Mike Allred and most recently published by Image Comics. He first appeared in Creatures of the Id...
#6-7 (w, with Mike Allred, 1995) collected in Madman vol.2 (tpb, 456 pages, 2007, ISBN 1-5824-0811-4) - The Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot #1-2 (w, with Geof Darrow, 1995) collected as TBG and RtBR (tpb, 80 pages, 1996, ISBN 1-5697-1201-8)
- Dark Horse PresentsDark Horse PresentsDark Horse Presents was the first comic book published by Dark Horse Comics in 1986 and was their flagship title until its September 2000 cancellation. The second incarnation was published on MySpace, running from July 2007 until August 2010...
(w/a):- "Lance Blastoff!" (in #100-1, 1995)
- "Lance Blastoff, America's Favourite Hero!" (in #114, 1996)
- 300 #1-5 (w/a, 1998) collected as 300 (hc, 88 pages, 2000, ISBN 1-5697-1402-9; tpb, 2002)
- Dark Horse Maverick 2000Maverick (Dark Horse)Maverick is a now-defunct imprint of Dark Horse Comics, created in 1999 by editor Diana Schutz for creator-owned works, to "provid[e] a home for creator-owned properties — providing a certain identity to those creator-owned labors of love that distinguishes them from Dark Horse's licensed books."...
: "Mercy!" (w/a, anthology one-shot, 2000) - 9-119-11 (comics)9-11 comics emerged following the terrorist attacks in New York City, Washington DC, and Pennsylvania on Tuesday, September 11, 2001, and cartoonists turned to art to express their grief and support...
vol.1: "Untitled" (w/a, graphic novel, tpb, 196 pages, 2002, ISBN 1-5638-9881-0) - Dark Horse Maverick: Happy EndingsMaverick (Dark Horse)Maverick is a now-defunct imprint of Dark Horse Comics, created in 1999 by editor Diana Schutz for creator-owned works, to "provid[e] a home for creator-owned properties — providing a certain identity to those creator-owned labors of love that distinguishes them from Dark Horse's licensed books."...
: "The End" (w/a, graphic novel, tpb, 96 pages, 2002, ISBN 1-5697-1820-2) - Autobiografix: "Man with Pen in Head" (w/a, anthalogy graphic novel, tpb, 104 pages, 2003, ISBN 1-5930-7038-1)
- Usagi YojimboUsagi Yojimbois a comic book series created by Stan Sakai in 1987. In 2011 IGN ranked Miyamoto Usagi 92nd in the top 100 comic books heroes.-Concept:Set primarily at the beginning of Edo period of Japan , with anthropomorphic animals replacing humans, the series features a rabbit ronin, Miyamoto Usagi, whom...
#100 (w/a, among others, 2009) collected in UY: Bridge of Tears (hc, 248 pages, 2009, ISBN 1-5958-2297-6; tpb, 2009, ISBN 1-5958-2298-4)
Other publishers
Titles published by various American and British publishers include:- Twilight ZoneTwilight zone-Television series and spinoffs:*The Twilight Zone, the anthology television series and its franchise:**The Twilight Zone , the 1959–1964 original television series***Twilight Zone: The Movie, a 1983 film based on the original series...
(a, Gold Key ComicsGold Key ComicsGold Key Comics was an imprint of Western Publishing created for comic books distributed to newsstands. Also known as Whitman Comics, Gold Key operated from 1962 to 1984.-History:...
):- "Mike Royal Feast" (with writer uncredited, in #84, 1978)
- "Endless Cloud" (with writer uncredited, in #85, 1978)
- Ms. TreeMs. TreeMs. Tree was the best-known comic book creation of author Max Allan Collins prior to his graphic novel, Road to Perdition. Terry Beatty was the series' artist.-Character Biography and Synopsis:...
#1-4: "Frank Miller's Famous Detective Pin-Up" (w/a, EclipseEclipse ComicsEclipse Comics was an American comic book publisher, one of several independent publishers during the 1980s and early 1990s. In 1978, it published the first graphic novel intended for the newly created comic book specialty store market...
, 1983) - Strip AIDS U.S.A.: "Robohomophobe!" (w/a, anthologyAnthologyAn anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
graphic novelGraphic novelA graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
, tpb, 140 pages, Last GaspLast GaspLast Gasp is a book and underground comix publisher and distributor based in San Francisco, California.- History :Founded in 1970 by Ron Turner to publish the ecologically-themed comics magazine Slow Death Funnies, followed by the all-female anthology It Ain't Me Babe, Last Gasp soon became a major...
, 1988, ISBN 0-8671-9373-5) - AARGH!AARGH (Artists Against Rampant Government Homophobia)AARGH was a 76-page one-off comics anthology published by Mad Love in 1988.The comic was designed to aid the fight against Clause 28, which was a controversial amendment to the Local Government Act 1988, a British law which was designed to outlaw the promotion of homosexuality by local authorities...
#1: "The Future of Law Enforcement" (w/a, Mad Love, 1988) - SpawnSpawn (comics)Spawn is a fictional comic book superhero who appears in a monthly comic book of the same name published by Image Comics. Created by writer/artist Todd McFarlane, Spawn first appeared in Spawn #1...
(w, ImageImage ComicsImage Comics is a United States comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties. It was immediately successful, and remains...
):- "Home Story" (with Todd McFarlaneTodd McFarlaneTodd McFarlane is a Canadian cartoonist, writer, toy designer and entrepreneur, best known for his work in comic books, such as the fantasy series Spawn....
, in #11, 1993) collected in Spawn: Dark Discoveries (tpb, 120 pages, 1997, ISBN 1-8872-7918-0) - Spawn/Batman (with Todd McFarlane, one-shot, 1994)
- "Home Story" (with Todd McFarlane
- Bad BoyBad Boy (comics)Bad Boy is a one-shot comic book by Frank Miller and Simon Bisley and published by Oni Press.-Publication history:The story was originally published as a 44 page prestige format comic book....
(w, with Simon BisleySimon BisleySimon Bisley is a British comics artist best known for his 1990s work on ABC Warriors, Lobo and Sláine. His style, reliant on paints, acrylics, inks and multiple-mediums, is strongly influenced by Frank Frazetta, Bill Sienkiewicz, Gustav Klimt, Salvador Dalí, Egon Schiele, and Richard Corben...
, Oni PressOni PressOni Press is an American independent comic book publisher based in Portland, Oregon. It was founded in 1997 by Bob Schreck and Joe Nozemack with the goal of publishing the kinds of comics and graphic novels they themselves would want to read...
, one-shot, 1997) - Frank Miller's RoboCopFrank Miller's RoboCopRoboCop refers to a number of comic book series spun off from the feature film of the same name.The main character is a fictional cyborg -Detroit police officer who begins as a human police officer Alex J. Murphy, who is killed in the line of duty by a vicious crime gang. Subsequently, Murphy is...
#1-9 (w, with Steven GrantSteven GrantSteven Grant is an American comic-book writer best known for his 1985-1986 Marvel Comics mini-series Punisher, with artist Mike Zeck and for his creator-owned character Whisper.-Biography:...
and Juan Jose RypJuan Jose RypJuan Jose Ryp is a Spanish comic book artist known, among other things, for his work on Black Summer with Warren Ellis. In Spain he contributed to erotic comics anthology magazines.-Biography:...
, AvatarAvatar PressAvatar Press is an independent American publisher of comic books, founded in 1996 by William A. Christensen, and based in Rantoul, Illinois.Avatar initially published only mini-series; however, they have since begun to branch out...
, 2003–2006) collected as Frank Miller's RoboCop (hc, 216 pages, 2006, ISBN 1-5929-1036-X; tpb, 2007, ISBN 1-5929-1035-1) - Holy Terror (w/a, graphic novel, hc, 120 pages, Legendary Comics, 2011, ISBN 1-9372-7800-X)
Covers only
- Marvel PremiereMarvel PremiereMarvel Premiere is an American comic book anthology series published by Marvel Comics. It ran for 61 issues from April 1972 to August 1981....
#49, 53-54, 58 (MarvelMarvel ComicsMarvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
, 1979–1981) - Marvel SpotlightMarvel SpotlightMarvel Spotlight is the name of several comic book series published by Marvel Comics as a try-out book for new characters. The first series ran for 33 issues from November 1971 to April 1977...
#2, 5, 7 (Marvel, 1979–1980) - Uncanny X-MenUncanny X-MenUncanny X-Men, first published as The X-Men, is the flagship Marvel Comics comic book series for the X-Men franchise. It is the mainstream continuity featuring the adventures of the eponymous group of mutant superheroes...
Annual #3 (Marvel, 1979) - Marvel Super Special #14 (Marvel, 1979)
- ROM Spaceknight #1, 3, 17-18 (Marvel, 1979–1981)
- The AvengersAvengers (comics)The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
#193 (Marvel, 1980) - Captain AmericaCaptain AmericaCaptain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
#241, 245, 255, Annual #5 (Marvel, 1980–1981) - The Amazing Spider-ManThe Amazing Spider-ManThe Amazing Spider-Man is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics, featuring the adventures of the fictional superhero Spider-Man. Being the mainstream continuity of the franchise, it began publication in 1963 as a monthly periodical and was published continuously until it was...
#203, 218-219 (Marvel, 1980–1981) - Marvel Team-UpMarvel Team-UpMarvel Team-Up is the name of several American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series featured two or more Marvel characters in one story...
#95, 99, 102, 106, Annual #3 (Marvel, 1980–1981) - Star Trek #5, 10 (Marvel, 1980–1981)
- The Spectacular Spider-ManThe Spectacular Spider-ManThe Spectacular Spider-Man is the name of several comic books and one magazine series starring Marvel Comics' Spider-Man.The character's main series, The Amazing Spider-Man, was extremely successful, and Marvel felt the character could support more than one title. This led the company in 1968 to...
#46, 48, 50-52, 54-57, 60 (Marvel, 1980–1981) - Spider-WomanSpider-WomanSpider-Woman is the codename of several fictional characters in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:Marvel Comics' then-publisher Stan Lee, said in 1978, shortly after Spider-Woman's debut in Marvel Spotlight #32 Spider-Woman is the codename of several fictional characters...
#31-32 (Marvel, 1980) - Power Man and Iron FistPower Man and Iron FistPower Man and Iron Fist was a Marvel comic book featuring the superheroes Power Man and Iron Fist.-Hero For Hire/Power Man:...
#66, 68, 70-74 (Marvel, 1980–1981) - Machine ManMachine ManMachine Man is a fictional character, an android superhero in the Marvel Comics Universe. The character was created by Jack Kirby for 2001: A Space Odyssey #8 , a comic written and drawn by Kirby featuring concepts based on the eponymous Stanley Kubrick film and Arthur C. Clarke novel...
#19 (Marvel, 1981) - Doctor StrangeDoctor StrangeDoctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
#46 (Marvel, 1981) - The Incredible Hulk #258, 261, 264, 268 (Marvel, 1981–1982)
- Micronauts #31 (Marvel, 1981)
- Moon KnightMoon KnightMoon Knight is a fictional character, a mercenary-turned-superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character exists in the Marvel Universe and was created by Doug Moench and Don Perlin...
#9, 12, 15, 27 (Marvel, 1981) - What If?What If (comics)What If, sometimes rendered as What If...?, is the title of several comic book series published by Marvel Comics, exploring "the road not traveled" by its various characters...
#27 (Marvel, 1981) - Ghost RiderGhost Rider (comics)Ghost Rider is the name of several fictional supernatural antiheroes appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Marvel had previously used the name for a Western character whose name was later changed to Night Rider and subsequently to Phantom Rider.The first supernatural Ghost Rider is...
#59 (Marvel, 1981) - Amazing HeroesAmazing HeroesAmazing Heroes was a magazine about the comic book medium published by Fantagraphics Books from 1981 to 1992. Unlike its companion title, The Comics Journal, Amazing Heroes was a hobbyist magazine rather than an analytical journal....
#4, 25, 69 (Fantagraphics BooksFantagraphics BooksFantagraphics Books is an American publisher of alternative comics, classic comic strip anthologies, magazines, graphic novels, and the adult-oriented Eros Comix imprint...
, 1981–1985) - Marvel FanfareMarvel FanfareMarvel Fanfare is the title of two comic book series published by Marvel Comics. Both versions of Marvel Fanfare were anthology, showcase titles featuring a variety of characters from the Marvel universe.-Volume One:...
#1 (Marvel, 1982) - World's Finest ComicsWorld's Finest ComicsWorld's Finest Comics was an American comic book series published by DC Comics from 1941 to 1986. The series was initially titled World's Best Comics for its first issue; issue #2 switched to the more familiar name...
#285 (DC ComicsDC ComicsDC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
, 1982) - Wonder WomanWonder WomanWonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
#298 (DC Comics, 1982) - Spider-Man andSpider-ManSpider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
Daredevil Special EditionDaredevilDaredevil may refer to:*A stunt performerIn comics and their spin-offs:*Daredevil , a Marvel comic book superhero* Daredevil , a 2003 film starring Ben Affleck as the Marvel character...
(Marvel, 1984) - The New Adventures of SuperboySuperboySuperboy is the name of several fictional characters that have been published by DC Comics, most of them youthful incarnations of Superman. These characters have also been the main characters of four ongoing Superboy comic book series published by DC....
#51 (cover, 1984) - Batman and the Outsiders Annual #1 (cover, 1984)
- Destroyer DuckDestroyer DuckDestroyer Duck was an anthology comic book published by Eclipse Comics in 1982, as well as the title of its primary story, written by Steve Gerber and featuring artwork by Jack Kirby....
#7 (EclipseEclipse ComicsEclipse Comics was an American comic book publisher, one of several independent publishers during the 1980s and early 1990s. In 1978, it published the first graphic novel intended for the newly created comic book specialty store market...
, 1984) - Superman: The Secret YearsSupermanSuperman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
#1-4 (DC Comics, 1985) - 'Mazing Man'Mazing ManMazing Man is the title character of a comic book series created by Bob Rozakis and Stephen DeStefano and published by DC Comics. The series ran for twelve issues in 1986, with additional special issues in 1987, 1988, and 1990...
#12 (DC Comics, 1986) - Anything Goes! #2 (Fantagraphics Books, 1986)
- Lone Wolf and CubLone Wolf and Cubis a manga created by writer Kazuo Koike and artist Goseki Kojima. First published in 1970, the story was adapted into six films starring Tomisaburo Wakayama, four plays, a television series starring Yorozuya Kinnosuke, and is widely recognized as an important and influential work.Lone Wolf and Cub...
#1-12 (First ComicsFirst ComicsFirst Comics was an American comic-book publisher that was active from 1983–1991, known for titles like American Flagg!, Grimjack, Nexus, Badger, Dreadstar, and Jon Sable...
, 1987–1988) - Death RattleDeath rattleA death rattle is a medical term that describes the sound produced by someone who is near death when saliva accumulates in the throat. Those who are dying may lose their ability to swallow, resulting in such an accumulation...
#18 (Kitchen SinkKitchen Sink PressKitchen Sink Press was a comic book publishing company founded by Denis Kitchen in 1970. Kitchen owned and operated Kitchen Sink Press until 1999. Kitchen Sink Press was a pioneering publisher of underground comics, and was also responsible for numerous republications of classic comic strips in...
, 1988) - Eternal WarriorEternal WarriorGilad Anni-Padda aka the Eternal Warrior is the title character of a 50-issue comic book series by Valiant Comics that ran from 1992 to 1996. Eternal Warrior was relaunched with the other Valiant characters under the banner of Acclaim Comics in 1996 . Valiant Entertainment, Inc...
#1 (ValiantValiant ComicsValiant Comics is a comic book imprint published by various publishers since its inception with Voyager Communications, Inc. in 1989, later Acclaim Comics, Inc. Its assets were purchased from the bankruptcy of the Acclaim Entertaintment by Valiant Entertainment, Inc. in 2007.-Voyager...
, 1992) - Archer & ArmstrongArcher & ArmstrongArcher & Armstrong are the title characters of the popular comic book series published by Valiant Comics. Among the most commercially and critically acclaimed buddy comedies in comics, Archer & Armstrong features writing and art by comic legend Barry Windsor-Smith...
#1 (Valiant, 1992) - Magnus, Robot FighterMagnus, Robot FighterMagnus, Robot Fighter is a fictional comic book superhero created by writer/artist Russ Manning in 1963, based primarily on Tarzan. Magnus first appeared in Magnus Robot Fighter 4000 A.D. #1, published by Gold Key Comics in February 1963...
#15 (Valiant, 1992) - X-O ManowarX-O ManowarX-O Manowar is a fictional superhero co-created by writer and former Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Jim Shooter, artist Bob Layton, and Jon Hartz. Current Marvel Comics Chief Creative Officier Joe Quesada was a key creator in the origin of X-O Manowar as seen in X-O Manowar #0...
#7 (Valiant, 1992) - ShadowmanShadowman (comics)Shadowman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by Valiant Comics. The character debuted in Shadowman #1 , and was created by writers Jim Shooter and Steve Englehart, artist David Lapham and inker Bob Layton...
#4 (Valiant, 1992) - RaiRai (comics)Rai is a fictional superhero that appeared in books published by Valiant Comics. Rai was the first original hero created by Valiant and had its beginning as a flipbook back-up feature in Magnus Robot Fighter issues #5-8. The popularity of the flipbook back-up story later led to an ongoing series...
#6 (Valiant, 1992) - HarbingerHarbinger (comics)Harbinger was a comic book series published by Valiant Comics about a group of teenage super-powered outcasts known as Harbingers. Harbinger initially featured writing and art by Jim Shooter and David Lapham...
#8 (Valiant, 1992) - Solar, Man of the AtomSolar (comics)Solar is an American fictional comic book character. Originally known as Doctor Solar, Man of the Atom, he first appeared in a comic book published by Gold Key Comics in the 1960s. He has since appeared in other incarnations in books published by Valiant Comics in the 1990s, and Dark Horse Comics...
#12 (Valiant, 1992) - Comics' Greatest World: Arcadia #1 (Dark HorseDark Horse ComicsDark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
, 1993) - John Byrne's Next MenNext MenJohn Byrne's Next Men is a comic book series written and drawn by John Byrne. The first volume of the series was published by Dark Horse Comics between 1991 and 1995...
#17 (Dark Horse, 1993) - Marvel AgeMarvel AgeMarvel Adventures is an imprint of Marvel Comics intended for younger audiences, including small children. Unlike the standard comics published by Marvel, which often take place in story arcs spanning several issues, each Marvel Adventures comic tells a standalone story.The idea was initially...
#127 (Marvel, 1993) - Comics' Greatest World: Vortex #4 (Dark Horse, 1993)
- Zorro #1 (ToppsTopps ComicsTopps Comics is a division of the American trading card publisher and gum/candy distributor the Topps Company, Inc. that published comic books from 1993–1998, beginning its existence during a short comics-industry boom that attracted many investors and new companies...
, 1993) - X: One Shot to the HeadX (Dark Horse Comics)X is a comic book Character who starred in his own self-titled series published by Dark Horse Comics for their Comics Greatest World imprint...
#4 (Dark Horse, 1994) - Medal of HonorMedal of Honor (comics)Medal of Honor is a four issue comic book limited series published by Dark Horse Comics from October 1994 through January 1995. Written by Doug Murray, each issue features the stories of several United States soldiers who earned the Medal of Honor during World War II...
#4 (Dark Horse, 1995) - Mickey Spillane's Mike Danger #1 (Tekno ComixTekno ComixTekno Comix was an American publishing company that produced comic books from 1995 to 1997.-History:The company was founded by Laurie Silvers and Mitchell Rubenstein as a division of their publicly traded company, Big Entertainment...
, 1995) - Prophet #2 (Extreme Studios, 1995)
- XX (Dark Horse Comics)X is a comic book Character who starred in his own self-titled series published by Dark Horse Comics for their Comics Greatest World imprint...
#18-22 (Dark Horse, 1995–1996) - G.I. JoeG.I. Joe (comics)G.I. Joe has been the title of comic strips and comic books in every decade since 1942. As a licensed property by Hasbro, comics have been released from 1967 to present, with only two interruptions longer than a year . As a team fighting Cobra since 1982, the comic book history of G.I...
#1 (Dark Horse, 1995) - Batman: Black and White #2 (DC Comics, 1996)
- Dark Horse PresentsDark Horse PresentsDark Horse Presents was the first comic book published by Dark Horse Comics in 1986 and was their flagship title until its September 2000 cancellation. The second incarnation was published on MySpace, running from July 2007 until August 2010...
#115 (Dark Horse, 1996) - Heavy MetalHeavy Metal (magazine)Heavy Metal is an American science fiction and fantasy comics magazine, known primarily for its blend of dark fantasy/science fiction and erotica. In the mid-1970s, while publisher Leonard Mogel was in Paris to jump-start the French edition of National Lampoon, he discovered the French...
#183 (HM Communications, 1999) - BoneBone (comics)Bone is an independently published graphic novel series originally serialized in 55 irregularly released issues from 1991 to 2004. Bone was drawn and written by Jeff Smith....
#38 (Cartoon Books, 2000) - SpawnSpawn (comics)Spawn is a fictional comic book superhero who appears in a monthly comic book of the same name published by Image Comics. Created by writer/artist Todd McFarlane, Spawn first appeared in Spawn #1...
#100 (ImageImage ComicsImage Comics is a United States comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties. It was immediately successful, and remains...
, 2000) - Green Lantern/Superman: Legend of the Green FlameGreen Lantern/Superman: Legend of the Green Flame"Green Lantern/Superman: Legend of the Green Flame" was a one-shot prestige format comic book published in 2000 by DC Comics.-Publication history:...
#1 (DC Comics, 2000) - Dark Horse Maverick 2001Maverick (Dark Horse)Maverick is a now-defunct imprint of Dark Horse Comics, created in 1999 by editor Diana Schutz for creator-owned works, to "provid[e] a home for creator-owned properties — providing a certain identity to those creator-owned labors of love that distinguishes them from Dark Horse's licensed books."...
(Dark Horse, 2001) - The EscapistsThe Escapist (character)The Escapist is a metafictional character, a comic book hero in the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, written by Michael Chabon, created as an homage to the heroes of the period known to fans and historians as the Golden Age of Comic Books...
#1 (Dark Horse, 2006) - Jurassic Park #1 (IDWIDW PublishingIDW Publishing, also known as Idea + Design Works, LLC and IDW, is an American publisher of comic books and comic strip collections. The company was founded in 1999 and has been awarded the title "Publisher of the Year Under 5% Market Share" for the years 2004, 2005 and 2006 by Diamond Comic...
, 2010) - Dark Horse PresentsDark Horse PresentsDark Horse Presents was the first comic book published by Dark Horse Comics in 1986 and was their flagship title until its September 2000 cancellation. The second incarnation was published on MySpace, running from July 2007 until August 2010...
#1 (Dark Horse, 2011)
Movies
- RoboCop 2RoboCop 2RoboCop 2 is a 1990 science fiction action film directed by Irvin Kershner and starring Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Dan O'Herlihy, Belinda Bayer, Tom Noonan and Gabriel Damon. Set in the near future in a dystopian metropolitan Detroit, Michigan...
Miller's original script was heavily edited through rewrites as it was deemed unfilmable. The original script was adapted in 2003 by Steven GrantSteven GrantSteven Grant is an American comic-book writer best known for his 1985-1986 Marvel Comics mini-series Punisher, with artist Mike Zeck and for his creator-owned character Whisper.-Biography:...
into the comics series, Frank Miller's RoboCopFrank Miller's RoboCopRoboCop refers to a number of comic book series spun off from the feature film of the same name.The main character is a fictional cyborg -Detroit police officer who begins as a human police officer Alex J. Murphy, who is killed in the line of duty by a vicious crime gang. Subsequently, Murphy is...
. - RoboCop 3RoboCop 3RoboCop 3 is a science fiction action film, released in 1993, set in the near future in a dystopian metropolitan Detroit, Michigan, and filmed in Atlanta, Georgia. Most of the buildings seen in the film were slated for demolition to make way for facilities for the 1996 Olympics. Nancy Allen as...
Miller co-wrote this with the film's director Fred DekkerFred DekkerFred Dekker is an American writer and director of the cult classic films Night of the Creeps and The Monster Squad . He contributed the story ideas for both House and Ricochet...
. - Batman: Year OneBatman: Year One"Year One", later referred to as "Batman: Year One", is an American comic book story arc written by Frank Miller, illustrated by David Mazzucchelli, colored by Richmond Lewis, and lettered by Todd Klein...
This was co-written and was due to be directed by Darren AronofskyDarren AronofskyDarren Aronofsky is an American film director, screenwriter and film producer. He attended Harvard University to study film theory and the American Film Institute to study both live-action and animation filmmaking...
until Warner Bros.Warner Bros.Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
cancelled the project opting for Christopher NolanChristopher NolanChristopher Jonathan James Nolan is a British-American film director, screenwriter and producer.He received serious notice after his second feature Memento , which he wrote and directed based on a story idea by his brother, Jonathan Nolan. Jonathan went to co-write later scripts with him,...
's Batman BeginsBatman BeginsBatman Begins is a 2005 American superhero action film based on the fictional DC Comics character Batman, directed by Christopher Nolan. It stars Christian Bale as Batman, along with Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman, Ken Watanabe, Tom Wilkinson,...
. - Sin CitySin City (film)Sin City, also known as Frank Miller's Sin City, is a 2005 crime thriller film written, produced and directed by Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez...
- The SpiritThe Spirit (film)The Spirit is a 2008 American superhero noir film, written and directed by Frank Miller and starring Gabriel Macht, Eva Mendes, Sarah Paulson, Dan Lauria, Paz Vega, Jaime King, Scarlett Johansson, and Samuel L. Jackson. The film is based on the newspaper comic strip The Spirit by Will Eisner...
Although Miller co-directed Sin City , this is his first solo directing project. - Sin City 2 In 2005, after Sin City was released, Robert RodriguezRobert RodriguezRobert Anthony Rodríguez is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer, editor and musician. He shoots and produces many of his films in his native Texas and Mexico. He has directed such films as Desperado, From Dusk till Dawn, The Faculty, Spy Kids, Sin City, Planet...
announced plans for a follow-up film that would feature many of the same characters. He planned for the film to be based on A Dame to Kill ForA Dame to Kill ForA Dame to Kill For is a comic book limited series first published by Dark Horse Comics in 1993. It is the second story in Frank Miller's Sin City series, and the first to be published in miniseries format. It was written and drawn entirely by Frank Miller...
. Miller said the film would be a prequel and a sequel with interlinking stories both before and after the first film. Miller, who was writing the screenplay in 2006, had anticipated for production to begin later in the year.
Miller was a producer for the film 300
300 (film)
300 is a 2007 American fantasy action film based on the 1998 comic series of the same name by Frank Miller. It is a fictionalized retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae. The film was directed by Zack Snyder, while Miller served as executive producer and consultant...
, which was adapted shot for shot into a feature film in 2007. The 2003 film version of Daredevil
Daredevil (film)
Daredevil is a 2003 American superhero film written and directed by Mark Steven Johnson. Based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, the film stars Ben Affleck as Matt Murdock, a blind lawyer who fights for justice in the courtroom and out of the courtroom as the masked vigilante Daredevil...
predominantly use the tone established and stories written by Miller, who had no direct creative input on the film (except for a cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
).
Awards
Eisner Awards- Best Short Story - 1995 "The Babe Wore Red", in Sin City: The Babe Wore Red and Other Stories (Dark Horse/Legend)
- Best Finite Series/Limited Series - 1991 Give Me Liberty (Dark Horse), 1995 Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (Dark Horse/Legend), 1996 Sin City: The Big Fat Kill (Dark Horse/Legend), 1999 300 (Dark Horse)
- Best Graphic Album: New - 1991 Elektra Lives Again (Marvel)
- Best Graphic Album: Reprint - 1993 Sin City (Dark Horse), 1998 Sin City: That Yellow Bastard (Dark Horse)
- Best Writer/Artist - 1991 for Elektra Lives Again (Marvel), 1993 for Sin City (Dark Horse), 1999 for 300 (Dark Horse)
- Best Artist/Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team - 1993 for Sin City (Dark Horse)
Kirby Awards
- Best Single Issue - 1986 Daredevil #227 "Apocalypse" (Marvel), 1987 Batman: The Dark Knight Returns #1 "The Dark Knight Returns" (DC)
- Best Graphic Album, 1987 Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (DC)
- Best Writer/Artist (single or team) - 1986 Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli, for Daredevil: Born Again (Marvel)
- Best Art Team - 1987 Frank Miller, Klaus Janson and Lynn Varley, for Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (DC)
Harvey Awards
- Best Continuing or Limited Series - 1996 Sin City (Dark Horse), 1999 300 (Dark Horse)
- Best Graphic Album of Original Work - 1998 Sin City: Family Values (Dark Horse)
- Best Domestic Reprint Project - 1997 Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, 10th Anniversary Edition (DC)
Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
- Palme d'OrPalme d'OrThe Palme d'Or is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival and is presented to the director of the best feature film of the official competition. It was introduced in 1955 by the organising committee. From 1939 to 1954, the highest prize was the Grand Prix du Festival International du...
- 2005 (nominated) Sin City (Dimension Films)
Scream Awards
Scream Awards
The Scream Awards is an award show dedicated to the horror, sci-fi, and fantasy genres of feature films. Originally only having Scream Queen and Heroic Performance awards for actors, the personnel awards have expanded to include actors and actresses of all three recognized genres. In addition,...
- The Comic-ConComic-ConComic-Con, Comic Con or ComiCon may refer to any of the following Comic book conventions, none of them affiliated to any other:*San Diego Comic-Con International, annual fan convention in San Diego held since 1970, also known as Comic-Con or San Diego Comic-Con*Dallas Comic Con, annual fan...
Icon Award - 2006