As my ‘graphic novel’ fixation has increased, I’ve found myself doing an increasing amount of ‘research’ on the subject. This has led to a number of startling revelations. One of the most surprising (for me at least), was the career of Frank Miller.

I’m guessing that I’m not different to a lot of people when I say that my first exposure to any of Frank Miller’s stuff came when I saw Sin City for the first time. After some initial research I quickly found that Frank Miller was not just the guy that wrote ‘Sin City’.

Frank Miller’s characters are tough, dark, broken, morally ambiguous and flawed. I guess this is why I shouldn’t have been all that surprised to learn that Frank Miller has produced stories for major characters such as Batman, Wolverine, Daredevil and Spawn. He was also responsible for the creation, and death, of the Elektra character.

Something else that I learnt was that Frank Miller was responsible for writing the scripts of Robocop 2 and 3. I dare say, they probably weren’t the high points of his career.

So, you’ve seen Sin City and 300, dipped your toe into the pool of ‘graphic novels’ with one of the Sin City stories, where should you go next for your Frank Miller fix? Well, I’m glad you asked, here are some of his more popular and highly regarded works.

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns

10 years since the last recorded sighting of the Batman. Gotham City has begun to rot away. It’s time for Batman to come out of retirement. This story was credited with resurrecting the Batman ‘brand’. Arguably one of the most talked about comics in history.

 

Batman: Year One

From retirement Batman, to the work experience kid Batman. Year One takes a massive leap back in time to trace the beginnings of Batman as he spends his first year on the job. If you liked the movie, Batman Begins, then you stand a good chance of liking this.

 

Daredevil Visionaries - Frank Miller Vol. 1

Frank Miller made his name when he brought the Daredevil series back from the dead. In volume in volume 1 he contributed the artwork. If you've seen the live action movie with Ben Affleck, then some of what you find in volume 1 will be familiar to you.

 

Daredevil Visionaries – Frank Miller Vol.2

Volume 2 collects issues 168-182 of Daredevil, and these are the issues in which Frank Miller really made his mark.. Frank Miller contributes both the stories and the art. Volume 2 features the Hand as well as Daredevils mentor Stick. Elektra is also introduced in this series for the first time.

 

Daredevil Visionaries - Frank Miller Vol.3

Volume 3 covers both the death of Elektra as well as the return of the Hand. Without Elektra to help him, Daredevil turns to the Black Widow.

The relationship between Daredevil and the Black Widow is actually alluded to in the Xbox game Marvel: Ultimate Alliance. Just thought I'd mention that.

 

Elektra: Assassin

Let’s just say that I don’t think Frank Miller ever intended Elektra to turn out the way she did in the 2005 Jennifer Garner movie. Still, I'm a big fan of Jennifer Garner's work...

 

Wolverine by Claremont & Miller (Marvel Premiere Classic)

An old school Wolverine story, one of the first to delve into what really made the guy tick. Set in Japan, this story also features an appearance by ‘the Hand’.