After the original DC writers and artists who created Batman and Superman, and the Silver Age icons who built the Marvel Universe, there may not be a single more important American comic book creator in history than Frank Miller.
While Miller didn’t necessarily create many globally iconic characters, he had a huge impact on Marvel and DC heroes: Reckless in the former, thanks to its groundbreaking campaign on that title in the early 1980s, and bat Man in the latter, through his extremely influential comic books The Dark Knight Returns It is Year one. Miller’s work on both characters continues to shape their modern portrayals, both in comics and on screen. Marvel is currently producing a Daredevil: Born Again TV series, while DC explored The Dark Knight Returns for images, themes, character designs in almost every Batman film they’ve made so far – and Zack Snyder says he’d like to return to the company someday to direct a true adaptation of the book. (He kind of already did a version of the material in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.)
So if any comics artist deserves a documentary, it’s Miller, whose bibliography also includes award-winning (and movie-inspiring) book series. Sin City It is 300. After what appears to be an extremely long development process – the film contains footage dating back to at least 2016 – Frank Miller: American genius is finally opening in theaters this week. After that, I assume it will be available to rent or stream more widely, and in that context I think it will be of interest to comic book fans – with a few notable caveats.
Despite my familiarity with Miller’s work, American Genius filled in many gaps in my own knowledge about Miller himself and how he entered the comics industry in the 1970s. He received early mentorship from famed Marvel and DC artist Neal Adams, who was less than impressed with the young Miller’s talents; in the film, he laughs about how terrible Miller’s early illustrations were and how he flatly told him to redraw a story that wasn’t up to par, only for Miller to inform him that it had already been accepted for publication.
I also never knew that Miller’s first work for Marvel included the famous cover of ROM #1, an assignment Miller achieved after several other artists tried and failed to fulfill the brief provided by editor Jim Shooter. Miller also talks in the film about his struggle with alcoholism and its effects especially on his art, a subject that came as a complete surprise to me. Artists and friends who appear in the documentary to speak glowingly about the collaboration with Miller include Klaus Janson, Dave Gibbons, Geof Darrow, Dan DiDio, Jessica Alba, Rosario Dawson and Zack Snyder.
Neal Adams passed away in 2022 and is interviewed in the film. The same goes for Stan Lee, who passed away in 2018. I don’t know why this documentary took so long to come out, but it seems a little dated. Miller has been seen writing and illustrating published projects for over five years; While it’s fascinating to watch him splash paint with brushes or write dialogue by hand, it would be nice to see more of what he’s up to now.
Miller himself does well; if not as a “genius”, then certainly a talented and humble artist, and a true evangelist for the comics medium. (In one of his more endearing traits, he tends to wear T-shirts emblazoned with logos and characters of his own creation.) Part of the reason he does so well may have something to do with the fact that Frank Miller: American genius was directed by Silenn Thomas, associate producer of Miller’s film adaptation 300 and the CEO of his production company.
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She obviously has an interest in making Miller seem like a figure who lives up to her film’s edgy subtitle, and perhaps in not delving too deeply into Miller’s more controversial work—like his disappointing film adaptation of Will Eisner’s comic book series. The spirit or his infamous graphic novel Holy Terror, which was conceived as a book about Batman fighting Islamic terrorists and then published with all the Batman material excised from it. (Miller replaced the Dark Knight with a similar figure of his own creation called “The Fixer”). These projects are mentioned, but only briefly, with Miller quickly dismissing them, claiming he wasn’t at his best when he made them.
I’m not sure Frank Miller: American Genius represents the best that could be said or explored about Miller. A more critical filmmaker would certainly have created a more complex portrait of the man and his impressive but imperfect work. Maybe that wasn’t Thomas’s goal. After all, Miller’s comics tend to expand already-great comic book heroes until they take on mythical proportions. At times, this documentary gives a similar quality to its subject.
Frank Miller: American Genius will be shown on Monday, June 10th at Cinemark Theaters and will feature a live introduction with Frank Miller moderated by Rosario Dawson. For more informations, check the Cinemark website.
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