ReturningSon
03-17-2007, 09:07 PM
"Ronin: Philosophically Miller's Greatest Work"
-T. M. Chaney
March, 2007
"When one thinks of Frank Miller they tend to navigate toward the mainstream Hollywood stylizations of his work. With Sin City fast becoming a cult classic and with 300 topping the charts at the box office, the younger generation of fans are entranced by what they see on the screens and that is just it. They see Frank Miller's work translated by Hollywood directors who do have a sense of style in making movies but not in comic novels. They project what they want, no matter the numerous protests they proclaim about trying to stay as close to the book as possible.
Frank Miller's “Ronin” is the defining work in the genre. With Dark Knight spearheading DC back from recession and into corporational stardom and with Sin City giving the then little known Dark Horse publishers a name, Frank Miller did not have to worry about making a masterpiece as he was about ready to constructed two. “Ronin” allows the reader to view Miller without the constraints of the world. His writing and drawing ability ascends to leaps and bounds as he did not have to adhere to the regulations of mainstream comics as he already he broke them.
Miller's dark Knight series was released some months after “Ronin” had hit the shelves. With fan rejoicing over the manga-style of Miller's art and the sensual yet gritty diction of his dialogue they were overjoyed when Dc published the Dark Knight. The "Dark Knight" series made a forgotten man out of “Ronin” due to the epic success of the latter. While Miller's take on batman revolutionized the world of comics, his take on the turbulent 1980's were even more profound in “Ronin”.
The 1980s was a hard time for man. With the remnants and ghosts of Vietnam still lingering on everyone minds and the sudden death of the glorious 70’s created numerous amounts of tension, political and sociological. With the peaking of the Cold War and with the initiation of then radical Ronald Reagan’s policies there were many intellectuals who channeled their unhappiness through their select mediums. Miller did not publish a racist take of the 1980s through “Ronin” he merely satirized it. The economy was on the rise yet few were just starting to recognize the homeless epidemic. Miller basically unplugs 1980’s pop culture, greed, radical political policies and the raising computer age and slams it down in the 22nd century. Miller then asserts his predictions which portray the setting: an economic collapse and then “Ronin” gets underway.
Ronin’s premise and symbolism are profound yet it is the drawings that visually attract the reader. When illustrating New York, Frank Miller barely ascribes any detail. He simply draws misshapen lines to portray a city that has lost its soul. A heavy manga style influence can be felt especially when Miller illustrates the settings of serene Japanese countryside and characters. Yet what makes this novel so epic is the clash between modern and ancient settings. One page the reader will be staring at an apocalyptic section of New York which is barely reduced to a pile of rubble then, once the reader flips the pages, feudalistic Japan emerges with demons and samurai walking the hills. This is what makes Frank Miller’s work so irresistible and why it was so loved with critics.
A film adaptation of “Ronin”, which was a natural response after the huge box office success of “300”, is planned. Sylvain White, director of Stomp The Yard, is prototyping the adaptation which is in the stages of pre-production. Will the film be better than the novel? It certainly has the advantage of sweeping visual effects and an ensemble cast but it won’t match the one thing that every comic film has aspired to reach; ink on the page. "
-T. M. Chaney
March, 2007
"When one thinks of Frank Miller they tend to navigate toward the mainstream Hollywood stylizations of his work. With Sin City fast becoming a cult classic and with 300 topping the charts at the box office, the younger generation of fans are entranced by what they see on the screens and that is just it. They see Frank Miller's work translated by Hollywood directors who do have a sense of style in making movies but not in comic novels. They project what they want, no matter the numerous protests they proclaim about trying to stay as close to the book as possible.
Frank Miller's “Ronin” is the defining work in the genre. With Dark Knight spearheading DC back from recession and into corporational stardom and with Sin City giving the then little known Dark Horse publishers a name, Frank Miller did not have to worry about making a masterpiece as he was about ready to constructed two. “Ronin” allows the reader to view Miller without the constraints of the world. His writing and drawing ability ascends to leaps and bounds as he did not have to adhere to the regulations of mainstream comics as he already he broke them.
Miller's dark Knight series was released some months after “Ronin” had hit the shelves. With fan rejoicing over the manga-style of Miller's art and the sensual yet gritty diction of his dialogue they were overjoyed when Dc published the Dark Knight. The "Dark Knight" series made a forgotten man out of “Ronin” due to the epic success of the latter. While Miller's take on batman revolutionized the world of comics, his take on the turbulent 1980's were even more profound in “Ronin”.
The 1980s was a hard time for man. With the remnants and ghosts of Vietnam still lingering on everyone minds and the sudden death of the glorious 70’s created numerous amounts of tension, political and sociological. With the peaking of the Cold War and with the initiation of then radical Ronald Reagan’s policies there were many intellectuals who channeled their unhappiness through their select mediums. Miller did not publish a racist take of the 1980s through “Ronin” he merely satirized it. The economy was on the rise yet few were just starting to recognize the homeless epidemic. Miller basically unplugs 1980’s pop culture, greed, radical political policies and the raising computer age and slams it down in the 22nd century. Miller then asserts his predictions which portray the setting: an economic collapse and then “Ronin” gets underway.
Ronin’s premise and symbolism are profound yet it is the drawings that visually attract the reader. When illustrating New York, Frank Miller barely ascribes any detail. He simply draws misshapen lines to portray a city that has lost its soul. A heavy manga style influence can be felt especially when Miller illustrates the settings of serene Japanese countryside and characters. Yet what makes this novel so epic is the clash between modern and ancient settings. One page the reader will be staring at an apocalyptic section of New York which is barely reduced to a pile of rubble then, once the reader flips the pages, feudalistic Japan emerges with demons and samurai walking the hills. This is what makes Frank Miller’s work so irresistible and why it was so loved with critics.
A film adaptation of “Ronin”, which was a natural response after the huge box office success of “300”, is planned. Sylvain White, director of Stomp The Yard, is prototyping the adaptation which is in the stages of pre-production. Will the film be better than the novel? It certainly has the advantage of sweeping visual effects and an ensemble cast but it won’t match the one thing that every comic film has aspired to reach; ink on the page. "