Resource created by Lucy Sutters Frank Miller – A Case Study Batman Returns… In 1986 DC Comics released the first issue of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (commonly shortened to DKR), a four-issue mini-series printed in the new prestige format, and written and drawn by Miller, with colours by Lynn Varley and inks by Klaus Janson. The story tells how Batman, retired after the death of Robin, returns to fight crime in a future where crime and violence have taken over. Meant as a possible finale for Batman, Miller created a tough, gritty portrayal of the Dark Knight. It showed a new form of more 'adult-oriented' storytelling to a mainstream audience, as well as diehard comics fans. Receiving massive amounts of media publicity, Miller found that he had not only redefined Batman in comics, but had managed to remove the campy image many had of the character from the 1960s television series. DKR influenced the comic book industry by heralding a new wave of darker, more 'realistic' characters in comics, and along with Batman: The Killing Joke, it was also a major influence on Tim Burton's Batman in 1989. The trade paperback proved to be a huge seller for DC and remains in print 20 years after first being published. Looking at the two images of Batman (above and below), analyse the differences between the two artistic impressions. In looking at the idea of a ‘hero’, how do the two representations differ? What impression do you get of the world in which Batman lives from both images? Which representation of Batman do you think would appeal to a younger audience and why? Resource created by Lucy Sutters Sin City and beyond… In 1991 Miller started work on his first Sin City story. Serialised in Dark Horse Presents issues 51 to 62, this was Miller's first completely solo work as he wrote and drew the story in black and white to emphasize its film noir* origins. Proving to be another success for Miller, the story was released in a trade paperback. This first Sin City "yarn" was re-released in 2005 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. Frank Miller’s style is dark, angular, violent, and crisp within the Sin City series. He focuses on the underworld of society, drawing out the ‘sin’ from within our world and heightening it for dramatic and comic effect. Miller mocks and satirises our world, portraying it with aggression and using sins to make us appear weak and ineffectual. Look at the artwork from Sin City (above and below). How does it fit into the ‘noir’ genre? Who do you think this style of comic is targeted towards? Why do you think this form of comic appeals to an audience? * Film noir is a style of crime or detective film, which was popular in the 1940’s and 50’s, but has been revived in popular projects recently, such as Sin City (2005), The Usual Suspects (1995), and Chinatown (1973). The genre tends to have the following stylistic features: minimal, high-contrasted lighting (often broken or fragmented, shots of shadowed shutters or fans are common) dramatic orchestral music rain/dreary backgrounds (elements of pathetic fallacy) sadistic violence a downbeat plot with an unhappy ending The genre has similar characters as suggested by Propp, but with a darker twist: an anti-hero – usually a tough, cynical trenchcoat-clad male protagonist, such as an alcoholic detective. The femme fatale – literally, the ‘fatal woman’. Beneath her mask of femininity and sexual allure, this character is usually deadly, and lures the male protagonist into danger for her Resource created by Lucy Sutters own purposes. She is often characterised with red lips, smokes and wears provocative clothing.