Frank Miller is without a doubt a legend already in the world of art and comic books. He is so talented that you need not wait until he retires to give him such a moniker. Trying to sift through the incredible quality of his body of work and find the best of what he has done was quite an undertaking. As such, I decided to go with those Miller comics that I personally loved. Some are on the list due to art, and some are due to writing. Regardless, Miller is all over them in an artistic way. Here, according to me, are the top five Frank Miller comics of all time.
5. Batman - The Dark Knight Returns - This was first time that I saw Frank Miller’s work personally, and I was in love from the moment I did. For years, I had hoped for a grittier, tougher style of Batman. One that was hard as nails, and scary to the bone. Boy, did Miller deliver my expectations in this one. The book is all about an older retired Batman that is forced to save Gotham. This is easily the greatest Batman story ever told in my humble opinion.
4. Daredevil Visionaries - For many, this story is the absolute pinnacle of Frank Miller work. It tells the story of Elektra, Daredevil, and their love hate relationship’s humble beginnings. Also, this chronicles the story of how Elektra is killed by the evil Bullseye. This story was one of the greatest in the history of comic books, and it made Daredevil reach popularity levels that he had never seen before.
3. Batman - Year One - If you ever wished that a modern artist would take up the story of how Bruce Wayne becomes Batman, then you are in luck. Year One not only tells the story, but it updates it as well. There are a very few artists or writers that could get away with toying with Batman’s history. Frank Miller is one of them, and this is the perfect example.
2. Sin City - Sin City is all at once crude, evil, happy, sad, and everything in between. The dark artistic value and the dark storylines are the perfect canvas for Frank Miller to ply his trade. Each and every one of the stories in the Sin City line are masterpieces all by themselves. As a group they are the a wonderful panorama of Miller style and excitement. The movie was great, but the books are incredible.
1. Daredevil - Elektra Lives Again - As fascinating as it was to watch Miller kill off the seductive Elektra, it was even more exciting to watch him spin a yarn that was able to bring her back. This graphic novel is the best that Miller has ever done in my opinion, simply because it marries my favorite comic book character (Elektra) with my favorite artist and writer. (Miller) The book is simply magical in how it weaves the storyline into the art, and will be at the top of the list of graphic novels for a very long time.
