Comic book writer Frank Miller had today’s “This I Believe” essay on NPR. So, comic book fans, what did you think of it? Is Frank on the money? Is he washed up?
I felt pretty disappointed. I don’t know exactly what I expected, but I felt like I wanted more from a writer of his caliber. His essay is something practically anyone could have written (and, perhaps, this is the whole point of the TIB series.) It felt like… glurge. From Frank Miller. Gaahh.
What was particularly galling for me, however, was the microbiographical blurb at the end, where it was announced that his latest project is a graphic novel where Batman goes toe-to-toe against terrorists. Not to cheapen the incredible work Miller’s done with the franchise, but… Batman vs. The Terrorists? How can this be culturally significant, given that Batman fights costumed terrorists on a regular basis? Batman doesn’t take place in our world; the threats are different, the attitudes are different, the bad guys are different. This is about as world-shattering as when Captain America punched out Adolf Hitler.
Miller can be a damn fine story teller if he tries. While I never quite liked his Sin City, I have a deep appreciation of how that story was told, and also for how that comic helped chang people’s perception of comic books. My fear is that, by choosing DC comic’s #1 cash cow for the protagonist, Miller’s making yet one more pass at an already croweded market - dramatic, fictional stories based on 9/11 - and will produce a watered-down version of what may be an otherwise fine story, and further cheapen the impact of the actual events for an audience filled with easily impressionable minds.
Frank… if you want to tackle real-world, modern issues and mindsets, how about a new series, with new characters, and have it take place in a world much more like the real world? You can make it compelling, you can make it real, and you can make it sell - we’ve seen you do this before.
Batman vs. The Terrorists. Gaahhh.