Frank Miller

Born on January 27, 1957, Olney Maryland. Frank Miller grew up a comic book fan so the transition from a fan to becoming a writer was a natural fit.

In the early part of his career during the 1970’s, Miller became a regular fill-in and artist on many titles. It was in the 1980’s that things began to rapidly change for Miller.

By the 1980’s Daredevil sales weren’t doing that well. Frank Miller was assigned the daunting task of turning this around and he was up to the challenge. Miller believed that he had something special in Daredevil. He believed that the right story hadn’t been told surrounding a blind hero with his high virtues. He thought what would happen if you take everything he stands for and everything he holds dear and then have it collapse in front of him?

Daredevil Born Again has been described as the reason Daredevil transformed into the dark and gritty character we know him as today. This story and version is so good that it has become the version that the Netflix show Daredevil is based on.

In Daredevil #168 Miller took Daredevil to new levels. He introduced the Martial Arts character, Stick and The Hand. Even the villain, Bullseye was elevated to new heights. In issue #181, he assassinated Elektra. This act sent shockwaves throughout the comic book world as Elektra had become a fan favorite. Never had Marvel taken the violent and grim path that Miller was leading them on.

As the 80’s progressed, so too did Miller. 

He began writing Batman and his work is widely considered the seminal Batman story. The Dark Knight Returns is a story in which Batman is 55 years old and long retired. Naturally, he doesn’t stay retired for long as he is coerced out of retirement by the Joker and Two-Face. What the reader doesn’t expect is that during the conflict he also ends up battling Superman. This, of course, has since been adapted onto the big screen in Batman V. Superman. 

After his work on Batman, he shifted gears. Miller began writing stories like Sin City. Sin City was different from comics at the time as it was a noir look on a comic story. It was violent…oh, it was violent. 

There is a reason Frank Miller has been a mainstay in the comic book genre for years. He is widely considered one of the most influential creators of all time. Daredevil, Batman, Sin City, 300, and so much more…you name it, he’s a part of it. Frank Miller will go down as a legend in the industry.

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