Top 10 Best Frank Miller Comic Books

The sequel to 300 is finally hitting theaters this week. And while 300: Rise of an Empire isn't directly based on a Frank Miller comic like the original, it still has us reflecting back on Miller's long, impressive career in the comics industry. Miller is a versatile creator who distinguished himself as a writer and an artist, and often both at once. He was instrumental in the evolution of characters like Daredevil and Batman in the 1980's. His creator-owned projects like Sin City and 300 have proven to be very successful, hence the movie deals.

We've selected what we consider to be the ten best and most enduring stories Miller has worked on over the years. Let us know what your favorites are in the comments section below!

10

Big Guy & Rusty the Boy Robot

Released 1995

Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot TPBMuch of Miller's work is steeped in Japanese elements like wandering samurai and ninja crime cartels. But Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot explored a different branch of Japanese pop culture - giant robots and kaiju. Miller offered a coming-of-age tale where the hulking robo-warrior Rusty and his Astroboy-esque replacement, Rusty, must band together to save their city from rampaging monsters.

This series reunited Miller with artist Geof Darrow after their previous collaboration on Hard Boiled. Darrow's intricate, energetic work was a perfect fit for the story, which might not have worked as well as it did had Miller illustrated it himself. Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot also deserves credit for (despite some violence) being more family-friendly than most of Miller's work. It seems even Miller has a soft side.

9

300

Released 1998

In what is probably the last of his great works, Miller turned his attention to historical Greece (a heavily fictionalized version of it, at least) for 300. Miller offered his own take on the Battle of Thermopylae, the famous clash between King Leonidas and his uber-elite Spartan warriors against a massive Persian invading force. As much as the series simplified the real events of Thermopylae as recorded by Herodotus, 300 proved to be a rousing tale of a courageous few defending their home against a seemingly insurmountable enemy.

It was also a terrifically violent and stylish look at Spartan warfare. Would you expect anything less of Miller? It helped that 300 adopted a novel widescreen format. Each issue consisted of a series of double-page spreads, which really paid off when the book was collected in hardcover format. The already cinematic comic was faithfully and lavishly adapted by Zack Snyder for the 2006 film, which relished in every display of Spartan machismo and gushing torrent of blood.

Several years ago, Dark Horse announced a follow-up to 300 called Xerxes, which will explore the origins of the self-proclaimed "god-king" and the events of the Battle of Marathon. Xerxes was supposed to have been released in time for the theatrical debut of 300: Rise of an Empire, but seems to have dropped off the radar for now. It should be interesting to see how this prequel pr

8

Ronin

Released 1983-84

After immersing himself in the world of samurai, ninja, and martial arts for his Wolverine and Daredevil work, it seemed Miller had samurai on the brain. And that informed his first major project for DC, which explored a very different sort of wandering samurai hero. In this case, a ronin kills himself and his nemesis, the demonic Agat, in feudal Japan, only for both to be reborn in a dystopian, 21st Century New York City.

Ronin is perhaps a bit rougher around the edges than much of Miller's later creator-owned work. But it's a bold, imaginative story nonetheless. Miller's art shows a clear influence from Lone Wolf & Cub, with its bold figures and woodcut-esque texture. The series also marked the first collaboration between Miller and colorist (and future wife) Lynn Varley.

Ronin's influence is clear, not just on his future work, but other creators as well. Nowhere is that influence more apparent than Genndy Tartakovsky's surreal animated series Samurai Jack. And alongside Brian Bolland's Camelot 3000 and Alan Moore's Saga of the Swamp Thing, Ronin paved the way for more intellectual, adult-oriented stories at DC and the creation of the Vertigo imprint.

7

Sin City: The Hard Goodbye

Released 1991-92

Having spent much of the '80s churning out character-defining runs for Daredevil, Batman, and Wolverine, Miller began focusing more on creator-owned projects as the '90s dawned. One of his most popular and influential, Sin City, made its humble debut in the pages of Dark Horse Presents.

The first Sin City saga is still the best, though The Big Fat Kill and That Yellow Bastard certainly make strong cases as well. The Hard Goodbye first introduced readers to Basin City, a dank, shadowy cesspool of crime and corruption. Their guide was Marv, a hulking brute driven to avenge the murder of Goldie, a prostitute whose only crime was showing him a but of tenderness and humanity. Marv's ensuing path of destruction was as tragic as it was violent.

Sin City has always been one of the strongest showcases for Miller's distinctive art style. Color is used sparingly, with the art instead focused on the interplay between light and shadow and delivering a stark, noir atmosphere. As with any Sin City comic, there's never any question of who illustrated The Hard Goodbye.

6

Martha Washington: Give Me Liberty

Released 1990

Humor is not an element common to much of Miller's work prior to the days of The Dark Knight Strikes Again and All-Star Batman & Robin. And that's something that set Give Me Liberty apart from the rest of Miller's resume when it debuted in 1990. Miller was certainly no stranger to dystopian futures by that point, but Give Me Liberty featured a heavy satirical element. It also boasted one of his more complex and memorable characters in the form of the 21st Century freedom fighter named after a certain First Lady. And Dave Gibbons' art certainly didn't hurt either.

Unfortunately, the Martha Washington saga peaked early with Give Me Liberty, and Miller and Gibbons never quite recaptured the magic in subsequent stories. But it's hard to complain too much when the entire saga is now collected in one $30 trade. Miller fans can follow the entire life's journey and struggle of Martha Washington as she struggles in the Chicago slums, becomes a military hero, and eventually defender of the globe.

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