Also, over the weekend, I read Frank Miller's "DK2". It did not really capture me as much as the Dark Knight Return" did. It had some of the same elements like: comments on the media, comments on the current comic book field, nostalgia for old comics...all of which was high lighted by the type of line and color work used. Interestingly enough, the "hard boiled" part was missing and I thought this truly was something you could read as a Justice League story from the pre-Watchmen/Dark Knight days. Did anyone else here read it?
Monday, November 23, 2009
Interview and DK2
I got interviewed by Bill Baker. It was a fun discussion and I got to post some of my recent sketches.
Interview
Also, over the weekend, I read Frank Miller's "DK2". It did not really capture me as much as the Dark Knight Return" did. It had some of the same elements like: comments on the media, comments on the current comic book field, nostalgia for old comics...all of which was high lighted by the type of line and color work used. Interestingly enough, the "hard boiled" part was missing and I thought this truly was something you could read as a Justice League story from the pre-Watchmen/Dark Knight days. Did anyone else here read it?
Also, over the weekend, I read Frank Miller's "DK2". It did not really capture me as much as the Dark Knight Return" did. It had some of the same elements like: comments on the media, comments on the current comic book field, nostalgia for old comics...all of which was high lighted by the type of line and color work used. Interestingly enough, the "hard boiled" part was missing and I thought this truly was something you could read as a Justice League story from the pre-Watchmen/Dark Knight days. Did anyone else here read it?
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9 comments:
Yeah, I thought it was a mess. It was basically the antithesis of the original, which, I believe, was Miller's point. I guess I don't see what the reason was for even doing the story, because it was poorly paced, badly drawn (the computer coloring is terrible) and basically just came off as a joke.
I haven't - should I?
Your point about it reading like a Justice League story is interesting, though, since I have been reading Miller's All-Star Batman and Robin, which seems to be a sort of Batman-focused Justice League backstory to DK. Andy tells me he read somewhere they it's on permanent hiatus, as critics and fans apparently hated it (which is to say, they didn't "get it" - I got it, and really liked it). Oh well.
Hi Jay,
I think that the coloring was done like that on purpose...to sort of show that computer coloring is a bad thing when not done right (I think what Miller was trying to say was that lots of people are using computers to color comics, but even though they know all the Photoshop tricks the colors look horrible because they don't understand the basic color theory). The same goes for the drawing. Of course these are just my guesses...it is possible that MIller was straight up with everything and then I am not sure what to say.
I actually think that it was less of a story and more of a comment on today's comics...sort of like reading a comics editorial that happens to be a story.
That really wasn't what I was excepting and maybe that is why the book just did not grab me. Although I will say that the 2-3 pages of the Shazam end did resonate with me.
I almost wish MIller would have done the sequel with Bruce Wayne bed ridden from his heart condition pulling strings from his bed and hating every minute of it because he is a man of action and not behind the scene manipulations...and then at one point he has to make a choice of either acting and possibly dying or not acting and continuing his war on Luthor. That would have been a 180 from Dark Knight Returns which was all about getting back "into the game".
Dan,
I got my copy at the library and I would recommend for you to get your first reading copy there. If you like it, you can always get it later...if you don't like it....
I'll add my "hated it" to the anti-DK2 pile.
For me, it felt like they intentionally did inferior work and that irritates me far more than people who fail while doing their best.
I don't know if it was laziness, hubris, burn out, or flat out spite...but whatever it was....I didn't like it.
Miller apparently told Colleen Doran that ASB&R was satire. Could be DK2 was similarly not "straight up".
I'll check the library.
I still think satire should be well done. (Like Megaton Man)
I am curious about his motives now...and what caused it to fail.
Maybe his own work has been edging so close to self satire, it's hard to tell when he's playing it straight, or not.
Maybe he just can't tell a joke.
It's not like I ever pegged him as a great humourist.
And, jeez...those colors were just too ugly....even for a joke.
Alex - I figured the same thing, that the book was Miller's political comment on the state of the comics industry, but man, if he needed to make that point, why did he feel that the fans needed to pay over $15 for such a negative opinion? It was almost as if he were laughing at us for buying it. Your comment about checking out the trade at the Library is a good one.
Jay,
I agree.
On the flip side...I just checked out Miller's Daredevil collection called "Born Again" (drawn by David M.) and as I remember it it was a wonderful story and I am looking forward to re-reading it over the weekend :)
There you go, Alex - that's a really good story.
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