How IMPORTANT Is Frank Miller's Ronin: Book One?

[@TheTonyFigueroa]

Frank Miller's "Ronin" is, despite its faults, a pioneering work in American comics. And it's the pioneers who take all the arrows along the way. Miller could've easily produced a retread of what made him popular. Instead, he gave us a work that will endure long past most American comics.

[@jonanjello]

FM’s Ronin is very important. Flawed but my favorite of all his comics. Bought them as they were released and $2.50 was not cheap for a thirteen years old! I even picked up the artist edition after seeing the Kayfabe video... and that was not cheap fora fifty-years old! Cannot wait to watch and listen to this episode. Thanks, guys!

[@Skinsbison1906]

Bought this upon release as a senior in high school.Truly a revolutionary event in the genre in price and presentation wise.This period had Heavy Metal and Epic Illustrated hitting its stride.Flawed yes, masterpiece , yes.

[@kirtburdick]

Ronin and Howard Chaykin's Shadow mini-series really set the table for DKR and Watchmen. I'm a big fan of the Shadow series from the 80s. You had Howard Chaykin, Bill Sienkiewicz, Marshall Rogers, and Kyle Baker working on it. It is a rad comic.

[@dwaynemuth8775]

I was on the ground floor when this came out in April of ‘83 ! Definite Moebius/Arzach vibe and steps faraway from conventional monthly comics with the visuals and dialogue rolling out! At my LCS most customers assuming Miller was sloppy with the artwork and I really liked it because I had absolutely no clue what was coming! No one did? I’ve got the HC and to be honest it’s been quite awhile since I read this! Miller and Varley were very ambitious with Ronin and DC certainly went out on a limb with them and I have alot of fond memories of the era,things were changing!🙃❤️

[@JamesHaney]

Miller used an earlier version of this hatching in his portion of SUPERMAN #500 (the tale of receiving signals from another Earth, revealing Clark’s identity via broadcasts of George Reeves as the Man of Steel). RONIN was a drastic shift for Miller and Comix in general. Excellent overview, Gentlemen! ⚪️🖖♾

[@darioscomicschool1111]

Trading Rob for Frank! Tough Love! The Sword drinks the BLOOD! EPIC! Miss that! 16:12 California 2023 Love the City Spreads back to back....from medium to epic! 21:35 Great Panels! 22:51 Rob again! 26:36 Samurai Jack???

[@artfacekillah]

I love all you're videos. But when a Miller comes up as I'm drinkin my coffee...it doesn't get any better than that.

[@Bb186fo]

Makes my morning!

[@rudak6718]

I recently re-read this (first time in about 10 years). I FINALLY noticed ONE LINE of dialogue that clarifies what's happening with Billy-- I wont spoil it here but it's in Book Five, page 46, once we get there! I agree as a kid my interest waned a bit as the story got more complex, BUT this reading I felt the story became a great A.I. Body Horror mind melt, about a collision of powers manipulating the physical world-- human intelligence, human psychic power, and artificial intelligence. I read it in the oversized Absolute Edition which made the art feel almost as alien as the first time! FUN STUFF!

[@CartoonistKayfabe]

Does the Absolute have scripts in it?

[@rudak6718]

@@CartoonistKayfabe no, unfortunately, just a gallery with some original art pages, ad art, and two concept sketches drawn in his Daredevil style!

[@MarcumDavid]

If an event is unique or its date or time is known, use when. Whenever is best used for repeated events or events whose date or time is uncertain. - Grammar Purist

[@JorgeVelezMusic]

This weird crosshatch-y style of Miller's first popped up in Daredevil #191 if I remember correctly.

[@bfitz111]

This channel is the biz. Just got my hands on the same TPB. Absolutely love the art style. Subscribed dudes

[@TheNillaa]

A bundle of the 6 issues caught my eyes in a store in Rotterdam, it really stands out against a lot of other comics, from the loose scratching style to the colouring. Im not that into american comics so its interesting to read something that comes from that perspective and incorporates the french influences im more used to.

[@tomteacher5885]

Just groundbreaking. Love it.

[@OMNIFICPICTURES]

Love your channel. If ever a time to collab came I would be on it.

[@OMNIFICPICTURES]

Amazing

[@thpass]

I was an impressionable 12 yr old when Ronin hit the stands. It was not a commercial success whatsoever. I remember attending a comic con back then and a dealer/speculator had a stack full of Ronin#1s for 1.50. This was before the series was completed. There were numerous delays in getting this book produced. The references have to be contextualized- TMNT was AFTER Ronin- the turtles' creators were influenced by Miller and directly parodied his work here and DD. Lone Wolf and Cub was absolutely the starting point for this story and structure.

[@raydillon]

Didn't realize Ronin was kinda like Assassin's Creed in a way. I really need to read this. Also love that Ed picked this up on a whim without knowing anything about Frank Miller or even Dark Knight. That's some good foresight, man. I wish I would have seen it back in the day, but I might not have been ready for it yet. I need it now, though.

[@erikwirfs-brock2432]

Ronin kind of reminds me of of Hollywood director following up a big hit with an overly ambitious follow up that gets kind of a muted reception artistically and financially, maybe we should think of Ronin as Miller's 1941. Series definitely drops of after the first issue or two, will be curious as they go through it if they can pinpoint when and why.

[@blastandboom]

pppppplllllease do a shoot interview with lynne varley!! please and thank you

[@GD-lv8cc]

One of my first comics... i got it at a flea market along with the Epic Akira #2 and a Lone Wolf and Cub with Miller cover. Still have all my original books! I was equally appalled at Leifeld's blatant and shameless rip off of the center spread when they killed Shatterstar in The New Mutants.

[@Kpooji]

The reason the Japanese depiction is superficial is because it’s coming from Billy Challas’s imagination. Miller wrote it to be superficial because Billy is a kid, imagining a fantasy based on a popular Japanese Saturday morning TV show. It’s not a flashback to feudal Japan, it’s all happening in his mind.

[@abh623]

Yes, the story does fall abruptly at around the second issue. But i couldn't get enough of the first issue. The buildup was so exciting.

[@michaelbernth6780]

I bought these as the came out and I was blown away by the first issue. I loved the art and it was a great start. But already from issue two the art turned away in a different direction and it felt rushed compared to the first. I was really disappointed that he didn’t continued how he started. There was a lot of interesting experiments in the rest of series but I felt that the quality of the art really suffered.

[@jdubbs8242]

Not as important as Lone Wolf and Cub that it stole from visually.

[@lokiexcelsior]

Stole from? This is a good example of paying homage, not stealing.

[@ihavenoquarrelwithyou3249]

*story spoiler* do you need to say that for a 40-year-old book? The superficiality of feudal Japan stuff fits the plot, as it is all a fabrication in Billy's mind. That is not to say Miller knew any more about samurai, but it does fit the story. Reading this as it came out in the 80s there was no feeling of the story falling off. When Dark Knight followed it seemed like a huge leap and Ronin had been a stepping stone. But looking at it now I prefer Ronin and would say it is my favorite Miller. I hope you continue, as I am curious to see if it unfolds any better for you than your recollections.

[@GaryBeason]

I was 20 when Ronin came out. I eagerly anticipated it as I saw that Janson was doing most of the later Daredevil art, so I wanted to see Miller’s art. My friends and I were blown away by the first issue, but I think reading it month by month diminished the story. Even on a reread years later, the comic loses its appeal. I saw the criticisms back then that he was lifting from manga. But I never thought of Miller as a strong writer. Good ideas, yes. Good pacing. But the text itself and even the plot weren’t sometimes very strong. As a Philip K Dick fan, I was okay with that. It seemed that Ronin was too much of a shift from Daredevil in so many ways that it didn’t resonate the way some fans expected. None of the folks I knew thought it was bad at the time. The TMNT connection didn’t seem to help, where the satirical work seemed more significant to some than the original. As time goes on, I have more appreciation for it as a flawed great work.

[@artfacekillah]

Also first? Woooo you guys are the best CK fo life

[@TheDrigodamus]

I had these as a kid (1 of 100s I never read, my folks got em for me) is this basically Samurai Jack? Gonna pull it tonight for a read…

[@valvenus5715]

Did samurai jack take this story line?

[@vettobuns7048]

I have 1-6 and 2 of 1 how much would u say they r worth?

[@skeletonshorror5184]

It’s a masterpiece. 💀🔥🥷🏻

[@bathroomsexmurder]

HELLYESS