If you ask any comic book fan worth their salt to give their opinion on Frank Miller you’ll probably get something along the lines of “Well, he used to be good, but he’s not anymore” and that’s a pretty fair statement. In fact, I honestly think that Holy Terror is one of the most offensive and terrible pieces of literature ever made.
But that wasn’t always the case. In fact, for a very long time Miller was regarded as one of the best and most original voices in comics and his art and writing helped usher in a new era of comic book storytelling that allowed the medium to reach new artistic and critical heights.
While Miller is probably best known for his fantastic The Dark Knight Returns mini series, his rise to prominence began over at Marvel and a legendary run on a then obscure blind superhero named Daredevil.
Let’s take a look at one of Frank Miller’s earliest storylines as a writer and an artist featuring the blind superhero and the beginning of a run that would define the character for decades to come: “Daredevil” #170-172.
Written and illustrated by: Frank MillerCover by: Frank Miller
Inked by: Klaus Janson
Colored by Glynis Wein
Lettered by: Joe Rosen
“Daredevil” #170-172 is a story arc that does a lot of new things and introduces a lot of stuff that would go on to become a fixture of the character and that readers take for granted today. This arc is the first appearance of the Kingpin in the Daredevil continuity, and he’s ready to give up his life of crime and hand over files on his former organization to the police thanks to his loving wife Vanessa. Unfortunately, his former cronies kidnap Vanessa and Kingpin embarks on a bloody and violent journey of revenge in order to re seize control of the New York underworld.
Miller’s writing on the arc is an extremely well plotted story with fantastic character work. While there are traces of what would become his signature purple prose style, a lot of the comic is still pretty boilerplate in terms of how the dialogue and characters are presented. The highlight of the story is the Kingpin himself, who is one of the most capable and intimidating crime lords in all of comics. What’s terrifying about him is how he isn’t just a physical threat, it’s his mind and keen grasp of human nature that allows him to anticipate plots against him and react with overwhelming and deadly force. But Miller doesn’t just make him a one dimensional bad guy, he makes him nuanced and emotional as well. He loves his wife Vanessa deeply, and he will tear down heaven itself if she is threatened in any way. This is the story arc that gave us the character that Vincent D’Onofrio plays so brilliantly in the Netflix series, and it must have been wild to see this playing out in the early 1980’s.
That’s not to say that Kingpin gets to have all the fun, Miller also does a great job introducing nuance to Daredevil as well. This version of the blind hero has moved on from simply fighting villains of the week and making guest appearances in more popular books. This Daredevil is a very human hero, and while he is determined to do what is right, he is flawed and capable of being outmaneuvered by the Kingpin. The story ends with Daredevil getting the evidence he needs to bring down most of the New York underworld, but at the cost of allowing Kingpin to become its sole ruler. Also, there is a brilliant showdown between Daredevil and Bullseye in the end that shows the emotional strain of trying to follow the law while dealing with an insane killer that strikes at the heart of the very idea of superheroes.
The artwork on “Daredevil” #170-172 shares some similarities with the writing in that we can see the beginnings of the creator that Miller would eventually become, we’re just not there yet. The arc does show Miller asserting some more independence on his art with the panel layout and broad artistic choices in how it portrays the action and visual language, but for the most part Miller isn’t unleashing his unique artistic flair that we would see in his later books like The Dark Knight Returns or Ronin. There are glimpses of that style, especially on the last page of the story arc, but for the most part Miller sticks to drawing the characters in the same solid and dependable way that he drew them during his time before he took over writing.
Continued belowThe artistic force that really allows the book to separate itself from its previous stories is Klaus Johnson’s inks. Janson’s heavier shading and lines give the books a much more dangerous and visceral feel and goes a long way towards generating a sense of tension and unease. The difference between the soap opera, cheesy pre Miller/Janson comics and the current stories is kind of subtle, but it’s a difference that is deeply primal and can be felt without needing words or understanding.
“Daredevil” #170-172 was an arc that solidified Miller’s place as a great writer and artist, turned the Kingpin into one of Marvel’s greatest villains, and transformed Daredevil from a B-list superhero at best to one of the most memorable and successful heroes in Marvel’s library and made him the hero that so many people know and love to this day. It’s a fantastic story that left its mark not just in comic books but in popular culture as a whole, and while it’s easy to laugh at Frank Miller’s more recent work now, his early work deserves its praise and still holds up to this day.
It’s a magnificent story that deserves to be read, studied, and admired by readers everywhere.
