Ronin Deluxe Edition

by Frank Miller, Frank Miler

Overview

RONIN is the acclaimed epic by Frank Miller, the visionary writer/artist of THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, 300 and Sin City. In this tale of a legendary warrior, the Ronin, a dishonored, masterless 13th Century samurai, is mystically given a second chance to avenge his master's death. Suddenly finding himself reborn in a futuristic and corrupt 21st Century New York City, the samurai discovers he has one last chance to regain his honor: he must defeat the reincarnation of his master's killer, the ancient demon Agat. In a time and place foreign and unfathomable to him, the Ronin stands against his greatest enemy with his life and, more importantly, his soul at stake. This breathtaking Deluxe Edition includes rarely seen promotional art, fold-out pages and more special features.  Collects RONIN #1-6.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781401255909
Publisher:	DC Comics
Publication date:	10/28/2014
Sold by:	DC Comics
Format:	eBook
Sales rank:	273,192
File size:	236 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Frank Miller began his career in comics in the late 1970s and rose to fame while first drawing, and then writing, Daredevil for Marvel Comics. He was also the creative force behind Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Batman: Year One, and Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again.  His many works have not only redefined classic characters, but also, on a few occasions, revitalized the comics industry. His creator-owned Sin City hit the page in 1991, and then the silver screen in 2005 -- with Miller on board as co-director. His multi-award-winning 300 graphic novel was brought to full-blooded life in the 2007 motion picture of the same name, and in 2008 he directed the feature film of Will Eisner's The Spirit. His most recent graphic novel is Holy Terror, published in 2011 by Legendary Comics.

Editorial Reviews

10/27/2014
Before Miller redefined Batman with a dark, noir look and feel that influenced comics of the 1980s and beyond, his first series followed the adventures of a samurai warrior in a future dystopia. The series is now back in print in a deluxe edition. Miller virtually single-handedly popularized ninjas in American comic books, and here he builds on the tropes of Japanese sword-fighting action against a background of fine-lined European design in the style of French artist Moebius. This edition gorgeously reproduces Miller’s deft and intricate artwork. His fight sequences are refreshing and imaginatively choreographed, staging scenes that combine panels into kinetic action. The over-the-top violence is balanced against nimble and believable human anatomy and motion, and his technique of expressing emotion by showing a single face in multiple panels is especially effective. The coloring by frequent Miller collaborator Varley is subtle and understated, eschewing the usual brilliant shades of comic books for pastels and earth tones. The book is a thrilling and inspired adventure story, even 30 years after its original publication—a first-rate classic that absolutely deserves the elegant and attractive design of this new edition. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

"His brutal yet elegant noir renderings, pulpy yet eloquent scripting, and thoroughly uncompromising attitude make [Frank Miller] one of the most distinctive voices in comics."—ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

"A successful work of fusion, bringing together the tone and sci-fi weirdness of European comic magazines like Metal Hurlant...alongside Japanese manga, and 60's Kurosawa samurai-eiga. —MTV Geek

"This is Miller in his creative infancy and the groundwork for the future is clearly on display." —IGN

From the Publisher

03/15/2015
This darkly kaleidoscopic 1983–84 tale, a forerunner and inspiration for DC's Vertigo line, was groundbreaking in many ways, not least in its manga influences and its creator ownership. After showing his interest in samurai culture in acclaimed work on Daredevil and Wolverine, Miller here made a dystopian near-future New York City the venue for a reenactment of the battle between a feudal Japanese swordsman and the demon that killed his master. The demon inhabits the body of Taggart, president of technology research firm Aquarius; the samurai possesses limbless psychic Danny, a test subject in Aquarius's compound who gains cybernetic limbs thanks to the company's AI, Virgo. Caught between the two are Aquarius's tough, self-assured (and black) security chief Casey McKenna and her (white) husband, Peter, inventor of the company's biocircuitry. Billy-as-Ronin's encounters with New York's street denizens show Miller's emergent satirical side—but much of the work, which features nudity and visceral, violent action, was strongly influenced by Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima's then-untranslated manga classic Lone Wolf and Cub. VERDICT Mature, ingenious, brutal, and dazzling, this is early evidence of Miller's mastery.—S.R.

Library Journal