By: Frank Miller Publisher: DC Comics Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Label: DC Comics Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 302 Publication Date: March 01, 1995 Release Date: March 01, 1995
Off the beaten track, but worth the distance This was a very ambitious work for Miller, and spans the distance from his work at Marvel on Daredevil to his reinvigorating Batman in "The Dark Knight Returns". This is the point where DC Comics "stole" Frank Miller from Marvel Comics. It's also a clear artistic homage to the Japanese school of 1960-1970 Manga populated by the likes of Goseki Kojima (Lone Wolf & Cub), and also the European graphic artists like Moebius.
Add to that psychic powers, a scheming supercomputer, ecological destruction and corporate politics. Oh, and there's a love story too. Apparently, the kitchen sink was busy that day, or it would have been in there, too...
In any event, there's some discussion about whether or not this was just too ambitious for Frank to pull off successfully. To my mind he has, but I'll admit that both the writing and the art is somewhat uneven. There's a sequence underground that is probably one of the finest things Miller has ever written and illustrated, but there's also a lot of questionable choices in other parts of the story that make you wonder what he was trying to pull off.
There is an evolution in the art and storytelling throughout the progress the book; you can see the artist/writer becoming more sure of his voice and subject as he goes along.
I can't fault the ending, which a lot of readers complain is too nebulous. (Check my comments in the Amazon discussion on this title.) It's entirely in keeping with the Japanese Manga school he was emulating.
This evolutionary work is interesting in light of the work that Frank Miller would later do, but also as a good read in and of itself.
Pretty much lived up to its reputation. Very Good. So finally finished this read and I have to say it was really good. I had previously steered away from Ronin because I didn't like the art. I had read so many positive reviews though, so I decided to suck it up and give it a read. I have to say, still not loving the art but it did grow on me more as I continued to read. The character drawings look fine but the landscapes just lack the detail I like when it comes to comic book art. Enough about the art though, the story is solid. I can't even imagine what it was like to read this when it originally came out, it must have been way ahead of it's time. I'm younger so having grown up with the sci-fi genre already established it's hard to be Wowed by stories with a technological take of the future but Ronin still does such a great job. I can see where most modern sci-fi get their inspiration from and it's nice to see where the original ideas come from. I know I'm a late bloomer and most of you out there were reading this stuff when I was sucking on a bottle. So I guess my review is more for any of you younger folks out there who are hesitant about reading older works like this. Don't hesitate. This is solid story telling at it's best. It's far from perfect but you owe it to yourself to read it at least once. I don't think you will be disappointed.
Science Fiction/Samurai The product arrived four days early. The plot was complex with elements generally not shown in comics. The akward character development actually added to the presentation. The overall feeling was refreshing.
Un-Freaking-Believable!!! I read Ronin years ago when I was in college and liked it. Because of a recent rise in my interest in Graphic Novels I decided to buy Ronin and read it again. After completing it for the second time, I realized that it is my favorite Graphic Novel of all time. The art is unique and gritty and perfect for the atmosphere that Frank Miller creates. The story telling is top notch and everything about this novel will convince you of Frank Miller's unrivaled abilities. Please read this novel! You will not be disappointed.
Good, but not as good as I've come to expect from Miller I think the only real reason that I was underwhelmed by Ronin was the fact that it was Frank Miller. It's an interesting story with engaging artwork, but it didn't grip me like Dark Knight or Sin City. All in all though, it's quite good.
Anything Goes Trivia
Trevor
Megaton Man
