Indy Comics Writer

Frank Miller deserves the praise he gets for helping to change the way comics are written. (And the criticism, too, depending on how you look at it.) His The Dark Knight Returns graphic novel didn’t just change the way people looked at Batman, it changed the way they look at comics as a whole.

He hasn’t received quite as much praise for his new comic series, DC’s All-Star Batman & Robin the Boy Wonder, which has been plagued by extremely annoying delays. I, though, have enjoyed the series — despite the long, long waits between episodes — and am eager to see where the story eventually goes.

Unfortunately, the series just can’t escape controversy. Check out this post by Heidi MacDonald on her The Beat comics blog. Retailers have been ordered to destroy the copies of this series’ 10th issue because several examples of both “fuck” and “cunt” that were supposed to have been blacked out are still readable. Replacement copies are on their way.

Here’s the thing: I don’t mind Miller using those words. In fact, one of the funniest episodes of Larry David’s cable series Curb Your Enthusiasm involved Larry writing the obituary for a beloved aunt, only to submit his copy with a typo. He spelled “aunt” with a “c” instead of an “a.”

But in this case, Miller’s use of the language is more shocking than appropriate. I know that the characters in this series are gritty and tough. I get it. But Miller seems intent at times at slamming that point against our heads. In this instance, the language leaps off the page for all the wrong reasons. It seems odd, gratuitous and throws me out of the story.

And using the words and then blacking them out? That makes no sense at all.

I’d call Miller’s writing in this instance lazy. I’m still a fan, of both Miller and the series. But sometimes, you wonder …

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