Dec 26 2008
Frank Miller ruins Eisner’s work
I had a feeling this was going to happen: Frank Miller — Mr. Machismo himself — has ruined The Spirit for a whole generation of potential comics readers.
In case you don’t know –and as a comics fan, you really should know — The Spirit is one of the landmark works in graphic storytelling, told by comics giant Will Eisner in the 1940s. Eisner’s work is graceful, witty and somehow manages to be both lighthearted and noirish at the same time.
Miller’s movie, on the other hand, is boorish, violent and dimwitted. The violence is especially surprising. Yes, The Spirit did have its share of gunshot wounds, knocks to the head and other spurts of violence. But I’d never call the work blood-soaked.
It’s a shame, really, that Miller has created such a crap movie. The right film could have introduced a whole new group of readers to the genius that is Will Eisner. Instead, The Spirit will be an afterthought. That’s a real pity.
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