\Sin City's"" theatrical release Friday might open the door for future adaptations from graphic novels.
Co-directors Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller adapted three of Miller's ""Sin City"" novels into one cohesive film. They weaved together ""The Hard Goodbye,"" ""The Big Fat Kill"" and ""The Yellow Bastard,"" into one narrative.
The graphic novel remains unique for its storytelling approach. Unlike comic book adaptations such as Spider-Man or Batman, the graphic novel exudes a certain style which leads the director through their filmmaking process.
From the numerous movies created, many do not realize that ""Road to Perdition"" and ""From Hell"" were based off of graphic novels. Aside from ""Sin City,"" adaptations of ""The Watchmen,"" and X-Men's ""Dark Phoenix"" story are in the works.
The Daily Cardinal decided to take a look at some of the novels slashing their way to motion picturedom soon.
""The Hard Goodbye""
Frank Miller's ""Sin City"" hit the scenes in '91, and sent shockwaves through the comic community. Its neo-noir characteristics combined with an ultra-violent storyline gave ""Sin City"" a unique edge.
The first installment in ""Sin City,"" now titled ""The Hard Goodbye,"" features the ex-con character, Marv. Nobody ever said anything kind to Marv in his life, so when Goldie shows him a night of compassion, he felt he finally fit into the world. So, her murder after that night set him off on a journey of mystery and revenge against her killers. Through the journey he encountered corrupt police officers, murderous prostitutes, cannibalistic mutes and buckets of blood that would come to define the ""Sin City"" series.
Marv made ""The Hard Goodbye."" His skewed moral system, combined with his psychotic tendencies, created the perfect anti-hero. The reader knew the insanity Marv exhibited served a purpose. Readers might cringe at his methods, but realized they accomplished the greater good.
The showdown between Marv and the cannibal, Kevin, reeks of insanity. The method of battle might cause some to question Frank Miller's sanity; however, those questions should be put on the back burner while that scene plays out.
""The Big Fat Kill""
In ""The Hard Goodbye,"" Miller developed a powerful sense of style. It worked in ""Goodbye,"" and made it a memorable endeavor. It seems ""The Big Fat Kill"" tries cribbing on that style and falls pretty hard on its face.
The main problem with ""The Big Fat Kill"" comes from the protagonist, Dwight. While Dwight has many of Marv's anti-hero characteristics, and though he is wanted for murder, he comes off as Marv light. He does not have that insane edge which marks Marv, and as a result, is an extremely dull character.
While ""The Big Fat Kill"" features several unique scenes, it is not enough to save the story-Dwight's dullness emanates throughout the entire text and never allows much excitement to come through the story. With a different protagonist, ""The Big Fat Kill,"" could have been an amazing story filled with unique setups and situations; however, with Dwight, the story becomes a boring mess.
""The Yellow Bastard""
The final segment included in the ""Sin City"" movie, ""The Yellow Bastard,"" features something unique to the ""Sin City"" universe-a good guy character.
""The Yellow Bastard's"" Hartigan was on his last day on the job as a cop-an honest cop at that. Hours from turning in his badge, he hears of a rape being committed by Junior Roark, the son of a powerful politician.
Rather than letting someone else handle the case, Hartigan launches into action and saves the day-or so he hoped. His disposal of Junior did not sit well with the senior Roark, who frames Hartigan for murder as well as rape. The authorities lock Hartigan away for eight years before he finally obtains his freedom and sets out for revenge.
Miller's artwork takes on a life of its own in ""The Yellow Bastard."" While it uses the black and white hyper-realistic style the other ""Sin City"" novels employ, the introduction of the titular character throws things for a loop. His yellow hue stands out against the blackness of the page and makes for a unique reading experience.
Hartigan's story gives ""The Yellow Bastard"" the strongest storyline of all the ""Sin City"" novels. The unique characters combined with an amazing story and presentation shows what the graphic novel can accomplish.
""The Dark Phoenix Saga""
""Witness the birth of a God!"" One of the finest story arcs in the history of graphic novels, The X-Men's Dark Phoenix Saga showcases a stunning array of artistic talent to create an unforgettable tale of achievement and loss.
Superhuman powers may be the aesthetic subject of the X-Men, a group of mutants ""sworn to protect a world that hates and fears them,"" but their harsh, reality-based metaphors for bigotry and discrimination set them apart from the norm of subpar, one-dimensional superhero fare.
Their greatest and most tragic adventure finds Professor Xavier's students in a transitional phase, far different from the four wide-eyed pupils that originated the series.
The plot begins quietly with a socialite club kidnapping and telepath battle, but soon spirals into an epic of galactic tribulations culminating with a deathmatch on the dark side of the moon.
Childishly fantastical as this may sound, ""The Dark Phoenix Saga"" succeeds with likeable, grounded characters and sharp dialogue throughout.
The world of superheroes, especially established ones, is full of dense, fanboy history and the X-Men characters are certainly no different. But one of the greatest strengths of ""The Dark Phoenix Saga"" is its stand-alone quality. Readers need not be versed in the previous 100 issues or Nightcrawler's secret origin to thoroughly enjoy this great, self-encapsulating compilation.
Fans of the X-Men movies who haven't yet read this would do well to check it out before the next installment-evidence points to the adaptation of this storyline in the next film.
""The Dark Knight Returns""
Frank Miller's 1986 reimagination of Batman was also a reimagination of the comic book medium, pushing beyond the pulp entertainment of costumed baddies and corny one-liners and into the realms of both serious literature and art. Miller puts a dark spin on a universe already well-known by Batman and Superman fans, injecting it with gritty reality and social commentary.
The story focuses on an aging Bruce Wayne who, seeing Gotham overrun with violence by a young anarchistic gang called The Mutants, decides to take up the cape one last time.
His return as a dark hero sparks a national debate about whether people can accept a violent, psychologically twisted man delivering vigilante justice. When Batman attacks police officers in his way, it is only a matter of time before the government calls on Superman to step in, leading to one of the most epic battles in print.
Miller's Gotham City is an incredibly complex one, addressing questions of media motives and ethics, public opinion and the thin line between hero and villain. Batman is depicted as an aging hero unable to escape his desire to exact justice-at one point, he realizes he is as consumed with darkness as Two-Face. ""Dark Knight"" contains a depth of character and story nearly unmatched in the graphic novel medium and has become the most prominent story in the Batman mythos.
-Jon Fischer, Kevin Nelson and William Temby
