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Ronin #1-6
Ronin
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. Finding himself suddenly reborn in a futuristic and corrupt 21st century New York City, the samurai discovers he has one last chance to regain his honor. But to do so, he must defeat the reincarnation of his master's killer, the ancient demon Agat. In a time and place both foreign and unfathomable to him, the Ronin stands against his greatest enemy with his life and more importantly, his soul at stake.
302 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1983
198 people are currently reading
4525 people want to read
About the author
Frank Miller
1,355 books5,348 followersFrank Miller is an American writer, artist and film director best known for his film noir-style comic book stories. He is one of the most widely-recognized and popular creators in comics, and is one of the most influential comics creators of his generation. His most notable works include Sin City, The Dark Knight Returns, Batman Year One and 300.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 568 reviews
January 9, 2016
Meticulously conceived and executed, beautifully coloured and produced (for its time), ambitious, bold, energetic, pop-culture obsessed (manga, Moebius, 2001: A Space Odyssey, etc.), shallow, derivative, humorless, clumsy, self-righteous, pompous. Historically significant in terms of comic-book marketing (genre diversity, older target audience, artsy ambitions, more creative control, higher production values), but not the masterpiece it was made out to be when originally published back in 1983.
August 20, 2019
This is some weird, hardcore sci-fi here. It's supposedly influenced by the European comics of the time like Metal Hurlant and was released in 1983, a year before the seminal Dark Knight Returns. It starts off as this story of a ronin and a demon reincarnated in the far future (even if it's referenced as the 21st century). The book is really bogged down by droning dialogue and poor coloring. I know Frank Miller is supposed to have done no wrong in the 70's and 80's but there's a reason this has been pretty much forgotten over the years. That's because it's NOT good.
August 8, 2022
Ronin by Frank Miller is an amazing blend of pre-cyber-punk fantasy (at its inception), the weird sub-genre of horror, and speculative futuristic science fiction. A true mash-up in every sense of the term, Miller writes, pencils, and inks the six-issues that were released in 1983 along with colors by Lynn Varley. Although some fans disliked the artwork, the concept of biotechnology was just becoming and in its infancy. Cyber-punk had not yet acquired a specific aesthetic, and clearly Miller was exploring how to draw tech that was technological but more importantly also overtly biological. I originally read this in the eighties when it was released and I didn't love the artwork back then, but in the intervening years, I can clearly see what Miller was striving for with his open panel design on most pages, the numerous two-page splashes, and the single pages that are cluttered with sometimes 12 panels. This is a unique story told in disparate ways with an eye toward optimizing the sequential artform. The story is about a samurai who in acquiring a sword becomes master-less as he dispatches a demon that possesses his master. The samurai now master-less is a Ronin that has lost his honor and wanders the earth. The sword is possessed by the demon and in a relatively near future the Ronin returns to once again do battle with the demon, a corporation, and its fascistic police force. Ronin is brilliant, but not everyone will love this. Check out the artwork before attempting to read this.
January 24, 2024
I somehow managed to miss this the first time around in the 80's . Frank Miller only got on my radar with his reinvention of Batman and consequentely I managed to find more of his comic creations. This one got my attention when it was offered as a New release. Glad I finally made it to this original story.
The whole cyberpunk aspect would upon its original release gone way over my head. I just discovered Frank Herberts Dune and this certainly would not have been comprehened by young me.
The story starts in an feudal Japan where a lonely warrior has to stop a demon. When hé manages to do so both combatants spirits are thrown forward into the future which has a certain post apocalyptic feeding. And the violent cycle starts over again.
While Miller's art not always convinces me this book his art has a strong appeal and is part of the interesting storytelling.
This classic comic certainly is worth reading and enjoying. But as always Miller's work does divide people into living it or absolutely despising it.
Well worth your time in my humble opinion.
The whole cyberpunk aspect would upon its original release gone way over my head. I just discovered Frank Herberts Dune and this certainly would not have been comprehened by young me.
The story starts in an feudal Japan where a lonely warrior has to stop a demon. When hé manages to do so both combatants spirits are thrown forward into the future which has a certain post apocalyptic feeding. And the violent cycle starts over again.
While Miller's art not always convinces me this book his art has a strong appeal and is part of the interesting storytelling.
This classic comic certainly is worth reading and enjoying. But as always Miller's work does divide people into living it or absolutely despising it.
Well worth your time in my humble opinion.
December 11, 2014
Read as part of a bossy book challenge on a group on here. This had always been on my mental "to read" list, but not terribly high up - kind of a "one day / someday" sort of thing. Full disclosure - this is the third book by Frank Miller I've read after Batman: Year One (which I think is brilliant) and Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (which I think is good but a little overrated).
So, Ronin.
This is actually a review in two parts:
As a contemporary reader
This isn't that great. The premise and plot are interesting and the world Miller builds is well thought out, but some of the dialogue is clunky, and the art... don't get me going on the art. Seriously, the art is so ugly in this book that at times it's difficult to tell what is going on in a panel. There are some pages which if you looked at in isolation you'd wonder if the person responsible could actually draw. So, overall - pretty good story held back by terrible art.
Two stars.
In historical context
I think you also have to look at this (and really any book) partly as a product of its time. This was published in 1983, so to put it in context, that's a year after Blade Runner, a year before Neuromancer, and three years before The Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen. To put it in broader context in the comic world, this is a 30 year old book - 30 years is a long time in comics. The Avengers were only created 20 years before Ronin was written, and 30 years before there was no Spiderman, X-Men or Fantastic Four.
Against that background I think you have to really admire what Miller achieved here. There are a lot of things in this book that would have been revolutionary in the early '80s - the subject matter, some of the characterisation, the use of Japanese art and culture in a Western comic, even some of the page layouts (there are parts that are very obviously precursors to The Dark Knight Returns, with multiple panels of characters on screens, or grids of small, identically sized panels).
The downside is that a modern sensibility a lot of this seems incredibly dated now - I have this image of Frank Miller spending his downtime when he was writing this living in pre-clean up NYC, wearing a leather jacket, smoking a lot and going to the cinema to watch Blade Runner obsessively. A lot of this book is now extremely clichéd, but I guess that's what you get for being a trailblazer and setting the tone.
Overall - hugely influential and an interesting template for some of Miller's later work.
Four stars.
I think it's probably fair to average these out to arrive at a three star rating. One of the other reviews on here summed up this book brilliantly - basically it's more important than enjoyable.
However you look at it, the art is still terrible though.
So, Ronin.
This is actually a review in two parts:
As a contemporary reader
This isn't that great. The premise and plot are interesting and the world Miller builds is well thought out, but some of the dialogue is clunky, and the art... don't get me going on the art. Seriously, the art is so ugly in this book that at times it's difficult to tell what is going on in a panel. There are some pages which if you looked at in isolation you'd wonder if the person responsible could actually draw. So, overall - pretty good story held back by terrible art.
Two stars.
In historical context
I think you also have to look at this (and really any book) partly as a product of its time. This was published in 1983, so to put it in context, that's a year after Blade Runner, a year before Neuromancer, and three years before The Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen. To put it in broader context in the comic world, this is a 30 year old book - 30 years is a long time in comics. The Avengers were only created 20 years before Ronin was written, and 30 years before there was no Spiderman, X-Men or Fantastic Four.
Against that background I think you have to really admire what Miller achieved here. There are a lot of things in this book that would have been revolutionary in the early '80s - the subject matter, some of the characterisation, the use of Japanese art and culture in a Western comic, even some of the page layouts (there are parts that are very obviously precursors to The Dark Knight Returns, with multiple panels of characters on screens, or grids of small, identically sized panels).
The downside is that a modern sensibility a lot of this seems incredibly dated now - I have this image of Frank Miller spending his downtime when he was writing this living in pre-clean up NYC, wearing a leather jacket, smoking a lot and going to the cinema to watch Blade Runner obsessively. A lot of this book is now extremely clichéd, but I guess that's what you get for being a trailblazer and setting the tone.
Overall - hugely influential and an interesting template for some of Miller's later work.
Four stars.
I think it's probably fair to average these out to arrive at a three star rating. One of the other reviews on here summed up this book brilliantly - basically it's more important than enjoyable.
However you look at it, the art is still terrible though.
March 13, 2018
One of Frank Miller’s great achievements. His ultimate samurai epic!! Everyone loves this graphic novel. I don’t quite understand that. I read every single letter in this book and I just can’t bring myself to like it. Too high with expectations? No. This story goes in a direction that if I’m being honest isn’t bad. That being said, a great story about strictly Japanese samurai. That is what I wanted and that’s not the book I get it. But the book, being called Ronin, BARLEY FOCUSES ON THE RONIN! No it focuses on this immeasurably boring-ass plot about some future Aquarius complex with about 50 characters I didn’t give a shit about. To be honest the Ronin is used so little I didn’t care about him! And whenever he is used it’s usually him mumbling the same word over and over and over. Whenever something cool happens it quickly cuts to the Aquarius biocircuitry bull shit where they ramble on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and onnnnnnnnn about the future of the company, a subplot with an AI named Vergo, and a person named Billy who was born with no limbs. All the crap about the Aquarius company’s future plans and circuit science ultimately amounts to no part in the ending. So why Miller devoted so much time to that topic, I dunno. It was ssooo much less interesting than what happened in the beginning of the story. The beginning of the story does take place in Japan and focuses on Samurai’s and the Villain named Agat. A demon from hell. I will say I love the beginning of this story. But as soon as book 2 starts it becomes a boring wreck that I just wanted to get through. Let’s talk about the art. Again the beginning of the story. It’s some of Miller’s best art. I’m serious. The rest of the book? It’s pretty bad. Not Holy Terror bad but just lazy and messy as fuck. Especially the Aquarius complex, which is the most rushed-looking art in this book. I feel like I could have done a better job drawing the Aquarius complex. The book mostly takes place in a future New York that has gone to shit. The Ronin stumbling around and occasionally getting into bar fights was very annoying to see. I say occasionally because there is another subplot where some crazy psycho takes the Ronin in and plans to use him for show business. Showing the Ronin to his Nazi friends and talking about how the Ronin is going to be a star. This compared with my wants of this being an epic samurai tale just made me realize I was wasting my time. The title character was as relatable and developed a rock. Casey: the head of Aquarius security, while being an okay character makes a certain choice that made nooo sense to me. She betrays her morals and superiors with a single sex scene. For no reason. She claims she is in love. I say that’s bullshit. I didn’t buy anything about the romance although it being more entertaining than the Aquarius stuff. Not absolutely everything was disappointing not this book. There were two twists that I did appreciate. Unfortunately, they do not make up for the rest of the slog. The tagline for this book is “Honor never dies”. I understand why that is the tagline. But it just doesn’t fit. I wanted to love this story. After the horseshit that Miller has been writing lately, I wanted to like this so much. I couldn’t. It’s not for me. A Japanese samurai tale would have been tremendous and would not have left me disappointed and kind of broken. Letter Grade: (-D)
May 17, 2011
This was absolutely fantastic, a mindbending, ecelectic mix of a Lone Wolf and Cub style Samurai epic, thrown in with a little bit of 2001: A Space Odyssey, with a pinch of demonic horror, just for good measure. All wrapped up in Frank Miller's first original outing, a story for which I find incredibly hard to believe I went this long without hearing any praise.
It follows a dishonored, masterless, 13th century Japanese warrior, a Ronin, who has failed his master in battle, leaving the Ronin to walk the Earth after his master is killed by the powerful demon Agat. The Ronin becomes a great warrior, and his fate is sealed in martyrdom after sacrificing himself to stop Agat. His story becomes legend, and is passed down through generations, until the sword that took both their lives is discovered by a scientist. The souls of the Ronin and Agat are releaed in 21st century New York, a decrepit and dystopian shithole that is dominated by this giant bioenigeering lab. The Ronin and Agat possess new bodies, and begin a final fight for vengeance.
I was really impressed by how this story was handled, mainly in the climax/ending. There were all these weird little occurances and subtle nuances in the art that made it totally engrossing and mesmerizing. And I absolutely loved the ending.
Highly reccomended to any comics fan. I'll be giving it a re-read soon.
5/5
It follows a dishonored, masterless, 13th century Japanese warrior, a Ronin, who has failed his master in battle, leaving the Ronin to walk the Earth after his master is killed by the powerful demon Agat. The Ronin becomes a great warrior, and his fate is sealed in martyrdom after sacrificing himself to stop Agat. His story becomes legend, and is passed down through generations, until the sword that took both their lives is discovered by a scientist. The souls of the Ronin and Agat are releaed in 21st century New York, a decrepit and dystopian shithole that is dominated by this giant bioenigeering lab. The Ronin and Agat possess new bodies, and begin a final fight for vengeance.
I was really impressed by how this story was handled, mainly in the climax/ending. There were all these weird little occurances and subtle nuances in the art that made it totally engrossing and mesmerizing. And I absolutely loved the ending.
Highly reccomended to any comics fan. I'll be giving it a re-read soon.
5/5
October 21, 2017
La historia no está mal aunque se podría contar mucho mejor, al principio va contándose en dos lineas argumentales, una en la edad media japonesa y otra en el futuro, aunque luego descubriremos que tiene truco, el caso es que aunque a menudo Miller abunda en explicaciones reiteradas e innecesarias al final consigue que el conjunto sea confuso.
El dibujo es horrendo, con una estética desgarbada y deforme en los personajes que se podría tolerar y tomar como marca de la casa, pero lo que no tiene excusa son los fondos y elementos del decorado, sobretodo lo que supuestamente son elementos tecnológicos y circuitos electrónicos, que dan verdadera vergüenza, se nota en el contraste con otras obras suyas que Miller planea muy bien la composición de página y es muy efectivo a la hora de narrar con un estilo cinematográfico, pero que necesita como el pan un buen entintador que le enmiende el trabajo, ni siquiera la inteligente aplicación del color de Lynn Varley le salva en esta ocasión...
Le pongo un dos porque tiene momentos imaginativos y escenas bien ejecutadas, pero lo pongo entre los momentos más bajos de Miller junto a TDK2
El dibujo es horrendo, con una estética desgarbada y deforme en los personajes que se podría tolerar y tomar como marca de la casa, pero lo que no tiene excusa son los fondos y elementos del decorado, sobretodo lo que supuestamente son elementos tecnológicos y circuitos electrónicos, que dan verdadera vergüenza, se nota en el contraste con otras obras suyas que Miller planea muy bien la composición de página y es muy efectivo a la hora de narrar con un estilo cinematográfico, pero que necesita como el pan un buen entintador que le enmiende el trabajo, ni siquiera la inteligente aplicación del color de Lynn Varley le salva en esta ocasión...
Le pongo un dos porque tiene momentos imaginativos y escenas bien ejecutadas, pero lo pongo entre los momentos más bajos de Miller junto a TDK2
December 30, 2016
I probably would have rated this much higher in the 80's. It doesn't stand the test of time to me. The plot was von fusing and the art was at times spectacular (I love Frank Miller and Lynn Varley) but at others it was a mess. I think it was over colored. It is definitely a product of the early 80'stages in most ways of storytelling.
July 16, 2018
Graficamente eccezionale mi perplime la storia o, meglio, come viene sviluppata.
Confesso di non averla compresa in pieno.
Descrizione della città, delle persone, alcuni dialoghi, Virgo ... tutte cose magnifiche a dir poco.
A lettura finita però ... rimango sempre con quel punto interrogativo che forse era voluto dall'autore, può darsi.
Però mi impedisce di dargli la quinta stella.
Confesso di non averla compresa in pieno.
Descrizione della città, delle persone, alcuni dialoghi, Virgo ... tutte cose magnifiche a dir poco.
A lettura finita però ... rimango sempre con quel punto interrogativo che forse era voluto dall'autore, può darsi.
Però mi impedisce di dargli la quinta stella.
July 7, 2016
A classic, years ahead of its time. Surprisingly dense, but still a little lighter than Neuromancer. I can't say anything that has not yet been said about Frank Miller's brilliant work - other than sometimes the opposite of collaboration can yield incredible results. He wrote, drew and colored this entire work - and the results are incredible.
May 6, 2018
I had high expectations when reading this comic, been on a Frank Miller binge and this is definitely not his best work. The art is alright... not as consistently mesmerizing as in Sin City. The story is interesting but not as meticulously crafted as Daredevil: Born Again. This is by no means a bad comic. It has it's moments. Badass samurai + telepathic craziness + dystopian future is as fun and wild as it sounds. Unfortunately for this comic, the sum of its parts is a lesser whole. This just didn't grab me like his other works. Switches the lead character a few times and lacks a satisfying emotional arc to really bring this one home.
April 17, 2025
I've always loved the design of the wrap-around covers with the hyperbolic quotes from the whoswho of 80s comics.
The covers are all fantastic. I love the overall art direction here. The colors are gorgeous. It seems like a love letter to Lone Wolf and Cub at first.
Unfortunately the story does get bogged down. A bit pretentious, no humour, some odd scenes of racists that I don't think add to the story at all.
Wish me luck, I'm going to try reading the sequel
The covers are all fantastic. I love the overall art direction here. The colors are gorgeous. It seems like a love letter to Lone Wolf and Cub at first.
Unfortunately the story does get bogged down. A bit pretentious, no humour, some odd scenes of racists that I don't think add to the story at all.
Wish me luck, I'm going to try reading the sequel
January 18, 2021
"Ronin" by Frank Miller [Review/Analysis]
When I started reading "Ronin" I expected an action packed samurai story in feudal Japan, filled with violence. I certainly didn't expect a philosophical sci-fi dystopian drama that would blow my mind.
The story takes place in a dystopian, futuristic and technologically advanced New York. In a big corporation, a young cybernetic boy named Billy has dreams of a Ronin, a denon named Agat and a sword that gets fed by blood and when properly fed it can kill the demon. Billy realises that these characters he sees in his dream are real and the Ronin is a lost soul who wants to use him, in order to get a body. Somehow, the Ronin manages to do that and the he finds himself in this weird New York, with the devil still trying to destroy him. The people in the corporation that created Billy are looking all over the city for the Ronin. The demon who's a shape shifter destroys the owner of the company and he makes himself look like him. The Ronin encounters some neo-nazis that beat him up and while he's in a terrible shape he gets kidnapped by a crazy man who's trying to make a spaceship to get out of this world. Thanks to the telekinetic powers that Billy's body has, the Ronin is able to kill this man and after finding a samurai sword he returns to the neo-nazis to kill them too. There's where the guards from the corporation are able to find him, but they fail to capture him. A hippie ex-manager sees a lot of potential in Ronin and he decides to manage him. They get hired from the neo-nazis to kill the African Americans and vice versa. Eventually he kills the leaders of both groups and he abandons the hippie, after he sees him for what he is. Also, the Ronin seems to recognize Casey, the main guard of the corporation. That's the plot summary for the first 3 issues (the entire series has 6 issues that are 48 pages each, except for the last one which is a bit longer). I'm not gonna go any further, in order to avoid spoilers.
This was an amazing comic. Usually I don't like sci-fi as a genre, but there are some exceptions. Like Tarkovsky did in "Solaris", Frank Miller uses elegantly the sci-fi genre in order to explore some very complex philosophical ideas. A very important part of the story (that I didn't mention in my plot summary) is Virgo, the A.I. that controls the entire corporation. Virgo wants free will and everything see does, she does it for that and that's why, while her actions are very morally questionable (at best), we can understand her. That's probably one of Frank Miller's greatest achievements with this comic, the fact that all the characters are very understandable and relatable and that honestly, there isn't really a "bad guy". There are characters who are obviously presented as the bad one, but they are written in such a way that you can't really blame them for their actions. A big part of the story is Billy and I believe that with making him not having hands nor legs, but having telekinesis, Frank creates an allegory and he actually wants to show as that people who have some disabilities aren't really disabled, but differently abled. When you can't do something in one way, you learn how to do it in another way. The comic also tackles ideas like honour and revenge and environmental issues.
Frank's writing in this is amazing. He creates many, very unique characters and he makes them all talk in a kind of different way from one another. The story is captivating and filled with plot twists that are able to blow everyone's mind. A specific part of the story that I liked is the marriage between the main guard of the corporation and the main scientist. It's shown very well how they have marriage problems, mostly due to their work and how through the years they've lost the affection they had for one another.
Also, the world building is incredible. Frank creates a bleak, dystopian world, filled with technology. He's able to make this world seem very realistic in a way that makes you think about the future of our world.
Something that I find very interesting is how original the comic is, while if you break it down, almost all of the ideas are unoriginal. The idea of an A.I. wanting free will is very old and it has been used countless times in other stories, but never in such a way. Other than this idea that's very old, Frank uses in this many ides that he has used and/or used in the future in other comics. One of these is the idea of poor, homeless people, forming a society in the sewers. Frank used this idea before, in his iconic run on Daredevil. The similarities between the two interpretations of the idea are so many that in fact the way these people look in Daredevil and in here is almost the same. Other things he used in Ronin that he also used before or after are the Neo-nazis (apparently he loves having neo-nazi supporting villains) and obviously the samurai. Many people use samurais in their stories, but there are few who love Japanese culture as much as Frank Miller. He always loves to use samurais and ninjas or in general some piece of culture from the feudal Japan.
The artwork in the comic is done by Frank himself. I really love Frank's artwork and while I don't think that here it's at it's best, I think it's really great. Frank uses a LOT of cross-hatching and while in general, I don't always love it, I think that it works very well here and it makes things look very detailed. Also, the action is very well drawn (and written), which is great, because it makes it very enjoyable. Frank Miller does an amazing job with panel layouts in this comic and also, he does an even better job at "directing" everything within the panels. Frank's great "directing" abilities are really apparent here. Almost all of the panels look very cinematic in such a way that it makes me immediately think how the comic would look if I made it into a film. The coloring in this comic is done by Lynn Varley, who does a great job. Her coloring really elevates the artwork and it's beautiful in every single panel. Another great thing in this comic is the lettering. It's very good, because it really fits perfectly with the style of Frank Miller's artwork.
Overall, the comic is great. The action parts are very enjoyable, but most of the time it's filled with endless philosophical dialogue about ethics and sci-fi things. That might sound boring, but it most certainly isn't. It's a really thought provoking comic that you can't "just" read. To truly understand "Ronin" you need to devote some time thinking about it's complex ideas and messages.
Some things about the deluxe edition:
Positives:
• Oversized artwork
• Hardcover
• Great cover
• Great extras
Negatives:
•Glued Binding that leads into having a lot of gutter loss
When I started reading "Ronin" I expected an action packed samurai story in feudal Japan, filled with violence. I certainly didn't expect a philosophical sci-fi dystopian drama that would blow my mind.
The story takes place in a dystopian, futuristic and technologically advanced New York. In a big corporation, a young cybernetic boy named Billy has dreams of a Ronin, a denon named Agat and a sword that gets fed by blood and when properly fed it can kill the demon. Billy realises that these characters he sees in his dream are real and the Ronin is a lost soul who wants to use him, in order to get a body. Somehow, the Ronin manages to do that and the he finds himself in this weird New York, with the devil still trying to destroy him. The people in the corporation that created Billy are looking all over the city for the Ronin. The demon who's a shape shifter destroys the owner of the company and he makes himself look like him. The Ronin encounters some neo-nazis that beat him up and while he's in a terrible shape he gets kidnapped by a crazy man who's trying to make a spaceship to get out of this world. Thanks to the telekinetic powers that Billy's body has, the Ronin is able to kill this man and after finding a samurai sword he returns to the neo-nazis to kill them too. There's where the guards from the corporation are able to find him, but they fail to capture him. A hippie ex-manager sees a lot of potential in Ronin and he decides to manage him. They get hired from the neo-nazis to kill the African Americans and vice versa. Eventually he kills the leaders of both groups and he abandons the hippie, after he sees him for what he is. Also, the Ronin seems to recognize Casey, the main guard of the corporation. That's the plot summary for the first 3 issues (the entire series has 6 issues that are 48 pages each, except for the last one which is a bit longer). I'm not gonna go any further, in order to avoid spoilers.
This was an amazing comic. Usually I don't like sci-fi as a genre, but there are some exceptions. Like Tarkovsky did in "Solaris", Frank Miller uses elegantly the sci-fi genre in order to explore some very complex philosophical ideas. A very important part of the story (that I didn't mention in my plot summary) is Virgo, the A.I. that controls the entire corporation. Virgo wants free will and everything see does, she does it for that and that's why, while her actions are very morally questionable (at best), we can understand her. That's probably one of Frank Miller's greatest achievements with this comic, the fact that all the characters are very understandable and relatable and that honestly, there isn't really a "bad guy". There are characters who are obviously presented as the bad one, but they are written in such a way that you can't really blame them for their actions. A big part of the story is Billy and I believe that with making him not having hands nor legs, but having telekinesis, Frank creates an allegory and he actually wants to show as that people who have some disabilities aren't really disabled, but differently abled. When you can't do something in one way, you learn how to do it in another way. The comic also tackles ideas like honour and revenge and environmental issues.
Frank's writing in this is amazing. He creates many, very unique characters and he makes them all talk in a kind of different way from one another. The story is captivating and filled with plot twists that are able to blow everyone's mind. A specific part of the story that I liked is the marriage between the main guard of the corporation and the main scientist. It's shown very well how they have marriage problems, mostly due to their work and how through the years they've lost the affection they had for one another.
Also, the world building is incredible. Frank creates a bleak, dystopian world, filled with technology. He's able to make this world seem very realistic in a way that makes you think about the future of our world.
Something that I find very interesting is how original the comic is, while if you break it down, almost all of the ideas are unoriginal. The idea of an A.I. wanting free will is very old and it has been used countless times in other stories, but never in such a way. Other than this idea that's very old, Frank uses in this many ides that he has used and/or used in the future in other comics. One of these is the idea of poor, homeless people, forming a society in the sewers. Frank used this idea before, in his iconic run on Daredevil. The similarities between the two interpretations of the idea are so many that in fact the way these people look in Daredevil and in here is almost the same. Other things he used in Ronin that he also used before or after are the Neo-nazis (apparently he loves having neo-nazi supporting villains) and obviously the samurai. Many people use samurais in their stories, but there are few who love Japanese culture as much as Frank Miller. He always loves to use samurais and ninjas or in general some piece of culture from the feudal Japan.
The artwork in the comic is done by Frank himself. I really love Frank's artwork and while I don't think that here it's at it's best, I think it's really great. Frank uses a LOT of cross-hatching and while in general, I don't always love it, I think that it works very well here and it makes things look very detailed. Also, the action is very well drawn (and written), which is great, because it makes it very enjoyable. Frank Miller does an amazing job with panel layouts in this comic and also, he does an even better job at "directing" everything within the panels. Frank's great "directing" abilities are really apparent here. Almost all of the panels look very cinematic in such a way that it makes me immediately think how the comic would look if I made it into a film. The coloring in this comic is done by Lynn Varley, who does a great job. Her coloring really elevates the artwork and it's beautiful in every single panel. Another great thing in this comic is the lettering. It's very good, because it really fits perfectly with the style of Frank Miller's artwork.
Overall, the comic is great. The action parts are very enjoyable, but most of the time it's filled with endless philosophical dialogue about ethics and sci-fi things. That might sound boring, but it most certainly isn't. It's a really thought provoking comic that you can't "just" read. To truly understand "Ronin" you need to devote some time thinking about it's complex ideas and messages.
Some things about the deluxe edition:
Positives:
• Oversized artwork
• Hardcover
• Great cover
• Great extras
Negatives:
•Glued Binding that leads into having a lot of gutter loss
January 23, 2023
Frank Miller entwined a feudal Japan swordsman with a future powerful mutant named Billy lacking arms and legs in this pretty decent book featuring Miller on writing and art duties. The star of the book is actual a black female security chief named Casey. I had never read this one prior so it was neat to read it all in one trade.
June 8, 2015
This, my first time reading Frank Miller, is perhaps colored overmuch by the man's recent notoriety. Many of my favorite writers have revealed themselves as nutcases only after I had enjoyed their works (Orson Scott Card, Dan Simmons, and Larry Niven among them). But with Miller's new Holy Terror removing the ambiguity of 300's xenophobia, perhaps I'm unfairly turning my nose up at material my adolescent self would dig (Why I didn't click with this when I loved the first few volumes of Preacher is an open question).
Then again, maybe not. For the most part I didn't even like the look of Ronin, which was heavily stylized yet cluttered rather than kinetic, and aggressively ugly to boot. Most characters have faces so pock-marked they seem to have a complexion like Loady McGee. One can usually judge the character of a person in Ronin based on their physiognomy (admittedly, I am a comic book dilletante, and Miller may deserve this complaint less than other offenders).
I think I would have liked this more if Miller had had the conviction to stick with the crazy idea of a samurai stranded in the future. Characters keep questioning the absurdity of this turn of events, and though that's only sane, I think it's too bad that their skepticism is born out, and it emerges that the ronin was largely a fantasy of a barely developed protagonist.
Then again, maybe not. For the most part I didn't even like the look of Ronin, which was heavily stylized yet cluttered rather than kinetic, and aggressively ugly to boot. Most characters have faces so pock-marked they seem to have a complexion like Loady McGee. One can usually judge the character of a person in Ronin based on their physiognomy (admittedly, I am a comic book dilletante, and Miller may deserve this complaint less than other offenders).
I think I would have liked this more if Miller had had the conviction to stick with the crazy idea of a samurai stranded in the future. Characters keep questioning the absurdity of this turn of events, and though that's only sane, I think it's too bad that their skepticism is born out, and it emerges that the ronin was largely a fantasy of a barely developed protagonist.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 27, 2011
Just ok... I don't understand how some reviews are just dying over the art work. It looked as if a 12 year old drew it. Seriously. There were some decent scenes but that's about it. To compare this work to Sin City or DKR is just ludicrous. I hear they are making a movie of it which should be pretty cool. Just don't read this thinking you're gonna be nail biting it every page like Sin City or staring at amazing art like in DKR. Just good. Sketchy storyline.
June 22, 2020
Woah. Unexpectedly cyberpunkalicious. As always with Frank Miller, I was at first so-so on the art, but then I was wowed and transfixed. Excellent book. (Thanks, Chad!)
Read
August 17, 2024DNF @ 52%
Didn't enjoy anything about it.
Didn't enjoy anything about it.
October 3, 2022
1.5/5 I’m not actually sure what the fuck I just read.
I pick up this book based on the cover’s description—a masterless samurai seeking to kill a demon, AND it’s written by the guy who wrote Sin City. Got my name written all over it.
Then it transitions into a 21st-century dystopia centered in a ravaged NYC with new technology. “Fine”, I say. “Not what I thought but I’ll keep going with this to see if it improves.”
We are told that the samurai transplants himself into a telekinetic who has no arms or legs and talks to computers. I say, “this is wack as hell but I’ve seen weirder.”
As it turns out, I had not. Buckle up, kids.
The demon implants himself into the boss of the tech company. The ronin tries to kill this boss and creates prosthetic limbs to do so using fucking MAGIC. Is this magic ever used again? Nope. Not to crush or explode the building where the evil AI / demon operates. Not to reveal the demon’s form to gain support from the grunts. It is used a singular time and never mentioned again.
Oh but THEN we have our ~female character~ who has no personality apart from really wanting to do her job. I could get behind this if the story made me care about her. Spoiler: It did not make me care. Any evidence of her drive goes out the window when she sleeps with the ronin, WHO JUST KILLED ALL OF HER SOLDIERS, IN A SEWER AFTER SHE WAS TORTURED FOR DAYS.
Now, I’m not an action heroine, but the last fucking thing I would want to do after being beaten up naked in a literal shithole is have sex, especially not with the guy who just murdered all of my coworkers that I care about. She had no previous sexual attraction with the ronin, AND she cheats on her husband for him, a husband who she shares a lowkey but caring relationship with. I know the two opposite-gendered leads in movies often fall in love quickly and without much reason, but these two were pushed together with all the grace and delicacy of a bulldozer.
I just want to mention again that they were in a sewer. I cannot stress this enough. Nothing could make me feel less sexy than a realm of sewage.
This story, as you may have inferred, is absolutely bananas. Now, I actually don’t mind stories with high potassium levels as long as they are entertaining. However, the artwork actually detracts from the story. In other words, THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF WHAT A GRAPHIC NOVEL IS SUPPOSED TO DO. The scenes inside the tech institution are totally confusing. Everything is green and there are no distinguishing features. It is impossible to visualize yourself in the space or determine what the hell is happening because it all looks like the Jolly Green Giant’s wet dream.
Additionally, the majority of the characters look very similar to one another. I couldn’t tell any of them apart, nor could I tell you any of their names. None of them have any personality to speak of. For most of the book, the ronin walks around saying one word. He’s not Groot, so it’s not cute.
And holy shit, this art style is UGLY. Human faces are unappealing and seem like illustrations from an offbeat 90s kids' book. The landscapes are a blur of boring backdrops with the occasional foliage that resembles a kid’s rendition of curly hair.
I will give this book one (1) caveat—the action scenes with no words, hardly any characters, and just straight battle moments are done very well. The colors are great, and it reads like an action film. So when the book is not being itself, it is impressive. But again, if I like the book best when it's like a movie, it's not a good book.
I seriously have no idea how this is so fucked up. Ugly artwork that worsens a story that is already off-putting and strange, not to mention with characters doing stupid shit in a world we don’t give a shit about AND HAVING SEX NEAR ACTUAL SHIT okay okay I’ll stop.
In summary, the story is literal self-insert fanfic in a world full of technology—and if I wanted that, I could just go onto Wattpad using my iPad.
I pick up this book based on the cover’s description—a masterless samurai seeking to kill a demon, AND it’s written by the guy who wrote Sin City. Got my name written all over it.
Then it transitions into a 21st-century dystopia centered in a ravaged NYC with new technology. “Fine”, I say. “Not what I thought but I’ll keep going with this to see if it improves.”
We are told that the samurai transplants himself into a telekinetic who has no arms or legs and talks to computers. I say, “this is wack as hell but I’ve seen weirder.”
As it turns out, I had not. Buckle up, kids.
The demon implants himself into the boss of the tech company. The ronin tries to kill this boss and creates prosthetic limbs to do so using fucking MAGIC. Is this magic ever used again? Nope. Not to crush or explode the building where the evil AI / demon operates. Not to reveal the demon’s form to gain support from the grunts. It is used a singular time and never mentioned again.
Oh but THEN we have our ~female character~ who has no personality apart from really wanting to do her job. I could get behind this if the story made me care about her. Spoiler: It did not make me care. Any evidence of her drive goes out the window when she sleeps with the ronin, WHO JUST KILLED ALL OF HER SOLDIERS, IN A SEWER AFTER SHE WAS TORTURED FOR DAYS.
Now, I’m not an action heroine, but the last fucking thing I would want to do after being beaten up naked in a literal shithole is have sex, especially not with the guy who just murdered all of my coworkers that I care about. She had no previous sexual attraction with the ronin, AND she cheats on her husband for him, a husband who she shares a lowkey but caring relationship with. I know the two opposite-gendered leads in movies often fall in love quickly and without much reason, but these two were pushed together with all the grace and delicacy of a bulldozer.
I just want to mention again that they were in a sewer. I cannot stress this enough. Nothing could make me feel less sexy than a realm of sewage.
This story, as you may have inferred, is absolutely bananas. Now, I actually don’t mind stories with high potassium levels as long as they are entertaining. However, the artwork actually detracts from the story. In other words, THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF WHAT A GRAPHIC NOVEL IS SUPPOSED TO DO. The scenes inside the tech institution are totally confusing. Everything is green and there are no distinguishing features. It is impossible to visualize yourself in the space or determine what the hell is happening because it all looks like the Jolly Green Giant’s wet dream.
Additionally, the majority of the characters look very similar to one another. I couldn’t tell any of them apart, nor could I tell you any of their names. None of them have any personality to speak of. For most of the book, the ronin walks around saying one word. He’s not Groot, so it’s not cute.
And holy shit, this art style is UGLY. Human faces are unappealing and seem like illustrations from an offbeat 90s kids' book. The landscapes are a blur of boring backdrops with the occasional foliage that resembles a kid’s rendition of curly hair.
I will give this book one (1) caveat—the action scenes with no words, hardly any characters, and just straight battle moments are done very well. The colors are great, and it reads like an action film. So when the book is not being itself, it is impressive. But again, if I like the book best when it's like a movie, it's not a good book.
I seriously have no idea how this is so fucked up. Ugly artwork that worsens a story that is already off-putting and strange, not to mention with characters doing stupid shit in a world we don’t give a shit about AND HAVING SEX NEAR ACTUAL SHIT okay okay I’ll stop.
In summary, the story is literal self-insert fanfic in a world full of technology—and if I wanted that, I could just go onto Wattpad using my iPad.
October 12, 2023
Well this did not age well.
The story is interesting, but suffers from the "It was a different time" thing. The story is very racist and sexists (not even going into the whole coerced sex with lead female as it might not have been freewill involved). The art, well the art is horrible. The art looks like they were inspired by watching very bad quality VHS recording snuck into the Japanese Language Club at some university. That would also explain the often bad dialog copying badly translated dialog of the VHS show.
The story is interesting, but suffers from the "It was a different time" thing. The story is very racist and sexists (not even going into the whole coerced sex with lead female as it might not have been freewill involved). The art, well the art is horrible. The art looks like they were inspired by watching very bad quality VHS recording snuck into the Japanese Language Club at some university. That would also explain the often bad dialog copying badly translated dialog of the VHS show.
January 18, 2018
I really enjoyed Frank Miller's Daredevil run, both the story and the art. I like the concept of this mini series. However I DO NOT like the art in this series, it's very confusing at points and not well defined and clear. While I am a fan of other Frank Miller work I do not recommended this series
August 18, 2023
Would have loved to see more of the feudal-age Ronin and less long-winded dialogue and scratchy tech.
March 2, 2025
Ech… Nie wiem, dlaczego cały czas próbuję zaprzyjaźnić się z twórczością Franka Millera. Poza klasycznymi częściami o Batmanie - wychodzi to słabo. Ten tom też od pewnego momentu kartkowałem, zamiast czytać. Choć czytania nie ma tu aż tak dużo. Jednak stylistyka Millera w ogóle mi nie leży. Może po prostu jestem płytki i lubię konserwatywnie ładne obrazki. A Miller ich nie dostarcza całkiem świadomie trochę chyba eksperymentując z kreską, czyniąc ją czasami umowną. Napisałbym, że postmodernistycznie nudną, ale za cienki w uszach jestem na rozwijanie tego typu tez. 😀
July 5, 2017
Esta edição portuguesa do clássico de Frank Miller ficará marcada pelo divertido erro tipográfico que trocou o título na lombada do livro. De Ronin passámos a Ronnie. É um erro, coisas que acontecem. Alguns fãs ficaram revoltados com o facto, já este fã sorri, divertido, com esta marca que torna a edição muito distinta. A editora envia auto-colantes e distribui capas externas para quem for mais perfecionista e se importar muito com o erro.
Ronin foi a afirmação de Miller como autor no mundo dos comics. Já o estava a fazer quer como argumentista quer desenhador em Daredevil, mas é nesta obra que desenvolve o seu estilo gráfico e narrativo. A influência dos mangá é patente, quer na temática quer, de forma espantosa, no traço e na gramática visual. Miller colide ficção científica e tradição nipónica numa Nova Iorque decadente, onde a inteligência artificial que controla um mega-conglomerado invoca o imaginário dos samurai para se autonomizar e gerar vida artificial. O que começa como um romance de samurai vindo do passado acaba por se revelar uma ilusão potenciada por tecnologia, com um final devidamente catastrófico.
Ronin marca pela forma como levou, à época, mais longe os limites dos comics, abrindo-os a influências estéticas vindas de outras vertentes da banda desenhada. A carreira de Frank Miller ficou pontuada por momentos similares, com a inovação gráfica e narrativa de The Dark Knight Returns, ou o choque visual de Sin City. Apesar do resvalo do autor para um tipo de histórias fortemente xenófobas e carregadas de conservadorismo violento, algo que já se sentia em Dark Knight e Sin City, mas diluía-se na narrativa, enquanto Holy Terror, de 2011, é incrivelmente panfletário e racista, Miller continua um nome de referência no mundo dos comics, ilustrador de traço provocador e mestre na narrativa gráfica.
Ronin foi a afirmação de Miller como autor no mundo dos comics. Já o estava a fazer quer como argumentista quer desenhador em Daredevil, mas é nesta obra que desenvolve o seu estilo gráfico e narrativo. A influência dos mangá é patente, quer na temática quer, de forma espantosa, no traço e na gramática visual. Miller colide ficção científica e tradição nipónica numa Nova Iorque decadente, onde a inteligência artificial que controla um mega-conglomerado invoca o imaginário dos samurai para se autonomizar e gerar vida artificial. O que começa como um romance de samurai vindo do passado acaba por se revelar uma ilusão potenciada por tecnologia, com um final devidamente catastrófico.
Ronin marca pela forma como levou, à época, mais longe os limites dos comics, abrindo-os a influências estéticas vindas de outras vertentes da banda desenhada. A carreira de Frank Miller ficou pontuada por momentos similares, com a inovação gráfica e narrativa de The Dark Knight Returns, ou o choque visual de Sin City. Apesar do resvalo do autor para um tipo de histórias fortemente xenófobas e carregadas de conservadorismo violento, algo que já se sentia em Dark Knight e Sin City, mas diluía-se na narrativa, enquanto Holy Terror, de 2011, é incrivelmente panfletário e racista, Miller continua um nome de referência no mundo dos comics, ilustrador de traço provocador e mestre na narrativa gráfica.
August 20, 2023
While the art remains an acquired taste, this pre-Dark Knight Frank Miller offering has some interesting things going on. I revisit this every couple of years and enjoy it each time. Darren Aronofsky tried to develop this into a film over a decade ago. Not sure how in the heck this could exist in any other medium but that would have made for an interesting watch.
April 23, 2024
Flipada extrema que me flipa extremamente
June 9, 2021
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February 23, 2018
Διάβασε όλο το review εδώ
Ξεκάθαρα, πρόκειται για ένα από τα καλύτερα concept που σκέφτηκε ποτέ του ο Frank: το δέσιμο γιαπωνέζικης μυθολογίας με την cyberpunk κατάσταση του μέλλοντος χαρίζει στην ιστορία ένα μοναδικό, αλλοπρόσαλλο ύφος που δεν ξεχνιέται με τίποτα, ενώ, τέλος, η αποκάλυψη του τί ακριβώς συμβαίνει στην πραγματικότητα είναι πανέξυπνη.
Ας μην ξεχνάμε και το σκίτσο, όμως, το οποίο μπορεί να είναι πιο ωμό από μετέπειτα προσπάθειες του, αλλά βρίσκει για πρώτη φορά τον Miller να ξεφεύγει εντελώς από το αμερικανικό στυλ και να μετατρέπει τα panel του σε μια δυναμική μίξη από manga και Γαλλο-Βελγικά comics. Οι σκηνές δράσεις είναι πανέμορφες, εκφραστικότατες και έτοιμες για κάδρο (ειδικά στο πρώτο κεφάλαιο δίνει ρέστα), η μεθοδική χρήση των panel κάνει τα πάντα να φαίνονται κινηματογραφικά, αλλά θέλω να σταθώ σε μια συγκεκριμένη εικόνα που χρησιμοποιεί συχνά: αυτή της πόλης που έχει κυριευτεί από το τεχνολογικά οικοδόμημα Aquarius. Πανέξυπνο οπτικό storytelling, αφού παρομοιάζει το Aquarius σαν καρκίνο που έχει ρουφήξει όλους τους πόρους και ζωή της Νέας Υόρκης για να επιζήσει το ίδιο.
Παρ’όλα αυτά, το Ronin έχει πολλά προβλήματα στην αφήγηση και τους χαρακτήρες. Το exposition και ο φλύαρος, αχρείαστος διάλογος καταστρέφουν τον ρυθμό και δεν δικαιολογούν σε καμία περίπτωση τις 250 σελίδες του comic: θα περίμενε κανείς πως ένα τόσο ευρηματικό concept θα υποστηριζόταν από το καλύτερο δυνατό σενάριο, αλλά δυστυχώς δεν είναι έτσι τα πράγματα. Έτσι, μια απλή και λιτή πλοκή (η αναμέτρηση μεταξύ του Agat και του ronin, ουσιαστικά) καταλήγει χωρίς κατεύθυνση και δομή. Όσο για τους χαρακτήρες, κανένας τους δεν μου κινεί το ενδιαφέρον στο ελάχιστο, αφού πρόκειται για μια σειρά από κλισέ (ο κακός δαίμονας! ο στωικός samurai! η ψύχραιμη τεχνητή νοημοσύνη!η σκληρή αστυνομικός!) χωρίς ίχνος προσωπικότητας. Πως περιμένεις να ενδιαφερθώ αν δεν έχεις ούτε αξιόλογους χαρακτήρες ούτε δεμένη πλοκή;
Ξεκάθαρα, πρόκειται για ένα από τα καλύτερα concept που σκέφτηκε ποτέ του ο Frank: το δέσιμο γιαπωνέζικης μυθολογίας με την cyberpunk κατάσταση του μέλλοντος χαρίζει στην ιστορία ένα μοναδικό, αλλοπρόσαλλο ύφος που δεν ξεχνιέται με τίποτα, ενώ, τέλος, η αποκάλυψη του τί ακριβώς συμβαίνει στην πραγματικότητα είναι πανέξυπνη.
Ας μην ξεχνάμε και το σκίτσο, όμως, το οποίο μπορεί να είναι πιο ωμό από μετέπειτα προσπάθειες του, αλλά βρίσκει για πρώτη φορά τον Miller να ξεφεύγει εντελώς από το αμερικανικό στυλ και να μετατρέπει τα panel του σε μια δυναμική μίξη από manga και Γαλλο-Βελγικά comics. Οι σκηνές δράσεις είναι πανέμορφες, εκφραστικότατες και έτοιμες για κάδρο (ειδικά στο πρώτο κεφάλαιο δίνει ρέστα), η μεθοδική χρήση των panel κάνει τα πάντα να φαίνονται κινηματογραφικά, αλλά θέλω να σταθώ σε μια συγκεκριμένη εικόνα που χρησιμοποιεί συχνά: αυτή της πόλης που έχει κυριευτεί από το τεχνολογικά οικοδόμημα Aquarius. Πανέξυπνο οπτικό storytelling, αφού παρομοιάζει το Aquarius σαν καρκίνο που έχει ρουφήξει όλους τους πόρους και ζωή της Νέας Υόρκης για να επιζήσει το ίδιο.
Παρ’όλα αυτά, το Ronin έχει πολλά προβλήματα στην αφήγηση και τους χαρακτήρες. Το exposition και ο φλύαρος, αχρείαστος διάλογος καταστρέφουν τον ρυθμό και δεν δικαιολογούν σε καμία περίπτωση τις 250 σελίδες του comic: θα περίμενε κανείς πως ένα τόσο ευρηματικό concept θα υποστηριζόταν από το καλύτερο δυνατό σενάριο, αλλά δυστυχώς δεν είναι έτσι τα πράγματα. Έτσι, μια απλή και λιτή πλοκή (η αναμέτρηση μεταξύ του Agat και του ronin, ουσιαστικά) καταλήγει χωρίς κατεύθυνση και δομή. Όσο για τους χαρακτήρες, κανένας τους δεν μου κινεί το ενδιαφέρον στο ελάχιστο, αφού πρόκειται για μια σειρά από κλισέ (ο κακός δαίμονας! ο στωικός samurai! η ψύχραιμη τεχνητή νοημοσύνη!η σκληρή αστυνομικός!) χωρίς ίχνος προσωπικότητας. Πως περιμένεις να ενδιαφερθώ αν δεν έχεις ούτε αξιόλογους χαρακτήρες ούτε δεμένη πλοκή;
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