An excellent behind-the-scenes look at the cult film and the underground comic book that spawned it. In the age of the internet, where much of this book's contents have leaked over the years, it may initially seem less impressive than it is. Yet this book still has a lot to offer, not least of which are Robert Zuckerman's stunning photographs.
It still amazes me how quickly the book was optioned for a film, in contrast to how long it took O'Barr to get it published in the first place. Consequently, the screenwriters were developing the script independently of O'Barr's continued work on the book... hence a very visible division between the two works. In the end, Proyas and Lee steered the film back toward O'Barr's vision to the degree that film and book share the same spirit and mood, each one unique and spectacular in its own right.
There are extraneous elements in the film, but they are so outshined by the brilliance so many fine actors and craftsmen put into it I can scarcely complain.
Conner and Zuckerman later produced an equally impressive book chronicling the film's sequel.