I had my family over to see 300 last night, which of course was released on DVD yesterday. We're all fans of Frank Miller, who wrote the original comic book on which the movie was based. I've been a fan of Miller's since college when his classic Batman story The Dark Knight Returns was published in the original form (yes, before it was a trade paperback, I read it in individual issues). As you may know, that landmark work completely reinvented the Batman mythology from being a self-caricature in the Adam West-Burt Ward TV show to the obsessed and ruthless vigilante that defines his character.
I even wrote an opinion piece in my college newspaper about this change, and got some flack from a bleeding-heart liberal who took offense to my implied support of justice without due process. However, a fellow Batman lover (and someone a little less literal in their thinking) came to my defense with a letter that made two points - first, if you see Batman beating up on somebody, you KNOW that person is guilty, and second, that of COURSE he reads the college newspaper every day, like the real-life person that he is.
In addition to Batman, I was also a big fan of Miller's art in the Wolverine mini-series by Chris Claremont, one of the early solo adventures for Marvel's favorite mutant, and Miller's work on Daredevil in the Electra/Bullseye era and his graphic novel with artist David Mazzucchelli called Born Again, both of which I recently reacquired in trade book format. Heck, I've even read Ronin, one of Miller's less-known works.
I hadn't embraced Miller's more recent work with Sin City and 300 until I met Tara back in 2005. And I'll admit the first time I saw Sin City at a friend's apartment in Houston, it kinda grossed me out. But it wasn't long before I came to appreciate the Miller vibe once again, especially the artistry in Zack Snyder's film rendition of the epic Spartan/Persian battle.
Plus, check out this cool collector's edition of the DVD that I got from Best Buy yesterday - it includes a replica Spartan helmet cast in resin and painted to realistically look like bronze, plus four movie poster postcards. They were in very limited supply (only 15 per store), so I was smart enough to buy one online and pick it up at the store after work. Sure enough, by the time I got there to pick it up, they were sold out - I actually overheard people asking for them and being given the bad news. And of course, the very next day they are now going for more than twice the purchase price on Ebay. Seems like someone could make some money doing this sort of thing if one were so inclined...
Anyway, a fun time was had by all last night, with a kickin' movie, popcorn and frozen treats aplenty. It was nice spending time with my family where we didn't have to go anywhere and still make it a special evening.
