What's up with Mark Millar and his hyper violent comics?

[Alex_Spider]

Anyone getting sick of Mark Millar's hyper violent, overhyped work along with cliche recycled characters. I mean how does this guy get paid for putting out crap in the likes of Wanted and Kick-Ass and turning them into profitable movie spectacle.

Oh, I just created a CB character named Sh**head - A creature made of the feces of the 666 most evil people in the world.
How innovative and artistic is that? Yeah, fast food generation kids will love it and think they will be cool like the brilliant characters I come up with.

And what's with that obsession with the rape thing his villains like to practice? Bravo Millar, thank God you exist to elevate Art and Comic Book characters with your innovative approach in each mediocrity you put out.

 

[Piper Maru]

What's the deal with airplane peanuts?

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

Whaaaat's the deaaal with the Mark Millaaarrr comics? Whyyyyy are they so violent? And what's the deeeaaal with missing socks from the dryyyeeer? I doooon't knooooow.

*Seinfeld music fades out*

 

[Alex_Spider]

So I guess I am in the minority of people that dislike his work?

 

[TheVileOne]

Millar's kind of like the Quentin Tarantino of comics so people really dig that.

I'm not a huge fan, but he has this really over the top, big explosions, shock-value style that fans find appealing.

 

[Lord]

He's not the Tarantino of Comics at all, he's more like Michael Bay, you look at his latest comics and it's mostly shock value for the sake of the it while the plot and characters are minimal (Tarantino isn't like that).

With Kick-Ass it was an interesting story, his comic was a little dumb, then the film came and improved the comic story a lot, made the tone make more sence for the tale they were telling, added more to the characters and was funnier. I really liked the film, but the comic was nothing special.

I haven't watched Kick-Ass 2 but i read the comic, so i can see why the film is getting so many negative reviews.

There are some very good Millar books though, i love his run on The Ultimates 1 and 2, and even his Ultimate Avengers comics were enjoyable, his books that would work better as movies are actually those with previously created characters

 

[pr0xyt0xin]

He's not the Tarantino of Comics at all, he's more like Michael Bay, you look at his latest comics and it's mostly shock value for the sake of the it while the plot and characters are minimal (Tarantino isn't like that).

With Kick-Ass it was an interesting story, his comic was a little dumb, then the film came and improved the comic story a lot, made the tone make more sence for the tale they were telling, added more to the characters and was funnier. I really liked the film, but the comic was nothing special.

I haven't watched Kick-Ass 2 but i read the comic, so i can see why the film is getting so many negative reviews.

There are some very good Millar books though, i love his run on The Ultimates 1 and 2, and even his Ultimate Avengers comics were enjoyable, his books that would work better as movies are actually those with previously created characters

Oh please Michael Bay was the wrong comparison. Michael Bay isn't about shock value. He's about eye candy. Less shock, more awe. And there's a huge difference.

If I had to choose a director to compare Mark Millar to it'd be like Robert Rodriguez (who is basically the characterization-less Tarantino) or possibly David Cronenberg (who lives on shock factor).

We all know who the Michael Bay of comics is, and he's not a writer:

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

Seriously now, I haven't read many Millar stories. Just a great Marvel Knights Spider-Man story in the early 00's and the first Kick Ass, which I also liked. Though I have heard people say he's excessive and I can understand that, Alex's rant about him seems a little strong and personal. He's not currently writing any flagship characters to my knowledge, so just don't buy his books. Did bashing the guy really require its own thread?

 

[Alex_Spider]

What's wrong with creating a thread about a comic book writer that I dislike? Am I not allowed to? By your logic, if you like his work then you are not forced to take part in the discussion or you can as well create a praising thread on him. Obviously my rant is a bit strong because I wanted to point out his mediocre artistic choices. Seems like you took my rant a little personal.

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

What's wrong with creating a thread about a comic book writer that I dislike? Am I not allowed to? By your logic, if you like his work then you are not forced to take part in the discussion or you can as well create a praising thread on him. Obviously my rant is a bit strong because I wanted to point out his mediocre artistic choices. Seems like you took my rant a little personal.

You're allowed to. I just think a thread aimed at bashing anyone is generally in bad taste. It also starts the discussion on a pretty negative footing.

 

[Alex_Spider]

You're allowed to. I just think a thread aimed at bashing anyone is generally in bad taste. It also starts the discussion on a pretty negative footing.

But people do this all the time in public forums. That's how it works. We all have our likes and dislikes and we share them with other people. And it's not like I stated I wish Millar to die or for something bad to happen to him lol. All the negativity is aimed towards his artistic choices alone.

 

[NosfeRomas]

I don't think of Millar's violence as you know real violence. Its graphic/pulpy Kill Bill blood shower violence appropriate for such comics. I don't really take him very seriously but i do enjoy his work. He is a smart fella and a quite good writer. Wanted was a pretty awesome idea and it was executed really, really well so was Kick Ass 1, Kick Ass 2 i felt was ok but he really went for shock value and the excuses that "He tried to show realisticaly how superheroes would work if they existed" is BS. I don't think i will even bother with Kick Ass 3 and Hit Girl. I have no interest in them. It think it kinda lost its charm and the Kick Ass 2 movie didn't help. While an enjoyable movie, it was, and i hate to say that dumb pretentious word, more "mainstream". Made for a larger audience while it shouldn't because it alienated the audience of the first film, comic book fans and normal movie goers who appreciate graphic violence and humour.

His main problem is that he thinks he is this genius writer and genius guy in general and everybody else and especially the mofos who read his BS are just dumb. He always insults his readers though his characters (ex Wanted, Kick Ass, Civil War(kinda)) thinking he is above them. It was cute but it may have gotten old.

Anyway, I enjoy his work, i appreciate his talent. I am sure if you are a fairly smart cookie you will have plenty of fun because you will not get offended by his work otherwise have fun complaining. Hey its all fun around here !

Ps : Red Son is f-ing A-M-A-Z-I-N-G !

 

[Alex_Spider]

Yeah I agree with your analysis. Red Son and the stuff he did to the Ultimate Avengers were impressive although I never was a fan of the character concept and the direction in general of the "Ultimates". It's just this fast food mentality that gets popularity of creating CB characters that don't have any thought behind them or any artistic value whatsoever.

I guess I am more a fan of traditional storytelling and not over the top extravaganza in the vein of Wanted and Kick Ass that are based in shock value.

 

[Lord]

The Ultimates characters may be jackasses compared to the original but there is artistic value to their characters and general plot, each character there represented a political view. The Ultimates 1 and 2 are not fast food at all, let's face it, if a Captain America had existed he would have been closer to the one in the Ultimates, still with an WWII mood and kind of racist, the one we usually get is actually a little too tame considering his times.

I also don't see the criticsm of Hippie Thor, the character was very entertaining. The Ultimates had characters behind them, Mark Millar hadn't reached the fast food character creating machine yet.

Oh please Michael Bay was the wrong comparison. Michael Bay isn't about shock value. He's about eye candy. Less shock, more awe. And there's a huge difference.

If I had to choose a director to compare Mark Millar to it'd be like Robert Rodriguez (who is basically the characterization-less Tarantino) or possibly David Cronenberg (who lives on shock factor).

We all know who the Michael Bay of comics is, and he's not a writer:

Uhm, i disagree. You see, Michael Bay does know how to put together a film and has an eye for action, he's just lost between dumb jokes that don't belong in the story (kind of like Millar).

If that there is Rob Liefeld then he's the Uwe Boll of comics.

 

[Octoberist]

At first it was a novety, with Millar's more violent work. But after a while and before his 'Jupiter' comic book, I noticed a trend and it seemed like 'ultra violence' was almost a crutch for 'shock value' than a 'style'.

 

[Octoberist]

My issue with Millar isn't his writing; he's a great business man and from time to time, he'll write something a bit low key, but mainly his more recent comics feel like 'pitches' for movies. He'll deny all he wants, but something like 'Nemesis' was - in my eyes - an obvious attempt at 'I wanna make a movie out of this' from the get-go.

That being said, and this is only a personality thing, he tends to be overly hyperbolic. Almost to the point where he comes off as a...lier. He's calm down recently, but man, in interviews and on twitter, he was all over the place.

 

[Vid Electricz]

So I guess I am in the minority of people that dislike his work?

Nope.

My issue with Millar isn't his writing; he's a great business man and from time to time, he'll write something a bit low key, but mainly his more recent comics feel like 'pitches' for movies. He'll deny all he wants, but something like 'Nemesis' was - in my eyes - an obvious attempt at 'I wanna make a movie out of this' from the get-go.

That being said, and this is only a personality thing, he tends to be overly hyperbolic. Almost to the point where he comes off as a...lier. He's calm down recently, but man, in interviews and on twitter, he was all over the place.

Nemesis is one of the worst things I think I've had the displeasure of reading (flipping through in the book store) lately. Absolute garbage.

 

[jonathancrane]

I really enjoy his Ultimate work...have not read anything else outside of Civil War in the 616, tho. Civil War had a lot of good ideas that were lost in the execution.

 

[DocHolliday]

He's a third-rate Garth Ennis that pretends he likes superheroes. At least Ennis knows enough to stay away from mainstream superhero books but Millar likes to pretend he can pull off writing a superhero story in an inventive way(like Alan Moore used to with his DC stuff in the 80s). Whereas Moore's stuff was mostly great, Millar's output is almost always terrible.

He occasionally has good ideas(more like movie pitches) but almost always screws them up with his inability to write good stories. Possibly the worst writer in the business today. People will look back at his comics twenty years from now with the same disdain they had for 90s Image junk.

 

[Alex_Spider]

He's a third-rate Garth Ennis that pretends he likes superheroes. At least Ennis knows enough to stay away from mainstream superhero books but Millar likes to pretend he can pull off writing a superhero story in an inventive way(like Alan Moore used to with his DC stuff in the 80s). Whereas Moore's stuff was mostly great, Millar's output is almost always terrible.

He occasionally has good ideas(more like movie pitches) but almost always screws them up with his inability to write good stories. Possibly the worst writer in the business today. People will look back at his comics twenty years from now with the same disdain they had for 90s Image junk.

Very good points.

 

[Lord]

His work on The Ultimates was very good though.

 

[jonathancrane]

His Ultimate work is top-notch, and Civil War had some ideas, which were sadly lost in the execution.