I get to write quite a lot of stuff for JoBlo.com but this is the first time that I’ve been giving the responsibility of reviewing a product. Naturally, when the book first arrived at my house I skipped over all of the boring stuff (words) and went looking through the pages for the pictures of the hot chicks. Like most everyone else the aesthetic that Frank Miller is playing with in THE SPIRIT blows me away, but there was never any doubt in my mind that the real draw to this project was the myriad beauties involved. Eva Mendes, Scarlett Johansson, Jaime King, Sarah Paulsen, Paz Vega. We’re talking an embarrassment of riches here.
The first 6 or so pages feature an introduction by writer/director Frank Miller and this clearly passionate love letter to Will Eisner sets the tone for everything that is to follow. As it is I now feel I have a better understanding of what Miller is trying to do with this movie. The Spirit was a paradigm-breaking comic and Miller, for better or worse, is trying to do something equally new with the film. I still think those scenes where The Octopus looks like a Nazi samurai or an arctic pimp look ridiculous but I kind of respect and understand the thinking behind them now. Miller is out to do something completely different. It might and may very well end up being a complete turd basket, but to run that risk is the only way to do it properly.
If you’re interested in the technology and the green screen work and all that geeky stuff, there is a lot of information on how what Miller is using has progressed from SIN CITY and 300. There’s some stuff about The Octopus’ guns and his other weapons too.
Of course, while all that stuff is informative (and it is), if you’re a normal person and not a perverted child like me then your primary interest in this book is the artwork. And there’s tons of it. It’s beautiful too. From the beginning the pages are adorned with original Will Eisner artwork, which segues over the course of the book into production art and behind-the-scenes pics, and stills from the movie. Everything looks either gorgeous or bad ass or both, better in my estimation, than SIN CITY.
Bottom line with the book is that it’s totally worth it. I only ever felt the need to spend money on one other visual companion to a movie and that was THE FOUNTAIN. As much as I love that movie, this thing beats that hands down. The artwork is just gorgeous, but what is also great is the production diaries. I have to be honest, when I saw those trailers for THE SPIRIT I hated them. But look, what I understand now is that since the original Spirit comic pushed the medium, Miller seems to genuinely feel like he has to do the same to do the project justice. It might end up blowing but it might end up being kind of incredible. You’ve got to at least respect that, and probably, support it. You might have seen movies that looked like this, but you definitely have not seen this before.
Also: I don’t know much about Frank Miller, but I not convinced that guy has a top to his head. He is always wearing a hat. What is this guy hiding? He’s like LL Cool J. If you pulled that fedora off he’d look like Ray Liotta at the end of HANNIBAL I bet. That’s my guess.