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Daredevil #161, Cover

Artists: Frank Miller (Penciller) ,  Klaus Janson (Inker)

65 Comments  -   8,771 Views  -   22 Likes


Daredevil #161, Cover Comic Art
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Artwork Details

Title: Daredevil #161, Cover
Artist: Frank Miller (Penciller)
Artist: Klaus Janson (Inker)
Media Type: Pen and Ink
Art Type: Cover
For Sale Status: NFS
Views: 8,771
Likes on CAF:
Favorited on CAF: 5
Comments: 65
Added to Site: 6/11/2011
Comic Art Archive: Daredevil
Issue: 161   Page: cover

Description

theEven though this is an original art focused list, I want to talk about that sometimes unique combination of creator; writer and penciller. Now, I don’t think that having the same person write and draw is necessarily the best case. In fact, many of my favorite stories or runs have been created by teams of people. And, of course, I’m not giving the inker his or her due either here. The “right” inker can make the pencils sing, and the wrong can drown the artwork. Still, indulge me, and focus on words and pencils. Sometimes, we’ll see one person picking up both roles, and doing neither justice. On the other hand, there are times when the combination lets a creator truly express themselves in ways that a collaboration wouldn’t suffice. I could name a few of the good and the bad, and that might be the genesis of an interesting thread. But, in this case, I am speaking specifically of Frank Miller and his run on Daredevil. While we talk about his artwork often, it’s actually the combination of the art and the story line that made his contribution that much more special. Miller understood the power of this art form; to create magic from the right combination of words and pictures. Me? I loved the artwork. The use of different techniques regarding lighting, unique panel arrangements and a cinematic styled story board all combined to keep me focused on the action. Was he the first to draw that way? No. But, when I first read his Daredevil run, I didn’t know about Will Eisner, or any of the great artists that had preceded Miller. I just knew it was something different than I had ever seen. But, it was the story, tied to the art, that I still recall so vividly.



Many believe that Frank Miller’s single greatest contribution to Daredevil was the creation of Elektra. A character created from nothing that still exists and flourishes in the Marvel universe some 30 years later is impressive. But, while I agree that the creation of a lasting character (like an Elektra), is a special thing, I think Miller’s greater contribution was the total recasting of the villains. In my view, to take a character with a long and (frankly) weak history and make them into something impressive is even more difficult and amazing. Let’s be honest. Before the Miller run, the Kingpin was a joke. Bullseye was a bigger joke. Bullseye used to throw golf balls at people for gosh sakes! Before the Miller DD run, the Kingpin was, at best, a minor Spider-Man villain. He was reduced to shooting blasts out of his diamond tipped cane to create some sense of danger for Spidey. And, even that was no real threat to our hero. Now, remember, they had both been around for some time. Bullseye made his first appearance in DD #131; the Kingpin first appeared way back in Amazing Spider-Man #50!

Around 30 years ago, Miller took these minor characters and turned them into people feared throughout the Marvel Universe to this day. Under Roger McKenzie and then Frank Miller, Bullseye became Daredevil’s Joker, and then Miller turned Kingpin into Daredevil’s Lex Luthor (for the DC fans out there). And, I mean the brilliant, evil, corporate executive Luthor, not the nut job in the green exo-skeleton!


Everyone has their favorite part of Miller’s Daredevil run. For me, it’s the issues with Bullseye and Kingpin. In those issues, you really felt the sense of menace. Of course, DD would win. But, there was some part of you that wondered if this was the time that the bad guys would actually get it together.


I anxiously waited for those issues to arrive. The covers were all dramatic, and many told you right away that this was going to be something special. Unlike many of the covers of the time, Miller Daredevil covers were different. How? No word balloons. Of all the DD covers he did, only one had word balloons (a no prize to the first one to find the infamous word balloon cover!).And, I’ve always wondered if that was some editorial decision versus Miller himself. Most other covers tried to tell the story by replicating a scene from the book with words. Not Frank. He gave an image that spoke volumes about what you were going to find inside. Speaking of covers, there has been much discussion regarding at what point Miller stopped full pencils (and I don’t want to start it again here!) on the interiors. But, near as I can recall, there seems to be no argument about the covers. Frankly, if you looked at the covers, it’s a pretty good study of the evolution of Miller’s style. His early covers were very detailed, and his later covers reflected his more stylized approach. If I did my counting correctly, Miller did 33 covers for Daredevil. Interestingly, given the importance of those characters in the run, there were only three covers with the Kingpin, and five with Bullseye.

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Ron S
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Joined: June 2007
Last Login: September 2025
Ebay Id: lihama5
Country: UNITED STATES
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Comments on this Artwork

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Simon M. 
Member Since 2003

Posted on 6/11/2011

Erm, this is kinda cool...

J L 
Member Since 2005

Posted on 6/11/2011

Congrats Ron. That is a sweet looking cover!!!! 8 )

Ken R  
Member Since 2006

Posted on 6/11/2011

Amazing blue-chip acquisition Ron! I shudder to imagine what it took for you to land it!

. BRAUNY 
Member Since 2007

Posted on 6/11/2011

Awesome addition Ron. You have an amazing collection. And of course I just love reading your narrative on the background of the pieces that you acquire. Thanks for sharing with us! Cant wait to see your next addition.

George H 
Member Since 2009

Posted on 6/11/2011

What an amazing find! Grail for any DD or Miller fan.

Aidan (Re-Legion ) Lacy 
Member Since 2005

Posted on 6/11/2011

My God, the angles and perspectives on this are invredible. I get vertigo just loking at it. Congratulations

Justin Porter 
Member Since 2003

Posted on 6/11/2011

Classic cover Ron. Congrats!

Mike W 
Member Since 2007

Posted on 6/11/2011

A true Grail, Ron!! Congratulations!! But as much as I enjoy seeing the art, I equally enjoyed reading your comment. Thank you for sharing, my friend!!

Matt S 
Member Since 2006

Posted on 6/11/2011

Congrats Ron!...you've moved from the Major Leagues to Legendary status with a cover like this.

Lee C. 
Member Since 2005

Posted on 6/11/2011

Wow, so cool to see my favourite Miller DD cover up on CAF! Amazing stuff.

Joseph Serpico 
Member Since 2009

Posted on 6/11/2011

A grail for almost any collector, and center piece of almost any collection. Congrats.

Y M 
Member Since 2003

Posted on 6/11/2011

Fantastic image with nail-biting drama!

Shane Turgeon 
Member Since 2009

Posted on 6/11/2011

Absolutely fantastic! Wow!

Craig Rogers 
Member Since 2004

Posted on 6/11/2011

wow

Nelson Animated Ink 
Member Since 2005

Posted on 6/11/2011

One of my favorite issues from Frank's run. As a NYer, I loved Coney Island's Cyclone roller coaster as a back drop to the actual storyline. Anyone who has ever visited Coney Island will realize that Frank actually went there for artistic reference. To top it all off, it's DD vs. Bullseye. Congratulations Ron. Cheers! N.

J. Sid 
Member Since 2004

Posted on 6/11/2011

Frank's covers to this run were unbelievably engaging. How could you not pick this one up and read it?

Alex B 
Member Since 2008

Posted on 6/11/2011

This is absolutely incredible : comic art at its absolute best. The breathtaking cover of a landmark issue from one of the best runs in comics history. I'm simply stunned and so so so jealous ! Congrats my friend !!! The excellent news is that you don't need any of your other Miller pages now, and I'll be very happy to help you get rid of a few of them !

mark depolito 
Member Since 2008

Posted on 6/11/2011

Fantastic Cover! Congrats.

Crees Tyler 
Member Since 2008

Posted on 6/11/2011

What can I say more than : AMAZING, SUPERB, GRAIL, and INSANE !!! Congrats Ron ! This is my fav piece in your collection :)

Jeff Singh 
Member Since 2004

Posted on 6/11/2011

You would be hardpressed to find a better cornerstone Miller piece. Brilliant. I agree with you on everything said about Miller's run on DD. DD, Elektra, Bullseye and the Kingpin will forever be connected thanks to Miller.

Terry Doyle 
Member Since 2004

Posted on 6/11/2011

Excellent write-up. I remember buying the Miller books back in the 70s. At the time I wasn't really enjoying too many of the Marvel books, with the exception of CONAN. When Miller took over DAREDEVIL he breathed new life into the title and I soon found myself totally mesmerised by the superb storytelling. Excellent cover, congrats!

Ben Bressel 
Member Since 2003

Posted on 6/11/2011

wow ron, wow.

Michael One Minute Later  
Member Since 2005

Posted on 6/12/2011

A true grail...fabulous...

Wesley Liu 
Member Since 2009

Posted on 6/12/2011

DD, Bullseye, Black Widow tied to a roller coaster... what an awesome cover! Congrats Ron

Peter Venkman 
Member Since 2003

Posted on 6/12/2011

I want the same!

Romain Verlier 
Member Since 2009

Posted on 6/12/2011

Best cover !!! Ultimate Taste for an Unbelievable Collection !!!It is such a pleasure to read and stare at your galleries Thanks !!!

Tom Coker 
Member Since 2005

Posted on 6/12/2011

Ron, congrats on such an outstanding acquisition!

Allen Bush 
Member Since 2010

Posted on 6/12/2011

Absolutely phenomenol!!! I am sick with envy!

David O 
Member Since 2007

Posted on 6/12/2011

Finally, you posted this jewel. One of the best Miller DD covers ever! Congrats on this outstanding purchase.

Jason Versaggi 
Member Since 2005

Posted on 6/13/2011

One of my all time favorite comic book covers and one of the reasons I HAD to track down and read the entire Miller DD run. This is a GRAIL of GRAILS. Holy S#$!

C . 
Member Since 2008

Posted on 6/13/2011

Wow, it´s amazing!!!!!

DW A 
Member Since 2005

Posted on 6/14/2011

Wonderful piece of history

Chris K. 
Member Since 2008

Posted on 6/14/2011

Well, what can I say that has not already been said? It is an absolute joy to see Miller's original cover art from this issue. Hard to imagine actually holding it in your hands and seeing the pencil marks, erased first attempts and faded notations that were all part of its creation. Ron, it's updates like this that contribute so greatly to my enjoyment of CAF - thanks for making them happen so often!

- Artemaria 
Member Since 2007

Posted on 6/14/2011

To paraphrase the great Frank Miller (speaking through Bullseye), there are good collectors out there, some are very good, but you, you're magic. And so is this cover. Tremendous congratulations!

Steve Welch 
Member Since 2005

Posted on 6/14/2011

Now THAT is a keeper!!

Xavier  . 
Member Since 2010

Posted on 6/16/2011

What a magnificent gem to add to your collection, WOW, congrats on your acquisition. That is a true treasure, thank you for sharing it.

Maria Coppola 
Member Since 2011

Posted on 6/24/2011

Unbelievable, a Grail in any collection! Miller had so many tremendous covers, this ranks as one of the best! Awesome, awesome, awesome!

Mario B. 
Member Since 2004

Posted on 9/22/2011

a Cover...Frank Miller....a GEM !

Fred's CAF Gallery 
Member Since 2003

Posted on 3/8/2012

Miller Magnificence!!! This is a CLASSIC!!!

j sly 
Member Since 2011

Posted on 4/16/2012

Awesome Miller Cover!

Dimitrios Z 
Member Since 2011

Posted on 7/20/2012

Great Cover from a Great Run, Congrats!!!

LB Jefferies 
Member Since 2003

Posted on 2/7/2013

In my top 5 favorite Miller DD covers. Nicely done.

F H 
Member Since 2008

Posted on 3/1/2013

Fantastic cover. I love it. congrats. I'm dreaming to see it on my wall.

J J 
Member Since 2011

Posted on 6/12/2013

Does it get any better than this?

Raymond Bryan 
Member Since 2011

Posted on 1/26/2014

This is an excellent cover!! This was a great run and Bullseye was just an amazing character. Congrats on this!!!

artless artmore 
Member Since 2013

Posted on 3/22/2014

Absolutely spectacular image and an iconic cover! This is fantastic!

Jonathan H 
Member Since 2005

Posted on 9/5/2014

What a beauty of a cover! History!!

Stanton  Singh 
Member Since 2012

Posted on 4/18/2015

Wow!!! Nuff said! Daredevil GRAIL!

Adam Ianbarry 
Member Since 2010

Posted on 5/5/2015

The perspective on this is just amazing. An awesome and iconic cover from a Legendary run!

Jason Versaggi 
Member Since 2005

Posted on 6/12/2015

Still hard to believe someone actually owns this. If you sold ALL your other art and just kept this piece on your wall everyone would still have to give you the Hail Hydra salute as you walked the convention room floor.

Jean-Michel Anneau 
Member Since 2008

Posted on 9/24/2015

Another beauty of your incredible collection !!!

Jean-Michel Anneau 
Member Since 2008

Posted on 9/24/2015

Another beauty of your incredible collection !!!

Adam Ianbarry 
Member Since 2010

Posted on 11/29/2015

Comic book Genius!!!

Kyle K 
Member Since 2012

Posted on 10/31/2016

Your collection is unreal, Ron! Like an incredible history museum!

A B 
Member Since 2015

Posted on 3/25/2017

This is just an amazing piece, would kill for this one!

Bill J 
Member Since 2009

Posted on 8/9/2018

This is just terrific!!!

Sam H 
Member Since 2007

Posted on 6/28/2019

My first ever Miller DD issue.  Just stunning.

Posted on 12/28/2019

One of my ALL TIME FAVORITE covers!  Not favorite Daredevil covers, FAVORITE comic covers!  Period.  Wow, incredible.  Great to see with someone who loves!

matt d. 
Member Since 2018

Posted on 2/6/2020

Man, that's the 59th comment! Great, great, great!!!

Peter Venkman 
Member Since 2003

Posted on 6/28/2021

Small pieces are really M.I.A in this collection... Hat down!

Peter Sullivan 
Member Since 2006

Posted on 7/15/2021

Slightly off the point here but has anyone ever notices how crap most artists signatures are? Lazy efforts. Frank is an ideal example. Progressively worse. Its a sign of not caring. Nice artwork, of course!  And at least he did not do a John Byrne and deface his own artwork.

John Voytek 
Member Since 2008

Posted on 5/28/2022

Fantastic cover!!! I sold the cover to issue 160 to Steve Geppi back in the early 90s that I acquired from Miller for $165...lol. All drawn art except for the large DD head that was renfered on vellumand lightly attached to the art board.

Duke Fleed aka #1 Groo Fan 
Member Since 2013

Posted on 11/22/2022

Love the perspective on this one. High drama (pun intended!)

O P 
Member Since 2006

Posted on 2/13/2023

Am full of admiration for your collection!

Ernest Benevides 
Member Since 2022

Posted on 4/24/2024

Wow!! Another winner

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