Rōnin #1 (DC, 1983)

On this page, we meet Virgo, the sentient computer who commands every function of the Acquarius facility. Frank Miller's Ronin changed the direction of comics with its prestige mini-series format, combined with the fact that it was the first modern feature where DC allowed the creator to retain the rights to the character. Ronin has since been celebrated as among the most important and influential stories ever published. Miller is arguably the greatest superhero writer/artist to work during this period, and Ronin helped launch a much-needed comics revolution -- many feel that there would be no Sandman, Watchmen, or Dark Knight, without this visionary work leading the way. And just as Frank Miller drew some inspiration in part from the various works of Moebius, and from Goseki Kojima's work on Lone Wolf and Cub, so too has Miller's Ronin inspired countless other creators, among them Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fame.