X-23 by Frank Miller

X-23 by Frank Miller. Done on Avengers Arena blank cover, CGC SS 9.8. Thanks to Doug Peters for the hook-up.

This is pretty special, for a couple of reasons.

First, Frank Miller is undoubtedly one of the most influential comic book creators of all time and he certainly was for me personally. His Wolverine mini-series and Batman books The Dark Knight Returns and Year One, along with Watchmen, were the books that really got me into “mature” comics and kept me reading comic books into my teens and beyond. Sin City followed that and cemented Miller as one of my favorite comic book creators.

After getting into original comic book art in recent years, I’ve commissioned and gotten sketches from a lot of great artists. Miller, despite what I said above, wasn’t even on my radar. At the time he wasn’t really doing conventions and getting a commission seemed so far-fetched that I didn’t even contemplate it. But recently he’s made a bit of a public return and has been doing many signings and even quite a few commissions and sketches.

I’m really excited to add this piece to my collection. Not only is it a Frank Miller, but I think it’s a really nice Frank Miller. He gave Laura a rather Deadly Little Miho vibe as she’s dropping down on an enemy, and if you’ve read Miller’s Sin City that’s appropriate on more than one level. After all, if X-23 was a character in that universe, her home would definitely be among The Girls of Old Town.

Oh, and the second reason it’s a bit special? This is the first time Frank Miller has drawn X-23 and it could very well end up being the last and only time he draws her. That’s pretty cool.