DARK

HORSE
COMICS
! .
. '

1015
$2.95 US
$4.15 CA

`
.; ' .
`.

. . '.
-
.
.
'
. ,-
STORY & ART
raA_l
MtLLgR
COLOR
LOGO DESIGN
STEVE MILLER
& CYNTHIA JOHNSON
CHAPTER ONE:
PUBLISHER
MlE BICBARDSON
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
NEIL BANKERSON
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
DAVID SCROGGY
VICE PRESIDENT & CONTROLLER
ANDT KARABATSOS
GENERAL COUNSEL
MARK ANDERSON
Editor I S cellted e lew pboto
COp'" 01 U luue 10 gel people talla, -_d
wriUg. Pi ... lob b -_d you doa', bn 10 ..
..ld e Ie good foll _re. Boa"l.
Michael C. McClelJand
Hollywood, CA
I was coming home from work. Tired.
-...
Exhausted. Grumpy. I cheeked Ihe mai!. A pack
age from Dalk Horse? I ripped open the package as
Ilan up the stabs. I was stunned at what I saw. Big
beautilul art with exquisite painted color. I walked
through the door and immediately plopped on the
11001 and read H. I couldn't stop myseIl. Suddenly I
was having ol great dolY.
It is all double-page spreads, but unlike the typ
ical pinup-Iype double-page spreads we usually
see, these are more Hlee separate paintings that tell \
a sequential story. This is some 01 Ihe best sluff I
have seen hom Frank Miller. The art is very hesh
and alive. Finely detai!ed. Powerful. Passionale.
The colors by Lynn Varley ale vibrant. Luscious.
These two have actually surpassed their work on
Ronin. The story ilsell is very tight and well-paced.
At first you think you are gOlng to read this Hke a
simple colorinq book, but before you know it, Frank
has drawn you back 10 480 B.C .. into ancient
Greeee. By the end, I tured the last page and
lound myself craving more.
This is Frank Millel aI the top of his game. For
Frank Millel lans il is not to be missed. For those
nol so enamored with Frank -Ihis will chanqe your
mind.
Most altists would be happy with any ane 01
Frank Miller's many creations, but Frank continues
to qlow and streIch his talent 10 new limits. lusl
when you Ihink you've seen all Frank's tricks, he
produces new and more excilinq ones. 30 sug
gesls 10 me B comic book thai perhaps Akira
KUlOsawa mighl have done iI he were an arlisl 01
comic books.
30 is a perieci example of whal an arlisl can
achieve when free 10 lake blank canvas and work il
withoul cenSOIS, lestricHons. and ralings. Frank
Miller. you are a Iiving testament 10 the importance
01 pleserving our Firsl Amendment rights.
Ben Varkenline
Sealtle, WA
Damn. Thai was my reaction to Ihe firsl couple
pages 01 the preview copy of 30. And I mean that
in a good. admiring way. The opening pages are so
sparsely (appropriately) willen Ihall locused on the
drawing, and I particularly look time 10 absorb Ihe
use 01 color, especially in Ihe backgrounds. 11, as
Diana says in her letter, these Xerox color copies
(good enouqh on Iheir own) do not do juslice 10
Lynn's colors, Ihen I am very curious to see them in
the series.
As the story beqan 10 gather steam, I spent less
time Iingerinq on Ihe drawings and more lollowing
the story. The caplion" givinq the time frame is
very nicely done. The shadow makes it seem very
Ihree-dimensional. I miqht even wonder i any 01
the soldiers will look up and see it.
The fight involvim; Stumblios: the king, and
the caplain is powerlul. And Ihe sound elleets are
more disconcertinq Ihan any gore could ever be.
The story ol the boy and the woll qood, as
weil. The te!linq 01 it is vivid, in such a way thai il
lells us something not just about the boy who
became king, but Ihe men who folIow and celebrate
hir, And his reacllon teils us more: Ihat he can be
a good and humble king, concerned with the weil
being 01 his men, above his own tribute -which
makes the revelation Ihat he slarted the war Ihey
are marching inlo a bit of a shocker.
Equally vivid is the messenqer's arrival in
Sparta. From whal is -alter all-only a lew Hnes
and colors, I can see the whole Ihing in my mind
and get an idea 01 !he kind 01 place Sparta iso
A word about the double-page spread lormat:
J've mentioned in letters 10 Sin City's leltercol that I
admire the way you've taken crilicized lacets 01
comics in reeent years -pinups that replace story
telling -and shown how Ihey can work without
sacrilicinq an and claft, Here, you blow everythinq
you've ever done in that reqard out ol the waler.
To sum up: in the early pages I had my breath
taken away by the drawinq and colors, bul by the
end I was sucked in by !he story. I can say -and
there's no exagqeralion here -that when Ilurned
Ihe last paqe my honest reaction was: what da you
mean I have 10 wait 'ti! lune to lind out what hap.
pensnext?
Thanks lor the good work, Frank.
Kurt A. Meyer
hGrove,I
You break Ihe rules. You ignore thc status quo.
You shake thinqs up. You have the guts to tell ihe
slories you wanl lo lelL I have olten wondered what
a war comic would be like iI you and Lynn Varley
were involved. Now 1 know.
300 lS a war comic, bul a war comic unlike any
ever seen. 300 breaks the rules, because no one
does war comics loday. 300 is nol the slalus quo,
because never belore has a slory like this been done
in this medium. 300 shakes Ihings up. Imagine
using a double-page spread to showc<se a slory Ihis
gr<nd in sC<le, r<lher Ih<n using il as an excuse lor
pinups 01 gun-toling, big-bre<sled women in impos
sible poses, Mosl of <IL 30 shows a 101 01 guts
because, as I said, Ihis is uncharled terrilory. No
comic h<s ever come togelher quile like this belore.
Over Ihe course 01 three wonderful double-page
spreads you seI a lone, We march are the words
that are repeated over <nd over. Three hundred
men march lor honor and glory, and instantly I am
among them. When Stelios stumbles and is chas
lised, 1 feel his weariness and pain. As the 300 lis
ten to the epic 01 Leonidas, I smen the campIire and
hear DHios' voice in my mind, The great baltle we
know is coming is loresh<dowed in the tale ol the
young man who will be king, and a chili runs down
my spine. Then, a recoUeclion 01 a pivotal moment
in hislory as seen lirsthand:
"This blasphemy! This is madness!
"This is Sparta."
Thank you both. This is comics!
!oe Hollon
Wilmington. OH
The first thing 300 brings to my mind is the ver
salility 01 your storytelling. In < year's time you
have taken your readers Ihrough the slreets 01 Basin
City, Uown us in a spaceship to save Ihe world, and
now we find ourselves prep<ring lor a hatne
belween ancienl Sparta and Persia. Nol many
comics prolessionals cover such broad topics in
Iheir enlire C<reers. And Ihrough <llthe many set
tings 01 your slories the thing you do consistently
that separ<les you hor your many contemporaries
is to make your readers feel the emotions 01 YOUl
characters, In 300 # l lhis emotion came when
King Leonid<s W<S shown walking <mong his sleep
ing troops. "Ready 10 die, he muses. They think Ihey
know what that means. Then Ihal page ends with a
description ol their opponents, Ihe anny. vast
beyond irogining. re<dy to devour liny Greece -to
snu!! out Ihe world's one hope lor reason <ndjus
tice.H A small <rmy 01300 Spartans ag<inst the
unimaginable might 01 300.000 Pelsians -iI seems
hopeless. It seems not even worlhy 01 attention.
Butl know they are characters !rom a Frank Milier
comic, and they won't go down without < light! I
can't wail for issue #2,
Michael Hendricks
Kingsville. TX
There <re so many skilllul achievements in 300
#1. I hardly know where 10 begin. The dir pallor 01
the sky al Ihe very beginning gives way 10 the iIIu
minanl brilliance of < new d<wn adorning the
Spartans' crossing 01 a hilI. The hunched poslure 01
Leonidas as he approaches the "punishmenC 01 Ihe
fallen soldier, resembling the lowered gaze 01 the
r<venous wolf in the next scene, heightens Ihe
power 01 the king's menacing gaze. Only the sol
dier's blade rellects light in Ihe darkness 01 the
C<mp. The dehris surrounding the thrashing 01 the
trapped wolf depicts Ihis violent <ction much more
perlectly than any sound eIlecis. Young Leonidas
returing hore. his he<d turned <side not in sur
prise but in expeciation (the exact S<me way he
greeted the woll). elevates his stature 10 that of lrue
mylh: < god among mort<ls. The Persi<n riders
behind Ihe messenger bear the s<me colors <S the
sky <round them, as if Ihey were ghostly apparitions
<rriving out 01 nothingness. The vivid contr<st
belween the simple dress ol the Spartans and the
el<borate dothing 01 the Pelsians expertly leveals
the prolound differences between these two seci
elies: one harsh, Ihe other avaricious. The final shol
01 the Persians being lo!ced inlo the deep pit holds
an 01 the leverish energy 01 live animation
The employment of words and images Ihrough
out is very sparse, your cr<lt becoming doser to that
01 a poet rather than < mere "director.H BI<ck is
used he<vily (no surprise there!L making Lynn's job
exceedingly dillicult in places, yet she makes it look
ef!ortless, accomplishing more with several colors
th<n most could accomplish with dozens. This book
may receive crilicism. I c<n only hope ils critics will
recognize what it does belore ripping it: it t<kes an
ancient story and makes il relevanl today. by using
techniques worthy 01 study by artists and lans alike,
Or, in olher words: you <nd Lynn still kill
the chickenl
.d on anolber lublecl enlirely . . .
Bruce Garretl
Edmonton, Alberla, Canada
I have been re<ding and enjoying Sin City since
The Big Fot Kl. <nd your letters column has given
me lood lor thoughl. Although 1 <gree with most Q
yOU! viewpoints, there are some things I've thought
<boul that 1 would like you to consider.
First 01 alL it is true that there <re no r<tings
systems or cover advisories in the publishing world
But a most likely reason is that most kids haven't
been reading lilerature lor the l<st lew decades -<t
least not since electronic media have been around.
Oh, sure, they'll re<d il Ws a homework assignment.
but Iha!'s il. Why read < book when you c<n watch
the TV adaptation? Now. imagine if kids h<d been
devouring literature Ihe S<me way they now devour
McRoadkill, Spice Girl pap, <nd superhero comics. I
would bet my lelt nut that a ratings system 01 some
kind would have been sl<pped down by now. I'm
sure the pro-censor Iorces would want to prevent the
possibility 01 a 12-year-old boy gelling morally cor
rupted by the l<test lackie Collins lucklest. As a
result, a!l Douglas Coupland novels <nd the latest
issue 01 Spin would have PG-13 slapped all over
their covers.
As lor cover advisories in comics, I h<ve no use
lor them now. On the other hand, if DC didn't use
the Suggested lor Mature ReadersH advisory on a!l
01 its Vertigo books. do you think they would even
d<re publish comic books like Preocher or The
Invisibles? The same guys who <re weil known to
the public at large 101 publishing all-ages laie like
Looney runes, Superman, and Flash? 1 doubt it,
and I'm personally thanklul they did, You should
00, too. Alter all, it was -matule- OC books such as
Sondman and Hel/blazer that introdueed re to
types 01 corie books other than the superhero
sluglests. lf I hadn't lead these books and discov.
ered what was possible with the comie book as an
art form, I probably wouldn't even have bothered
with independent books like Sin City. No, I'd still
be readin! nothin! more Ihan the lalest X-crement
There likely are othel people like me who owe theb
acquhed tastes 101 independent comie books to
OC's Suggested lor Mature Readers Verligo line.
l aglee with your stance that the Comics Code
Authority should be taken to the lake in a sack with
a heavy rock. However,l read somewhere recently
that large retaH chains, such as WalMari, Saleway,
and 7-11, will seil only Codeapproved books. No
biQ deal if you're an urbanite, since there are plenty
01 comics stores 10 choose hor. But lor those Iiv.
ing in Wanker, Missouri, or Bumblefuck,
Saskatchewan, the local Safeway or 7-11 is the only
place in lown where one can buy comie books. If
eians when iI comes 10 censorship. Sy the way,
how da non-Code comic-book publishers like Dark
Horse malket their coric books to people Uving O
Wrinkletit, Arkansas, 01 other little one-horse towns
where there are no comics stores?
To ml, DC'. "idvisoriu" are jWI plaln .Uly,
snIhey work % Iard duignlng Ibeir coven 10
male il obvlow whal bn'l 0I kc, Do yoa Ihink
yoa'd even noUce il lhal diamond-poinl.tye apol
ogy were mbslng?
lad, oh, Ih.1 d.mn Comics Code. You Iry
so.piag it oal, yoa Iry scrbbing W oal . Word
i, .ewland dislib.lon .nd Ihose clo .... 1 Wal.
Mm h.ve pal Ihe eeze on comics publiJben,
inelading Dark Horse. Tb.ir Uming wel 900d, 101'
Ihem al le I: wilh Ihe direcl markel in disan.y,
losiag ne .. sland saln coaid mean Ihe death 01
many a litle. Llave us say Ihe Ihags won.
Bat Y01 won't be seeing thai caacerow slamp
on .ny Q my bool.
Thank. 10 all 101 wrlllng, See yoa .e .. wae.
_Frank Miller
you were Marvel or OC, would you not want to seil
i
C
t: :l
e
t
u
I;:
a
g:::s:::.
1
:>

chains and their distributars have to wake up and
:
i
:
e
h:! :::
r
::e
u
:::a
S
rts Ne X t iss u e :
to drop the Code, and the Bi! Two wili likely lol!ow
sui!. This may 00 an undertaking 01 a decidedly
uphill nature, since these stores are notorious 101
selling censored versions 01 CDs (Nirvano's In Utero
comes to mind) and banning magazines Iike
Playboy. Powelful relailers ale just as bad as paliti-
IT'S A
H
E
A
D
O
N
COLLISION
BETEEN MIHO
AND THE
MOBI
1998
WWMM NW
NWWW
P$W
WW 0

W&
Wt&WWW
PUBLISHER
MIEE RICHARDSON
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
HEIL HANKERSON
PROOUCT OEVELOPMENT
DAVID SCROGGY
VICE PRESIDENT CONTROLLER
ANDY KARABArsos
GENERAL COUNSEL
ARK ANDERSON
f MW
DARK
HDRSE
COMICS
2015
$2.95 US
$4.15 CA
STORY & ART
.
F
R
AN
K

L
COLOR
L
?
N
N
V$LgV
CHAPTER TWO:
LrONIDAS HAS
BARE!Y STRAPPED
UP "15 SM.DAt.S
WH(N THe C(tNtlt
l Ll(^ M\A"
VOICES HLSHED'
WNPW. A
fNE Wfe
H\N
ONVi P
IMRY
NOW.
If YOl're 11cky elol"h 10 meel wlth sacc_ W the
comics lield, other 100 who'd IUe 10 % Ihelr works
10 your readenhlp olten ak lor Y0U polUc eldona
menl, Sllce we're a preHy deadliDeplaped b_ch.
I can be a 101 10 ask, B lael, 1I C&be a real pein
M the butt,
I, 01 conne, am lar 100 seUenaeln" end pollte a
py 10 oven lhink 01 maIn"I1 kd 01 irapo.lllol
on my coUea!1los . .
100 Kuberl
Dovel. NI
You've reached a higher leveL anolher plaleau
wilh 300. The efforl you pul into research, back
grounds. and relerence is apparenl. The storytelling is
deal, elfeclive, and dramalic. The pacing and flow
workwell.
However, your most oulslanding accomplishment.
10 me, is Ihe immediacy 01 action you wele able 10 cre
ale. Like a combal artist drawing the scenes as Ihey
occur. It allows me. Ihe reader, 10 be a witness along
sideyou.
But it's the combination 01 your use 01 black
and color where your achievement really shines. The
color enhances lexture and depth wilhoul overpower
ing. You and Lynn did good
Adam and Andy loved i\. 100.
Maggie Thompson
Comics Buyer's Guide
Iola,WI
When the announcemenl came thaI a film was
being made about the sinking 01 Ttanic, a common
reaclion was a mocking rejecHon 01 the idea thai Ihe
public would lake 10 Ihe Plojecl. "Hey, we know haw
it's going 10 end!" said mlny. "Who'll pay 10 see a
movie lboul something so depressingT'
Who, indeed?
The point. 01 course, is thll what's imporlanl
about a work ol lri is how it's pul logelher: How com
pelling is the creator's vision? How weil doos the cre
I10r know the subject? D oos Ihe crealor heve anylhing
11111 10 say? ls Ihe wOlk 01 art involving? Doos il grip
Ihe viewer and reluse to lei go until the work is com
plele? 11 it's done right. ludiences WH respond and
tell their friends.
Answering the above in sequence, regliding
Frank Miller's wOlk on 300, as seen in photocopies 01
R1-9 (01 510Ial): Very. Tholoughly. Vou bet. You bei
You bei
Or, paraphr<sing Goolhe, "Whal was Ihe clealor
Irying 10 do? How well did the crealor succeed? WIS
il worlh doing?"
Answering hir (bul only in pari; answering in full
would take a bunch 01 pages): Tell a riveling anecdote
hor hislory so as 10 move a modern audience.
Complelely. Y OU bei
Bul it's not jusl one cleator who's involved. Frank
Miller immersed himseU in research and combined his
modern view wilh ancient mOlivations to grip leadeis
with bold layouts, confidenl strokes, convincing script
ing. and powerlul slorylelling. And hor colol pholo
copies plovided ifs dear Ihat Lynn Varley knows
jusl whlilo do 10 take Miller's work 10 an even mOle
dynamiclevel
30 is comics slory1elling at its best. This one
should be kepl in prinl permanently.
Wllter Simonson
SufIern,
One ol lhe Ihings I love most aboul Flank's work
is his abilily 10 leinvent hirsell hor time 10 time.
From Doredevil to Rooio 10Dork Kight to Sin Cit, he's
Illveled a long dislance through fOUl titles. And yel
each 01 those comics replesenls Flank's gili lor creat
ing a uniquely realized world wilhin Ihe !rame 01 his
slories. It doosn't huri Ihat Frlnk is one ol lhe besl
visual slorylelleIs plesenlly working in comics, eilhel
And, usullly, where Frank goes, lot 01 olhels lend to
lollow
Which is why I can'l wail lor 300 10 slarl
coming out
The tale 01 Ihe 30Splltlns is story dose 10
Frank's heart. one thll he's wlnled to tell for a long
time. And I Ihink Ihe slory 01 Leonidas and his boys is
hell oiln advenlure thll deserves Ihe ripping story
telling Frlnk'sgiven it.
I musl add Ihlt Lynn Vlrley's painling adds a
wonderlul dimension 10 Fllnk's work. When I inilillly
saw some 01 Ihe pages !rom 300, Ihey were bllck-lnd
while laxes. And, IS Sin Cit hls demonslllled,
Frank's wOlk in black-and-white is so powerlul lhall
wondered HUle il lhe book would aclually beneli!
hor color or il lhe color would somehow soften 01
dilute the imagery, Of course, I should have had mOle
lailh in Lynn, but. hey, J'm only human! Now Ihal J've
seen the first issue in color, I can't wait to see the resll
The painling has Slrengthened a wondedul evocation
01 In ancienl time lnd place, mixed logelhel $ il must
be lor modern sensibililies.
But I must conless thai J think my Ilvorile par 01
the whole exe.cise has been my anlicipalion ol lhe
issues Ictullly coming out. Over the lasl lew monlhs,
J've spoken 10 a lew Iriends 01 mine in the relail end 01
comics, as weil as 10 Ihe occasional comics Iln. And
most 01 them had no idea who Leonidls was, who Ihe
wele, 01 whlt the story 01 Thermopylae was aboul.
So, while thele WIS interesl, lnd elen expectalion, in
Frank's new ploject. because il WIS Fllnk, there was
only a sort 01 dulled comprehension Ihat Ihis was
goin9 to be some sort 01 historical comic, ralher than
Ihe latesl exciling intercompany crossovel between
the Purpie Panty-Waist .nd Zipperman
I think 300's going to blow the blain boxes off the
shoulders of a 101 01 re.ders who won't be at all ready
101 whal Ihey're going 10 lind when they open up the
cover ol thel irSl issue,
I think Frank's reinvenled hirself again. And I
Ihink it would be awfully cool if his reinvenlion revital
ized an entire genre Ihat's virually disappeared hor
comics!
lelfSmith
Carloon Books
Columbus, OH
Thanks lor letling me see the first two install
menls of 300. They're l.ntaslic! A little Frank Miller. a
Httle Lynn Varley. and C violent. desperate men,
armed only with steel and bone against impossible
odds wh.t more could you ask lor
?
This is why I re.d comics! Pacing. light plot. .
sense 01 purpose. and the peilect rele<Se 01 informa
tion 10 Ihe re.der . something rale in .ny medium.
And it's obvious you did your research. Everything
flom the S.nd.ls .nd haitstyles to the intrigue of the
local politics m.kes it .ll credible. Bul Ihe shot that
rea11y put me into Ihe story was an overhe.d view 01
Ihe soldiers marching through Ihe rough, wild gl.SS. II
is dear thaI you have walked the stone- and grass-cov
eled hills of Sparta youlself and seen what the soldiers
would have seen.'
On top 01 alilhis, you're doing all double-page
spleads?! You go, boy. Use your c.nv.s!
As 1 said, this is why 1 lead comics, And these
days, Ihere .re predous lew reasons why anyone
should. Y ou, Frank, are one 01 the re.sons 1 still do,
liIlThompson
Chic.go,IL
Thank you for sending me Ihe advance copies 01
Frank Miller's lorlhcoming project. 300! It was more
than wonderful.
I Ihoroughly enjoyed being transported 10 Ihe
momenlS th.l may h.ve led up 10 the Graco-Persian
W.I. I've alw.YS enjoyed liction b<Sed on historical
evenls, whether il be in book or film, .nd I'm gl.d 10
see it in my favorite medium. It's hearlening to see
someone craft a laie in comics wilh such an unexpecl
ed subje<t matter (I C.n't wail until Eric Shanower lin
ishes his tale of the Trojan War, eitherl). Comics
should be used to tell .l1 manner of stories! Projacts
like Ihese remind us what a limitless medium we work
inl We just have to make use of il!
The stark .nd graphic storytelling expertly con
veys Ihe powerlul emotions 01 the ancient drama
but what else would you expect from Flank Miller?
When he lackles a subje<!. il lackles you back! I'm
anxiously awaiting the reSI 01 the slory so I can re.d il
wilhout intelluplion!
If Ihis is the beginning ol a new series 01 historical
dramas from Frank Miller, 1'11 be along lor the ride on
Ihe limeline!
Oave Gibbons
SI. Albans, Engl.nd
We allimow Frank has a way wilh a story, but
usually a crime or fantasy one. So 10 lind hir apply
ing his skills 10 andenl history comes completely from
leftlield
Whal 1 lind amazing is how il all seems so fresh:
aUlhenlic in every respecl as lar as 1can tell, but wilh
a11 the immediacy and rawness of a modern war slory.
The unexpected lurns and juxlaposilions Ihat charac
terize Frank's work are a11 here, as well .s the black
humor and Ihe bloodshed that he deploys so wel\. I
can'l imagine anyone who was enthralled by iork
Kighl or Sin City being dis.ppointed.
And we al1 know Frank has . way wilh dr.wing,
but. as he seems 10 do wilh each succeeding piece,
he's evolved inlo new areas yel again wilh 300, The
stark chiaroscuro of Sin City has rerged with the sen
sitive line 01 Roin 10 produce an ellect which is bolh
graphically stunning .nd entirely appropri.te to Ihe
subject matter.
The hislorical delail .nd setting are completely
convincing, and seldom h.ve 1 seen rese.rch so weil
assimilate< and interpreled. As wilh Ihe stor, Fr.nk
seems complelely in conllol 01 his materi.l
Al lhis writing, I've seen very little 01 Lynn's color
ing, but lhal little le.ves me no doubt that her conhi
bution will be as slunning as her finishes on iOI
Kight: the sense 01 pl.ce and atmosphere here jumps
lromlhe pages.
I can't conclude wilhoul menlioning th.t the com
bination 01 Frank's bold drawing and Lynn's evocative
palette puts me in mind 01 Ihe work of Ihe laie Flank
Bellamy, whose lullcolor work inspired many a budo
ding English comics altist. me induded. Curiously
enough, he once worked on . character c.lled "Heros
The Sparlan" who, conlusingly enough, was a Roman
soldier based in pleChristian Britain,
know Ihat Frank Miller is as likely to have plagia
rized Frank Bellamy's firsl name as he is his work, and
he'U know thai I only mean il .s Ihe highesl compli
ment to say 300 gives me Ihe s.me kind 01 thril11hat
Ihe olher Frank's did, way back when.
MimiCanoll
Night Flight
Sah Lake City, UT
As you know,l've never been much of a kissass,
so J'm sure you'lI lolgive me iI my praise is a litlle
unpolishe<, Regarding 30 .S.h Lake City h.s
responded wilh greal enthusiasm. To my knowledge,
as 1 write Ihis at least two universily professors and
one high school leacher e.gerly awail Ihe release 01
300, and wilh the same e.ger elation plan on subje<l
ing Iheir sludenls 10 I!. Did you evel think your work
might be #mandatory" re.ding lor Ihe overwOlked stu
denl? Next time you're in Sah Lake, expecl an invila
lion 10 leclure, 100.
With Ihe 300 project. you've ploven you can deliv
er Ihe violence, inhumanily, and crime 01 cenluries ago
to today's young minds. It brings a smile to my face
jusl thinking about it. Our regular Nighl Flight crowd
greedily awails 300.S weiL so don't Ihink you've jusl
reached .cademic minds wilh Ihis, either. At times, as
I looked at the men march, 1 wanled !o burst into
Monty Pon's "Lumberjack" song. These tmly were
manly men doing manly Ihings, I guass I'm having too
much fun, bul I would be disappointed il youl wOlk
weranot lun.
All we usua11y hear abou! this period in lime is the
Spall.ns' altempt 10 conquer Troy, as oullined in
Homer's Wod. It's nice to have anothar story wilhoul a
Troj.n Horse or Ihal Helen chick.
Varley's colors bring both a vibrancy and texture
to Ihis his!orical time period. Her colors are a comple
menl lo your slyle,
Th.nks lor the lun, Frank!
Bob Schreck
OniPress
PortJand,OR
What a joy it is 10 be alive and so privileged
as 10 be allowed 10 enjoy your l.lest eUor!. months
belore its release on the racks. Speaking as your lor
mer m<lkeling direcloL edilor, and YOUf currenl occa
sionalolher publisher, [have never been more
impressed wilh your maslerlul grasp O Ihe medium.
This work is by lar Ihe most dangeraus. lake-no-pris
oners, lull.thlOttle stick O dynamile I"ve ever had the
pleasure 01 reading. As youl lan. J couldn't have
asked O a better series \O sink my teelh into.
Thank you
What"s really annoying about Ihis is Ihal you
continue 10 make it look easier every lime you sei
sai!. From the script and visual pacing 10 the bmsh
shokes and incredible, thoughllul colors. 300 is an
exquisite ballet 01 masler!u! Slorytelling. 1! you can
carry on Ihe malch. J know Ihal I. and hOldes 01 olh
ers, will lall inlo rank and lollow you two wherever
youl IOUf leel lake uso
I guess whal I"m Irying \O say is: 'You two
lolally rip!"
Mike Mignola
Porlland.OR
Naked guys wilh big spears and big red capes
They aren'l superhemes re<lly. They aren't jumping
over buildings or smashing planets or shooting
beams out 01 theil heads. So Icu. al leasl, IheY'le jusl
marching, bul there is more drama and power in
those guys jusl walking around Ihan in any number
ol today's "superhero" comics. I k.now Ihele <re a 101
O! dillelenl inlluences al work here. but behind them
a11 is Kirhy, naked aSpartan. chompin' on a cigaI.
turning a big hon crank. That's < good thing !
... and IIlhere'. enytblng wone tban beggng
fellow profe,.lona" 10 wrile niee tblnp abont yonr
work, tbet wonld beve to be nnninv nakedly (u/d
@I0 (UD reeommendeUol lor thein ...
-FN
BU TS CMIC!
Fox From Sorojelo,
by loe Kubert. Dark Horse Comics
lock Kirhy's Orion of the New Gods.
by Waller Simonson, DC Comics
Bone.
by leff Smith, Cartoon Books
Scory Godmother,
by jill Thompson, Sirius Comics
The Dome: Ground Zero,
by Dave Gibbons, DC Comics
Oni Double Feature,
ediled by Bob Schleck, Oni Press
Hellboy.
by Mike Mignola. Dark Horse Comics
Buy Comics Buyer's Guide!
Maggie Thompson. editOi
And buy them al:
Night Flight Comics
S<lt Lake City, ur
MimiCarroll, manager
Next issue:
MW
IT'S A
H
E
A
D
O
N
COLLISION
BEEEN MIHO
AND THE
MOBI

W
W
W
MWWW
PW
WW 0

W
W

W&
WWWW
PUBLISHER
MIRE RICRARDSON
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
NEIL RANBERSON
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
DAVID SCROGGY
VICE PRESIDENT & CONTROLLER
ANDY KARABATSOS
STORY & ART
FRA
N
K
MtLLgR
COLOR
LOGO DESIGN
STEVE MILLER
& CYNTHIA JOHNSON
CHAPTER THREE:
MarkJ. Kiewlak
Nanlicoke, PA
No maller how many limes you prove me
wrong. I wlslill have a tendency to look al your
work and, upon firsl glance. call it Uthin" in lerms 01
words on the page and Ihe amount 01 UstOY lold.
Then I read those words -not one 01 them
wasted nor used unnecessarily, more olten than
nOI used instead lor the maximum possible
effecl, such as the simple and slirring poetry 01
the repeated "We march" in the opening.
Then I consider the amount 01 "SIOry" -how
we are introduced 10 an army which lunctions as
one -and how we see the consequences for
young "Stumblios" and lor his captain when they
disturb that perfect order -how we see the heart
01 the man who leads them, a heaTt forged in bal
tle al such a young age against a merciless oppo
nent. And, in a final bit 01 symmetry, we see a
new opponent, no different that the old one. rise
up -and Leonidas Ireat hir just as he had Ihe
earlier one, tuming his back on hir in the final
panel and preparing lor Ihe inevilable allack.
I wonder if Leonidas doesn'l welcome this
new challenge after so long -if perhaps he
wished to prove himself in his old age as he did
in his youth. to show himsell worthy 01 the God
like worship he commands. I wonder il thai isnt
why he sought the least diplomatie solution and.
knowng luU weil the consequences, treated the
messenger from Persia with such brulalily and
disdain.
I wonder aboul a whole lot 01 things in Ihis
new-very-old story. Bul nOI you, Mr. Miller. Nor
aboul lhe worthwhileness ol lhis latest story
telling endeavor. You keep on doing what you're
doing . and we'U all be beller off for il.
Dan H. Eiler
Newton Falls. OH
Although I think 01 you as the king 01
chiaroscuro, I'm happy to see you back doing art
work lor a color pToject (and please lell Lynn
Varley she's been greatly missed). 01 course,
Ihis sampie marks jusl Ihe beginning of your
project, so Ws diffieuil lo lell exactly what you're
aiming 10 accomplish and impossible to tell
whether these first, crealive steps are Ihe right
ones. but YOUl Slarl is auspicious. Your pacing is
dynamic and draws Ihe reader in. I don'l know
how much 01 a "team book" this will turn out to
be. but the Spartan soldiers in the first lew pages
are individualed enough for you to go that way.
Your presentalion of Sparta's king, Leonidas,
paints the portrait of a leader in bold but reveal
ing strokes. My knowledge of ancienl Greek his-
10ry is spolly at best. but I can remember thai
Sparta was Greece's most militant city-stale
because of its huge slave population: Ihe
Spartans had 10 be prepared to put down any
home-grown insurrections. I hope you'!! go into
that aspect 01 their cullure laler in the series.
llike that you're Hnding Ihe light balance
between pietures and caplions in your work. In
Ronin. and even in some 01 YOUl Sin City fealures,
your plose has been sparse. And lull fronlai
male nudily?! Gee, I can remember the lirsl lime
I saw lemale cleovoge in a comic book, in an old
Joe Kubert Sg. Rock story. Have you chosen
ancient Greece for your slory, I wonder, because
the classieal setting will make it easier lor you to
shatter yet another comies taboo?
I was delighted by the look ahead at this,
your newest project. I will iollow i t laithlully to its
conclusion and will buy any sequels. (That iso
unlil Leonidas teams up with Spider-Man. Then
I'm oulta here!)
Yoa and me both. Leoaldas only piked
Ights with enemles who stood &0M lad 01
chane agalnst him.
Keith Haney
Alhens. TN
Thi s series will probably rank up there with
the best work of your career. I have been a history
lanatie since grade school, and while my knowl
edge 01 ancient Greece is mostly general and
scanty, I have long known aboul thal famous
stand-off at Thermopylae. My first exposure 10 il
was an old movie, the litle 01 whieh I have never
known. relelling il in the usua!. grand, distorted
Hollywood fashion so common to the movies. I
later leared about the general historic details of
the ballie in my sophomore year in high schooJ.
Then, I saw one brief little aside on the firsl page of
the last part of your own Big Fot Kl. But r would
never have even guessed that you would make it
into a lu!!-fledged miniseries. Bul having lead
Ihrough the preview twiee, I'm glad thai you did.
I would like to present my sincere compli
ments to Lynn Varley. If Ms. Schutz's claim that
Ihe Xeroxes provided [as Ihe preview] da not do
Ms. Varley's fine work jusliee, Ihan I am expect
ing some greal lhings with the linished copy. In
an erl 01 computer arl lnd separalions, Ms.
Vlrley is a stlndoul on Ihe basis 01 her reliance
on Ihe oldllshioned melhod of coloring alone.
But, hor Ihe firsl scenes of Ihe Splrlan army
marching at dawn. her colors prove to be. as
always. Ihe perfect complemenl lo your art. 01
your art. I will say no more Ihan Ihat il is your
usual high standard 01 such aesthetic and slory
lelling malters. Any other complimenls on Ihis
point would simply be superfluous on my part.
Of Ihe one thing thlil buy any comie lor -the
slory -I can sum up in Ihree little words: I love
it! I'm sure a lew lolks are goi"g 10 be shocked
over the severe sets 01 punishmenls lor doing
anything thai disrupts Ihe dignity and discipline
ol lhe Spartan army. but l can't say I was one 01
them. Splrta. alter 11. was an absolute despot
ism (which is relUy Ihe natural slale 01 most 01
Ihe world's govemmenls). where obedience is an
understood way 01 lile. Any devillion from Ihis
in such places is not tolerlted.
The story 01 King Leonidls' initiation was U
niee touch. as WIS Ihe king's reaction to it:
wChildren. Such noise. Get your sleep.w I guess
alter you hear the same story 1 hundred limes,
you get bored in a hurry. But the really lunqy
plrt was the flashblck 10 the arrival ol lhe
Persian messenger. 11 I had lived in that time
and place. met this guy. and heard why he was
riding to Sparla. I'd have laughed in his face.
SpartI. the military bool camp 01 the
Peloponnesian peninsula, submitting to the
authorily 01 some pompous jacklss in distant
Persia? What Xerxes was trying to do by sending
Ihis mission (other than gel rid 01 a lew incompe
lent soldiers in his ary) is beyond me. The
pride of King Leonidas was, alielsi. the equal ol
Ihe Persian prince. and such men do not give In
inch on such matters. But the most poignlnt part
01 this segment was the quiel reflections of
Leonidas hirsei!. Ihinking of the men thai he is
aboul 10 send to their graves and the new beast
he must face. Despite Ihe lact that he Ihoughl he
had provoked the Persians. he hld so much 01
his cily's chlrlcter thai he Iiterally could not do
anything else and call hirself a mln. It was
either submit to the Persians wilhout a light or
take them on and damn the odds. As Leonidas
pointed out to Ihe messenger. they did have a
reputltion to mlintain.
Th movie, caUed fbf 30 SJrlIUU, was
releued i 1962. I saw i wh.a I was Ov -ud
b hea eatranced wt t Hot Gt ... r sace,
Whlle 11'1 kind 0' a chmly old show, lI's IUrprts.
lag)y accuale -ud It sure bupired Ib kd.
Tony Dlley
Chicago,IL
Historical liction demands a special respon-
sibility !rom Ihe creator, who must use the luU
resources 01 his sentiment, knowledge. and skills
10 establish drama while holding, as much as
possible, to the trulh 01 events.
Yet Iruth is usually malleable, depending on
the quality of research and invesligalion.
Therelore, if Mel Gibson makes errors about the
lile 01 Sir Willilm Walllce in Broveheort we will
lorgive if the nlrrltive is adept. If Lew Wallace
ludged on delails 01 ancienl Rome, do we Clre. il
we are sufficiently engaged by the exploils 01
Ben-Hur? Simillrly, historieal novelisls hor
Mary Renault to Gary lennings can be absolved
01 blame iI occasionally there is an anachronism
or a gaffe in hisloricity.
Thus, whlt you lre doing while leading up 10
Thermopylle -10 Ihe mythology ol those days 01
heroie resistance -matters more in terms 01 drl
matic elements than verisimilitude.
With 30, you have marshaled the best 01 your
skills while muling the lesser. The lesser are, 01
course, cerlain parliculars 01 wriling and 01 visual
presenlalion. However. if Ihe figures somelimes
seem more still than those in lack Katz's First
Kingdom. or the llngulge sullers hor mlnnerism
or structural inelegance, we lorgive in light 01 your
ability to paint in broad. cinematie shokes the
processes and degrees 01 events lnd actions.
You've parlcularly mastered the technique
01 panel placement, moving smaller boxes within
larger, panorlmic rectangles; using stalic pic
tures better than ever in making a convincing
show 01 camera movement. Especially ellective
were the loreshortened llyouts hor high angles;
I'm nol sure if you were using high shots lor the
matie or purely lormal purposes, but they
worked. And, of course. the analomy has come a
long way hor even The D Knighl Returs.
You're approaching the level 01 prime Ditko
the Dilko 01 the Warren stories back in the sixties,
especially. Like Dilko, you apparently leamed in
the !rench warfare 01 comics, not the e1assrooms
01 arl schools. You developed certain abilities.
while replicating mistakes and misconceptions.
Dilko Idmilted to his own shortcomings IS an
artist but Dilko WIS, like Kirby, a supreme
comicbook artist. Whal one would lind ghastly
in Delacroix, one would accepl within the voclb
ulary 01 graphic stories.
Historieal liction is Hke algebra, where the
unknown lactors remain unknown. There's no
WIY to sum up to O whole, perlect rational num
ber. 11 there is D sum, it is irrational-a series of
fractions dancing into infinily, the haclions 01
splintered historieal perspeclive. Happily, you've
tackled somelhing dillerent lrom your hard-boiled
Sin malerial. You've gone beyond post-modern.
meanstreets huckslerism. Your thoughls ale
rieher these days, hor the evidence of 30.
You've colored the time 01 Leonidas and Xerxes
with Ihe palois and response and attilude 01 a
sharp ex-New Yorker. while painling in the rich
colors 01 spectlcle. You've put skin and museIe
and bone behind Ihe battered shields and
greaves 01 your walliors. There is nol much
depth here ~but there is enough pageantry, like
the best 01 DeMille.
In short. another example 01 Millerian resis
tance against the Persian hordes 01 comiedom's
mediocrity.
Matt Halsey
Edison, NJ
It isn't too olten thai one !inds historieal
comies, let alone comics about events that took
place 2500 years ago. As I read 300 # I, r found
myself engrossed in Ihe story. Leonidas seems
very distraughl; I took il lhat he's probably
mulling over his smalliorce's prospecl against
the massive army. He seems to be looking back
with regret al the end 01 the issue, locusing on
the day he received the Persian messenger and
declined the Persians' oller.
Issue #2 continues the story ellectively. We
learn about Leonidas, how the Persians bribed
the Ephors to give Leonidas false adviee, know
ing that Greeks were bound to lollow the priesls'
words as law.
The color preview 01 issue #2 was Idr more
beautilul thdn issue # 1; not thai Frank's line art
is bad, but Varley's colors add enlire dimensions
10 Ihe story. It's so great to see them working
together. 300 is truly the type of project that is
deseling ollheir collaboralion
ChrisAdams
Meriden, CT
Ancient Greece, huh? Hardly the hrst place
that springs to mind as a setting for a comic-book
story. Bul it's a wonderlul place to tell a good
story. You cerlainly appear 10 be doing Ihat. A
small group 01 soldiers marching off into Ihe lace
01 certain doom 10 delend their homeland against
a mammolh invasion lorce -how could you not
want to read more? Especially when il looks like
this. The art was stellar, as usual. The two-page
splash lormat seems to add to the grandeur of
the story. 1 look forward to some epic ballie
scenes. The black-and-while 01 the preview
issue didn't delract in Ihe slightest. You're one of
the lew arlisls whom llike as much, il nol more.
in black-and-white. llhink the Spdrlans' grim
march 10 war looked damn fine without color. l'll
have to wait until May to see il color adds G5
much as I Think it will.
By now you know. It doe . 11 dO e
-Frank Miler
Next issue:
IT'S A
H
E
A
D_
O
N
B
LISION
EN MIHO
AND THE
MOBI
W

W
R NW
MWWW
$W
WE $W

W&
WW
PUBLISHER
JIU RICRARDSON
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
NEIL HAIKEBSON
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
DAVID SCBOGGY
VICE PRESIDENT & CONTROLLER
ANDY KABABATSOS
DARK
HOnSE
COMICS
4015
$2.95 US
$4.15 CA
STORY & ART
FRA
N
K
WtLLgR
COLOR
LOGO DESIGN
STEVE MILLER
I CYNTHI, JOBNSON
CHAPTER FOUR:
+ "
AfTERNOON NO
MOVEMfNT ROM
"HE PERsrA/
CAMP
WE ,ETOR
Slle'OS lWM AND
lM O/R lt,t.
OFF AND .f.AKE AWAY
Ll SWrAT WE
BrND OUR W"uNDS"
AND PT THE /N#
r.NIAt nUCN.
> MC MRNrN6:
WO"K.
P V1 # QNC(H
lS WARM Olt ON
WfLLWOIN JFlf$R
NL 1 P6'P ~
C

IN6 TNINOEHz
GenyAlanguil(I
San Pablo Cily, Philippines
There is a feeli ng I gel when 1read frank's slories. and
il i sa leeling I gel only from h. My pulse races, and
myheall be.Is laslel, and Ihe paqes pound with Ihe
power 01 Ihe story and the imlqes. This W Bleelinq I feh
when I read B Again and Man Wifhouf Fe<r. lnd. 10
some ellen!. Sin City. 30qives me all that and more.
The art is laid out as all double-paqe spreads. and
understandably so. A story 01 this kind can never be
!uUy told thlOugh haditional means. The story and the
characlerl are all 10 biq. il seems Iike the comic book is
too small to contain them. " it is true that Ihi s book
shaU evenlually be compiled i nan oversized lormat. I
Ihink thaI would be a gleat idea. Uwould lerve this
story weil.
frank's arl il reminiscent 01 Roni n and Dark Knighl
with a liule bit 01 Sin City thrown in. What impreued
me moSl 01 all are his Ilyouls. Frank is a genius al
composinq paqes. He knows just how and where to put
Ihe elementl to provoke Ihe reaclion he wantl. The shot
ollhe soldiell marchinq throuqh l iieldisiobeautilully
composad. I feit I wanted tO cul il up and frame i\.
I was alpectinq Lynn's colors 10 be as vibranl and as
intricale as whlt sho did in Elektro Liv! Again. I was
disappointed to see thal lhe colori ng was a 101 more
simple. My dilappointment vanished quicdy. thouqh.
"Simple. in thil case. is quite deceivinq. Ta colors
are subtla and weil chosen. I find mysell lookinq 11 the
pictures over and over. Absolutely beaulilull
As I went on leading. I simply goi so lost in Ihe Itory
Ihat when I llipped the paqe and Ihele w", no more, I
leil lruslialedl Nol There has qot to be mOlel One
mOle month? I don'l think I can w"it that lonq. Frank
knows just whal buttons to push lnd when to push
them. And he does it with impunilyl This il a leaclion
I get when I reld a flank Millel book and only Irom a
Flank Millel book.
My hat'1 oll to you. Frank. and Lynn, too! Gleat job!
Patrick Mlrcel
monlic@cyberstolion./r
Naive me. Here I was. all sei to enjoy 30 . The an
work IS Miller in fLne lorm. Ihe nallation is supelb. and
Ihe colors ale qorqeous. Plus. here was a welcome
lelie! hor all ihese Sin Cit Chandler/Spillane pastiches
I amso bored wilh
Then I qot to; "11 those boy lovers lound thaI kind
ol nerve . . "
Ah.
One is 10 inler hor the phrase Ihat "boylovers" lre
considered despicable and cowlrdly by Spartans.
Since Miller's Spartans are shown a5 Ihe epitome 01
brute. butch coolness, everybody just knows Ihey are
real. John Waynetype. 10 lull red-blooded males.
Unlorlunately. anybody even remotely Imowledgeable
wilh andent Greece knows .. Ihat Spartans wele as
much boy-lovers as the ellete Athenians. Indeed. lhe
cohesion ol lheir army w"s due to the lact Ihal lhe sol
diers were lovers. So Ihis insuil lo Alhenians rinqs
qlarinqly out of place.
So, either Miller has reduced his research on
Thermopylae 10 the Biq Little Book version 01 il.
which makes Ihis slory descend inlo Ihe calegory 01
so much Hollywoodstyle levisionism. or he's just
twisling historical truth lor Ihe cheap thriU of inc1udinq
another homophobic balb. Irs not his Hrst; I doubt
it'll be his last.
Still. 10 depicl Leonidas and his men as homophobe;
iso
Weil. it's Miller aqain. GOlgecus work. uqly suble.ts.
Sigh.
And here I was all set to enjoy 30 .
"Al " & c" c. T,p Ih, .. .. .& c MB 101 kcb.
11 1 all_c my ch.raclen 10 expreQ oaly my D
.lIItuc .. .. c b.u.,, W workwo"'c b. pnlty c ...
borb.,. 11 1 wrol. 10 pi 1rley .. ce gro.,., my work
wo.lc b. prop" '' c.,
rar th. ncorcl HI, wamor mB, Ih. Sp.rt...
.Imosl eartalnly cc practlee homowl.allty. Th".'.
&,vlc .& ce they I .. c,c to U. aul 1. 11'. "01 bl9
laap 10 postulat. ti Ih.y rci.c l.t b.coaillc
Ath.aIu rva 'ar IOm.thln, they th,_ly cd,
"Hy' @, BW &, _rc_ 901 fom th. Gra,
Wb.I' &BX11 A 1'1111 tl.lmla9 Ihal, .tae. Ih,
Spart, .. owa.c lI,y .... c baal Ih,b YOU"9, I co
Ihe sama?
6 M .. w. "" I ..
/asonBickel
jlbicke@rs6000.cmp,ilstu.cdu
Taday I leceived perhaps 008 01 Ihe most anticiplted
books in a lon9 time. Ever since I found out that Frank
Miller would be reteIHnq the Spart"ns' story 01
Thermopylae. I hlve been hoping week alter week thlt
il would anive. Tod"y it did. and I am not disappointed
-not by a lonq shot. First oll. lei me jusl say Ihat l
applaud Ihe atlempt 10 pul hisloric evenls in comics
lorm. As 1 am both an avid comics fan and a histor
majo.at Illinois State Univelsily. 30meshes two 01 my
interests in " stunninq format. The tale itsell is. wel!.
spartan in its simplidty, yet it slill gives Ihe reader the
complete tale. It relates theSpartancredoand elhic
better than many. many books I have re.d on Ihe subjecl.
The opening sequence of malchinq and the final scene
01 slauqhterinq the Pelsian envoy tell of that society in
a more viscera!. immediate way than any textbook can.
This work. much like Wolchmen. KingdomCome. and
Tbc Dork Kight Returs. should 90 down as a work 01
hislory unlo itself. You have a devoled lan in me. Mr.
David MacDonald, my Ancienl Gleece profeSSOl, will
be one 01 the first people 1 will share 30wilh. I'Ulet
you know his r&actions OOlore too lonq. I wiU be eaqerly
.nlicipling Ihe nexlissue.
P.S. I leelly enjoyed Ihe 10leshedowing ol lhings 10
come wllh Ihe slory 01 Leomdes end Ihe woll gelhng
II"Pped In the n.now ps. 1guess Ihe woll couldn'l lil
Ihrough Ihose -hot geles:
Gleg Spyridis
BOIhel!. WA
I wes, .baut Ihe same time you did i1X Kight. en
avid comics reader. Time and mOle demandinq com
milmenls lorced me 10 cul back prelty heevily over the
lasl sever.1 years. Ihough. One 01 those commilments,
which IS hali lhe driving lorce 01 this leiter. was lollow
Ing my plolession M a stunt comb.t.nl .nd malli.1 hl
tortan. Essenlillly, people pay me to Cle.te. perlorm,
.nd consuh on fighls lind wars hom various peliods in
hislory. My speci.lties .re prelty edeclle. induding
""Is and lectics hom dozens 01 periods and pl.ces 111
ovel Ihe world. bul.1 its heart is Ihe Incien!. clMSicl1
Greek Age. Wha!'s more, spocilically l locus on Ihe
person.l and melee eomb.l 01 Athens and Sparta hom
110 300 B.C.
BUI I digless. I w.s seying how I don'l read much In
Ihe way 01 comics anymore. The re.son I lell you Ihis
1S so you can understlnd how surplised I wes when e
Iriend and fellow stunt combelent came 10 me and lold
me ebauI 300. "Ifs the b.IIle al Thermopyl.e: he said.
"Leonides end .11: Inslently. [ began bomding him
wilh queslions: "ho's doing i11" -Are Ihey going 10
wimp oul on the Spartansr Please lell me Ihey elen'l
going 10 bulcher ill" He couldn'I answel any 01 Ihem:
no one seemed 10 know much abaul il. The only inlol
melion he h.d -and il did mike me leel quile e bit
bellel WM Ih. Flenk Millei was.1 Ihe helm. I
calmed down enough 10 si! beck end w.it. Bec.use.
you see, in addition to being B hisloli.n and combalenl.
I am also e Spart an: Ihe son 01 e miqlant hom
Arhengellos. a small village on the Soulhern border 01
Ihe teqion. I was r.ised hearing slolies 01 Leonidas,
my helilage. and Ihe coulege .1 th.1 P.sS. My blood
still pounds el Ihe Ihouqhl ol lhel ballie. I wenled 10
see Ihe story done rl9hl. oll wenled 10 see il done nol
al .lI.
So now [ sil wilh Ihe firsl issue 10 the side 01 me at my
desk. [ heve le.d il lwice jusl 10 be sure I didn't miss
enythinq. And. while il is 100 lele 10 make Ihis lonq
story short, [ cen simply say I em pleesed. Very ple.sed .
As . malter ol lect, I em ecslllic. It m.y be 100 e.rly 101
me 10 know il you eie going 10 keep lrue 10 hislory. lnd
il may be 100 early 101 me 10 lell il you ale going 10
pomp .nd lIuH YOUI way pasl one ol lhe mosl conllo
versie] (refeninq 10 Sperlen m.nnelisms and Iifeslyles)
and importanl wars in G,eek history; il is nOI 100 early
10' me 10 say you ere doing . damned fine job so lar
The .,1 is I.bulous .nd is beaulihlIy undelsleted when
depiclinq some ol lhe mOle adull especls ol ihaI lile
The wlitinq is subtle. grippinq, and immensely powetfuL
And. besl 01 all, Ihe SIOry is essentielly inl.ctl
In dosing, l would like 10 sey thenk you 101 a qreal
comic and 101 bringing whal I feel to be one of the greal
esl ballies in hislory 10 Ihe public's eye. I would also
beq .nd ple.d Ihel you don'l give .nyone Ihe riqhls 10
Ihe movie version unhl I c.n do il 01 el le.sl be. ]tI 01
il. Heh. And, Ilnally, l le.ve you wilh wh. hM .Iw.ys
been my lavortle .lleqed -quole-hom Ihe w.r. and a
philosophy I Iry 10 live my I ile on: "The Persi.n arlows
. e so numerus Ih.1 Ihey lillihe sky .nd block oul Ihe
sun? thai is qood; we sh.Uqel 10 lighl in Ihe sh.de:
3BB, I'y alw.ys l_c Ihal quole, Te"'. nolbmv
li puttlnv 10lelhr Kpl wUk B Ik, bHI M$
wrillea lor you by hbtory,
Scoll SI. Piene
Peabody. M
Your ess .qe. like wine . . jusl like lriggin' wine.
Iw. Now you'n 101 11 . blDal'
B MUI.r
Next issue:
PUBLISHER
JUKE RICBARDSOM
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
NEIL BANKEBSON
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
DAVID SCBOGGY
VICE PRESIDENT ( CONTROLLER
ANDY KARA8ATSOS
GENERAL COUNSEL
MARK ANDEBSON
STORY & ART
FRA
N
K
MtLLgR
COLOR
LOGO DESIGN
STEVE MILLER
& CYNTHIA JOHNSON
CHAPTER FIVE:
l M` O
Lt MM
FPT; YEAIS
SltCE THE
WOt'AND THE
WINTER cD