Ah, Mark Millar. Of all the big name comics creators, none quite resemble a psychologically troubled child as much as the Glaswegian writer of “The Ultimates.” Making Garth Ennis look like Craig Thompson, most of his work is personified by a spectacularly juvenile, sexist, misogynistic worldview, which never fails to make the reader feel a little bit unbathed. But, thanks to the success of “Wanted” (and, to a lesser extent, “Kick-Ass”), he’s fairly hot property, and it looks like another adaptation of his work is on the way.
Millar (who’s somewhat unreliable as a source on his own work, having previously claimed he’d approached to write the next “X-Men,” a claim strenuously denied by Fox) spent much of last week teasing a huge announcement and it came yesterday, with Bleeding Cool, swiftly followed by Deadline, reporting that Fox have picked up the rights to Millar’s most recent baby, “Nemesis,” co-created with artist Scott McNiven, and that the suddenly omnipresent Tony Scott is attached to direct.
The comic, which is halfway through a four-issue run at Marvel’s creator-owned imprint Icon, earning fairly weak reviews so far, starts from the conceit “What if Batman was the Joker?,” and follows the titular supervillain, a genius billionaire who, bent on avenging the deaths of his parents, travels the world picking cops to torment, and finally returns to Washington DC to confront the cop who caused his family’s deaths. The source material is typical Millar, who never met a subtle undertone he couldn’t skullfuck while jumping from an exploding airship; it begins with a Japanese cop being run over by a bullet train, and also features Nemesis hijacking Air Force One and crashing it into Washington DC.
If we were to be generous, we’d say that “Kick-Ass” proved that adaptations of Millar’s writing can rise above their source, and that, in Scott, he’s found his perfect partner in bloated excess (Millar had previously claimed that Sam Raimi and Guy Ritchie were interested in an adaptation, but Scott probably seems like a better fit). We suppose the idea is kind of interesting, and that it could theoretically make for an interesting deconstruction of the superhero genre. But let’s face it, it probably won’t.
As we reported a few days ago, Scott is currently picking between three other possibilities for his next project, and with no writer currently on board this one, it’s a few years off from happening. But you know, consider yourself warned.
Tony, please, pass of this shit! Mark Millar is the living proof it's better to be lucky than talented! He's like a soulless Frank Miller.
To be fair, Millar's Superman: Red Son is subtle and sort of brilliant. But yeah, all his other stuff is insanely over-the-top violent and stupid.
Wow, Playlist guy, did Mark Miller date your sister and was awful to her?? Geekboy sniping is one thing, but you seem to have a personal ax to grind with Mr. Millar.
While he can be a self important/promoting douche, at least he CREATES something, puts it out there and has EARNED a fanbase. All you do is snipe and desperately (flop sweat showing the whole time) try to sound 'clever' COMMENTING on other people's creative impulse.
Somehow I think he'd be a more interesting dinner companion.
"Those who can't do, review…"
I'm sure you won't have the guts to post this, but you'll read it….
Putting aside your "Those who can't do, review" argument, which is 1) reductive and inaccurate about the motives of every critic ever, 2) not a real phrase and 3) doesn't apply to me anyway, the fact that Millar has a fanbase doesn't make him worthwhile.
You know what else have fanbases? Two And A Half Men. Nickleback. Child pornography.
You'll notice I didn't call Millar a bad writer, because in fact, he's arguably quite good at what he does – tits, explosions and gore. But he also appears, from his work, to have serious issues with women, and with other races, and for the full house, with gay people. So, yeah, I'm not a fan.
But for the record, he was a gent to my sister.
Also, good job in reading a page on which the word 'Millar' appears spelt correctly, with an A, no less than twelve times and still getting it wrong in your comment.