When you've had a body of work as diverse, impactful, and successful as Frank Miller's, there's no doubt that you have a wide range of influences to inspire and draw upon. Miller has spoken widely about the eclectic brew of sources that have shaped his creative vision and, at times, specific projects.

But as a giant of American comic book culture, widely credited with helping bring the superhero — an iconic figure in Western comic book lore — into the modern age, it's easy to assume that most of his influences stem from Western society and culture. Indeed, Miller's fascination with gritty, hard-boiled characters is a testament to American mid-century film noir influences. However, as Miller its, his vast halo of inspiration includes one surprising source.

What Lone Wolf And Cub Meant To Miller

Frank Miller Is Perhaps The World’s Most Well-known Otaku

While Frank Miller was undoubtedly influenced by Western sources, Japanese manga held an equal, if not greater, sway. In Joel Matthews and Gary Marshall's book, Studio Space – The World’s Greatest Comic Illustrators at Work, Miller reveals his lifelong fascination with Japanese culture and art, which he describes as "hyper-realistic." However, it was his encounter with the first issue of Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima's iconic manga series Lone Wolf and Cub that cemented manga's lasting influence on his work:

"I love the way the Japanese so unabashedly combine sex and violence in a way that Westerners shy away from and they create and create an exaggerated mystical approach that in many ways seems truer than the real world." - Frank Miller

Lone Wolf and Cub follows the trials and tribulations of Ogami Ittō, a high-ranking executioner for the shogun. Framed by his enemies and with his wife murdered, Ittō is stripped of his rank and prestige. Now a ronin, he sets out on a path of revenge with his infant son, Daigorō, to destroy those who orchestrated his downfall. Together they face countless hardships and dangers, determined to achieve vengeance no matter the cost.

Miller described Lone Wolf and Cub as the best graphic novel he had “ever seen” and recalled how his “mind exploded” upon his first reading. His love for the series was so profound that he traveled to Japan to track down the complete run. Once back home, he leveraged his status and connections to have it translated and published in the United States. As part of this effort, he persuaded First Publishing, the manga’s initial American publisher, to take on the project by agreeing to design the covers for the first few volumes and write introductions for the first twelve.

Lone Wolf And Cub's Influence On Miller's Ronin

Both Have Similar Protagonists & Themes

The influence of manga, particularly Lone Wolf and Cub, is evident throughout Miller's work, especially in Sin City and The Dark Knight Returns. However, its impact is most pronounced in Ronin. He had previously described Ronin as "the comic book of his dreams" in Joel Matthews and Gary Marshall's book, noting that it was a project he had always wanted to undertake. In an October 2024 interview with Zack Snyder for Inverse's Superhero issue, Miller acknowledged that Lone Wolf and Cub was a fundamental influence on his thought process and creative approach to Ronin.

For all intents and purposes, Ronin is Miller’s reimagining of Lone Wolf and Cub. Both stories follow a ronin — a masterless samurai — on a quest for vengeance against those who wronged them. Both explore the “lone wolf” archetype, depicting an outsider navigating a perilous world alone. Additionally, both delve into bushido, the samurai’s strict code of conduct, morality, and honor. Moreover, Ronin heavily borrows from the manga’s visual style, further emphasizing its influence. All of this underscores the deep impact Lone Wolf and Cub had on Frank Miller’s work — and the long tail of manga influence on American comic books.

Source: Studio Space – The World’s Greatest Comic Illustrators at Work, Inverse