Frank Mille writing an ntitled Carrie Kelley YA Graphic Novel

[millernumber1]

Oh god her design is so cute! This looks like it'll be fun.

It does! And after how he wrote Carrie in DK3, I think it'll be great.

I will totally get it but after All Star Batman and Robin my reaction to anything Frank Miller is doing is a sort of curious horror.

I think his comments to fans about Carrie, and his writing for her recently, has been really strong. Plus that art is so cute.

[Hypo]

Frank Miller returns to Batman - Dark Knight Returns playground for a Carrie Kelley YA graphic novel

"[The Carrie Kelly book] is shaping up great; Ben is just a powder keg of talent," Miller tells Newsarama. "It'd probably be out now but it just keeps growing, due to his enthusiasm and output. I'm already kind of tugging at his sleeve about doing something else after this."

Originally estimated to be a 200-page OGN, Newsarama has heard Caldwell has drawn much more than 200 pages for the as-yet-unnamed Dark Knight Returns-related project. But as Miller tells us, it's not a Batman & Carrie Kelley story - it's a Carrie Kelley story, with a sprinkling of Batman.

"Without going into all kinds of detail, by entering her world with this story we start to see her perspective on Batman, and how he occupies a very interesting space," Miller says. "Sometimes we don't know if he's really there, or just part of her mind. She's integrating his teachings into her thinking, and how he lectures her and talks to her. But other times he's there physically."

Beyond Batman, the book will also elaborate on Carrie Kelley's life outside of superheroing - including her life as a student.

"This book also picks up on some of the people in Carrie Kelly's life besides Batman, such as her classmates. She's definitely the smartest kid in her class, even with the sarcasm she always brings."

Miller says that Caldwell has added much to his idea of the female Robin character he introduced way back in 1986's Dark Knight Returns.

"Caldwell brings something special to this project… something that I just find both liberating and thrilling," says Miller. "He has made Carrie Kelly his own. I gave Carrie Kelly a very classic children's book illustration look when I drew her, and in Ben's hands she's become this electric, cartoon of a character.

"Ben's work here reminds me of Carmine Infantino and how he drew the Flash. When she's moving you sometimes see three or four figure-drawings of her, so you see every motion she does even though she's going at a faster speed," says Miller.

"He also plays a lot with Carrie Kelly's proportions," Miller says. "She isn't just a child in an adult world; she's a diminutive child, so even with other kids she's teeny-tiny."

This untitled Carrie Kelley/Dark Knight Returns-related project is the third book in a five-book deal Miller signed in DC in 2018, following Superman: Year One and The Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child.

The fourth and fifth books have yet to be announced, but Miller has said previously he'd been having a "fixation" on World War II era DC characters. When asked about these projects, Miller tells Newsarama he has nothing to announce on that front.

"Not yet. I'm still banging on that door."

[Hypo]

[Hypo]

[Frontier]

Surprisingly cute...

[Bad Witch]

I mean I've already gone down this road with frank since I was 7 in 1987 might as well keep going!

[millernumber1]

This looks fantastic - I'm very excited to see an update. I hope that Frank finishes it up soon, though!

[WebLurker]

Looks interesting. Is this supposed to be part of Miller's Dark Knight Returns world or a reimagining, like the other YA graphic novels are of their source materials?

[HsssH]

I mean I've already gone down this road with frank since I was 7 in 1987 might as well keep going!

Year and my age is different, but same here.

[millernumber1]

Looks interesting. Is this supposed to be part of Miller's Dark Knight Returns world or a reimagining, like the other YA graphic novels are of their source materials?

Given Miller's tendency to think all of his writing takes place in the same universe, I'd lean towards that.

[phonogram12]

Given Miller's tendency to think all of his writing takes place in the same universe, I'd lean towards that.

Although I'm still waiting to hear his explanation for Bats' first meetings with Supes and WW in Superman Year 1 and his first meetings with them in ASB&R.

[millernumber1]

Although I'm still waiting to hear his explanation for Bats' first meetings with Supes and WW in Superman Year 1 and his first meetings with them in ASB&R.

I mean, I don't think it's that hard to make ASBAR and SYO work. And the voice for Batman and Superman in both is pretty the same.

[WebLurker]

Given Miller's tendency to think all of his writing takes place in the same universe, I'd lean towards that.

Wonder how he'll chalk up the kid-friendly limitations with how kid-unfriendly the other stuff is.

[millernumber1]

Wonder how he'll chalk up the kid-friendly limitations with how kid-unfriendly the other stuff is.

We shall see! I personally think it's going to be similar to how he wrote Babs in ASBAR. Lots of censor bars.

[phonogram12]

I mean, I don't think it's that hard to make ASBAR and SYO work. And the voice for Batman and Superman in both is pretty the same.

I agree that the voices are the same, but he wrote each instance as a first meeting for Bats and Supes. That one's a little harder to get around (not saying that it possibly can't be, just saying that it might take a few bigger leaps in logic than usual).

Then again, there were also incongruities between DKR and DK2, so it's not like this is unheard of re Miller (just to clarify, I am a huge Miller fan, but I also don't think that means we can't point out mistakes when they're made).