Frank Miller
Ronin

Ronin by Frank Miller, colors by Lynn Varley (U.S.A.) 6-Issue Miniseries 1983-84 DC Comics. Originally published in Italy by Magic Press in 1999 and then by Planeta-De Agostini in 2007.

 "The island of Utopia, very large, stretches in its middle two hundred thousand paces and does not narrow much for a long stretch, but towards the end of both heads, it narrows, which bent in a circle of five hundred thousand paces make the island in the shape of the new moon." (Thomas More, translation by Ortensio Lando, 1548)

"But utopia does not actually exclude dystopia: that is why it is more correct to use the latter term. In fact, between utopia and dystopia, there is no contradiction; quite the opposite. First of all, both dystopia and utopia, according to a literary interpretation of these two phenomena, belong to a particular strand of social science fiction that describes both imaginary places where well-being and happiness prevail (utopia) and terrible hypotheses of unlivable future worlds (dystopia)" (From The Philosophical Dictionary)

What is a Ronin (??)?

In feudal Japan, it referred to the figure of a Samurai left without a master: either due to the death (or disgrace) of the master himself or due to losing his trust. Becoming one led to the practice of Seppuku: the penalty of dishonor and isolation preserved by all the other Samurai faithful to the Bushido code. (and may Psychopompe forgive any mistakes or inaccuracies...)

The Ronin (simplified to just "Ronin") by Miller:

The story begins about 800 years ago in Japan: a young Samurai serves the powerful lord Ozaki. One night, the demon Agat kills Ozaki, guilty of having previously stolen his magical sword: a tool that, if stained with the blood of an innocent, can become so powerful that it could kill the demon himself/herself. But Ozaki has hidden the sword, and Agat cannot find it. After the death of his master, the Samurai (whose name is not given) prepares for Seppuku, but Ozaki appears to him in a vision, convincing him to stay alive, find the sword, and ensure Agat never finds it again. The Samurai thus becomes a Ronin and...

...here I stop because I would reveal the magnificent stratagem adopted by Miller (thus enticing you to read it) to bring the story to a hypothetical and probably not too distant future New York: a future where extreme technological progress has led to abominable inequalities and social injustices. Here, the Samurai and Agat will continue their fight.

Context in which "Ronin" was born:

We are in 1980s America, in full Reaganism (is that how it's said?), Miller had already begun to make a name for himself in the comics world because (with Moore) he was one of the pioneers of the "reform" of the superhero universe. A reform that started from the premise of blending in the until then utopian and glossy imagery of that comic book genre, plots with a noir flavor, intimate and existential doubts, an underlying pessimism towards the course humanity had taken. Having already dealt with characters like Elektra and Daredevil, the 26-year-old American comic artist decided to embark on the adventure of a "creature" entirely his own, and in a certain sense, anticipating certain science fiction topics to come, created a fascinating hybrid of medieval, mythological, futuristic, and hyper-technological references. The reference I make at the beginning of the paragraph to the historical context of those years is not coincidental if, 25 years later, one compares the obtuse optimism of that kind of political philosophy with Miller's approach, perhaps too pessimistic but based on real knowledge obtained by living "the real life among real people." For one reason or another, "Ronin" remained a niche work, but in the opinion of who writes, it should be considered, along with "The Dark Knight Returns" his masterpiece.

A Small (and Humble) Analysis of the Work by the Reviewer:

"Ronin" is the epic tale of the eternal struggle between opposites: and I'm not just talking about the classic "Good vs Evil" but the lesser-known ones, between the constant forward motion of technological development and the continuous backward motion of social balances, between the advent of global communication and the actual remaining in the hands of few of the same, between the so-called "democratization" on the American-British model of those years and the unrealistic expectations created around it. From this point of view (despite the extremities that Miller puts to benefit the narrative plot), this miniseries proves aggressively farsighted and highlights all the weaknesses of our feeling safe: protected by a system that we are only now beginning to understand is anything but infallible.

Having said that, I do not want to underestimate the fact that "Ronin" is also a beautiful fantasy-science fiction tale and can also be read only from this point of view (admiring, among other things, Miller's graphic touch, which already appeared "mature" despite his young age and a precursor of what in the following years will be much beloved) but not to miss, and I cite it last on purpose as I had not incidentally opened this text, the ultimate opposite "Utopia vs Dystopia" would be a mistake...

Certainly, not to be washed away with a seppuku...

C.G. (Girlanachronism)