"Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due" or "No Passing THIS Buck"

When All-Star Batman & Robin #1 came out, I am sure many of us were taken aback at the seemingly gratutious shots of Vicky Vale in her bra and panties. I mean, not just in her bra and panties, but full page shots of her in her bra and panties. Panels designed just to zoom in on her ass. Really over the top stuff. At the time, I think most of us were pretty sure that Frank Miller told Jim Lee to do this, as it would take cojones of steel by Jim Lee to add stuff like that on his own. However, we did not know for SURE until the script came out. Well, the script is out today (in the special edition of All-Star Batman & Robin #1 ), and I have some transcriptions of the script, and, well, it is definitely allllllllllll Miller.

When I get some time later today, I will transcribe the script (unless someone here wants to do it for me...hehe) and add it to this post, but suffice to say for now that Miller is QUITE detailed about how he wants Lee to make the panels look, and generally, his descriptions run along the lines of "Let's drive the fanboys crazy."

Not for nothing, but beyond the explicit instructions as to how Miller wants Vale depicted, it is intriguing how, beyond Miller's request for graphic T & A, Lee really does not seem to respond to the other parts of the script where Miller asks for subtleties.

For instance, there is a point where Miller asks him to draw (in one panel, from behind) Vale as angry at being interrupted, but do so only using subtle body language, like a raised hand or something. Well, in the panel, Lee draws the raised hand, but there is NO emotion to it at ALL. It just looks like she has her arm up.

This continues throughout most of the story. Lee draws exactly the scenes that Miller wants, but seems to lose a lot of the nuance that Miller explicitly asks for in his script...except, of course, with the Vicky Vale in a bra and panties scenes. There, it seems like Miller knows that THAT Lee can pull off (he even makes an allusion to this in the script, something like, "I know you can do this").

Interesting stuff, all in all.

Always nice to see an example of a comic legend like Miller communicating his ideas...even if his ideas, in this instance, are decidedly low brow.

EDITED TO ADD:

Okay, here are the script transcriptions. The caps are Miller's, not mine:

PAGE THREE

Panel One

FULL FIGURE-VICKI VALE walks, in her bra and panties and not one inch of clothing more, walks - no, hell, she struts - BACK-LIT against the cruel, Art Deco beauty of GOTHAM CITY. Think Rita Hayworth in her prime. She's gorgeous. She speaks to her headset, dictating:

PAGE FOUR

Panel One

CLOSER-MEDIUM ANGLE- VICKI continues. She cocks her head, tossing her hair. Detail her BRA. It'll drive them crazy, Jim.

Panel Two

BODY SHOT-THIGH UP-give us an even better angle on the babe. Front on. Walking right at us. She knows what she's got. Make them drool.

Panel Three

OK, Jim, I'm shameless. Let's go with an ASS SHOT. Panties detailed. Balloons from above. She's walking, restless as always. We can't take our eyes off her. Especially since she's got one fine ass.

That's it for the bra and panties specifics, but here are two examples of where I think Lee drops the nuances of Miller's script (I wish to point out, though, that for the most part, Lee is a good art-bot, and draws EXACTLY what Miller tells him to draw).

PAGE FIVE

Panel Two

WIDER-BACK VIEW-VICKI moves toward a security MONITOR at her ELEVATOR. Keep our eyes on hos good she looks. Something tells me you can pull that off, Jim. Go for a furious gesture. A raised fist, something like that. Nothing vulgar.

I don't think Lee did this well.

PAGES SIX AND SEVEN

MONTAGE: [First, Miller describes the basic scene of Vicki trying on a lot of clothes] Meanwhile, cross-cut as Alfred checks his pocket watch. The old kind.Again. And again. And again. She's taking forever.

I don't think Lee pulled this off well.

But don't take MY word for it, feel free to compare the script to the comic! Have fun!!

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