To put it bluntly, 'Sin City' is anti-Hollywood. There is shocking violence, rape, child abuse, and genital mutilation, the kind of stuff that classic noir stridently avoided in the age of the Hays Code. Basin City is populated by corruption, sexual exploitation, gun-toting sex workers, and warring crime families. The crisp black and white artwork, occasionally punctuated by splashes of color, takes the shadows of classic noir to their most brutal conclusion. As he explained in an interview in 2016, he wanted to create 'a world out of balance, where virtue is defined by individuals in difficult situations, not by an overwhelming sense of goodness that was somehow governed by this godlike Comics Code.' Fittingly, Miller's 'Sin City' is stark, bleak, and devoid of anyone who could even remotely be considered heroic. The infamous Frank Miller, who rose to fame in the '80s with his work on 'Daredevil' and 'The Dark Knight Returns,' wanted to explore his love of old crime novels and classic film noir. Of all the comics in the world, 'Sin City' was never seen as the most probable to receive Hollywood's attention.

It also makes its lack of cultural footprint all the more surprising. In hindsight, it makes the major success of 'Sin City' feel like an even bigger surprise than it was when released in 2007. Comic books for adults, tackling themes and concerns of audiences not in the key Disney demographic, are aching to be given such lavish adaptations. Vaughan's 'Saga' or the melancholy of Craig Thompson's 'Blankets' to the screen. It seems like a wasted opportunity, to not bring the richness of creators like Brian K. There are exceptions, from the mundane realism of 'Ghost World' and 'American Splendor' to the rip-roaring golden age adventuring of 'The Adventures of Tintin.' Alas, these examples are few and far between, especially when compared to their caped contemporaries.

Comic books are like any other artistic medium: they encompass seemingly limitless potential across styles, themes, genres, and intents. Of course, the trend is currently for superheroes and hasn't expanded much beyond that limited subgenre.

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