I am not a comic book fan per se but I am familiar with Frank Miller as the writer of “300“, “Sin City” and the Batman / Dark Knight arc. PUSH THE WALL is his memoir and advice to artists, all in one.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster for providing an advanced reader copy.
The author intersperses stories of his childhood and career with tips and advice for cartoonists and artists in general. I liked this approach, but found the beginning of the book was all advice and no memoir. Once he got to telling his own story, I really enjoyed it.
The book emphasizes his work in comics and movies (I didn’t known he was a writer for ROBOCOP 2!) and doesn’t really cover his personal life much, except to hint at “demons” in his past. I suppose if you’re writing the biography, you get to talk about what you want.
The advice he gives is valuable and applicable for any artist or creative person. The title, “Push the Wall”, is echoed in the text several times. Frank encourages the reader to try new things, to push against boundaries (“wall”), to experiment, and even to fail. I was really energized by his advice.
I really enjoyed reading Frank’s insider perspective on the comic industry, especially its intersection with movies. He is an award winning comic book writer and that story-telling skill carries through in PUSH THE WALL.
The book comes out on July 14, 2026. You can preorder at Indigo, Amazon or your local bookstore.