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Sunday Discussion: An Overflow of Comic Book Movies?!

by Alex Billington
July 6, 2008

Today's article is pulling double duty as both last weekend's and this weekend's Sunday Discussion. Last week I ran out of time on the weekend and couldn't finish writing; the problem was that I was in Los Angeles for a few days covering press junkets for both The Dark Knight and Hellboy II and lost track of time. And in turn, this whole dilemma actually spawned from my activities that weekend anyway. As much as I love comic book movies myself, I've started to wonder whether they are consuming both FirstShowing.net and Hollywood. Not only are there five of them this summer, but the only news people seem to care about recently is anything pertaining to current or upcoming comic book movies. I feel like every last article I write has some connection to a comic but I can't help it - it's just all there is some days!

Maybe it's just this time of the year. Not only did we kick off the summer movie season with Iron Man, but a few weeks back we had Wanted, earlier this week Hancock (a superhero movie in its concept) hit theaters, next weekend Hellboy II: The Golden Army arrives, and the weekend after that we'll be hit by the incredible force known as The Dark Knight. Then Punisher: War Zone and Frank Miller's The Spirit are both due out by the end of the year. As for next year's line-up, it includes Watchmen, Whiteout, Wolverine, and G.I. Joe (so far). And I haven't even mentioned the other in development projects like Marvel's Thor, Captain America, and Avengers movies, DC Comics' Superman: The Man of Steel, and other indie comic adaptations like Kick-Ass, Jonah Hex, and Cowboys & Aliens. Now you might understand why I feel like Hollywood is overflowing with an excess of comic book movies!

This is my dilemma: I love comic book movies and will always go out and see every last one, but I'm wondering whether we're reaching a point where discussion about them has burned out and no one wants to hear any more news. I start to get afraid when I look at all the articles in a day and almost all of them pertain to some sort of comic book movie. It's a legitimate concern because it resonates beyond just this site and into Hollywood in general. Are there too many comic book movies? Or are we just reaching a point where comic books have become the mainstream adaptation medium. I feel like people want to see and hear about original ideas, indie movies, or adaptations based on books, but there isn't anything too interesting about any of them so we resort back to comic book movies in the end anyway.

Another observation is that comic book movies are finally reaching a point where they're being recognized as phenomenal films (for example, my reaction to The Dark Knight). Not only do they make the most money at the box office every year, but they end up being some of the best movies all year long. Thus it would make sense that comic book movies gain so much recognition - they're loved by so many people that it's no longer a niche. It's hard to wake up every morning and sort through so much comic book news and stay balanced in considering what to write about. The reason why movies like The Wackness get so much extra attention is because I love featuring indie movies that break up the flow of mainstream news. But recently I've been left with nothing but comic book movie articles and it feels over-saturated.

With Hellboy II and The Dark Knight both due out in the next few weeks, it doesn't look like the comic book movie related news is going to slow down anytime soon. But is it really a problem? Or is it something that most have come to accept as the norm in Hollywood? I know I don't necessarily have a problem with it because each and every comic book movie is just as exciting as the last. No matter what the story or what the setting is, anything based on a comic book usually has me instantly interested - which is why it's a dilemma to be worried about them. Is it just this time of the year or is there really an excessive amount of comic book news? Do you feel like there is an overflow of comic book movies in Hollywood? Do you want to see more comic book movie articles or more articles on other types of movies?

Action figure photo courtesy of Greg the Bunny on Flickr.

Explore tags: Discussion, Editorials, Opinions

Mr. Negative

if they dont end up like daredevil or catwoman then im all for comic book movies
Iron Man Fan

Hell No!!!!!!!!!
Spider

As much of a comic book fan as I am and seeking pure escapism, I'm all for the comic book flicks. "Iron Man" and "The Incredible Hulk" really impressed me. "Hellboy 2" and "The Dark Knight" will no doubt, blow us away! As long as they are done right and not a superhero wanna-be that's illogical and disappointing ("Hancock"), I'm there! So funny how so many ragged on "Spider-Man 3" for being too bloated even though it stayed focused on providing us the goods! But thanks to "Hancock", "Spider-Man 3" is not the worst superhero flick at all.
AJ

Yes there is a glut of comic book movies these days. But that is a Hollywood problem. The writers and the studios are for the most part flat out of ideas. Every year more and more of the same them movies are being made and the more original movies either aren't being made or are being released only in limited releases or only play for a short time. Comic book movies have proved to be money makers and with the enormous library that Hollywood can pull from I highley doubt they will stop anytime soon.
TCox

Too many comic book movies? Are you mental? Some of the greatest stories and characters ever put on paper originated from comic books. It hasn't been until recent years that Hollywood truly gave these source materials a proper treatment. Could you imagine a world where the last Batman movie was "Batman & Robin" ? Thank god Warner Brothers saw the potential in rebooting the series with "Batman Begins". How boring would this summer be if we didn't have "The Dark Knight" to look forward to?
http://galethog.deviantart.com/gallery/ Galethog

Yep, the beginning of the milennium is owned by comics and superheroes. This whole decade has been about superhereos going big time. I've always liked them; they are part of my childhood and I'm very excited to see all of the big ones in the big screen. The problem is that some of them are just being released because that's what everyone is longing for: more and more live-action superheroe movies. Just as if the only thing that matters is putting some chick or handsome guy in a costume. Which is what happened with Catwoman, Daredevil, the first Hulk, and even Spiderman 3, which I hated cause the story was crap. If they are going to do a live adaptation of a comic, or anime, or whatever, it should be treated just as Nolan treated Batman. That's what makes a hero movie remarkable and memorable. Although Marvel is creating a complete universe, DC is betting to great stories such as TDK (or, at least, that's what I want to believe) that's the reason why Justice League was left in a corner. So, yeah, there's an overflow of comic book movies but that doesn't bother me, what really annoys me is that potentially great characters and stories end up like Spiderman 3. I'll be longing for every comic book movie as long as it is treated in a porfessional and creative way instead of a money printing machine.
http://handfulofwires.blogspot.com DCompose

I like comic books and I like movies, and apparently lots of other people do too, and so they smash them together, and they turn out to be good. I think Marvel wants to take their time with their shit now, not like Daredevil and Ghost Rider.
Tippit

Bring on the comic books and comic book movies. As long as they are good like Iron Man and Incredible Hulk. There is plenty of non comic book movies throughout the year to satisfy also so I don't think its an overload.
Janet

Yes, but that won't change until people get tired of them which is unlikely anytime soon. I don't mind seeing articles about these types of movies but I want to see equal coverage of original movies as well.
samuel

i'm sorry i couldnt even take the time to read the article because its absurd to even complain about hollywood being over run by comic book movies i mean seriously its better then getting remakes of older movies and television shows dallas? the brady bunch? or romance movies which all seem to follow the same formula the meet the fall in love something happens they fall out of love and now the struggle to fall back in love and start over blah blah blah we've seen it a thousand times its rare we get anything new and comedies? Disaster movie the whole fact that after the first two scary movies the quility went way way way waaaaay down since then and still it gets green lighted is crazy i saw the trailer chuckled at the Zohan spoof and watned to cry because this will still make money and fill seats its horrible it crams to much in and its stupid. Comic book movies when handled right at least entertain and you get the best of all the different genres (some times) get a a sci-fi romance with Superman and a inspirational hero if done right, a crime drama with Batman and Daredevil (again if handled right) a camedy with deadpool (if he gets a movie) and hell these comics deserve to be on screen they're fun to watch and can totally engross you in the story. It seems to me now a days hollywood doesnt even care I thought meet the spartans or whatever was going to be funny and while i was entertained a little it was to many gay jokes and things coming from left field. its like everyone has lost their imagination and sure a comic book movie isnt exactly new but its better then a friends movie or another spoof of all the movies we recieved the same year its difintely something new instead of a rehash of what came before which is getting tiring Why do we need remakes becasue we have better graphics? for a younger generation? how about respecting the actors who performed those roles before? with the movie wanted and much like resident evil just because you have the names of the characters doesnt make it an adaoptation of the comic or game which neither of these were it was something new (okay thats a bit of topic but it wasnt the same thing and i hate that)
http://notjustnewmovies.blogspot.com Ben

I'm down with comic book movies. They definitely are becoming the go-to moneymaker for Hollywood, but at least there's some good ideas in those stories and it encourages people to actually read the original material, thereby broadening their horizons. Take Watchmen for instance: I read that they were making it into a movie, and I had heard of it before, but it was only after that news that I took the time to read the original work. And it blew me away - the level of complexity was incredible, and the film is poised at the very top of my list for movies I'm looking forward to in 2009. I say keep the comic book movies coming.
Curtis

I love Comic book movies i really look forward to new about them, i always want to see whats next, what there doing with them and etc. Yea i think there is to many comics being made into movies but i love it, gives me a chance to see a kick ass superhero on the big screen doing his/her thang, i dont read to many comics so its great to see some unknown characters on the big screen and see who they are and learn about there origins. Im glad Comic book movies are so huge there my favorite genre of movies and im looking forward to many more of them to come.
http://roflcakes.tumblr.com/ roflcakes

Comic book movies are great and all but I think it must be kept in mind that not everyone is a fan of comic books. Sure, they might love the movies because yes they do turn out to be the box office hits but, personally, what I fear is people getting sick of the genre because it really is taking over and engulfing the movies that are being made. There should be a balance of sorts. For me, I love comic books, they're classic and they're exciting and fun, but I have to admit, the thought of one comic book movie after another without anything of a different genre or anything new and original makes me feel tired.
Viper

The more the merrier. There are two important things that have to be taken into account... 1. People are desperate for heroes in this day and age. I don't think I really need to go into that much. 2. Comic books are the mythologies of our society. The Egyptians had their mythologies and plastered them all over their monuments. The Greeks and Romans had their mythologies and wrote countless poems and plays about them. The Chinese and Japanese had their mythologies and passed them down from generation to generation by word of mouth. The Norsemen and Vikings had their mythologies and built their art of war around them. The Native Americans and Eskimos had their mythologies that they used to fully respect nature and their histories. Etc, etc, etc. Our mythologies are our comic books which tell amazing stories about characters set in our world (for the most part) who have long expansive biographies and are connected to one another in some way (for the most part). Superheroes are our Olympians, and everybody has their favorite one (just as the Greeks would pick a specific god to worship in each village). Hollywood has just now tapped into the world of comic books because up until now they thought comic books were for children and wouldn't draw in money, but they are for everyone and tell stories that entertain, teach morals, boost imagination, inspire, and fully reflect our society's current state of mind. Turning the comic books into movies brings these stories to a wider audience, the world-wide society of modern times, who either do not have time to read comics or do not have access to them. So, as I said before, the more the merrier.
Petra

We also have a ton of movies based on books and TV shows. Comic books are an equally worthy source of ideas for Hollywood- and personally, they mostly keep getting better and better! As long as they can keep spinning out enough good comic book movies, then I'm all for it! Viper- It's fascinating how you've connected comic books and mythologies. I've never thought of it that way before.
Matt Suhu

No, there isn't an overflow of comic book movies for a number of reasons. This is really the beginning of what's more to come. First off, hollywood's technology has finally come to par with what is needed to realistically create characters that have super powers and environments that reflect the action and "special effects" that one may see in a comic book. Secondly, and most importantly, there is a huge market for comic book movies because comic lovers are coming of age. Comics were extremely popular in the 90's. They were flying off the shelves with variant covers, breaking records left and right, and being written and drawn by the industries celebrities. Now, all these kids who grew up in the 90's (and from decades prior) have grown up and have jobs. They have the money to spend on movies and collectibles that were from their childhood. In doing so, hollywood acknowledges this market because there is money to be made from all us fan-boys. Give it a few more years and then ask this question again.
http://www.myspace.com/apocalypze DJ Sid

There should be a comic book movie channel... superheroes 24/7!!!
John

Saying that there might be an overflow of comic book movies is like saying there might an overflow of movies based on novels. It's ridiculous to say that there are too many comic book movies. With the exception of Hancock, I think that the worst has already passed with those crappy Batman Sequels and Steel(lol). I beleive that Comic Book Movies are just going to get better with the standards that are about to be set by The Dark Knight. I also believe that in the future comic book movies will get new flavor with new directors. As almost everyone has said, Bring on the Comic Book Movies!
Staatz (Agnostic)

I like what Viper is saying about mythology, but his or her statement is not *entirely* on the money. Modern Western civilization has Christianity as its most popular religion. The previous 'mythologies' that you mentioned were serious religions in their own times (and still are to most people) and sometimes people took the stories in their religions as fact and not myth, as do some Christians today. One of the big differences between, say the Christian god and the Greek gods are that the Greek gods could screw up from time to time while the Christan god is considered infallible by most Christians. This creates a vacuum in western society for powerful people to look up to who arn't perfect- a *possible* goal to aspire to. This is why, I think, Marvel comics out sells DC by such a wide margin. Marvel's super-heroes are flawed, Tony Stark is a drunken womanizer, Peter Parker has a huge glut complex, Mr. Fantastic is a workaholic who ignores his family, the x-men fight to protect a world who want to destroy them. And marvel's morally perfect charter, Steve Rodgers? He was killed after finding himself on the wrong side of the law in an imperfect world and replaced with another character with a guilt complex. A few years go DC had a movie about Superman-Jesus (count the number of times Superman Returns implicitly compares Superman to Jesus- it's a-lot) and it underperformed in the box office- their other main iconic character, the one with parent issues and without super powers, is set to preform quite well at the box office.
http://www.zigwa.com James

Comics are our modern mythologies and I don't think people will have a problem seeing GOOD movies about them. Just as with any other genre make it good, we would love to hear about it. Make it bad well, peace.
Ricky

I agree and disagree with the mythology statement. I think movies in general are our mythology. Comic books were a niche market until they were made into movies and even still they don't appeal to everyone, and even those who like the movies still could care less about the comic books themselves. Yet movies regardless of plot seem to permeate our culture. Just ask Forrest Gump. Hollywood always moves in fads, but this one is definitely big. Like all fads though it's going to burn itself out, because instead of focusing on making quality super hero movies, they're going to start pumping out as many super hero movies as possible and the quantity is going to start to over shadow the quality of the movies in two ways. One the quality is going to drop, and two there will be so many of them when a quality comic movie does come out people will eventually be too burnt out on the concept to care. I don't think we're at that point yet though. My prediction is that the Dark Knight is going to be the height of the comic book movie craze. It's been growing for years, but this summer the comic movies have owned the hype, and they'll probably be the big runners next summer as well....but after that I think it will start to decline because they all won't be as good as Dark Knight, Spiderman and Ironman. We'll start seeing more comic films on par with Daredevil and Hancock. All flash, no dash. I think that's why Hollywood has been so down over the past few years. There really hasn't been a fad for fans to latch onto like this in awhile. There was a lot of hype over disaster movies what seems like a decade ago when Twister, Armageddon, Deep Impact, and Dante's Peak came out. But that fad died out, and for some reason Hollywood seemed to go with television remakes which failed miserably and really the best movies since then have been animated, dirty comedies, or fantasy (LOTR, Narnia, Harry Potter). I think Hollywood thought there was going to be a fantasy boom, and they were wrong....which is why we got movies like The Seeker, Eragon, and The Golden Compass. People didn't seem to latch onto those films, they only liked the ones based on proven writing. However the comic book movies and the 80's toy remakes have caught on, and pushed the fantasy thing aside and to a completely different level. But like all fads, Hollywood will screw it up by over saturating the market trying to grab as much money as they can for lack of better ideas. I think you can already see the downfall with some of the movies mentioned in your article (Cowboys and Aliens?). When they start reaching that far into the barrel for an idea the well is already starting to run dry, and the only thing that's going to hold them over for awhile are sequels, and as we all know sequels are only good for so long, and when that point comes it's so long comic book movies, hello crappy remakes.
Blake B

As long as they stay as high of quality as the last four or five movies, I am all for seeing my child-hood heroes get the attention they deserve. =]
Staatz

Good points Ricky, but I think comic book movies have been a mix of good and bad for some time now. If you look at comic book movies since 2000 (To me I think x-men really started the recent fad off) the peak, (at least numerically) came in 2005 with 9 movies, though some of those were made-for-tv and one fell more under the 'Crime' genre. In contrast this year will probably have 7 comic book films, but it looks like it'll have a slightly better raito of cool-to-suck than 2005 did, so maybe you are right about this year being the peak. Anyway, wile comic book movies most definitely are a long-term fad (I like to compare them to Westerns) like Westerns there probably won't ever come a 5 year time span when we won't see any- I made up a time line (starting after the super-hero serials at the 1966 Batman) and there were quite a few before the boom of this decade. Things will thin out (I think this tie-in thing is really the last place for comic book movies to go- after that there will be one once in a great while- something like the more recent westerns (see: Unforgiven, Tombstone or even Deadwood) In the mean time I'll probably remain interested in them as long as they make decent ones. Batman (1966) The Green Hornet (1974) Superman (1978) Superman II (1980) Flash Gordon (1980) Heavy Metal (1981) Swamp Thing (1982) Conan the Barbarian (1982) Superman III (1983) Supergirl (1984) Conan the Destroyer (1984) Red Sonja (1985) Howard the Duck (1986) Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987) The Punisher (1989) Batman (1989) The Return of Swamp Thing (1989) Akira (1989) Captain America (1990) Darkman (1990) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991) The Rocketeer (1991) Batman Returns (1992) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (1993) Dennis the Menace (1993) Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993) Darkman II: The Return of Durant (1994) The Crow (1994) Fantastic 4 movie (1994)* The Mask (1994) The Shadow (1994) Tank Girl (1995) Batman Forever (1995) Judge Dredd (1995) The Crow: City of Angels (1996) The Phantom (1996) Darkman III: Die Darkman Die (1996) Barb Wire (1996) Steel (1997) Batman & Robin (1997) Men in Black (1997) Spawn (1997) Blade (1998) Mystery Men (1999) Virus (1999) X-Men (2000) Heavy Metal 2000 (2000) Crow: Salvation (2000) Ghost World (2001) Josie and the Pussycats (2001) From Hell (2001) Blade II (2002) Spider-Man (2002) Men in Black II (2002) Road to Perdition (2002) Bulletproof Monk (2003) Daredevil (2003) X2 (2003) Hulk (2003) American Splendor (2003) Catwoman (2004) The Punisher (2004) Hellboy (2004), Spider-Man 2 (2004) Blade: Trinity (2004) Garfield (2004) AVP: Alien vs. Predator (2004) Elektra (2005) Man-Thing (2005) Crow: Wicked Prayer (2005) Sin City (2005) Constantine (2005) Batman Begins (2005) Fantastic Four (2005) A History of Violence (2005) V for Vendetta (2005) Ultraviolet (2006)* 300 (2006) X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) Superman Returns (2006) Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties (2006) Art School Confidential (2006) Ghost Rider (2007) TMNT (2007) Spider-Man 3 (2007) 30 Days of Night (2007) 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007) Iron Man (2008) The Incredible Hulk (2008) Wanted (2008) Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008) The Dark Knight (2008) Punisher: War Zone (2008) The Spirit (2008) *Not really movies
Garrett.king

Alex..you JUST noticed this?..wow.
Viper

Just out of curiosity / interest I'll continue that list into the future. This is just superhero movies. There's other comic book movies of course such as Cowboys and Aliens and Wanted 2. X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) Watchmen (2009) Iron Man 2 (2010) Thor (2010) Superman: The Man of Steel (2010) Green Lantern (2010) The First Avenger: Captain America (2011) Spider-Man 4 (2011) The Avengers (2011) Wonder Woman (2011) Justice League (2011) In development... Ant-Man Black Panther Doctor Strange Luke Cage X-Men Origins: Magneto Nick Fury Venom Shazam! (?) Announced... Cloak and Dagger Daredevil 2 Deathlok Ghost Rider 2 The Hands of Shang-Chi Iron Fist Runaways Namor: The Sub-Mariner Silver Surfer Batman 3 (?)
Staatz

There definitely seems to be a slow-down in the trend next year for some reason... even if you include the non-super-hero-comic-book movies. Comic book movies are on slow-ish development cycles though so maybe the poor showing in 2006 slowed some of the development as much as the good showing of Iron man helped the 2010-11 years. Anyone else think that it is a little odd that Green Lantern gets a movie before Wonder Woman- I know Green Lantern is a neat character and that that super-heroine movies have done poorly but Electra isn't exactly on the level of Wonder Woman... eh I really wouldn't mind seeing a good comic book movie with a woman as the main protagonist.
Darrin

i want to see atleast 2 comic book films per year.Im quite fed-up of them some were good, some were bad but this bullshit has gone on too long.Has hollywood ran out of movie making ideas?
LeeMan

hollywood is definetely losing all of its original ideas, so the smartest choice is to put some popular actor in a suit and do a movie based on the title character. besides the ill-fated catwoman, superhero movies usually translate to $ and thats all anybody cares about. by the way, what is whiteout??
http://movieguyreviews4u.blogspot.com Ryan

Cool list Staatz. However, I am not sick of them becuas ethey are still spaced out enough apart. However, I do agree that not all of these are necessary. Ant-Man? I understand there is a fanbase but really????? Comic book movies have pushed the F/X enevelope which is amazing and are fun. Just hope there is no more Elektra's.
Nettle

@Staatz: I fail to understand why you put Akira in there. In Japan, manga and anime are almost synonymous and a translation of a comic into a movie doesn't work the same way that it does in Hollywood. Granted, Akira did gain popularity in the states, but it wasn't Hollywood's call.
Staatz

Hmmm your right Nettle, Akira doesn't really belong on that list- I thought I heard something about a live action version done on this side of the pond coming up- which is probably why I put it on the list.
http://www.firstshowing.net Alex Billington

#13 - That's exactly why I wrote this because that's what I felt... And that's also why I try to always spice things up with a mix of indies and other genre of movies. I'm glad so many of you are already referencing The Dark Knight as the next big comic book movie that is going to set the standard for years to come... But you need to watch out - don't get too hyped for it! If you set your own expectations too high, there is no way they'll be met. So just go in expecting something great, but not life-changing. You'll have a vastly better experience that way than anything else... #21 / #23 - I don't know how you can really call comic book movies "fads." In fact, calling westerns fads is an even bigger sin! At this point is is undeniable that both westerns and comic book movies are genres of their own. You can't keep lumping more and more movies into more generic genres like "drama, tragedy, comedy." Although it wasn't the point of this article, one underlying aspect that continued to come to my mind when I was writing it was that comic book movies are no longer just a "fad" like, for example, sword and sandal movies. Comic book movies are now their own genre and that's why the continue to increase in numbers more and more each year. It's just like adapting from novels - now we add another medium to the adaptation selection... #24 - Well, it only really impacted me recently because these next few weeks are going to be all about comics (with Hellboy and Dark Knight). But of course I've thought about it for a while, I just didn't write about it until now. #28 - Whiteout is an adaptation of Greg Rucka's comic called Whiteout. More information can be found here. I saw a promo reel of it at Comic-Con last year, but it didn't look amazing. Warner Brothers has been keeping it very quiet - I think they're planning on releasing it early next year. Not sure... but the comic is cool, Beckinsale is hot, and it didn't look that bad...
Garrett.king

gotcha
Subhradeep

Being a comic book lover..aren't you happy that finally all your dreams are comin' true.. well of course there are some movies that disappoint you... but movies like crow, Incredible hulk, iron man, spidey 1 and 2, blade 1 and 2, Reeves' Superman, fantastic four 2, x-men 3 and of course the groundbrealing batman begins makes us confident to dream on.. and wherever the discussion leads to..i know that every guy in here are counting the times they inhale and exhale air...and are waiting for THE DARK KNIGHT...is that right??
beau

These are mostly and consistently good, if not great movies... and definitely better alternatives than the monotonous onslaught of movies "from the guys who have seen way too many movies." Solid films like these latest comic movies will always be welcome (not to mention kick-ass).
Subhradeep

Right you are beau
K

NO!!! Plan and simple... NO! They haven't even scratched the surface of comic movies. As long as they are done properly and true to the original story. Not some studio quick production to make a few bucks. Can't wait for Watchmen! Yeah baby! Going to be something we've never seen before.
Staatz

#32 (Alex), Maybe I should have used the word 'Phase' or 'Golden age' there *was* a time when major Western pictures were released constantly, same goes for 'screw ball comedies' and 'buddy cop' pictures- there was a definite time frame when most of the films in those genres came out and there-after only had an odd release now and then- comic book movies are really quite like movies that are biased on novels- but *super hero* movies really are similar to one another and are therefore as limited as movies that are biased on noir detective novels- there comes a time when the genre just goes stale and people move on to new things- in that since I think they are a 'fad' but unlike say, 'pog' or platform shoe fad, phases/golden ages/ what-have-you in movie genres never really disappear completely- they just fade a little- look at the pattern I pointed out, next year there will only be about 2 superhero movies because of a less than stellar year in 2006- if those do well the 2011 release schedule will continue to look good and the 2010 release schedule will remain unchanged due to the good performance of super hero movies this year, there is a little bit of a pattern here... but perhaps you are right- the bond franchise has been going strong for 40-50 years now, and since there is so much source material to draw from maybe we will see some enduring franchises- but I really do not believe we will see another year like 2005 again where the number of comic book movies nearly hit double digits. #34 (Subhradeep) I don't agree with including x-men 3 or F4 2 in a list of movies that give confidence to the genre, but me and just about everyone I know is planning to see The Dark Knight in theaters, when that get a chance to, but we are nowhere near as excited about it as most of the people on the internet.
kitano0

I am surprised that no one has mentioned the corollary of comic-book movies in relation to the "space movies" that were the trend for, well, way too long. Although there are masterpieces of that strain of flicks, there are also some real stinkers...bad, bad, bad.."Ice Pirates", anyone? There was also one with John-Boy Walton in it: (The spaceship had...tits.) I think the current series of comic-book movies are really great. Even some of the weak ones aren't bad (The Punisher, The Fantastic Four..heck, I love Superman Returns). And there have been some masterpieces (Spider-Man 1&2, Iron Man, Batman Returns). Consistency is a virtue, and the history so far is very solid. So, yeah I welcome it. And kudos to Viper for his observation concerning these movies being modern mythology! I think Mr. Campbell would agree.
Ivan A. Arcaya,Sr.

The Superman movies were not based on DC's Superman. I have read every superman comic from the Golden Age, The Silver Age and The Bronze Age. If Someone with Nolan's talent did Superman as he is in the comic books; Superman could be as good as his Batman Begins and this summer's The Dark Knight. It's not true that the Marvel Comics have more Superheroes with angst. Superman is torn between his love for Lois and the few remaining Kryptonians still alive on planet Earth and his duty to protect Planet Earth from ending up like his own home world of Krypton. The same with The Martian Man Hunter.He unlike Superman has no Martians to love and be loved back in return. Instead of trying to accept the loss and move forward ; he is stuck in his past. He is lonely and withdrawn. However ' he like Superman said No More. He will not allow planet Earth to be destroyed as his home world of Mars was destroyed. He is haunted so much by the fiery death of his wife and child that he has developed a phobia about fire. Physically he is invulnerable to fire but his belief is so strong that whenever he is attacked by fire; he has a psychotic breakdown. Batman, Nightwing and Robin all have borderline personality disorders because they can't accept killing their enemies in the same fashion that their families were killed. However; they keep getting closer to becoming like the psychopaths and sociopaths that they fight. They fear becoming just like them. Dexter/serial killers who kill serial killers that kill innocent people like their owned murdered families. Jason Todd ; once Robin has already crossed the line and killed.Supergirl's psychological battle that doesn't allow her to listen to Superman's advice.She still can't accept that the child Kal-El that she was sent to protect and nurture because of a freak accident no longer needs her protection and nurturing. Instead; he is older and wiser then she and that her role has changed from protector to protectee and from nurturer to nurturee. There are plenty of DC Superheroes who are flawed. My final comment is that I agree that The Wonder Woman movie is as important as the Superman and Batman Movies and should be the next DC Movie.
Subhradeep

#38 (Staatz) is absolutely right from his perspective...being a comic book fan or fanatic (whatever way u put it) ...i mysellf love to watch the same scenes and the same dialogues re-enacted by stars on the big screen.. thats what gives comic book lovers goosebumps...thats the hype we are living for...thats what invade our dreams... and even my elder brother (who is a comic book writer of 'Ramayan 3392 A.D' and 'Virulents') thinks so... Mr. Staatz has given us a a very mature and realistic POV alright...and i respect that...but i guess fanboys like me/us will always be leaping in joy when a movie follows the same events taking place in comic books..
Staatz

39 (Mr. Arcaya), You've got a good argument about DC superheroes. I still find marvel's characters more identifiable on the whole, but still... I should have been more specific and noted that I thought the that the Superman in the recent Superman movie was presented as an infallible Jesus figure and therefore less interesting than more flawed characters (and not heaped it all on DC's comic book characters) that more closely represent the classical mythology of flawed gods that this society is lacking in its primary religion. I would also argue about Superman movies not being 'based on DC's Superman'- if it wasn’t they wouldn’t have needed to pay for that license, though I can see what you mean, they really could have paid closer attention to the characters’ background and may have benefitted from taking some story lines more directly from the comics so they wouldn’t need to rely on real estate schemes and direct Jesus allegories. Also I should note that I have only read some of the more recent Superman titles, so you know more about the background of the character. On an off note, could you recommend any good Wonder Woman trades/graphic novels/ what-have-you? 40 (kitano0), Hay good call on the Space ship genre- that does offer more hope for the future of the Superhero genre. Although there aren’t a slew of space releases any more there is usually one good one every year or so (Sunshine and Serenity come to mind). Likewise the Superhero genre will likely never completely wither away. 41 (Subhradeep), I don't mean to put a damper on your enthusiasm, I've seen most all of the movies on my time-line and Spiderman 2 is one of my favorite movies period. It's good to have something to look forward to (none of us would be here if we didn't agree on that) so by all means keep that Batman count-down clock (or whatever) on your desk top! I'm a bit of a pessimist when it comes to the future of the genre; but that doesn’t mean everyone from casual fans that only see the biggest of the superhero movies to people who make time lines or read stacks of comics can't enjoy the super hero script and spectacle that Hollywood turns out- even if we eventually get less of it.
Ricky

I agree with Staatz's interpretation of a movie "fad." Westerns and Super hero movies are very similar in story and in necessity. If you consider the state of the culture when Westerns were at the height of their popularity, 1930's-1950's, our culture went through the depression, a World War, and the start of the cold war before the youth culture redefined the idea of a hero. Westerns had a very patriotic feel, fighting off "bad guys" in a microcosm of America, dealing with poverty, family...all of the values that were important to America at the time. Now we've got super hero movies, with almost the same plot at times but instead of a microcosm of America at stake it's normally a more global conflict. Super hero movies being popular in a time of economic instability, the war on terror, and in some ways a new cold war of ideals against the middle east and fundamentalist Islam. Super hero movies being based on a couple of new American values, celebrity and technology. Always the emphasis on individual abilities (Spiderman) and technology (Batman, Ironman) So I guess the super hero fad may hold true as long as America is in need of that type of hero. I think Captain America is going to have an uphill battle in coming years though because we're not exactly a patriotic country. We're more of a Tony Stark type of country. Fighting for our own beliefs and reasons, and less about country. Kind of a nation of Anti-hero's with conscience in a way. Sure there are patriots, but I think people are more likely to critisize than back this country at the moment, and I don't see it changing in the coming years. Where was Captain America around 9/11....he would have been a home run in 2002, so unless they come up with a really intriguing story and character I think Captain America could bomb and be the real beginning of the decline of super hero movies.
Chip

As long as comic book movies don't suck, then I'm fine with them. I do agree that they may get old one day, but films like Iron Man, the first two Spiderman movies, X-2, Batman Begins, and hopefully The Dark Knight are great films. As long as there are good comic book movies, I'm all right with them.
Ivan A. Arcaya,Sr.

#42Staatz: DC sells the license for Superman and then doesn't and/or is unable to keep Artistic Control. Marvel did the same with all their movies until they created their own movie studio. Since Iron Man and the second Hulk Movie ; their artistic control has resulted in The Greatest of The Marvel Movies. The George Reeves Superman and Smallville's Tom Welling's Superboy have nothing in common with the DC Superman and Superboy. As I said; They have taken such incredible liberties with the characters that readers of the Superman and Superboy/Superboy and The Legion of Superheroes comics only recognize them because the Movies have the word Superman in them and Smallville is the town where Clark Kent/Superboy lived during his childhood and teenage years. I have been reading them for over 50 years. I think that makes me the oldest Superman Fan on this site. As for Wonder Woman the following are some graphic novels that you can order from DC: Wonder Woman:Beauty and the Beast, Wonder Woman :The Challenge of The Gods,Wonder Woman: Gods and Monsters, and Wonder Woman-Vol. 4 estiny Calling. There are many more but those are my favorites. Thanks again for your comments and inquiry. It has been a pleasure corresponding with you. I usually find uninformed or misinformed commentators that attack me for my comments.
http://edificial.com/profile/IreneSavoia Irene Savoia

I watched the comic movie at the cinema.It is full of laughter.Whilst something is worth learning from it.Enjoy it.