Because I eat this shit up.

[trinityvixen]

I caught this article on Tor.com about the renaissance of the comic book movie. Despite the $$$ made by The Avengers, I have a suspicion that comic book movies, specifically superhero comic book movies, are actually on the wane. Not necessarily in terms of quality, but I think the fad it going to start petering out.

Anyway, it will surprise no one

Comments

[xannoside]

Didn't read the linked article because I'm in the middle of a few things, but I agree that this really isn't the start of (yet another) comic book movie renaissance.

What we're seeing now is the actual production of films based on properties that were optioned years ago, and the success of the Avengers franchise has far more to do with the (intentional or otherwise) well-paced release of a series of Marvel-IP films that (for the most part) perfectly walked the line in-between nods to the comic-reading audience and remembering that the general public needs enjoyable, exciting blockbuster experiences.

That they were successful comic book movies wasn't because of the "comic book" part.

No one outside the uber-geeks remembers that A History of Violence was based on a comic book

[agrumer]

Pretty sure that the article means "superhero comic book" specifically, when it says "comic book".

Which is often a thing that annoys me, because I loves me a whole lotta non-supers comics. But still, I know how the culture in general sees comics.

[trinityvixen]

I have not liked a lot of the non-super hero comic book movies, though. I'll add a caveat that I didn't see American Splendor or Ghost World, which everyone says are great. But I saw From Hell and A History of Violence, and they did nothing for me. It may be subject matter of those works.

[six_demon_bag]

Speaking of non-super hero comic books, have you read The Sixth Gun? Very, very good stuff. Just picked up the third trade and looking forward to reading it this weekend.

[viridian]

I completely agree with you that we've already had the renaissance of comic book movies. I feel like there will still be a few good ones here and there, but really? What's left to make or reboot RIGHT NOW? Rebooting Spiderman? YAWN and TOO SOON.

[trinityvixen]

The worst thing is that you know they're doing it for the wrong reasons. Critics would not stop bitching about The Avengers and its ancillary movies being nothing but PR vehicles for toys and shit. This irritates me because it lumps together The Avengers with something like The Amazing Spider-Man. Sony is only making a goddamn Spider-Man movie five years after the last one to keep the rights to the character in house because they know it would be INSANE if Marvel could put Spider-Man into any sequel to The Avengers. They're doing it out of fucking spite, not because their movie is good or will even do well. Versus Marvel making a movie that will also sell a good deal of action figures (and, in my case, paper cups and napkins). It's not the same at all

[jethrien]

(and, in my case, paper cups and napkins).

And masks.

Because we all know what you really wanted were the masks.

[trinityvixen]

I cannot deny that this is true. I love that Thor hat inordinately, but the Iron Man mask was a real conversation starter.

[six_demon_bag]

It's peaked, so I would assume it's on it's way out..at least temporarily. I love this comic book movie era though. Speaking of Ghost Rider...did the sequel already come to the theater and leave or has it not come to the theater at all? Bad as it was, I enjoyed the first one (once I'd seen it and gotten over my expectations). I was just thinking about RDJ today and how you can see his Tony Stark a little even back in 1986's Weird Science (one of my all time favorite films). Oh and it's funny about Iron Man 'cause I always thought of him as one of the lamest superheroes as a kid. : )

[trinityvixen]

The Ghost Rider sequel is already gone (it was in theaters in February), alas. You'll have to see Ghost Rider peeing fire on DVD.

RDJ has always played some variety of himself, more or less controlled as a part called for it. That is to say, he taps his inner (and mostly outer) asshole and runs with it. I found his cocaine-fueled performances as a younger guy exhausting. Now that he's older and a little more sarcastic about his caustic sense humor, it's much more tolerable.

[agrumer]

Iron Man was a song by Black Sabbath

Somewhere out there on the Internet, there must be a furious review of the first Iron Man movie by someone pissed off that they got the origin "wrong". "He's supposed to be turned to steel in a great magnetic field!"

[trinityvixen]

HAH! Thank you for that.

[trinityvixen]

Interesting. I don't think The Avengers did much to further that slash, really, but you go right ahead and enjoy.