Comic Book Movies Photography Shack
Comic Book Movies On The Big Screen
By Judd Walker
Comic book movies have graced the big screen since
1966, when Adam West and Burt Ward starred in "Batman:
the Movie." For years, directors struggled on how
to adapt the graphic novels into a palpable product,
and we have seen a number of different takes.
For instance, the earliest "Batman" movies
used comical sound effects and a humorous edge to draw
the line between make-believe and reality. By contrast,
"Superman" is a much more serious story, full
of action but devoid of the humorous overtones.
More modern adaptations have played with special effects
and character development. "Sin City" is a
more serious film noir that’s narrated very true to
the comics, using black-and-white cinematography and
very little splashes of color to give accent. "X-Men"
presents very in-depth character portrayals that delve
into the past, present and future psyches of all its
complex anti-heroes.
The Batman Movies
The comic books DC put out seemed to enjoy more big
screen success throughout the 1980s and 1990s, with
"Superman II, III, and IV," "Swamp Thing,"
"Batman," "Batman Returns," "Batman
Forever," and "Batman and Robin."
Warner Brothers released all these films relentlessly,
with a new debut each year it seemed. The 1989 Batman
movie, directed by Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton
as Batman and Jack Nicholson as the Joker, was the second-highest
grossing comic book movie until "The Dark Knight"
(2008) knocked it down a notch.
The sequel "Batman Returns," the third-highest
grossing film of 1992, again starred Keaton as Batman
and featured directing by Tim Burton but added Danny
Devito as the Penguin and Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman.
Writer/Director Kevin Smith called 1992 "the summer
of the bat," when Batman merchandise filled every
store and sold with amazing efficiency.
Three Spiderman Movies
While DC Comics dominated the 1990s with their "Batman"
series, "Spider-Man" vied for top superhero
status in the new millennium. Until Christopher Nolan’s
"Batman: The Dark Knight" (earning $522,106,180
at the box office) reclaimed the winning spot for the
caped crusader, Sam Raimi’s "Spiderman" trilogy
was considered #1 (with $403,706,375, $373,585,825 and
$336,530,303, respectively), as far as comic book movies
were concerned.
All three Spiderman films set opening day records in
the US, were the top 3 Marvel Comic movies ever made
and were the most successful films ever produced by
Sony/Columbia. Stan Lee was actively involved in the
scripting and filming of the movies to ensure success.
Marvel’s "Iron Man," starring Robert Downey
Jr. was the fifth most successful comic book box office
hit, bringing in $318,223,785.
Big Money Makers
It is obvious why motion picture companies love comic
book movies; they are big moneymakers! "Batman:
the Dark Knight" (2008) was the second-highest
grossing film ever made, coming in at $522,106,180 and
counting!
It beat out the original Star Wars, Shrek, ET, Pirates
of the Caribbean, the new Star Wars and Lord of the
Rings but fell just short of Titanic. But why do we
love these movies so much? "They’re not just silly
stories of people wearing capes hitting a bad guy,"
Stan Lee explains. "They have more dimension to
them.... There will never be an end to superhero stories."
Celebrating The Concept Of Vigilante Justice
Perhaps it’s because, deep down, we love the concept
of vigilante justice. When a man shoots another man
robbing his neighbor’s house, we celebrate. When a cold-blooded
killer gets taken out by the cops, we feel it’s only
right.
Sometimes ordinary citizens long for the extraordinary
and there’s something so satisfying about watching comic
book characters confront the issues and overcome both
external and internal forces.
Additionally, comic books lend themselves so naturally
to showing off the best in modern cinematography, making
the films a dynamic spectacle of sights and sounds.
About the Author:
Judd Walker has written a number of articles on digital
photography, video and modeling including Become
A Model, Fashion
Models, Female
Models, Movie
Camera, Best
Digital Camcorder, Film
Director, Funny
Video Clips.
Keep a lookout as more articles from this author appear
on this website in the near future.
More Comic Books Facts....
What are comic books?
Comic books are illustrations that
tell a story. There is typically a speech bubble or
text box that is found in each of the panes or in a
series of panes. A comic book can be a graphic novel
but there is debate on whether or not this is a true
comic book.
Most comic books come in a series
that features a central character, or set of characters,
that are performing some act. There is usually a protagonist
and an antagonist. People of all ages collect these
books because they like the storyline.
Some of the biggest storylines
in existence are Superman, Spider-man and the X-men.
Kids and adults alike want to read about the adventures
of their favorite superhero or heroine.
RECOMMENDED READING
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