I don’t read Ultimate Marvel books.

Ultimate Iron Man

I don’t have anything against the Ultimate Universe, and I’m glad that Marvel has found success with it. It just isn’t my thing. One reason I stay away from it is money. With the cover price of comic books being what it is, I’m always looking for a reason not to buy something (it’s a shame, but that’s reality folks). But the biggest reason is that I am so personally invested in the main Marvel U (the 616 Universe for my fellow Marvelites out there). I just figured that characters who are almost the same as the characters I know, but not quite, would be difficult for me to enjoy. It turns out that I was right.

You see, after much deliberation, I decided to read Ultimate Iron Man. Ultimate Iron Man is written by Orson Scott Card (author of Ender’s Game) and illustrated by Andy Kubert and Mark Bagley. This is not a lightweight creative team. I really enjoyed Ender’s Game and I’m a huge Iron Man fan. My curiosity finally got the better of me, and I had to see what Card could do with Iron Man.

I had a hard time enjoying it.

The thing is, it was well written and beautifully illustrated. If I wasn’t an old school Iron Man fan, I think I would have really enjoyed the book. And therein lies the problem. It wasn’t Iron Man. At least not the Iron Man I know. The person in the book was so different from the Tony Stark/Iron Man that I’m used to that I couldn’t get into it. I guess that’s the double-edged sword of iconic characters. If they just changed the name so it wasn’t Tony Stark and Iron Man, I probably would have said it is an Iron Man rip-off but I really liked it. Although, I probably wouldn’t have bought the book if it wasn’t called Iron Man.

I applaud Marvel for trying new ideas and I hope their Ultimate line continues to sell well and bring in new readers. I’m actually glad that I don’t love everything Marvel publishes. Diversity in comic books is healthy for the industry.

However, if you are an Orson Scott Card and/or Andy Kubert fan and you are not too steeped in classic Iron Man continuity then I can recommend giving this book a try. But if like me, you are a big fan of the 616 Iron Man, then you might want to try something else.

Have you seen the new teaser trailer for the Fantastic Four movie sequel?

All I can say is “Wow”.

I know the people who make movie trailers are very good at their craft, and can often make a movie look better than it is, but if the new trailer is indicative of the new movie, then this movie is going to rock (Thing pun intended. Sorry.)

Fantasticar

I enjoyed the first FF movie, but I wasn’t blown away by it like I was when I watched the Spider-Man movies. I think it was the representation of Doctor Doom. The character was just so far removed from the comic book villain that I couldn’t get past it. I was fine with the portrayal of Sue Storm, but the fanboy in me just couldn’t accept Doom. (For my favorite Doctor Doom story, read Books of Doom.)

The trailer to the sequel, though, looks fantastic (sorry again). Between the images of the Silver Surfer in the trailer and the still image we’ve seen of the Fantasticar, I officially can’t wait for the new movie. They are going to have to put out some seriously crappy advertising and trailers between now and the release date to dampen my enthusiasm.

Maybe this time I’ll get the Fantastic Four movie I’ve been waiting for.

Check out the trailer here. If you have the bandwidth and the machine to handle it, I strongly recommend watching the trailer in hi-def.

(This is a two part article. The opposing version is here)

The Watchmen, by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, is one of the most praised and studied comic book series of all time. This amazing story has had a huge impact and played a large part in giving the comic book industry its current shape.

Watchmen

Even before the original mini series was finished there have been rumors and talk about a Watchmen movie. These rumors have sparked an unending (heated) debate. Many fans feel very strongly about this property and have equally strong opinions about the possibility of a move to the silver screen. In holding true to my word to “sometimes be fair”, I’m going to examine both sides of the issue.

In this part of my two part series looking at the possibility of a Watchmen movie, I present why Watchmen should be made into a movie. (See this article for the anti-movie viewpoint)

 

 

Top 10 Reasons Why Watchmen Should be Made Into a Movie

10. Comic book movie adaptations usually suck, but sometimes they don’t and they are worth the risk. Hollywood is finally starting to figure out how to make good super hero movies and other movies that start life as a comic book. There has never been a better time to move a comic book story to the big screen.

9. CGI finally makes the fantasy elements possible. Comic book stories are often filled with rich and wild imagery which can now be brought to life on the silver screen.

8. Popular interest in super heroes is at an all time high and Watchmen could help keep that up. I can’t remember a better time to be a fan of the super hero genre. A story of Watchmen’s caliber could kick us into a full fledged super hero renaissance.

7. The story has done so much for growing the comic medium; maybe it can do the same for movies. Watchmen breathed a new life into comic books and paved the way for countless amazing stories. The movie industry sure wouldn’t be hurt by having some of that action.

6. If cast correctly, Rorschach would become a pop culture icon. I don’t know who would be the right actor for the role, but the character can easily become a pop culture icon to rival the likes of Hannibal Lecter.

5. The story is too good to keep from the masses. We comic fans love to hold onto this story as ours, but it is a shame if a great story never reaches the people who will love it.

4. If done well, it could really help promote the comics industry. The comic book medium is still struggling for legitimacy and to bring in new fans. Watchmen could help on both fronts.

3. There are many fans who really want to see this story on the big screen. Let’s face it, in entertainment the crowd with ticket money in hand is king.

2. It would get the message out that the super hero genre is incredibly rich and more than just action. I am a huge fan of the super hero genre, and I would love to see more stories told that avoids the clichés that are holding it back. (A great existing example of non-traditional super hero stories is M. Night Shyamalan’s “Unbreakable”).

1. Lord of the Rings. When I first heard that Peter Jackson was making the Lord of the Rings into a movie trilogy I threw my hands up in exasperation and openly declared that the movies were doomed to suck since no one could translate those books into film. I have never been happier to be wrong. It proves that given the right talent, anything is possible.

So there you have it. Irrefutable reasons for making a Watchmen movie. Click here now to read how to refute these arguments.

(This is a two part article. The opposing version is here)

The Watchmen, by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, is one of the most praised and studied comic book series of all time. This amazing story has had a huge impact and played a large part in giving the comic book industry its current shape.

Watchmen

Even before the original mini series was finished there have been rumors and talk about a Watchmen movie. These rumors have sparked an unending (heated) debate. Many fans feel very strongly about this property and have equally strong opinions about the possibility of a move to the silver screen. In holding true to my word to “sometimes be fair”, I’m going to examine both sides of the issue.

In this part of my two part series looking at the possibility of a Watchmen movie, I present why Watchmen should NOT be made into a movie. (See this article for the pro-movie viewpoint)

 

Top 10 Reasons Why Watchmen Should NOT be Made Into a Movie

10. Comic book movie adaptations usually suck. This is not always the case, but all too often it is. Comic book movies seem to work best when the characters are moved to the big screen, but not a particular story.

9. The fantasy elements will not translate well to live action. I’m specifically thinking about the Owlship here. It is tough to bring fictional technology out of a comic book into a movie without it looking cheesy.

8. It would be rated R and that would be bad for ticket sales. If you want to tell the story of the Watchmen, then it is going to have to be rated R. Historically that dramatically limits ticket sales (I suspect that is especially true for a super hero movie).

7. It is too valuable as an example of comic book potential. Watchmen is one of the crown jewels of the comic book medium. Many of us comic fans have turned to Watchmen as an example of what our favorite entertainment medium is capable of. It is great for pulling the uninitiated into reading comic books since that is the only place to get the story.

6. Too much story for one movie. I’ve never heard Watchmen being discussed as more than a single movie. That simply isn’t enough time to tell the story. There was more story than could even fit in the comic and was only hinted at. I don’t see how it is possible to trim the story down to two or even three hours without losing the rich depth and nuance that makes the series so appealing.

5. Moore wrote it to maximize the specific benefits of the medium. The way the story unfolds and is presented was optimized for the comic book medium. All of those touches would be necessarily lost when translating the story to a different medium.

4. Too many necessary sub-plots. There are many stories and story threads going on in the comic book, each of which contributes to the story as a whole. It would simply be impossible to keep all of them in a two or even three hour movie.

3. Updating from the 80’s to the new millennia would ruin the story. The story is a product of its time. My suspicion is that anyone making the movie today would try and put the story into the present, and taking it out of the social context of the 1980’s would damage the story.

2. Too much time has passed since the original publication and the story’s impact will be lost. As said above, the story is in many ways a product of its time. We were still scared of a Soviet nuclear attack. Super heroes were still mostly goodie-two-shoes. The psychotic masked vigilante was a novel concept. The world of comic books and super heroes has changed because Watchmen showed them the way. The irony is that because of Watchmen’s impact over the last 20 years, Watchmen no longer has as much impact.

1. Alan Moore does not support the movie. Or so I’ve read. I haven’t had the opportunity to meet Mr. Moore and ask him, but since he hasn’t blessed the movie adaptations of his other stories I have to assume he doesn’t support a Watchmen movie either.

So there you have it. Irrefutable reasons not to make a Watchmen movie. Click here now to read how to refute these arguments.

Are you a comic book fan or a super hero fan?

There is a tendency to link comic books and super heroes together. Over the past 40+ years the two have shared a symbiotic relationship. There are good things and bad things about this relationship, but overall I think it has been a good thing. But I’m starting to wonder if this relationship is changing.

Until recently, the super hero genre was unnecessarily saddled with many of the campier story devices from comic books. The old Adam West Batman television show is a prime example. It made the comic book “POW!” effect become a standard super hero genre device. (Don’t get me wrong; I still think that the Adam West Batman will lead to world peace.) Linking super heroes and comic books so closely helped keep both alive, but with the unfortunate downside of limiting the audience of both. People not interested in super heroes were not going to explore the comic book medium, and people not interested in comic books were not going to explore super hero stories told in other mediums.

I started out as a super hero fan. There was something about super hero stories that I really connected with and comic books were the best place to get them. Eventually I began to explore the other story genres in comic books and developed a love for the medium. And I think we are beginning to see comic books and super heroes grow beyond each other.

Status Quo

Comics and super heroes will be connected for many years to come, but both are growing. More and more comic book creators are exploring genres outside of super heroes with wonderful success. Comics like Usagi Yojimbo, Y the Last Man, Kabuki and The Walking Dead just to name a few. Additionally, super heroes stories are being told outside of comic books without relying on comic book story devices. Movies, television and video games are all starting to experiment with the genre.

The comic book/super hero status quo is changing and there are going to be some growing pains, but I think that the best days for both comic books and super heroes are still ahead.

Forget the Marvel Civil War. The Next Generation Console War is upon us. So which consoles would different comic characters line up behind? Here are the answers:

 
Spider-Man: Wii – Spider-Man is always broke, so he has no choice but to pick up the least expensive console. He might say it is because of the innovative Wii-mote but we all know it was the money.

 

 
Superman: PS3 – Supervision calls for super-graphics. Almost went for the Xbox, but Jimmy Olsen already has one.

 

 

 
Iron Man: Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii – He has all three consoles. All three still in the boxes, never opened.

 

 

 
Batman: Wii – Bought it for Robin as a gift. Batman doesn’t have time for video games.

 

  
Captain America: None – Cap just doesn’t get the whole video game thing. Give him a nice crossword puzzle at the end of a long day. Yessiree.

 

 

 
Guy Gardner (Green Lantern): Xbox 360 – Not sure why. It just seems right. Maybe it’s the green logo on the Xbox.

 

 

 
Wolverine: PS3 – You would think that an X-Man would choose the Xbox, but there you go.

 

 

 
Robin: Wii – Gift from Batman. He really wanted a PS3. You’d think that with the kind of money and connections Bruce Wayne has he could have scored a PS3.

 

 
Madrox (The Multiple Man): Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii (with the maximum number of controllers for each console) – When you can make an unlimited number of copies of yourself, each with a different part of your personality, you need a lot of options.

 

 

 
Lex Luthor: Xbox 360 – Curious that the only villain on the list chooses the Microsoft product. Hmmm.