Marvel Comic Books Dominate Hollywood For Now

Marvel Comic Books, dominating Hollywood and movie makers all over the place. The last time I counted, Marvel comics was taking it to DC comics, and hard. Quite frankly I do not believe that DC comics can compete.

Marvel Comics had laid the foundation of their fruits many, many years ago. This did not occur overnight. Hey I paid the price too, watching those early Saturday morning Marvel comic cartoons of the Fantastic Four, Thor, Spider-man. You know the ones I am talking about the still framed comics. Who made those anyway? In one scene, the thing was taking a punch, next scene he is smoking his famous cigar, what happened in between? I know, we were young...I would always look at my brother and say, hey what gives? He would tell me something like, that is how fast he is! Whatever, I did not buy it.

Marvel Comics paid the early price of exposure and now they reap the high rewards, what I need is for the good old comics to make a rebound, not just so that my collection would be worth something again but rather so that this piece of Americana does not get lost! I said to myself, I said self, what can we do to make sure that this art does not get lost. So that Spider-man forever will swing from the highest high-rises that NY City has to offer. Superman will no longer be intimidated by cryptonite, The Fantastic Four find a way to defeat Galactus, and deal with Dr. Doom, you get the picture.

Up to now, It is hard for DC Comics to contend with the likes of those 3 Spider-man movies, I will say it, not even the last Batman movie, It was real good I will give them that, but was I the only one that left the film feeling like the makers of the film did all they could to make Batman the co-star of that movie. It seems like the Joker was the main character and Batman was just along for the ride. Spider-man movies have all been about him and his conflicts and then the villains like Venom, Sand-Man, Dr. Octopus, the Green Goblin come in to his life and just mess things up some more.

I believe that Marvel Comics must have been very instrumental in making sure that these characters/Superheroes were kept in the context of the comic books and for the most part, I left those movies feeling that way. Maybe the fact that there are so many more movies from the Marvel Comics side of the comic book world to judge, it would not really be fair to judge. I do have to declare though, that If I see another Superman movie with Lex Luther as the villain, I might hurl a piece of cryptonite at the producers. Superman needs to fight a villain with color, boldness, and some kind of flair, if we can survive another Superman movie. Please!

Marvel Comics, D.C. Comics entertaining families for so long, lets not let this piece of Americana comics history go by the wayside...Read a comic...

Wait! Before you throw those comic books away, keep reading Spider-Man [http://www.americanacomics.blogspot.com] or any your favorite Superheroes. You can even earn the profit you deserve.

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Is There Too Much Face-Time In Comic Book Movies?

A little while ago I did a post on if there's too much face-time for high profile actors in comic book movies. Whilst this is not a new concept, it is definitely an ever-increasing one. The latest and greatest comic book movies are now starting to damage the integrity of their characters and storylines by altering classic costumes, or causing impracticalities to the storylines, just to get the actors some facial recognition? Is it worth it?

When Warner Bros recently unveiled our first official look at Catwoman from The Dark Knight Rises, fans were shocked to see that Anne Hathaway was not modelling Catwoman's classic Cowl, and instead wearing a minimalistic mask. Storyline wise, perhaps wearing a cowl with cat ears would be impractical for battles, but is that the actual reason behind the dramatic costume alteration, or is just so Anne Hathway receives a good chunk of face-time as Selina Kyle. Whilst it's too early to tell if this is just Selina's suit, pre-Catwoman, but so far it resembles too much of Marvel's Black Widow, and not enough classic Catwoman.

I've mentioned the clichéd Spider-Man movies, and how Spidey manages to lose his mask in the final act of every one of his movies. Will that change now Andrew Garfield is wearing the tights? Considering Garfield's rising stardom I highly doubt it. Whilst I'm happy to see more scenes depicting Peter Parker's life, I certainly don't want to see the Lizard ripping Spideys mask of every time they meet. It plagued the last spidey movies, so Marc Webb would be wise to avoid using it.

Another interesting matter is that recent leaked snippets from the set of The Avengers, showcases Captain America (Chris Evans) and Thor (Chris Hemsworth) fighting together, both without Masks and helmets. Whilst this may sound pretentious, but these are two of Marvel's most iconic heroes, and their classic costumes are a huge part of their characters. So why the need for Cap to face off against (spoiler alert) aliens with futuristic weapons, providing unmasked, the Srulls/Kree/aliens could just shoot both Cap and Thor in the head? I just don't see the need for the alteration of classic costumes, just to provide high profile actors enough exposure in the movie. It's become an overused, distracting comic book movie cliché.

Does anyone else agree with me? Do you find the common alteration of classic costumes as a way to reveal the actors and actresses faces to be annoying?

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Here Comes Another Comic Book Movie

It's common knowledge that the blockbuster machine that is Hollywood is out of ideas. So to keep the dollars rolling in, every other movie release is a Remake/ Reboot/Reimagining of past hits or even misses (like 'I Spit on you Grave', I mean...seriously?) with varied results, from the unquestionable success of 'Star Trek' to the fiasco that is the 'Wolfman'.

In pursuing fresh ideas, the industry believes it has found a goldmine by producing comic-based movies about every major and obscure superhero. This obviously makes a lot of financial sense, as comic books already have a dedicated following, which can easily be tapped by bringing a fan-favourite character to the big screen. At present, there are over 50 superhero properties at various stages of development and production, with this past month seeing the release of trailers for 'Green Lantern' and 'Cowboys & Aliens'.

GEEK ALERT!! Now Considering the trailer of 'Green Lantern' - if like me, you know the difference between the Marvel and DC Universes - on seeing the antics of Ryan Reynolds (he of 'The Proposal' fame with Sandra Bullock, and recently voted the sexiest man alive by People magazine), one gets the impression that he is watching 'Wally West-Flash' (yes, there is more than one Flash) goofing off as 'Hal Jordan-Green Lantern' (yes, there is also more than one Green Lantern). The casting choice is a bit off, to put it mildly, as this is not the personality of Hal Jordan.

Why does this matter, you may ask? Well, if Hollywood is serious about cashing in on the enormous comics market, and at the same time attract average movie audiences who struggle to correctly identify an Avenger or a member of the Justice League, then they need to serve up well-developed and researched pieces, and not just special effects spectacles that either have very little or highly contrived plots (I'm looking at you Michael Bay).

As these Movie studios invest a ton in bringing these characters to the big screen, they have every right to interpret them however they see fit. Nonetheless, when I expect to see the "cocky arrogant do-gooder who I love to hate" that IS Hal Jordan, and get the "playful lively man-child" that IS Wally West, then I'm not so certain I want to see that movie.

It is also fair to point out that the Movie studios don't shoulder all the blame. As at times when they've allowed fanboys substantial creative input in what the final product would be, subsequent box office receipts have not justified the investment, either because the movie was too faithful to the source material and therefore did not attract enough mainstream audiences, or because fanboys did not come out in expected numbers to see something that they are already quite familiar with. These movies become artistic and critical successes, but also commercial underachievers (See 'Kick-Ass' and 'Scott Pilgrim VS' as case studies).

So where does then this leave us? As for every 'Dark Knight' and 'Iron Man', you get 2 'Jonah Hex' and 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine' (make no mistake, this was an atrocious movie, notwithstanding the commercial success). The solution I suggest is to focus on the source material!

Every Superhero has an essence, which when distilled out of the mythology, succinctly defines who they are and what they represent. This is what got the attention of geeks, when Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster first created the 'Man of Steel' in 1932 and still has them hooked in the decades that have followed. As what human being can't relate to the struggle of finding your place in a world where there is no other like you. Or how about the prejudice that one deals with because he or she is different (X-men). Again consider the damage and hurt that uncontrolled rage can cause to you and the ones you love (Hulk).

So at a fundamental level, 'Batman Begins' and 'The Dark Knight' succeeded because they illustrate the strength that one gets from discipline and overcoming adversity (plus the fact that Christopher Nolan is a genius of a director). Just as the Iron Man movies identify the importance of a life lived for a cause for which one is prepared to risk it all. The common denominator here is that these are character-driven movies, and not just a mesh-mash collection of set-ups and set-pieces that give the director a chance to play with the latest special effects wizardry!

If every superhero movie in development takes this approach in interpreting characters, then we can look forward to the release of 'Thor' and 'Captain America' as they lead up to the ensemble 'Avengers' movie. With this in mind, there is still hope for 'Green Lantern'.

GEEK ALERT!! To make a premature analogy, every "true believer" would agree that the casting of Tobey Maguire as Spiderman was an awful decision. Peter Parker is a quick-witted smart-aleck who drops a jibe quicker than any villain can throw a punch. He is not the emo sap that was played by Maguire. However, I can venture that anyone who saw Spiderman will agree that growing up is hard. Dealing with new responsibilities at the cusp of adulthood is a difficult time for everybody. This is the essence of Spiderman, and it was correctly depicted in the movies (although not in dreadful 'Spiderman 3' with Topher Grace as Venom, I mean seriously?), though the proper personality of the character was not conveyed. There is a Reboot (that word again) of the franchise scheduled for 2012 by Marc Webb ('500 Days of Summer'), where I hope we see the real Spidie, but I digress.

The point is if I leave the cinema after seeing 'Green Lantern', pondering the vast potential that resides within each of us and enormous possibilities that can result when we have the courage and focus to take on great challenges, then 'Green Lantern' would be a successful movie, even if it is Wally West in a Lantern uniform. We can then look forward to the rumoured sequels which aim to be like 'Stars Wars' in scale and execution. Otherwise if it turns out to be another debacle, then I would only watch movies by directors Christopher Nolan ('Inception'), Zack Snyder ('300') and Darren Aronofsky ('The Wrestler'). Wait, but all three are scheduled to go into production for 'The Dark Knight Rises', 'The Man of Steel' and 'The Wolverine' respectively... what a bummer...so I guess the era of the Superheroes is here to stay!!

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The Watchmen Comic Book Movie Review

If you have been living in a cave or haven't visited the cinema in the last year or so let me introduce you to the Watchmen. The Watchmen is set in an alternative America where costumed superheroes roam freely among us, however this all changes when the government cracks down on the superheroes, who are then looked upon as vigilantes.

After one of the Watchmen known as the comedian is killed the Watchmen reunite to ultimately prevent their own destruction and possibly a nuclear holocaust, however as the plot thickens so does the mystery and betrayal surrounding the Watchmen.

The Watchmen has been called an unfilmable comic book movie adaptation, so Zack Snyder had is work cut out from the very start. Snyder who created the equally as stunning '300' movie doesn't disappoint either. Just like the 300 the Watchmen is visually stunning and the visual effects are equally as impressive. From the get go this movie feels like what I call an event movie, a movie that should only be watched in the cinema because of its epic proportions from visual effects to the impressive musical score. The Watchmen don't fail in any of the above categories through out the whole film.

The cast of the Watchmen are all equally as strong as the next; it seams Snyder as gone for acting talent in this movie rather that just casting Hollywood stars that you may think you would see in a blockbuster movie such as the Watchmen. All the cast do a good job to convince you that what you are seeing on screen is believable and there's no where throughout the movie that had me thinking come on this is to unrealistic even for a comic book movie, and I think that's saying a lot when there is a giant blue man through out the entire piece.

If you're not a fan of comic book movies then that no big deal as the action and particularly the fight scenes in this movie are very impressive indeed and feels like you could be watching the latest installment of a James bond movie, from the hand to hand combat to the destructible sets there's something here for every action fan to keep them happy through the film.

Having said all the above positive points I have to move onto the negative, this movie is around 3 hours long, this in its self isn't a bad thing as if kept interesting like lets say The Dark Knight then there's no problem, however I do feel like some of the scenes in the movie felt like they were there to fill some gaps, like night owl trying and having sex with silver specter twice, however that's only a little problem.

Another gripe I have with this movie is that we have Dr. Manhattan a blue god like person who can pretty much do anything including changing the tone of his skin within a couple of seconds but he must choose to constantly walk around butt naked showing his penis to everyone, this isn't really a problem but it does feel weird that this godlike person can transport himself to mars, crush tanks, change skin color, change into suits within seconds but he can't seam to put a pair of pants on.

People who aren't familiar with the source material may also find the narrative structure confusing, but I'm sure any able minded person will be able to figure out what's going on in this movie, so it should not subtract from the Watchmen experience.

So the question is who watches the Watchmen? I believe you should. I award the Watchmen movie 3/5 stars.

Thanks for reading.

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10 Great Comic Book Movies

Superheroes can be difficult to film. The colorful costumes that make for striking images in comic books can look absurd when translated into live action. Consider, for example, the silly costume of Adam West from the Batman television show. However, there have still been a number of very successful superhero films. In this article, I will discuss ten of the greatest superhero movies ever made. The films are in alphabetical order. When a film is a part of a franchise, I will only discuss the best member of that franchise.

Batman (1989): While flawed, the first of the Batman series of films is still a classic. Between Tim Burton's Art Deco design and Jack Nicholson's creepy performance as the Joker, the highly-successful Batman film brought out the bizarreness of Batman's insane rogue gallery.

Blade (1998): On top of being a great comic book film, Blade is one of the classic vampire films. It combines the "cool" vampires with tremendous action. Wesley Snipes does a fantastic job of portraying a vampire "hero," who is a couple of cards short of a full deck.

The Dark Knight (2008): The Dark Knight is perhaps the greatest comic book movie ever made. It is dark, tension-filled and action packed. It is made a true classic by the brilliant performance of the recently deceased Heath Ledger, who gives us a far less manic version than the Jack Nicholson version of the Joker.

Dick Tracy (1990): Dick Tracy was not a commercial success, but it was nonetheless one of the most interesting comic book movies ever made. It made the wise decision to be faithful to the appearance of the original comic book characters, and somehow did so without becoming cheesy.

The Incredibles (2004): While not strictly-speaking a comic book movie (there was no Incredibles comic book), the movie was a parody of other comic book movies. It brings out some of the innocence of the Silver Age of comics, while providing a high-quality family movie at the same time.

Iron Man (2008): In 2008, Marvel finally licenced an Iron Man film, and the film was made incredibly entertaining by Robert Downey Jr.'s inspired performance as the amoral Tony Stark. It brought out all the elements that made the Iron Man comics so entertaining, from the ambiguous lead character to the fascination with (impossible) gadgets.

Spider-Man (2002): There were three Spider-Man films, but the original remains the best. It did a very good job of making an exciting "super hero movie" with all the usual notes: there is an origin story, the hero's largest villain and main love interest. The film blended some elements of Brian Michael Bendis' "Ultimate Spider-Man" comic books to keep it fresh.

Superman (1978): This was the first superhero movie to try to follow in the steps of Star Wars and become a blockbuster. The film is wonderful, largely because of the performance of Christopher Reeve, who manages to strike the right balance between Superman and Clark Kent.

The Watchmen (2009): The Watchmen comic was largely considered to be unfilmable, but Zack Snyder proved everyone wrong. He managed to capture the feeling of the comic book, largely by actually using the Watchmen comic for story boarding. The movie is incredibly acrophobia-inducing as a result, so be warned.

X2: X-Men United (2003): The entire trilogy of X-Men films is very well done, but the second film really stands out. In this film, we see the X-Men at the center of a battle between those who hate mutants and those who want them to rule the planet. It introduces a number of components of the X-Men mythos, such as Weapon X and the death of an important character.

Alexander Rorty, M.A. has been writing online for over a decade. His latest site is called 8mm Projector, where he has a page about the 8mm camera.

Are Comic Book Movies Dying Instead of Thriving?

June has marked the release of one of the year's most critically panned movie. No I'm not talking about the mediocre movie The Hangover Part II. I'm not talking about the brilliant X-Men: First Class. As much as it pains me to say it, Martin Campbell's Green Lantern may become the worst disaster for comic book movies since the likes of The Fantastic 4 hit cinemas. And it was all going so well this year...

As I've mentioned before about the likes of Thor and X-Men: First Class, comic book movies have needed to drastically improve in order to survive at the box office. Throwing a special effects extravaganza at audiences just doesn't cut it anymore. Movies need to develop interesting characters, and generate a good story before worrying about spectacular special effects. That's where comic book movies are struggling. With so much choice now for comic book movies, the films can't afford to be lazy. Thor told a great father-son story, First Class added some historical gravitas to a superhero story whilst Green Lantern fails on just about every level...

Terrible plot holes, bad pacing, boring characters (unlike the comic book versions) and a bland story keeps Green Lantern's feet firmly on the ground. It's also an example of how a generic 'popcorn' superhero movie just doesn't cut it with critics and fans alike. If Green Lantern bombs, DC will probably shy away from moving forward with projects such as The Flash and Wonder Woman. This could cause serious ramifications for comic book movies because; Marvel's on screen catalogue of comic book characters will eventually run dry. With no alternative to go to, fans will inevitably get bored of Marvel throwing every B-List character under the sun at them. The same goes for DC's Batman and Superman franchises. They will eventually run dry and DC will have nothing left to offer.

That's what's most disappointing about the Green Lantern movie. There was so much riding on it, and despite having Green Lantern wiz Geoff Jones behind the scenes; the movie has killed off all momentum for DC. Yes they have The Dark Knight Rises coming next year, but considering that's up against Marvel's Avengers, don't expect it to reach the heights of The Dark Knight.

If the genre is dying, every upcoming comic book movie needs to be unique. The initial awesomeness of seeing Marvel's finest united on screen will undoubtedly hold off bad reviews, but other projects such as Spider-Man, Wolverine and Superman might not be so fortunate unless they give the characters and the story proper attention. It's time studios take these movies seriously. From the moment the initial GL trailer hit the net and viewers were treated to a classic Ryan Reynolds 'I KNOW RIGHT' scene, it was clear Warner Bros weren't treating GL seriously. And that's why the genre is struggling. It needs more X-Men: First Class, less Van Wilder in space.

2012 will be make or break for the comic book movie genre...

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Reviewing Punisher War Zone Movie - A Cult Comic Book Movie

The comic book superhero, The Punisher, has been portrayed twice in films. The first was the 80's film starring Dolph Lundgren and the second was the recent 2004 film starring Thomas Jane. In both movies, fans of Frank Castle (a.k.a. The Punisher) felt short-changed because the movies were not what the Punisher was about. They were restraining the deeply troubled vigilante too much and not giving the fans what they want.

When Punisher: War Zone was first announced, fans were mixed with the news granted that the first two movies were disappointing. With a low expectation, this movie turned out surprisingly well, despite how the critics bashed it.

Punisher: War Zone was a movie for fans. Finally, Frank Castle was let loose to inflict vengeance driven pain and punishment to villains all over his town.

The movie began when a big time mobster being set free after the death of the main witness for his trial. Monitoring the event, Frank Castle was furious of the unfair outcome. He then pursued his own brand of justice by infiltrating the compound where the mobster and his associates were celebrating his newly granted freedom. With the element of surprise, the Punisher killed off many of the villains. However, he unknowingly killed an FBI agent posing undercover. The agent had a wife and a little girl.

Also, one of the mobsters survived despite being cut up by jagged shards of glass. This guy was able to recover, but with serious scar problem. Reborn as Jigsaw, he had his own enmity towards the Punisher, but also to the agent's surviving wife and daughter. Jigsaw was determined to inflict his own pain and punishment to those he hated.

Gotta admit that the plot for Punisher: War Zone was flimsy. But it's a comic book movie that's actually like a comic book! The over-the-top violence and perfect portrayal of comic book characters drove the movie.

Punisher: War Zone was a non stop kill fest. No different from the comic books. It showed everything from heads exploding to getting decapitated. True to the comic books portrayal of a semi-deranged combat veteran trained in military arms, there were plenty of gun fights. It's a feast for gun freaks. Punisher: War Zone did not apologize for being too violent, because in the world of Frank Castle, there was only violence. That's how he dealt with the guilty.

Ray Stevenson in the title role was an excellent Punisher. He balanced Frank Castle the way comic book fans would see Frank Castle in real life. Not too much scowling, not too much cold expression. Fans of the comic books, at least those who can express their feelings online, agreed that Ray Stevenson was the best Punisher of the bunch.

Also deserving praises was Dominic West as Jigsaw. His portrayal of the insane character was easily overlooked. His Jigsaw was easily comparable to Jack Nicholson's Joker from the 1989 Batman.

Another character worth recognizing was Jigsaw's brother, Looney Bin Jim, played by Doug Hutchinson. The psychotic villain complemented Jigsaw in their quest to extract revenge on the Punisher and everything law and order in general.

Now that Punisher: War Zone is available on DVD and Blu-Ray, it's a recommended buy for your comic book movie collection. It's worthy of sitting alongside your Spider-man, Batman, Iron Man, the Hulk, and Superman dvds.

The author is a web producer and writes freelance on various topics, including "geeky" subjects such as DC Direct toys. He also writes on topics on education such as finding the best massage therapy college in your area.

Surprise - Guys Who Make Movies Are Now Making Comic Books

By now you're no longer surprised that comic book writers, stories, and characters are being gobbled up by the movie industry. You've seen a ton of superhero and comic book characters in the movie theaters and on television. And not just the obvious stuff, but lesser known stuff like Frank Miller's Sin City a few years ago, and more recently his take on 300. Maybe you're even very observant and a comic book reader and recognize a few names as the credits roll. Like have you noticed comic book writer Jeph Loeb's name, mostly known for his Spider-Man comics work, showing up on shows like Smallville, Lost, and Heroes? Or have you seen the name Brian Michael Bendis, current writer of the New Avengers comic, show up on the MTV version of Spider-Man?

Well that's all well and good, but did you know it's actually a two way street? Film makers are WRITING comic books these days too. Ever heard of a TV show called Firefly and it's movie version Serenity? Or how about the show Angel? Surely you know Buffy the Vampire Slayer? All the work of Joss Whedon. But have you ever heard of the Runaways? Well that's the comic book he's writing for these days. Not to mention he's also the current writer of Astonishing X-Men. And in the past he's even done comic book versions of Buffy and Firefly.

These guys are stretched paper thin, but they LOVE comic books. You know the movie House Party? Directed by Reginald Hudlin? He's RUNNING the whole BET network right now. But do you know what he finds to do? Write the Black Panther comic. He's taken that underselling title and turned it into something BIG in the last year. He's had the Panther get married to Storm of the X-Men, and that idea is so obvious I don't know how I missed it.

Speaking of empires; ever watch that show Babylon 5? Well I used to get teeny-tiny acting jobs on it, and drive way up to Sun Valley for my little parts. Little did I know J. Michael Straczynski, the show's creator, would one day be writing MULTIPLE Spider-Man titles. Plus Teen Titans, Silver Surfer, Fantastic Four, etc., etc., And he just brought THOR back to life!

Do I even need to mention Kevin Smith? He OWNS comic book stores. And the number of comic title's he's written for is LONG. That's aside from his movies and involvement in TV, like Reapers his upcoming hand in "Heroes: Origins." Another guy who's name you might not know but who's work you DO know is (Stanley Tucci look-alike) David S. Goyer. Probably the next movies you'll see from him are The Invisible and Jumper which he penned not directed. But he's been or will be involved in, the Blade movies, "Blade: The Series", Ghost Rider, Magneto, The Flash, Batman Begins. Crazy right? Then of course there is the comic book work; JSA (Justice Society of America) which he writes with Geoffrey Johns.

Believe it or not lots of filmmakers are comic book fans. Can I take you back in time for a second? Way back in the old days of my life I had ONE single day acting work on NYPD Blue (it was actually the day I got into the union, SAG, but that's an entirely different long story). And I was walking around the Fox lot (I think that's where we were) and I spotted this small Asian man with a prominent facial mole. I ran back to my trailer to get a headshot of myself, and then followed the guy to his office. Knocked on the door and proceeded to meet with John Woo for about 10 minutes. He was had just finished editing his first big Hollywood flick, Face Off, and had some time on his hand. We talked about his penchant for dual characters, and the black and white suits (paging Tarantino) and the having characters simultaneously point guns at each. Main source of inspiration? Mad magazine's Spy Vs. Spy.

David Rosenthal writes for the internet. Chicago native, lived in New York, Los Angeles and Tokyo. Graduated Columbia University. Did film/tv acting. Studied Bujinkan Taijutsu. Comic book and movie fan with an X-Men Wolverine site.

Comic Books Go To the Movies

Comic books have been published in America for nearly 100 years, but they didn't hit their stride until the 1940s when characters like Superman and Batman were introduced. Now, over 60 years later, comic book movies have become staples of the summer movie season. This year saw the release of "Spider-Man 3," "Fantastic Four 2" and "Ghost Rider, "(all based on Marvel comic book characters). Plus, the surprise hit of 2007, the Spartan epic, "300," was based on Frank Miller's acclaimed 1998 comic book series. These four movies alone have made over $700 million for the bean counters in Hollywood. Not bad for characters that appear in $3 comic books each month.

2008 may be the best year so far for comic book movies, with Will Eisner's (the father of the American graphic novel) "The Spirit" due in January, "Watchmen," directed by 300's Zack Snyder due in March, Robert Downey Jr. as "Iron Man," Ed Norton as "The Incredible Hulk" and Christian Bale back as Batman facing off against Heath Ledger as The Joker in "The Dark Knight."

Why have comic book movies become so big in the last decade? "Two reasons," says Marc Bowker, owner of Alter Ego Comics, a comic book store in Lima, OH. "First, special effects technology has finally caught up with the imaginations of comic book artists." The Spider-Man films are a perfect example of movies that could not have been done well without the advances in effects technology. (Want proof? Check out "The Chinese Web," a Spider-Man TV movie made in the 1970s.) The second reason, according to Bowker, "Hollywood has run out of original ideas." Most of the best films of the last 10 years have been based on existing material - novels, comic books, musicals, etc. Many comic book characters have 25-50 years worth of stories to choose from that would make excellent films.

Movie studios have taken over the biggest comic book convention in the world, The San Diego Comic Con, where they buy up the rights to comic book characters, big and small. The studios also use San Diego to make major casting announcements for comic-related movies and start building buzz around those films. At the 2007 San Diego Comic Con held in July, Zack Snyder was officially announced as the director of "Watchmen," and key cast members were revealed. Warner Bros. also held a scavenger hunt to promote the 2008 release of the new Batman film, "The Dark Knight."

The relationship between Hollywood and comic books shows no signs of ending anytime soon. There are dozens of movies based on comic books in active development, including non-super hero comics like Vertigo's "Y: The Last Man," and this fall's "30 Day's of Night." As long as the comic book industry keeps creating memorable characters with great stories, Hollywood will be waiting to bring those stories to the big screen.

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Comic Movies To Come and The Comics Books You Should Be Investing In!

There's little doubt that the surge of comic movies have made quite a few comic books go up in value enormously. Yes, it's true. Movies about a certain comic character or title makes the demand for that character's comic go through the roof sometimes.

However, for who are new to comic collecting or investing, not all of a certain character's comic issues will be in demand. They all wont go up. Only certain key issues will. For example, The Amazing Spider-Man movie will have the Lizard as the flick's main baddie, so you can bet the comic book issue with the Lizard's first appearance will be getting a boost in value.

So without beating around the bush anymore, here's a short list of comic movies and books that every collector and investor should be looking at to include in their collection, and soon!

1. Amazing Fantasy #15 - Yeah, I know. It's really expensive, but it's the 2 first appearance of your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Spidey was actually the first superhero character to change the face of comics during it's time by having a teenager with extraordinary powers as well as problems and flaws.

2. The Amazing Spider-Man #1 - If you have the cash to get this, by all means get it. This is one of the holy grails to own, and will never go down. I'm talking about the 1963 series, not the series after.

3. The Amazing Spider-Man #6 - Why number six? Because it's the first appearance of the Lizard, and the Lizard has been confirmed as Spidey's new baddie in The Amazing Spider-Man flick coming out.

4. The Amazing Spider-Man #31 - First appearance of Gwen Stacy. She once again finds the spotlight, beating out Mary Jane. Actually, Gwen Stacy appeared before Mary Jane Watson in the comics. Although Mary Jane Watson was mentioned prior, she wasn't actually shown until ASM issue #42.

5. Incredible Hulk #181 - Why? Because the new Wolverine movie is slated for a 2012 release, and this is his first full appearance ever. It was announced that the baddie Wolvie is gonna fight is the Silver Samurai, which gives me reason to include the next comics as great investments.

6. Wolverine 1-4 Limited Series (1982) - Not only is this Wolverine's first ever series it's pretty certain the new Wolvie flick's gonna take place in Japan. Do you think the story may pull from this classic limited series? Get 1-4 before the demand goes crazy.

7. Daredevil #111 - First appearance of Silver Samurai. Nuff said.

8. The Avengers #1 - If you can dig up the scratch for this baby, you conquered one of the problems of getting this book. The other problem is trying to find a decent copy. Of course, I mean to get the 1963 series, and if you're asking why, what cave have you been in for the last two years? The Avengers movie comes out in 2012 and is one of the most highly anticipated movies of that year.

9. The Avengers #4 - Another comic that will put a dent in your wallet. This is the issue Captain America joins the team, and guess what happens in The Avengers movie? That's right, Cap joins the team.

10. Adventure Comics #283 - A new Superman movie reboot is well on it's way, and it's confirmed that General Zod will again make a Hollywood appearance. Adventure Comics #283 is the first appearance of General Zod and the mysterious Phantom Zone.

What other comics should you be investing in? Visit my blog to find out what comic characters will be hitting the big screen and which comics books to be on the hunt for.