A Fun Look Back at Comic Book Films. Days of Future Past

“But it’s more about cross promotion and the product can be enjoyed more by spinning comic book films in new directions,” says Saunders.

Comic Book FilmComic book films are very often a tough sell in a mass market that’s picky about what they like seeing. While Hollywood sees the medium as a readymade—a product that comic book readers are familiar with—to attract new converts requires a product that has to be easily accessible, if not understandable.

“For example, Walking Dead, flies off the shelves like bats looking for human flesh,” says Steven Saunders, a comic book writer and columnist for the industry for five years, “and Robert Kirkman takes concepts that’s been overdone and he makes it interesting.”

But with the box office these days, originality only goes so far. Saunders used to write for All The Rage, a gossip column about the comic book industry on Comics Bulletin and he would rather go watch the movie than to follow 40 years of comic book continuity.

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Tony Stark is Back! Two more Avengers movies confirmed!

If the numbers are any indication, he has collected $80 million in total for both Avengers and Iron Man 3.

Tony-Stark-iron-man-2268535-605-872Actor Robert Downey Jr. will continue playing the multi-billionaire playboy industrialist character for two more Avengers sequels. That’s good news for those keeping tabs at the behind the scenes wrangling about his role in this expanding cinematic universe. Although nothing has been revealed as to whether or not his contract includes more Iron Man films, and fans can only hope.

At least they can breathe a collective sigh of relief because no other actor can replace Stark. And to even try may well cast doom for the entire Marvel movie universe. Unlike Doctor Doom, a man behind the mask, this character really needs a face, and the charm that only Downey Jr. can instill into the character.

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Just How Many Times Must the Avengers Assemble?

If the movie Iron Man 3 can be ignored and the animated series Avengers Assemble can take its place, then audiences have a perfect cartoon follow-up.

AvengersAssemble2If the movie Iron Man 3 can be ignored and the animated series Avengers Assemble can take its place, then audiences have a perfect cartoon follow-up to the Avengers movie from last year. Some of the important nuances Joss Whedon’s treatment involved how individualistic each character is. And to try to get them to act as a team is part of what made the film great. The team didn’t work until when it counted the most.

This series has plenty of potential if it gets steered in the right direction. When considering that this series is developed to broadcast on Disney XD, the question of just how complex will the narrative get will depend on who is in charge of leading the Avengers. The pilot episode sets up Tony Stark (voiced by Adrian Pasdar) as a whipping boy. He is the billionaire playboy who thinks he can lead a team. But can he?

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