The comic genre has been a major player in the movie scene for longer than most of us have been alive, but it’s only over the last decade or so that comics have become the uncontested kings of movie box offices everywhere. Movie nuts and comic book geeks have lovingly embraced most of the super hero movies with only a few exceptions (Incredible Hulk, Catwoman). The popularity of movie comics is unquestioned, but how long will they reign supreme and does the movie industry benefit by investing heavily in our favorite fliers and crawlers?
One would be hard pressed to deny the
astounding monetary success that comic book companies have achieved in
the multiple revenue streams of movie tickets, DVD rentals and an
entire merchandising line that has left no marketing segment unchecked.
Of the top fifty opening weekends, nine belong to 
movies that have found their origins in comics, with Spider-Man 3
currently topping the list with over 150 million dollars. The cash
addicted conglomerates have certainly created a cash cow that will
undoubtedly continue to produce handsome profits for the foreseeable
future. Despite being ahead of the game by producing well known
characters with strong marketing and social presence, the majority of
directors have done a fantastic job in actually producing quality work
that is both enjoyable and respectable.
So what seems to be the problem? After all, we can logically assume that this scenario is the perfect win-win situation, with both the entertainment industry sewing huge profits and the viewing masses receiving quality content for their hard earned money. In the short term everything appears to be gravy, but in the long run, this may cause a tremendous void that Hollywood may be unable to breach. To understand why such a doomsday possibility carries merit, let’s look at the top opening weekends again.
A closer look reveals that the majority
of the movies on this prestigious list fall into the Science
Fiction/Fantasy/Comic Book mold. While fans of these genres may argue
that they are all distinctly different, for the mainstream majority
they are pretty much one in the same. The startling revelation that we
can contrive from this list is that there are very few comedies or
dramas with mass market success. The lame excuse that comedies and
dramas don’t appeal to a mass market is a load of dog feces in this
writer’s opinion. The sad fact is that studios shy away from creating
such movies because they are extremely difficult to make, with the flop
ratio being very high. Unlike comic movies, big budget isn’t the answer
with these genres, but rather creativity; something that is
disturbingly lacking in Hollywood these days.
Unlike the few mega stars in the comic book world, the majority of story lines and characters do not have a mass market appeal. There are only so many Batmans and Supermans to go around before the A-list crowd dries up. The B-list crowd of superheroes may be popular in the comic book world, but they can’t provide the same publicity punch top tier characters can. Using up all the A-list characters is comparable to oil; it shouldn’t be squandered, but rather used conservatively, because you’re going to wake up one day and realize it’s all gone and then you’re fragged.
Ozzy Neav
De Novo Magazine
**Read more articles by Ozzy Neav**
