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The Bum's Rush

by Ryan N. Wilcox

The Bum’s Rush #91 Gee whiz, I didn't realize how difficult it would be to write about current comics, and what's going on in the comic book world. I'm a movie guy, and even though I completely live in a comic book world [in my head], I don't typically read comics. Not as they come out, anyways. As a result, I am going to have to twist the typical "Bum's Rush" into what is new in the world of comics and movies. I'll certainly try to make it as painless as possible. For starters, one of the biggest problems that all comic book movies have faced is that scriptwriters seem to want to change the story. Now, I understand that script changes are necessary to fit a single story into a 2 hour time slot, but what I don't understand is why, after a comic has been written and established for 20, 30, or 60 years, do writers feel they need to do a new take on the story? We like the X-Men, and the characters created, why does the studio need to make new or different mutants to help tell their story? Why do they need to kill off people who we all know are still alive? I mention this because I absolutely positively love the Spider-Man world created by Sam Raimi. He has held true to Peter Parker's origin story through two movies, and yet, with the premiere of Spider-Man 3 coming out in May, they have added the "This is the man who really killed Uncle Ben" story while introducing the Sandman. I don't see why, after over 4 years of story, why this is necessary. Sure, I'll see the movie and probably love most of it, but I cannot understand why Sam Raimi would feel the need to change an already established story line that has been known and loved by most for the past 40 years. Similar to adding this plot device to Spider-Man, I can understand why the writers of the 2005's Fantastic 4 wanted to make Dr. Doom a mutant as well. It also made sense that he was with Reed, Sue, Ben and Johnny when the event happened. I could deal with this story change. Of course, the movie fell flat. It was fine, but not what most of us wanted in a Fantastic 4 movie. However, the studios did make enough money on the first movie to release Fantastic 4: The Rise of the Silver Surfer. Again, I find myself excited about this idea. Of course, the Silver Surfer is a great, fun character, but what he represents is the introduction of Galactus, the planet eater for whom the Silver Surfer scouts potential locations. The potential I see here is tremendous. Many of the mutants in the Marvel universe have dealt with Galactus, and what a great time to tie all of the current Marvel movies together by introducing this character to their world, and having a saga of comic book movies all fighting the same villain. This would be a great moneymaker for the studios as well as a new idea in movie making. In the mid 1980's Marvel Comics did this exact thing with their Mutant Massacre. It was a crossover within most of the Marvel superheroes, and it required those people who didn't read all those comics to be introduced to others, and to buy a whole bunch of comics they wouldn't normally purchase just to complete the story. It was a brilliant marketing tactic as well as a lot of fun for those of us who read them. Marvel is doing this again with Civil War, and it has had a similar effect. Hopefully, the studios have this in mind and it will trigger several crossover movies all telling a portion of the same overall story. Of course, as much as I hope to like these movies, and as much as I am not sure the movie studios care, I am certain that there are folks out there who want me to like their vision of comics when in the theaters, and who would not compromise their story for whatever reasons the studios make the changes they make. Of course, I am discussing Frank Miller and his new movie 300. Frank Miller's Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is a non-profit group that was made to fight against censorship in comics. After seeing that he was very specific in the making of Sin City, and then going on to see what 300 is going to look like I have pretty much absolute confidence in this movie and in Frank Miller's ability to make sure it is made correctly. Like Sin City, I believe that 300 will bring a new type of film making to the big screen, as well as gain some more momentum for making GOOD comic book movies.            Good comic movies happen in waves. The last generation of comic movies began in 1978 with Superman: The Movie, and it died around the time of 1988's The Punisher. Spider-Man in 2002 revived this huge moneymaking machine, and with things like Catwoman, and a newer version of The Punisher, it looked like it would be short lived. Hopefully, in the next couple of years, the studios will correct themselves, and turn out great for everybody. We have decades of comic book stories to tell, and movies are a great way to pass these along to people who don't live in their parent's basements. Special effects today can create real looking superheroes, so that should not be a limitation. There is no reason that these movies cannot succeed and help in saving Hollywood from several years of poor box office results, so long as they stick to the story. It the studios continue to push them out, it will help to destroy the Hollywood that we have loved for years and years. I believe that this genre carries a lot of weight to those in Hollywood and I hope it follows the correct path. Of course, with Ghost Rider coming out in just a couple of weeks it may be a real short trip.