Why superhero movies must be faithful to their comic book origins (Part 1 of 2)
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Venom is the most recent and perfect case of a Marvel movie whose lead character (Venom) is almost faithful to the comic book origins. And because of that reason, among others, the movie became a box-office hit and earned more than 700 million dollars worldwide. Even though the iconic white spider symbol is not on Venom’s chest everything else about him on the big screen is as close as it can get to his comic book origins, from his alter ego (Eddie Brock), to his personality with and without the symbiote attached to him, and to his fighting skills and all other aspects about him. Everything that was shown in the movie is as faithful as it can get to the Venom we know so well in the comic books.
Watching Venom brought back memories for me of the first I time I saw the comic book character in the pages of The Amazing Spider-Man. It was in the issue #374 of The Amazing Spider-Man – to be exact – wherein I first got to learn about Venom. And that was many years ago in the early 90’s.
In most cases when the comic book character makes the jump to the big screen so many revisions and interpretations have been done to the comic book character that sometimes you can barely connect the onscreen adaptation of the comic book character to its comic book origins.
Deadpool immediately connected to MCU moviegoers, new and old comic book readers, and anyone in general who wanted to watch a superhero movie because, first of all, Wade Wilson which is the real name of Deadpool was in his costume when he was on one of his missions that was very similar to that in the Marvel comic books that he first appeared in. That is so important because how in the world will you know that was Deadpool upon first glance if he was not in his Deadpool costume.
As I have said in the past, I am a huge Marvel comic book collector. I have amassed a formidable collection of vintage Marvel comic books over the years and I am fortunate enough to own the Marvel comic book “X-Force #2” which had the second appearance of Deadpool. I also have a majority of his comic book appearances from the early 90’s when his creator and illustrator Rob Liefeld was still in Marvel comics. Those issues for me are the key issues of Deadpool and not the current version of Deadpool that can now be found in the comic books.
Deadpool’s recent incarnation has become too goofy, bizarre, and almost like a joke of his former self. The guy is a talkative mutant assassin with a dark sense of humor as well as healing abilities similar to that of Wolverine’s. But Deadpool has become a “freak show” who constantly gets his limbs ripped apart and constantly finds himself in other demented scenarios.
So, I say: Producers, writers, and directors who have zero knowledge of the comic book origins of the superheroes and supervillains and have never read a Marvel comic book in their lives have no business being in the MCU. You cannot write their dialogue if you have never read their lines in the thought bubbles in the comic books. You cannot direct them in an action sequence if you have never seen with your own two eyes how they would fight in the comic books. And you cannot create a plot that would meet fans’ expectations if you have never read any of their storylines in the comic books.
Marvel comic book characters like The Amazing Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, and The Invincible Iron Man and a few more have become fail proof in their big screen adaptations. You know who they are at first glance because of their physical appearance, costume, and outfit.
Can you imagine if Iron Man did not have his suit? Can you imagine if Hulk was not colored green when he would make his transformation? Can you imagine if Spider-Man did not have his costume? They simply would not be the way they should be. They would not be deserving of their superhero namesakes! By the way, and let me remind you that all the legendary superheroes I have just mentioned and enumerated were created and first drawn by Stan Lee. Stan Lee is “The Father of Marvel Comics”.
It is not enough to acknowledge these superheroes comic book origins but you have to be faithful to who they really are in the comic books when you make a movie about them. The comic books ARE and should be the basis for all these superheroes and supervillains when movies are made of these comic book characters.
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Times have changed so much that even in comic books and superhero movies nowadays have to be so “politically correct” to a fault. It is both dismaying and annoying that even comic books have to reflect the real world so much ! I mean, isn’t reading comic books also about escaping the problems of the real world ? Do comic books have to follow an unwritten set of rules that limit creativity, fantasy, and imagination? For instance, can’t comic book characters have huge bulging muscles but must only be more realistically drawn so as not to offend certain groups ?
Nonsense, I say to that. That is plain dumb and such a distorted way of seeing things. Why are they so easily offended, in the first place ?! Then, go to the gym and start lifting weights so that you can come closer to resembling The Incredible Hulk. That is your own issue and not anyone else’s.
We just live in an upside down society already. That there are groups with ulterior motives who masquerade as righteous people who want to make things “fair” but in their own selfish and one-sided view of how the world should be and they want everyone and everything around them to adjust to their bigoted norms.
Truth be told, after the 90’s boom of comic books, things were never the same again because the comic book industry was infiltrated by people who should have no business being in the comic book industry in the very first place. Yet, this is the very scenario operating right now in the MCU. We can also blame social media for that and the results can be seen very well in the MCU.
(END OF PART 1 OF 2)
