VFX Are comic book movies overwhelming comic books?

#FeatureFriday: Comic book versus comic book movie: Are comic book movies overpowering comic books?

Everyone has a favourite superhero and an inspiration that models one’s life by pushing them into an imaginative world of superpowers. Watching your favourite hero save the world by fighting against the evil appeals to the eye and takes the watcher into the world of imagination. A world where you be the hero and save the weak and the needy. The engaging picturisation also grabs your interest and steadfast you to never stop watching it. Who doesn’t like a superhero movie when developed using the best of the visual effect technologies? How often have you been mesmerized by a 3D scene or a VFX shot while watching the movie? The work of today’s VFX and 3D studios has been fully equipped in order to enable them to develop a realistic world for the audiences. Is the same possible from the comic books? The world of comic books revolves around the artwork drawn by the artists. One’s imagination while reading the story builds from these artworks. Is the imagination not limited?

Captain America
Movie vs Comic

Comic books have a huge readership considering the number of comics been released each year. Over the years, presenting a comic story must have changed, but the delivery of a comic book hasn’t. Even today, comic books have certain standards for binding, book size, cover paper, cover finish, and inside paper. Comic writers even restrict themselves to the page length; not exceeding too far from the standard and acceptable page numbers. At an average, it is observed that the page numbers are close to 60 for most of the comic book. Moreover, there can be certain limitations to the storytelling in a comic book as a film can cover scenes which are beyond the reach of a comic book. Whereas, certain scenes from the comic book are also not incorporated in the movie due to various reasons associated with its adaptation. For example: In Suicide Squad, Harley Quinn (played by Margot Robbie) was supposed to be dressed in a wedding gown in one of the scenes which depict her sad-story of her past relationship with the Joker (Jared Leto).

Mostly, the comic book scenes are recreated in movies accurately giving justice to the storyline. Those who loved a comic book can count on the comic movie as the picturisation is mostly done right. But, do the readers want to revisit the story in another format of presentation? The answer is yes. The reason is that the readers receive a bigger spectrum of imagination when the scenes roll in front of them. In a strange way, the imaginative world comes to life. Their favourite characters come to life in the body of talented actors. Moreover, each plot is developed in such a way that the message is shared clearly with the viewers. Readers when watching the movie can relate each plot with their comic book plot with only little iteration visible in the movie.

When comic books are released, the curious minds are the first to buy them as the film adaptation might take little to more time to develop. Thus, the response to comic books is welcoming, but less in comparison to a comic book movie. Nonetheless, the comic creators are not held back; they have created comics on a regular basis every year. Some of the popular comics released and to release in 2018 are: The New Age of DC Heroes #1, Young Animal: Milk Wars #1,  Flash War #46 to #50, X-Men Red, Bingo Love #1, Doctor Strange: Damnation, My Favorite Thing Is Monsters Vol. 2, Dan Slott’s Amazing Spider-Man Finale, Green Lantern: Earth One, Wonder Woman: Earth One Vol. 2, DC’s Vertigo, and League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: The Tempest.

Comic Books 2018
Comic Books 2018

Comic books go way back in the history, even the first Indian comic book was launched immediately after Independence. Various reports say that Chandamama, a classic Indian monthly magazine for children, was the first to be created in the year 1947. From then, after witnessing the success and acceptance of Indian comics, many joined hands or ventured into the comic world which made the Indian comic industry powerful today.

For quite some time, comic books are facing a trend of focusing more on the established characters. Very few new storylines with new characters are developed. One of the major reasons is that attracting readers to the comic with the established characters is easier than convincing the reader to read a whole new group of characters. Sales and marketing of the known characters are feasible as well in comparison to the new IPs.

Some of the comic book adaptations in movies for 2018 are: Deadpool 2, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Venom, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse, and Aquaman.

Comic Book Movies 2018
Comic Book Movies 2018

Comic book turned into a movie and released in 2018, Deadpool 2 has already boxed a domestic gross of approx. $314,546,400. Ant-Man and the Wasp has bagged approx. $161 million to date.

Anyway, the comic book industry is going strong even after certain changes as it is backed by the film industry. Those who love to read comics even today will break every barrier to reach to their favourite story. There might not be a significant number for those preferring comic-reading, but there are enough to sustain the comic industry. And the biggest inclination for favouritism is towards big banners like Marvel and DC Comics. Be it a comic book or a comic book movie, fans of Marvel and DC are going to read and watch their comics and movies, respectively.

VFX