Quick, how many movies can you name that are based on comic books? How about TV shows?
Chances are, quite a few, and plenty more are releasing in the coming years.
The Rise of Comic Book Stories
In the entertainment industry, there’s always talk about the newest fad or latest trend—vampires thanks to Twilight and YA dystopian courtesy of Hunger Games.
There’s a new trend in town, limited primarily to movies and television, but still growing in popularity by leaps and bounds.
Comic books stories.
Comic books in America have been around since the 1800s, but they took off in the 1950s and haven’t looked back since. With all the forms of entertainment vying for attention today, the comic books themselves aren’t mainstream outside of Geekville, but their stories are coming alive on the big screen and capturing the imagination of millions of fans.
Marvel has led the way with some of the highest earning movies ever. DC, Marvel’s prime competitor in the early comic book industry, hasn’t found nearly the success with movies—not counting the Dark Knight trilogy—but they’ve begun to dominate the TV show battle.
Together, they’re creating a demand for superhero stories and people are responding.
I used to think that comic books were just fun stories with pictures for kids. How wrong I was. Having become a certified Marvel geek over the past couple years, I now see the truth. These movies and TV shows make for some amazing entertainment on many levels and now I’m a hungry fan who can’t get enough.
What’s Next?
I think it’s fair to say that between Marvel and DC, movies based on comic books are the thing right now. Either way, comic book stories are rising in popularity, and the future only seems brighter from here. Guardians of the Galaxy 2 and Captain America: Civil War, anyone?
With the amount of comic books out there and the vast variety of material they cover, there’s plenty of fodder for movies, TV shows, and spin-offs.
Will the trend last? I hope so, as long as the storylines continue to offer a balanced mix of things we love, new things to catch our attention, intriguing characters, and the wow factor. Every trend peters out eventually, going from a swift-moving river that sweeps us along an incredible ride to a languid flow of water that stagnated and became boring along the way.
I hope that day is far in the future.
Right now, along with millions of fans, I’m enjoying the awesome ride.
Do you think the trend is on the rise? What do you think the future holds for comic book stories, especially movies? I would love to hear your thoughts, fellow geeks.
