By: Nick Mathews (UMass Amherst)
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I think comic books have finally won. They’ve finally tricked the public into thinking they’re cool… and I’m totally ok with it. Robert Downey, Jr. proved that he could take a second tier comic character and make him both comedic and engaging, while Heath Ledger’s Joker is undeniably one of the best movie villains of all time. The entertainment industry is reaching to the comic book vaults, and half of the movies you’ve been seeing recently have actually been based on the newsstand staples. With Comic Con opening it’s doors this week and an inevitable slew of new comic book movies being previewed and announced, I think we should take a look back at some movies that you might not have known were based on comic books.
1. Constantine
The Keanu-helmed action film with copious quantities of religious overtones wasn’t thought up in a Hollywood script room. it was a Vertigo Comics serial called John Constantine: Hellblazer. The character was actually created by Alan Moore of Watchmen fame. A sequel is rumored to be in the works and will possibly be spoiled at Comic Con this week.
2. V for Vendetta
It should be no surprise that Alan Moore appears on this list more times than anyone else, because he is effectively the king of bringing real world issues into the comic front. Where Watchmen dealt with the rising fear of soviet control of the U.S.A. and reminded us that even heroes had faults, V for Vendetta dealt with Orwellian totalitarianism and the means to topple it.
3, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
I keep on trying to find one of these not that wasn’t written by Alan Moore, but it seems impossible. This film, helmed by Sean Connery and featuring a plethora of characters from various Victorian era classics, is no different.
4. From Hell
I give up. Alan Moore wrote From Hell as a means to create a dark environment in nineteenth century England in order to explore the demons of an opium-addicted detective questing to solve the Jack The Ripper killings. Johnny Depp plays the Arthur Canon Doylesque character in this underwatched gem.
5. Men In Black
Finally a movie with no connection to Alan Moore. That’s right, one of the biggest blockbusters of our childhood was based on a 1990 comic, published by an independent illustrator, bought out by an independent production company, bought out by Marvel.
6. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
That’s right, the mean green fighting team from our yesteryears were also based on pen and ink. Mirage Studios released a comic featuring the four rennaissance-homaging turtles in 1984.
This doesn’t even begin to touch the list of comic books made into movies. 30 Days of Night, Jonah Hex, the Blade series… all based on comics, and with Comic Con this week you can bet there will be more. To close this article, I give you my favorite part of Comic Con
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