The comic book film adaptation

The comic book to film adaptation
Although comic book adaptations are not a new or recent thing, the overwhelming output of comic book based films is huge in today's film industry. Marvel, DC and Dark Horse comics are a constant source of film adaptation and inspiration.  I'm always intrigued (and somewhat apprehensive) when a film based on a comic book is released at the box office. There's something exciting about seeing a well known comic character being brought alive and made real for the big screen. 

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• The Green Goblin from a Spider-Man comic and the motion picture of the same name.

(Pictures courtesy of - Google Images and Sony Pictures)

If I do take the comic book to film adaptation as my subject of study, I would focus on the Marvel corporation as their characters and worlds have always fascinated me as a child (and adult). The wide and varied range of colourful characters at Marvel comics has always been more appealing in comparison to the dark and somewhat serious DC comics characters. There area many factors that I would like to research in regards to comic book to film adaptations.

• Physical appearance and characteristics translated from comic book to film
• The different audiences of the comic book and comic book film
• Social and cultural differences between the two (both on and off screen)
• Narrative choices- how and why film makers choose the narratives and plots that they do from thousands of comic book series. In particular-how the 'origin' stories of many of these said comic book characters are translated for a modern audience.
• The current over saturated market of comic book films, how and why superheroes?

This is just a basic list of starting points, the reading that I am currently doing is helping expand and add to them;

Gordon, I. Jancovich, M. and McAllister, M., Film and Comic Books [Book] - Jackson: Mississippi University Press, 2007 - This book has been a good staring point for my research as it directly address some of the main issues in regards to comic books on film.


Wolk, D., Reading Comics [Book]- Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press, 2007 - This book directly addresses what a comic book is and how to read into some of the key factors about them. Chapter no.4 'Superheroes and Super readers' has been particularly helpful as it talks directly about what a superhero is and the types of people that read superhero comics. The book also largely references Marvel Comics and its characters throughout the chapter, something which I would be doing in terms of case studies in my dissertation.