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 Art tips and techniques, reviews and interviews from my studio. Archived here and at World Famous Comics. Comics 101 for 06/05/2003 More Thoughts on Comic Book Movies Joe,The movies you pointed out are all great flicks and superb recommendations as cinematic, comic inspired fodder for the masses. 'Aliens' is actually my third favorite film of all time (right behind 'Star Wars' and 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'). I love that movie to no end. 'Predator' - One of the best sci-fi/action films of all time and Arnold Schwarzenneger's best acted film period (with Conan the Barbarian being a close second I think - yes folks, I do believe Arnold can act). Those of you who really don't give him credit as an actor need to rewatch this film for the level of intensity he brings to his character Dutch. 'The Terminator' is another great example of 'sci-fi action' that does not disappoint. A film so great it's only exceeded by the magnum opus that is 'T2'. I grew up on all of these movies religiously and can recite them all forwards and backwards. They're just about as treasured to me as the Star Wars saga. Though when I think of genuine, comic book inspired cinema I still stand by 'Robocop', 'Unbreakable' and the 'Matrix' as more relative examples than 'Aliens', 'Predator' and 'Terminator' - which are all great examples of movies that actually made a myriad of great Dark Horse comic books to boot. And of course most like-minded comic book fans are hard-pressed to not like those films for their fantasy appeal either. But when it comes to comparative storytelling, character development or motivations and visual elements that are more literal like actual cinematography and costume, the three I listed seem more closely associated to me as comic book inspired. For example,  Robocop is truly a film that is the essence of comic book pulp-iness. From the ressurection/redemption story of the hero (a popular theme in comic books or storytelling in general, dating back to even the Bible) and his outlandish cybernetic costume to the over the top gruesome effects and hardcore action, it would all just fit too perfectly in a comic book or illustrated magazine like Heavy Metal. Even sadistic arch villian Clarence Boddicker would give the Joker a run for his money.Besides, even though the character has become a household name, think back of how anyone else could really have justified a movie in Hollywood called 'Robocop' fifteen years ago. That is unless the writer pitched it to Hollywood as a 'comic book movie' in the first place. 
Unbreakable really was derivative and inspired much more from comics than just merely the mentioning of the medium or by showing actual comics as props in the film. And if the comic book homages aren't obvious enough on a casual first viewing, all you have to do is watch any of the great 'making of' featurettes or listen to the director's commentary on this fantastic DVD to see just how apparent his comic book intentions were.From dissecting the essence of the main characters (each having powers and key weaknesses and intertwined, similar origin stories) and the storyline, not to mention the framing of key scenes throughout the movie that scream 'comic book panel' or 'splash page', you really can't get closer to a more true example of a modern superhero thriller. At the beginning of the film on the train when Bruce Willis is talking with the cute female passenger and when the camera pans back and forth between the seats for their conversation, the repetition of the framing makes for excellent 'talking head' shots for comic panels. Or the way M. Night Shyamalan frames the little girl's head from the verticals of the seats like panel borders as she peers at Bruce or when is Bruce is talking to the other passenger. And the countless, bold, graphic, silohuetted shots in the film like Bruce standing in the rain in his poncho just inside the arch of the football stadium or the tilted angles during the action scenes to heighten the drama and the suspense would work perfectly for an illustrated story. Pay attention to every flashback scene in the film for another storytelling device that the director employs that I enjoy. The flashbacks or 'reflective' moments in the past of each main character often start with an actual reflection of the imagery in the scene. For example, the opening sequence focusing on the birth of Samuel Jackson's character is seen entirely through the use of mirrors of the back room where the action is happening, making us feel even more disjointed as viewers looking into the past and participating in this frantic event. Another example is when we flash back to Samuel's character as a young child and the scene starts on his image relflected in the glass of the television he's staring into. You could even take these literal visual cues of mirrors and glass further with more meaning since his character is aptly named 'Mr. Glass' in reference to his dehabilitating bone disease. It's well executed and thought out ideas like these that give this story more depth and it's characters more meaning which is often sorely missed in comic book films lacking proper character development. The first time I saw this film in the theatre it really was a treat to see so much comic book inspired storytelling happening in this picture (especially from the plot and characters) since comic books and movies have shared a close partnership over the years by continually feeding off one another. Of course this only makes sense since the nature of these visual narratives have been and will always be so similar. The 'moving' picture seems to usually be more accessible to the general entertainment masses anyway so it only makes sense as comic book creators to draw inspiration from it too. I really like 'Unbreakable'. It's smart and slick and only subtly masquerades as a true comic book movie and almost seems like an ode or love letter from the director to comic books and their fans themselves. And where to begin with  The Matrix or even 'Matrix Reloaded'? There's so much 'comic book love' in these films that it almost makes a movie like Unbreakable seem unworthy. Especially when the directors are devout comic book fans and have comic book talent like Geoff Darrow designing concept art and drawing storyboards for their films. Which only helps to resonate the feel and flavor of comic books in the movie. Not to mention the countless anime influences (animation being a close cousin to the comic book medium) integrated throughtout the film from the hyper kinetic fighting to Neo blasting off the ground with a sonic boom leaving a shockwave of rubble underneath as he takes to flight.I guess its for these reasons that make the films I listed as being more on-topic to me as 'comic book movies' than say 'Terminator' or 'Aliens'. Though I'd say 'Predator', or better yet the underrated 'Predator 2' (who's storyline seemed to borrow heavily from the original Dark Horse comic book mini-series) might be the closer cousin to this sub genre. These are movies not just inspired by comic books but films that remind us as passionate readers and creators what great comic book storytelling can truly be capable of. With movies like 'Unbreakable' or the 'Matrix' films it seems that Hollywood is finally coming to grips and giving credit, and better yet recognition, to a medium its has borrowed upon for years. Check back next week for a new Comics 101 feature! -Joe Recent Columns:
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