by Aaron Faust

Created on: July 23, 2011

     Sad as it may be for some to admit, the age of comics is over. Despite the flashy heroes, the malevolent villains, and the fantastic worlds, comics are quite simply outdated sources of entertainment these days. Now, all of our attentions are set on spectacle; we need to see and feel things happening on a large scale before we even consider becoming engrossed. For this reason, many of our favorite paragons of justice and costumed vigilantes have sought refuge in Hollywood, in hopes that they might sustain their relevancy in the form of summer blockbusters and action-packed thrillers. Of course, most people are familiar with the classic Superman and Batman films, but now even heroes like Green Lantern and Thor are having their turns in the limelight. That being said, it should be noted that not all heroes fit the mold of "film icons" (Catwoman or Ghost Rider anyone?), but if Hollywood finds a formula that works, you can rest assured that it will latch on and not let go until the franchise has all but died. Some might argue that this fate has already befallen our favorite wisecracking, web-slinging superhero, but whether or not the spider is on his last couple of legs remains to be seen.

     Spider-Man first burst onto the scene in 1962, brainchild of none other than comic genius Stan Lee, as well as Steve Ditko. Since then, he has become the flagship character of Marvel Comics and a cultural icon. He has been featured in a multitude of comic series (the longest running being The Amazing Spider-Man), several television shows, both animated and live-action, and has most recently been portrayed by actor Tobey Maguire in three live-action films. However, shortly after the release of Spider-Man 3 in 2007, Maguire confirmed his intentions to leave the franchise and that he would not star in the next Spider-Man movie. This, of course, did not mean the end of the film franchise. Film icons have been played by a variety of actors in the past (exactly how many Bonds were there?). Even fellow hero Batman has been played by five different actors now, each putting a unique spin on the Caped Crusader. The role of Spidey should be no more difficult to pass to another, especially not acclaimed young actor Andrew Garfield (The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, The Social Network). Also, with promising director Marc Webb ((500) Days of Summer) behind the camera, there comes a certain degree of unpredictability, but a general assuredness

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