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I think perhaps to look at the appeal of a movie adaption of a comic book, you should look at the audience. Sure, every time a new Spider-Man sequel turns up the summer heat, you'll see a new wave of action figures and mini-tee shirts. Of course the market is going to go after the obvious audience. Just as the Star Wars prequels offered fans the opportunity to recapture the essence, the magic, of those first nights in 1978; so too does the prospect of seeing Spidey web-slinging his way across the New York skyline reawaken John Smith's sense of wonder, and for a few hours, he's little Johnny Smith, eagerly leafing through the latest issue of Amazing Spider-Man at the corner drugstore back in 1963.

There is the audience, and that is the appeal.

Comic book to film adaptations can be a double edged sword. A successful film adaption should keep the original work in mind, and be able to play to an audience that was reading comics in their heyday and still be able to reach a younger audience. While the comics might have been for "kids" originally, many of those "kids" are now in their twenties and thirties...et cetera. For those writers and directors that can tap into the essence of the original work and make it accessible to all generations, the film becomes something that John Smith and Johnny Smith Jr. can share.

The problem, however, comes from the response to such an event, mainly from the comic book companies. While a successful film can invigorate a franchise, bringing in new readership, a company risks alienating their longtime fans when they choose to re-invent the franchise to bring new readers "up to speed." essentially picking up where the film left off. More than once, I've seen this happen, and curse, saying "but what about this back story, they're completely ignoring the source of the conflict, the tension..." [okay, so maybe I read too much into comics.] Then, with each sequel, the creators hope to capitalize on the success of the original as a means of selling the next one, spiraling out of control and eventually putting the franchise back into semi-obscurity, and the fans are left to say "Hey, remember when they made those campy movies back when?" leaving die-hard collectors and perhaps a few new readers to read what's left behind and wait for the next big summer blockbuster.

Learn more about this author, Fred Lindau.
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