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Several
movies based on comic books will be
coming to theaters in the next few years, including Spiderman
(directed by Sam Raimi), a sequel to X-Men and a
new Batman film.
Local
stores Excalibur Books and Comics (2444 SE Hawthorne Blvd.,
231-7351) and Future Dreams (1800 E Burnside St., 231-8311)
offer a wide selection of comic books, graphic novels and
trade paperbacks.
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Comic books are the bastard children of pop culture. Situated
uncomfortably between novels and film, comic books and their
offshoots--graphic novels and trade paperbacks--are stuck
with the unfair stigma of being for kids. Popular films like
The Matrix, RoboCop and Raiders of the Lost
Ark are called "comic book-like," as if that's some sort
of bad thing. Meanwhile, Hollywood continues to mine the pages
of comics looking for the next big picture, and filmmakers
like Kevin Smith, Quentin Tarantino and M. Night Shyamalan
continue to draw inspiration from the likes of Fantastic
Four and Superman.
With Unbreakable now playing in theatres and X-Men
recently released on home video, movies adapted from and
inspired by comic books continue to be viable commodities
in Hollywood. Movies like these only scratch the surface
of an exciting world that combines the printed word with
almost-moving pictures, forming a powerful juggernaut of
action, adventure and laughs. At their best, comics and
graphic novels deliver stories as good as--if not better
than--most movies being produced today.
If the choice of films playing at the local multiplex isn't
making your palms moist with anticipation, head to the local
comic-book store for your viewing needs.
Shades of Noir--Fans of noir and hard-boiled action
don't have much to choose from in the cinematic world these
days. Instead, fans of noir should turn to several comic
series that offer all the requisite two-fisted drama, suspense
and sharp dialogue that has come to define the film genre.
The two Whiteout trade paperbacks, written
by Greg Rucka and illustrated by Steve Lieber, chronicles
the adventures of U.S. Marshal Carrie Stetko. Rucka's work
includes the acclaimed Atticus Kodiac crime novels, and
Lieber's artwork has won the prestigious Eisner Award (the
comic industry's Oscar). Sin City is a multi-volume
collection of master comic scribe Frank Miller. Drawn in
stark black-and-white, Sin City features brutal tales of
femmes fatales and square-jawed antiheroes. Volcanic
Revolver, Scott Morse's tale of Italian immigrants,
features some of the best-written, most authentic dialogue
found in any comic--or film, for that matter.
Chicks Kick Ass--Forget Charlie's Angels--the
ass-kickingest females of all time have always been found
in comic books. While most female comic characters are larger-breasted
woman meant to stimulate adolescent male readers, there
are some who defy that stereotype. Artist and writer Jim
Mahfood's slambang action series Grrl Scouts
is collected into one volume. The gun-toting, weed-dealing
Gwen, Daphne and Rita battle the evil Brotherhood of the
Cracker, led by the nefarious Phil Nykee. Heartbreakers,
set in a futuristic world where cloning is a reality, is
Anina Bennett and Paul Guninan's sci-fi action series about
the clones created from the DNA of a scientist.
Funny Pages--Kyle Baker's graphic novel Why
I Hate Saturn, about a neurotic writer and eccentric
sister, is better-written and funnier than almost any movie
ever made. Saturn is a testimony to the creativity
comic books can achieve when they're done right. Baker's
other work includes the profoundly hilarious Cowboy Wally
Show and the action-packed comedic caper You Are
Here. Fortune and Glory is Brian Michael
Bendis' autobiographical tale of his adventures in Hollywood.
Men in Tights--If you are looking for classic superhero
fare, look no further than Frank Miller's Batman:
The Dark Knight Returns. Chronicling the epic tale
of Batman's return from retirement to save Gotham City,
Dark Knight is arguably the best comic-book story
of all time. Alan Moore and David Gibbon's Watchmen
is a sprawling tale of superheroes trying to find their
place in a world that no longer has a use for them.
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