This genre has been tackled from numerous directions by numerous players.  DC has been playing this field for decades now, but most of their attempts to continue something successful has only come back to bite them (e.g., the Superman, and Batman movies prior to Batman Begins).  Marvel has also attempted to plant their flag and, at least I think, has succeeded in doing what Douglas Adams is famous for stating we as humans are capable of but nearly always fail to do – learn from the mistakes of others.  After hitting some snags letting other studios mung things up, they’ve taken the reins back and brought to the big screen what has always made their comics great – continuity.

Not to say that DC can’t get it right – Batman Begins & The Dark Knight are clear evidence that they can.  But their big screen floundering with any reasonable Superman reboot/continuation hasn’t been confidence building, nor has their 180 on bringing Wonder Woman back to the small screen.  Unlike seemingly most of the critical world, I greatly enjoyed the recent Green Lantern movie … up until the mid-credit bonus scene ruined it (I won’t spoil it for those who haven’t seen it, but honestly the only way that scene makes sense is as a teaser trailer for the next film, otherwise it goes against the relational dynamics and apparent character stances they built throughout the movie).  And outside of those properties I haven’t seen much to indicate they are putting any significant efforts into any other properties, which is disheartening given that I think they have a pretty deep bench from which to pull.

I also would be remiss to say that Marvel has been pitch perfect.  Clearly they have had faults in the not too distant past (e.g., X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Spider-man 3).  But their recent efforts with Iron Man and the converging storyline with other future members of the Avengers have been spectacular.  Not only have the stories themselves stood on their own, but the semi-subtle use of character cameos and post-credit bonus scenes give them even more dimension.  As a result, each of these have been movies that can easily be enjoyed by both hardcore fans and the uninitiated.

So far I’ve caught all of the comic-book genre pics released this season and I have yet to be significantly disappointed.  If you are interested in my grading of these, here is the report card:

• Thor - B - I enjoyed the complexity of this story arc and how they were able to give the characters more depth than I’d anticipated.  Though I have to deduct points on behalf of my kids who found the villains a bit too scary (especially in 3D), and the delayed hero-gratification off-putting.
• Green Lantern – B- – As I said, I really enjoyed this take on this origin story.  Aside from a few flat supporting characters, it was as true to canon as would have been believable and staged things for strong potential continuation of the title (aside from the ruinous mid-credit scene).
• X-Men: First Class – A+ – This proved to be much better than I had expected and depicted an intriguing starting point for the eventual path of Profession Xavier and his long-time nemesis and friend, Magneto.  I really felt the characters were well developed and depicted and that the film did an excellent job of retconning itself into our own historical events.  I look forward to any future development of this franchise.
• Captain America: the First Avenger – A? – Obviously I cannot grade a movie I haven’t seen yet, but if the previews and my own speculations on the gaps based on canonical knowledge are any indication, this one is going to be a winner.  I have a feeling, though, that following this movie (or more likely, during) I will have to explain some of the historical context to my daughter.

The article is a list of 75 comic book properties that are being vetted for a big screen treatment, and there are so many delicious items on this list.  I’m already jonesing for the next chapters in Spider-man, Batman, the Avengers set, and Superman.  It is exciting to hear that Wonder Woman and Green Lantern may be in the works as well.  Many of the indy options they are entertaining have got me intrigued (e.g.,  Y:  the Last Man).  And the team-up/ensembles (i.e., JLA & Avengers) are just a fantasy come true.

Sure I’m also a critic and not all of the attempts have been stellar.  I was skeptical of Batman Begins until I saw it as a result of the previous offerings.  I’m a Marvel fan moreso than a DC guy, but they’ve laid some eggs as well (e.g., Electra).  But they can’t all be winners and I’m not about to lose faith in the genre over the losers.

I’m also prepared for the possibility that the bubble may burst and a lot of the ideas on the list may never make it to the big screen.  But many of them do have the story substance to create compelling dramas and in the end, that is all we all are really looking for – a reasonable balance of fantasy and drama we can relate to.  So as long as no one tries to sell us on another hyber-drama in rubber nipples (a la Batman & Robin – btw, why didn’t Batgirl get rubber nipples too?), I think the trend can carry on.  And if so, I would be very happy.  After all, I am a huge fan.

Fortunately I’m ok with that and will continue to watch – as I did this weekend (the premiere was on Thursday, but I didn’t get to watching it until Saturday evening).  The angle they are taking now is interesting:  they are bringing back more of the heroes they’ve introduced and they are introducing new villains; they start with Clark alive but powerless and end with him back to normal but ready to pursue his destiny beyond Smallville; they are starting to have Lois act more like the sharp reporter she should become.  But there is still some cheese-factor present.

Most of the issues that I have with the show fall into the category of what I call aged cheddar (cheesy, but not freshly so).  Some of these are as small as the issue that Clark gets introduced to both Lois and Lex much earlier than canonically probably or as big as the fact that Lex has ongoing suspicions about Clark Kent that I can’t see being put aside once he dons a cape and tights (like he won’t know it is him).  I’m okay with the set of made-up characters they have introduced who have found out about Clarks abilities, but the number of people who are classic Superman characters that already have reasons to suspect that he is more than meets the eye makes the whole show, well, suspect.  There is also the drastic overuse of Kryptonite as a source for random mutant abilities in heroes and villains alike, and the fact that I can’t recall a season that didn’t end with some huge climactic problem (e.g., Clark sent to the phantom zone, Clark gone evil, Lex posessed by Zod, Clark lost his powers) that didn’t get completely rectified within the following season premiere.  They could at least drag things out through 2 or 3 episodes before Clark is back on the farm repairing fences with his bare hands and hanging out with Lana in the barn.

So it is clear to see why many are probably not fans of the show.  I like it and I can’t even manage to keep from complaining about it.  Dispite that, I will likely continue watching the show until it starts to bore me or gets cancelled.  I think the main draw is that I honestly keep thinking that somehow they have a clever scheme on how all of this will neatly flow into the Superman mythos that we all know and love without a single incongruity or loose end.  But that is highly unlikely.  So in the meantime I will watch him continue to wear the same blue T-shirt and red jacket and fumble his way through life as a hero hidden among humans.

The premiere itself was as expected – Clark ends up back to normal and hanging out in his barn in the end.  The opening credits seemed to suggest we will see a lot more of the Green Arrow and Black Canary this season.  But one face I don’t recall seeing in the premiere (and can’t seem to remember where she was at the end of last season) is Clark’s cousin Kara.  I may have to look into that one some more.