Comics and Movies

[DallasEast]

But is that based on the comic book versions or the movie/TV depictions of the characters? Personally, I was never into Superman, too overpowered, so I know I'm biased versus the movies. For me, a Superman movie has to work harder to win me over versus an X-Men movie which I will be more receptive.

I am likely an outlier when it comes to comic book character appreciation. Although I have favorites, I appreciate both major and minor characters alike UNLESS they are exceptionally oddball and/or goofy like the Mr. Mxyzptlk, Impossible Man, Howard the Duck, Wonder Twins, etc. gag-me-with-a-spoon.

I enjoyed overpowered Superman and the post-Crisis of Infinite Earths depowered Superman. I am a huge Wolverine fan but still highly fond of minor not household mutant characters like Blink also. It is my view of comic book characters that explains why I have high expectations for all of their movie adaptations no matter what characters are involved in the films.

 

[DallasEast]

Aquaman was a modest box office. ..and i believe it had a lot to do with a popular DC hero and first time on screen curiousity..and of course as with any movie, it had to have enough plus reviews to get viewers to the theaters ... dunno if the sequel will have same results

Modest box office? I think you are seeing on the domestic take. Aquaman grossed over a $1.1 billion worldwide (link).

 

[quickccc]

But is that based on the comic book versions or the movie/TV depictions of the characters? Personally, I was never into Superman, too overpowered, so I know I'm biased versus the movies. For me, a Superman movie has to work harder to win me over versus an X-Men movie which I will be more receptive.

IIMO, ..when it comes to the films, DC studios have to work that much harder to sell their merchandise to the general public because as a whole they simply do not match up to Marvel studios

Despite the Super Man and Batman ... there seems a limit to what they can do with the characters .. they (DC) have a limit. far less popular character base than the gigantic wide span that Marvel Universe has...

In every past DC film, It would have been a good idea to introduce a newly DC character - whether hero or villain (ala Black Adam) ...that's why I don't expect very much out of the
upcoming Blue Bettle movie in August ... Not a popular DC character and wasn't introduced in any previous DC film.

 

[DallasEast]

The original question was more about the characters themselves than about the movies. @DallasEast mentioned that he would not watch The Flash movie again, but has re-watched The Eternals multiple times, which by most accounts, was not very good. So is the reason more based on the fact that he's more connected to The Eternals characters based on prior experience or because it's that much better of a movie than The Flash.

It is the other way around. I may have bought 20 issues of Eternals in my lifetime. Max. I did a LOT of rack browsing reading of issues I did not buy (store people hated me lol).

The Flash on the other hand? Shoot. I may have purchased over 350 issues of his title alone, not counting issues that featured him like JLA, team up titles, etc. I would have WAY more affinity for Barry Allen than both the Eternals AND Shang Chi combined.

 

[quickccc]

Modest box office? I think you are seeing on the domestic take. Aquaman grossed over a $1.1 billion worldwide (link).

https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt1477834/?ref_=bo_se_r_1

https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt6443346/?ref_=bo_se_r_1

Yes, I am,... Some seem to go by the International World Wide number , but I always go by the Domestic number. - The Box office numbers in US

Aquaman had the same, similar box office Opening Weekend as Black Adam ( $67 Million)

Now if Black Adam is considered a flop at those Box Numbers, then what makes Aquaman's BO numbers any different ?

 

[Roadtrip635]

IIMO, ..when it comes to the films, DC studios have to work that much harder to sell their merchandise to the general public because as a whole they simply do not match up to Marvel studios

Despite the Super Man and Batman ... there seems a limit to what they can do with the characters .. they (DC) have a limit. far less popular character base than the gigantic wide span that Marvel Universe has...

In every past DC film, It would have been a good idea to introduce a newly DC character - whether hero or villain (ala Black Adam) ...that's why I don't expect very much out of the
upcoming Blue Bettle movie in August ... Not a popular DC character and wasn't introduced in any previous DC film.

Marvel is definitely more popular than DC, it also helps that they had hits early on and strung several together. Now combined with Disney they have a juggernaut hype/marketing machine behind them They also had more of a plan going forward. DC just haven't been able to build on the few success they did have.

 

[Roadtrip635]

It is the other way around. I may have bought 20 issues of Eternals in my lifetime. Max. I did a LOT of rack browsing reading of issues I did not buy (store people hated me lol).

The Flash on the other hand? Shoot. I may have purchased over 350 issues of his title alone, not counting issues that featured him like JLA, team up titles, etc. I would have WAY more affinity for Barry Allen than both the Eternals AND Shang Chi combined.

So what you're saying is "Yeah, "The Flash" movie just sucked!"

 

[DallasEast]

IIMO, ..when it comes to the films, DC studios have to work that much harder to sell their merchandise to the general public because as a whole they simply do not match up to Marvel studios

Despite the Super Man and Batman ... there seems a limit to what they can do with the characters .. they (DC) have a limit. far less popular character base than the gigantic wide span that Marvel Universe has...

In every past DC film, It would have been a good idea to introduce a newly DC character - whether hero or villain (ala Black Adam) ...that's why I don't expect very much out of the
upcoming Blue Bettle movie in August ... Not a popular DC character and wasn't introduced in any previous DC film.

Not sure about 'limit'. Truthfully, both Superman and Batman have been overdone. And overdone poorly at times. Movies featuring the characters like Superman III, Superman IV, Superman Returns, Batman Forever, Batman and Robin should have never been produced. In the end (or better yet currently) there is a glut of good and bad adaptations of just those two DC characters alone that have been ingrained in movie audiences' memory. Then you add infantile Lego movies, which leads moviegoers into believe Warner Bros Discovery does not have any real respect for their comic book value and content.

I still believe WB could have created a competently competitive DCU if the studio had simply copied Marvel/Paramount and later Marvel Disney's blueprint. Instead, they boxed The Dark Knight trilogy and re-started Superman as a safe strategy. It was the cowardly approach. Instead of being bold like Marvel and starting off with a character like Tony Stark/Iron Man, WB went with the 'sure thing'. They compounded their mistake by having Christopher Nolan produce instead of throwing Fort Knox at the guy and have him direct.

Ironically, I highly believe the best character they could have started the DCU with is Martian Manhunter. J'onn J'onzz is a comic book character who would have been just as unknown to general audiences as Stark. The storyboard applications would have been off the chart. An alien, who looks alien, saving humans. Alone in the human world. Kind of a Superman story but without the Krypton baggage.

Need a centralized character tying everyone together like Nick Fury? Try modernizing Steve Trevor, a government/military figure. Bring in your next hero franchise. Wonder Woman? Now, introduce a third pillar to a slowly forming Justice League. How about BATMAN? Wait. What's happening? Earth in danger? The Martian Manhunter, Wonder Woman and Batman face off against the threat. Steve Trevor wants to ensure victory, hunts down a certain someone in Metropolis. Bam. Superman.

Just my imagination running wild.

 

[DallasEast]

https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt1477834/?ref_=bo_se_r_1

https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt6443346/?ref_=bo_se_r_1

Yes, I am,... Some seem to go by the International World Wide number , but I always go by the Domestic number. - The Box office numbers in US

Aquaman had the same, similar box office Opening Weekend as Black Adam ( $67 Million)

Now if Black Adam is considered a flop at those Box Numbers, then what makes Aquaman's BO numbers any different ?

You are still resticting box office to domestic dollars. Black Adam did squat at home and abroad. Aquaman did well, not great but well, at home and cleaned house abroad. Both movies are not alike in terms of dollars and cents earned.

 

[DallasEast]

So what you're saying is "Yeah, "The Flash" movie just sucked!"

To me? Pretty much.

 

[DallasEast]

Marvel is definitely more popular than DC, it also helps that they had hits early on and strung several together. Now combined with Disney they have a juggernaut hype/marketing machine behind them They also had more of a plan going forward. DC just haven't been able to build on the few success they did have.

Marvel had also planned the MCU years in advance. The DCEU was cobbled together with the hope that the appeal of Superman and Batman would make a no-plan work and work successfully. The initial ingenuity put into the DCEU was as pitifully thought out as the rehash of Superman II ending rebirthed in Superman Returns.

 

[DallasEast]

Oh. I'm royally piss at the ending of Secret Invasion's first episode. Pissed off.

 

[DallasEast]

How the MCU and DCU Are Switching Roles​

By Lee Lamarche | Movie Web
June 23, 2023

Superhero movies have been one of the dominant genres at the box office for years, and leading the charge has been the MCU. For over fifteen years, the franchise has captured the hearts and minds of viewers all over the world and has become a global sensation with no signs of slowing down. Meanwhile, the previously named DCEU is about to make way for the new DCU, a franchise that hopefully looks to recover after back to back to back box office disappointments Black Adam, Shazam! Fury of the Gods and The Flash.

Yet a shift appears to be happening between the two. While Dwayne Johnson promised Black Adam would shift the balance of power, it was, in fact, the hiring of James Gunn that might shift the favors over from Marvel to DC. Marvel is about to lose one of their biggest creative voices, while DC is about to gain a valuable talent. In addition, the MCU appears to be courting darker stories, while the DCU wants to have its heroes return to a brighter side. Here is how things could shift.

Read more

 

[quickccc]

Not sure about 'limit'. Truthfully, both Superman and Batman have been overdone. And overdone poorly at times. Movies featuring the characters like Superman III, Superman IV, Superman Returns, Batman Forever, Batman and Robin should have never been produced. In the end (or better yet currently) there is a glut of good and bad adaptations of just those two DC characters alone that have been ingrained in movie audiences' memory. Then you add infantile Lego movies, which leads moviegoers into believe Warner Bros Discovery does not have any real respect for their comic book value and content.

I still believe WB could have created a competently competitive DCU if the studio had simply copied Marvel/Paramount and later Marvel Disney's blueprint. Instead, they boxed The Dark Knight trilogy and re-started Superman as a safe strategy. It was the cowardly approach. Instead of being bold like Marvel and starting off with a character like Tony Stark/Iron Man, WB went with the 'sure thing'. They compounded their mistake by having Christopher Nolan produce instead of throwing Fort Knox at the guy and have him direct.

Ironically, I highly believe the best character they could have started the DCU with is Martian Manhunter. J'onn J'onzz is a comic book character who would have been just as unknown to general audiences as Stark. The storyboard applications would have been off the chart. An alien, who looks alien, saving humans. Alone in the human world. Kind of a Superman story but without the Krypton baggage.

Need a centralized character tying everyone together like Nick Fury? Try modernizing Steve Trevor, a government/military figure. Bring in your next hero franchise. Wonder Woman? Now, introduce a third pillar to a slowly forming Justice League. How about BATMAN? Wait. What's happening? Earth in danger? The Martian Manhunter, Wonder Woman and Batman face off against the threat. Steve Trevor wants to ensure victory, hunts down a certain someone in Metropolis. Bam. Superman.

Just my imagination running wild.

You are absolutely right on target with pointing out Martian Manhunter J'onn as one of those that could've been a great leeway that DC should've used as an new original away
from the usual Superman/Batman overdones . His superhuman powers aside, J'onn has the intriguing origin, story background and characteristics to successfully pull that off. ..

Etrigan the Demon, is yet another one that I thought would have been a great lead into a new and different DC story character ...and he's already had his cameo appearances with Justice League Dark and Apokolypse epsodes .. And between Gone the form of Man .. Rise the form of Etrigan " and like Martian Manhunter, Blood/Etrigan has his own uinique origin, background story (ala Merlin and Morgan Le Fey) ..plus Etrigan has the intriguing looks, charisma and superpowers to make it an interesting DC character to help set DC Universe into a much more improved era ... but alas the new DC execs have a different mind set and imagination

 

[DallasEast]

New FIREFLY Series Brings The Show Back To Its Western Roots​

By Shaun Corley | Screen Rant
June 23, 2023

This fall, a new Firefly miniseries returns the franchise to its space Western roots. The show was conceived as a “space Western,” telling stories of outlaws and other outcasts on the frontier of a distant solar system. These themes resonated with fans, and helped the show grow into a bona fide cult classic despite only airing a handful of episodes. Now, BOOM! Studios is taking Firefly back to its roots in The Fall Guys!

BOOM! has revealed more details of the new book, which will be written by Sam Humphries, drawn by Jordi Perez and colored by Francesco Segala. Titled Firefly: The Fall Guys, the six-issue limited series stars the show’s original crew and while it is not stated, it is implied to take place before the events of Serenity. In a press release, BOOM offered a brief synopsis for the book: “

The crew is broke and out of luck. They’ll have to deal with some of their shadier associates if Serenity is going to keep flying. What seems like an easy job in town for half the crew quickly turns sideways when feds, untrusting locals, and a high-profile politician get thrown into the mix.”​

Read more

 

[Roadtrip635]

Not sure about 'limit'. Truthfully, both Superman and Batman have been overdone. And overdone poorly at times. Movies featuring the characters like Superman III, Superman IV, Superman Returns, Batman Forever, Batman and Robin should have never been produced. In the end (or better yet currently) there is a glut of good and bad adaptations of just those two DC characters alone that have been ingrained in movie audiences' memory. Then you add infantile Lego movies, which leads moviegoers into believe Warner Bros Discovery does not have any real respect for their comic book value and content.

I still believe WB could have created a competently competitive DCU if the studio had simply copied Marvel/Paramount and later Marvel Disney's blueprint. Instead, they boxed The Dark Knight trilogy and re-started Superman as a safe strategy. It was the cowardly approach. Instead of being bold like Marvel and starting off with a character like Tony Stark/Iron Man, WB went with the 'sure thing'. They compounded their mistake by having Christopher Nolan produce instead of throwing Fort Knox at the guy and have him direct.

Ironically, I highly believe the best character they could have started the DCU with is Martian Manhunter. J'onn J'onzz is a comic book character who would have been just as unknown to general audiences as Stark. The storyboard applications would have been off the chart. An alien, who looks alien, saving humans. Alone in the human world. Kind of a Superman story but without the Krypton baggage.

Need a centralized character tying everyone together like Nick Fury? Try modernizing Steve Trevor, a government/military figure. Bring in your next hero franchise. Wonder Woman? Now, introduce a third pillar to a slowly forming Justice League. How about BATMAN? Wait. What's happening? Earth in danger? The Martian Manhunter, Wonder Woman and Batman face off against the threat. Steve Trevor wants to ensure victory, hunts down a certain someone in Metropolis. Bam. Superman.

Just my imagination running wild.

Even Netflix did a great job with how they introduced their corner of the Marvel Universe. Started with Jessica Jones, not a big comic name, but interwined the stories to bring on DD, Luke, Iron Fist, Punisher eventually leading to a team up as The Defenders. It felt like a very organic and natural progression. Outside of Thanos, Kingpin is still probably the best villain.

 

[DallasEast]

Even Netflix did a great job with how they introduced their corner of the Marvel Universe. Started with Jessica Jones, not a big comic name, but interwined the stories to bring on DD, Luke, Iron Fist, Punisher eventually leading to a team up as The Defenders. It felt like a very organic and natural progression. Outside of Thanos, Kingpin is still probably the best villain.

Started with Daredevil in April 2015. Jessica Jones debuted the following November. I agree 100%. Even Rosario Dawson's minor supporting character, Nurse Claire, was interwoven through all the series seamlessly except The Punisher.

It would not surprise me if Disney had Marvel Entertainment create those specific series in order to test the viability of Marvel related content for its future streaming service, with Netflix being the testing ground. What I think would be ironically shortsighted is Disney returning one or more of those series in neutered form. All of the Netflix series, including even Iron Fist, were edging in presentation. I guess everyone will find out with Daredevil: Born Again coming out next year.

 

[John813]

A lot to unpack on episode 1 of Secret invasion.

Didn't realize it was going to be 1 hour episodes. Pleasantly surprised

 

[quickccc]

Even Netflix did a great job with how they introduced their corner of the Marvel Universe. Started with Jessica Jones, not a big comic name, but interwined the stories to bring on DD, Luke, Iron Fist, Punisher eventually leading to a team up as The Defenders. It felt like a very organic and natural progression. Outside of Thanos, Kingpin is still probably the best villain.

Yeh .. I can see and agree with Thanos and Kingpin (wonderfully portrayed by Vincent Philip D'Onofrio) going No.1 and 2 among MCU villains. (Movies or TV series)

 

[quickccc]

Even Netflix did a great job with how they introduced their corner of the Marvel Universe. Started with Jessica Jones, not a big comic name, but interwined the stories to bring on DD, Luke, Iron Fist, Punisher eventually leading to a team up as The Defenders. It felt like a very organic and natural progression. Outside of Thanos, Kingpin is still probably the best villain.

http://www.soulinstereo.com/2022/11/ranking-the-best-mcu-marvel-netflix-and-disney-villians.html

@Roadtrip635 ...Based off your comment on the best villains in the MCU - (whether film or stream series)... Here's a ranking look at My top 10 Villains in the MCU:
Thoughts ? ....Who am I Missing ?

1.Thanos

2. Kingpin

3 Loki

4 Killmonger

5 Hela (Thor Ragnarok)

6 Wanda Maximoff - Scarlet Witch

7 Bucky Winter Soldier

8 Dr. Octopus (Spider Man 2)

9 Green Goblin (William DaFoe)

10 Kilgrave Jessica Jones Netflix