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Post by freedomfighter on Jul 27, 2009 11:06:59 GMT -5
My wife is looking forward to seeing the Time Traveler's Wife and based on the ads, it reminds me an awful lot of Adam Strange. This guy keeps zipping in and out of her life and it defines their relationship.
In fact, I was thinking with a few alterations, Adam Strange could easily work as a mainstream love story.
Now comics are accepted these days, but often not as mainstream adult fare, especially for women.
Wondering which comics do you think would work for a wider, older audience and crossover genderwise?
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Post by Shiryu on Jul 27, 2009 16:00:43 GMT -5
Uhm, good question.
I suppose comics that are closer to reality and/or sci-fi, more movie-like and less colorful. I haven't read it in years, but the Punisher is (was?) realistic enough that it could work, and perhaps some of Cap's stories set in WW2 (but without the rest of the Invaders). And then minis like Magneto: Testament.
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Post by freedomfighter on Jul 27, 2009 21:48:03 GMT -5
Uhm, good question. I suppose comics that are closer to reality and/or sci-fi, more movie-like and less colorful. I haven't read it in years, but the Punisher is (was?) realistic enough that it could work, and perhaps some of Cap's stories set in WW2 (but without the rest of the Invaders). And then minis like Magneto: Testament. These all fit the barometer of being mainstream-able, but would they cross over genderwise? That's another component that seems missing from Cap, Punisher and the Magneto story. Not to lessen the contribution of our wonderful female members, but there ain't a whole lot of 'em. I think a lot of women look for material that includes more emotional content. Anybody read Kurt Busiek's The Nearness of You-the Astro City 1/2 issue? It's a beautiful story where a guy wakes up every night with this crazy dream about a woman he never met. Turns out a couple of big time cosmic forces had a battle and changed the course of history and one little ripple of time causes that woman, his wife, to never be born. It's great and touching and will bring a tear to a glass eye. And if a woman ever asks me why I read comics, it's the one I give them, because it touches on such good universal themes, love, lost love, family, and has a wonderful ending. I guess that's what I'm looking for in a continuing story or character. |
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Post by sharkar on Jul 29, 2009 18:17:02 GMT -5
Interesting topic, ff. I think a lot of women look for material that includes more emotional content. For myself, I have always bought comics for specific characters (mostly female, a few male). In general I liked female lead characters who took part in the action/battles, but I can't easily explain why I identified with, or liked, certain characters more than others. It's why as a kid (during the Silver Age) I bought the FF, Avengers, and X-Men comics, because they featured characters I liked: Crystal, Wanda, Pietro, Lorna Dane, Alex Summers...but I didn't buy the Marvel solo hero books--for the most part the solo heroes had girlfriends who didn't take part in the battles, so my interest wasn't piqued. I also bought Amazing Adventures when Natasha and the Inhumans were featured (I love Medusa; great visual creation). My interest in these characters continues to this day, so I've read War of Kings, Rise and Fall of the Shi'Ar Empire, House of M, Disassembled, Son of M, Silent War, Secret Invasion: Inhumans, etc. It's also why (in the 60s) I continued to read DC, even while recognizing the far superior storytelling of Marvel back then. I read Batgirl in Detective, the Diana Prince/Emma Peel Wonder Woman, Lois Lane, the Thorn feature in Lois Lane, Supergirl, Metal Men, Teen Titans, GL/GA (when Black Canary joined their them), and the Legion (great cast). Characters like Batgirl, Diana, and Thorn--all of whom relied on skill and brains--were a very appealing fantasy for me; I thought all I needed to do was learn some fancy karate, don some cute skintight attire (I was crazy about Thorn's thigh- high boots!), and I too could fight crime! As mentioned I also followed a few male characters. Alex Summers is one, from the 1960s...he's always been insecure and that's interesting. (I'm so disappointed that his role in War of Kings is practically non-existent.) But a huge surprise for me--recently I became interested in the Ghost Rider (Johnny Blaze)! A couple of months ago I re-read the Champions trades (originally bought strictly for Natasha's presence) and this time around, the Ghost Rider sparked something in me. There was something about his isolation from the rest of the Champions that touched me and I wanted to learn more about him. So I ran out and bought Essential Ghost Rider volumes 1 and 2. Wow! Johnny Blaze's story has everything! Universal themes, the supernatural, lots of action, complications in life and love, basic human loneliness, plus an appealing lead. This is a great character in a great continuing drama and I'm looking forward to reading more when his Essentials volume 3 comes out (in October I believe--I'm counting the days! ;D) as well as picking up more recent fare, such as The Life and Death of Johnny Blaze tpb. |
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Post by freedomfighter on Jul 29, 2009 23:00:21 GMT -5
Actually found my perfect subject.
Hellcat.
her story could totally be revamped and introduced in a way that could attract male and female readers...
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Doctor Bong
West Coast Avenger
Master of Belly Dancing (no, really...)!
Posts: 49
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Post by Doctor Bong on Jul 30, 2009 4:36:29 GMT -5
Interesting topic, ff. I think a lot of women look for material that includes more emotional content. For myself, I have always bought comics for specific characters (mostly female, a few male). In general I liked female lead characters who took part in the action/battles, but I can't easily explain why I identified with, or liked, certain characters more than others. It's why as a kid (during the Silver Age) I bought the FF, Avengers, and X-Men comics, because they featured characters I liked: Crystal, Wanda, Pietro, Lorna Dane, Alex Summers...but I didn't buy the Marvel solo hero books--for the most part the solo heroes had girlfriends who didn't take part in the battles, so my interest wasn't piqued. I also bought Amazing Adventures when Natasha and the Inhumans were featured (I love Medusa; great visual creation). My interest in these characters continues to this day, so I've read War of Kings, Rise and Fall of the Shi'Ar Empire, House of M, Disassembled, Son of M, Silent War, Secret Invasion: Inhumans, etc. It's also why (in the 60s) I continued to read DC, even while recognizing the far superior storytelling of Marvel back then. I read Batgirl in Detective, the Diana Prince/Emma Peel Wonder Woman, Lois Lane, the Thorn feature in Lois Lane, Supergirl, Metal Men, Teen Titans, GL/GA (when Black Canary joined their them), and the Legion (great cast). Characters like Batgirl, Diana, and Thorn--all of whom relied on skill and brains--were a very appealing fantasy for me; I thought all I needed to do was learn some fancy karate, don some cute skintight attire (I was crazy about Thorn's thigh- high boots!), and I too could fight crime! As mentioned I also followed a few male characters. Alex Summers is one, from the 1960s...he's always been insecure and that's interesting. (I'm so disappointed that his role in War of Kings is practically non-existent.) But a huge surprise for me--recently I became interested in the Ghost Rider (Johnny Blaze)! A couple of months ago I re-read the Champions trades (originally bought strictly for Natasha's presence) and this time around, the Ghost Rider sparked something in me. There was something about his isolation from the rest of the Champions that touched me and I wanted to learn more about him. So I ran out and bought Essential Ghost Rider volumes 1 and 2. Wow! Johnny Blaze's story has everything! Universal themes, the supernatural, lots of action, complications in life and love, basic human loneliness, plus an appealing lead. This is a great character in a great continuing drama and I'm looking forward to reading more when his Essentials volume 3 comes out (in October I believe--I'm counting the days! ;D) as well as picking up more recent fare, such as The Life and Death of Johnny Blaze tpb. Sharkar, did you see the GR movie? And if so, what did you think of it...? I must confess I kinda liked it, despite GR having been played by Nicholas Cage, who I despise for personal reasons (every woman in my life seems to have been "in love" with him...) despite begrudginly acknowledging his quality as an actor. |
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Post by sharkar on Jul 30, 2009 10:05:49 GMT -5
Sharkar, did you see the GR movie? And if so, what did you think of it...? I must confess I kinda liked it, despite GR having been played by Nicholas Cage, who I despise for personal reasons (every woman in my life seems to have been "in love" with him...) despite begrudginly acknowledging his quality as an actor. Bong, No, I haven't seen it yet. I still may (and I'm glad you liked it), though I normally don't seek out movies about comic book characters because for me, a movie with actors will never match how I "see" and "hear" the characters. Nick Cage is not my idea at all (visually) of the tawny-haired Johnny Blaze. Cage is a quirky, talented, intense actor but for what it's worth, I have never found him particularly attractive. He could never match the way I see Blaze: handsome and vibrant as rendered by Tuska and Byrne and others (in the Champions and the Essentials I mentioned). |
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Post by Ignore Me! on Aug 1, 2009 12:07:43 GMT -5
Actually found my perfect subject. Hellcat. her story could totally be revamped and introduced in a way that could attract male and female readers... Actually I think Tigra would make a better movie. The character has suffered over the years but if Hollywood worked from her original incarnation it would make a great story. All that '70's magic and mystery. She was after all the Were Woman. Movies love to show that human vs. the beast within concept. |
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Post by spiderwasp on Aug 1, 2009 15:45:07 GMT -5
Actually found my perfect subject. Hellcat. her story could totally be revamped and introduced in a way that could attract male and female readers... Actually I think Tigra would make a better movie. The character has suffered over the years but if Hollywood worked from her original incarnation it would make a great story. All that '70's magic and mystery. She was after all the Were Woman. Movies love to show that human vs. the beast within concept. I'd watch either one. I think it's funny that you used the old werewoman reference though. I rembember a WCA letter pointing out that the title didn't really fit her even though they used it repeatedly. Since the prefix "were" means "man", a werewolf is a man-wolf. If Tigra were a werewoman, she would be a man-woman and that would be another comic altogether. |
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Post by freedomfighter on Aug 1, 2009 22:20:54 GMT -5
Actually found my perfect subject. Hellcat. her story could totally be revamped and introduced in a way that could attract male and female readers... Actually I think Tigra would make a better movie. The character has suffered over the years but if Hollywood worked from her original incarnation it would make a great story. All that '70's magic and mystery. She was after all the Were Woman. Movies love to show that human vs. the beast within concept. Well Patsy's relationship with her mother, celebrity at a young age, being exploited for fame and fortune in her teens, I think are quite relevant today and might grab an audience outside regular comics. Tigra, I don't know if she has that, but then again depends on the writer and his vision... |
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Post by redstatecap on Aug 6, 2009 0:51:03 GMT -5
I've always felt that Iron Man would translate to the mainstream very well, and it has. Marvel managed not to screw that one up.
On the other hand, the Punisher is basically mainstream already, but Marvel has done very poorly with the 2 or 3 adaptations they've done.
I think that the other adaptations Marvel has on deck (Capt. A, Avengers, & Thor) will be extremely difficult to get right. Frankly I'm not optimistic.
I think Dr. Strange would translate fairly well, although I've never been a fan.
Now that I've written all this, I see that you meant more than "translate to the big screen." That's a tough one, because when you say "a more adult audience" that tends (in my mind) to eliminate the superpowers thing.
The Black Widow would work as a cold war female James Bond.
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