Comic-book fans find heroes less than super in movies

Comics are no laughing matter.

At least not to comic-book fans, who take their comics -- and the movies inspired by them -- most seriously.

On Friday, "Captain America: The First Avenger" marched into multiplexes, the fourth -- and final -- comic-book adaptation invading theaters this summer.

"Thor" thundered onto movie screens in early May, followed in June by "X-Men: First Class" and "Green Lantern." And, with its head start on the competition, "Thor" is the top box-office earner of the three (so far), racking up more than $178 million in ticket sales at North American theaters as of July 10, followed by "X-Men" ($178.7 million) and "Green Lantern" ($142 million).

Clearly, mass movie audiences have embraced these comic-book heroes on screen, just as they've cheered the previous cinematic appearances of Batman, Superman, Spider-Man and Iron Man.

And while some comic-book fans may quibble with the screen versions of their favorite superheroes, they still report for duty whenever the adventures hit the screen.

"The fanboys will always go see it," says Aaron Bossak, taking a break from perusing the latest releases at Alternate Reality Comics in Las Vegas, where he's surrounded not just by comic books but by posters, action figures and such collectibles as Thor's signature hammer. (To say nothing of an inflatable Spidey, standing guard in a corner, watching for shoplifters.)

Comic-book fans "love seeing the stuff come to the screen," Bossak says.

Even when what's on the screen isn't necessarily the same thing they've seen in the comic books.

To Ralph Mathieu, Alternate Reality's owner -- or, as he prefers, overlord -- "I don't mind if they're different from the source material, as long as they're entertaining in their own right -- and they don't dumb it down."

Customer Andrew Scott Flahive, an attorney, agrees, noting that it's OK -- at least with him -- "if they take the character and do something interesting, even if they're changing a lot of things."

Then again, most comic-book fans don't expect much from movie adaptations of their favorite superhero sagas.

If you go in thinking, 'It's never going to be the best thing in the world,' " an adaptation often proves a pleasant surprise, according to Derrick Taylor, owner of the Comic Oasis store in Las Vegas.

For example, the prequel "X-Men: First Class" followed two widely reviled "X-Men" sequels, so comic-book fans "were expecting absolutely the worst thing possible," Taylor says. When "X-Men: First Class" turned out to be "really good, people said, 'Wow, this is awesome.' "

And while "Green Lantern" received largely negative reviews, the movie "was better than a lot of critics are saying," contends actor Kerstan Szczepanski, a former cast member at the Las Vegas Hilton's now-shuttered Star Trek: The Experience.

At least "Green Lantern's" theatrical debut inspired fans to buy movie tie-in merchandise, notes Mathieu, standing before a wall filled with logo-bedecked attire.

"Sadly, not everyone likes to read," Mathieu reflects. "They like the little novelties," from key chains to decals, proclaiming their comic-book loyalties.

For Szczepanski, action is one key to a comic-book movie's success.

In addition, "it's good to see the (comic-book) themes being carried over" into their movie adaptations, he says, from "standing up for what's right" to "helping people who can't help themselves."

Overall, "good comic-book movies help give a mainstream legitimacy to comics," Szczepanski says. "Comic-book fans always struggle with the idea of legitimacy."

Especially when it comes to comic-book superheroes.

Of course, not all comic-book movies focus on superpowered crime fighters.

Such acclaimed movies as "A History of Violence," "Ghost World," "Road to Perdition" and "American Splendor" began as graphic novels; some audiences may not realize they share the same literary roots as Superman, Batman and Iron Man.

Some audiences may not care, either.

The most recent Batman movie, 2008's "The Dark Knight" -- which features Heath Ledger's Oscar-winning portrayal of the Joker -- delivers "a realistic take" that "anybody can enjoy," Bossak argues, with an appeal for fans of "any genre, any era. What makes those movies good is they're darker, realistic."

Sure, "the Batman movies are fun," admits Monte Carlo employee Alex Getchell, checking in at Alternate Reality for his latest comic-book fix. "They're all right -- the best of a bad lot."

Yes, Getchell's one comic-book fan who doesn't like most comic-book movies.

"By and large, they aren't very good," he says. "Something like 'Batman' is ostensibly an action film," but he argues that its action pales when compared to a movie like "The Bourne Identity."

Getchell found "Thor" so forgettable he forgot that he'd seen it. "Captain America"? Hates the work of director Joe Johnston. "X-Men: First Class"? He prefers his "X-Men" comic books, thank you, which are "by some people who can actually write."

The last comic-book movies Getchell enjoyed were the first two entries in the "Spider-Man" franchise, especially "all the stuff swinging through the city," he recalls. "They took that idea and ran with it. They showed how incredible it was being Spider-Man."

Most of the time, however, "I'm a hater," he cheerfully acknowledges, noting that he's looking for a movie that lives up to what he finds in comic books: "an incredibly clever guy who beats the hell out of the bad guys."

Sounds like a job for Superman, or Batman, or Spider-Man, or Iron Man -- all of whom will be back on the big screen next year.

And comic-book fans will be there.

As Comic Oasis' Taylor points out, "It's soap opera for guys."

Contact movie critic Carol Cling at ccling@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0272.