R.I.P. Captain America

[Sabin]

(sigh)...

I am currently reading the Marvel Civil War series and SADLY this is not a case of killing off a popular character only to bring him back for the sake of a future film's popularity. It actually ties into the story very, very well. I'm not going to go into it for reasons of my head exploding from outward nerdiness but basically there are two sides in this Civil War, those for the governmental registration of all superpowered individuals and those against, with Captain America leading the rebellion. The battle resulted in the loss of too many lives just to justify continuing the cause and Cap surrendered only to be assassinated. Nobody on either side thinks he's dead.

I remember Superman's death. It was one of the first comics I ever read and it actually put off my affection for comic books for years. I hate that comic.

I have such low expectations for a 'Watchmen' film it's not even funny. This amazing story wouldn't even begin to lend itself well to film.

[MovieWes]

I've just heard that Snyder wants to do Watchmen on a budget of $150 million. Has he even read Watchmen before? Unless he's assembling a huge all-star cast, it shouldn't cost more than $25 million tops!

[Franz Ferdinand]

I completely agree! I just saw today that Snyder is attached and I let out a large groan. I would have expected someone like, oh, Bryan Singer attached, but Snyder? Definitely not something to inspire confidence in a fan of the novel.

[MovieWes]

If you're going with Frank Miller's Batman graphic novels, you should definately start with Batman: Year One before reading The Dark Knight Returns. It was actually Year One that inspired both Tim Burton's and Christopher Nolan's Batman adaptations.

I'm a little disappointed that WB hired Zach Snyder to direct the Watchmen adaptation since it seems like the type of work that could actually spawn a very serious film -- and by this I mean the first superhero movie to land a Best Picture nomination. It just doesn't seem like the type of film that should have the director of Dawn of the Dead attached to it. Unfortunately, with the exception of V for Vendetta, Alan Moore's graphic novels haven't really translated well to the big screen and I attribute this to the studios hiring the wrong directors for the projects. I really hope I'm wrong about Zach Snyder, but I think it's a trainwreck waiting to happen.

[Franz Ferdinand]

This graphic novel-thread is perfect: I was going to ask for any recommendations on where to continue. I recently read Moore/Gibbons' "Watchmen" - perhaps one of the finest pieces of fiction I've encountered, period - and I was wondering if people had any suggestions of where I could go from here.
I recently picked up the first three volumes of the 10-volume edition of Neil Gaiman's "The Sandman", as well as Frank Miller's "The Dark Knight Returns". Another one I was looking at purchasing is Art Spiegelman's "Maus". Anything else a virgin graphic novel reader should wade into?

[Hollywood Z]

Actually, the 1993 date would makes since, since, apparently, there was supposed to be a Superman movie coming out around that time. I remember hearing rumors that Tim Burton was supposed to direct and Nicholas Cage was supposed to play Superman (this was, of course, after the Leaving Las Vegas publicity). In fact, there were even some posters out there touting it for a release in 1997 or 1998, but there were, of course, creative differences and eventually the funding fell through, so the movie was nixed, but the script where Superman died remained in limbo. When Bryan Singer learned of this script, he jumped onboard, took on the costs of the previous attempted resurrections (explaining the $250 million+ price tag) and in 2006, Superman Returns came out. In fact, there are even traces of the Doomsday elements in the final feature, especially the ending, which was then reworked to be a overt symbollic reference to Jesus.

[OscarGuy]

Well, actually it was 1992. I meant it was 13 years from Doomsday to the release of Superman Returns. So, in actuality, it's been 14 years. :O

Sorry... I'm a comic book nut, lol.

I looked it up to find out what year, so the report I read said 1993. But one year or not, holy hell I'm feeling old.

[MovieWes]

Well, actually it was 1992. I meant it was 13 years from Doomsday to the release of Superman Returns. So, in actuality, it's been 14 years. :O

Sorry... I'm a comic book nut, lol.

[OscarGuy]

I think you're probably right about it being a publicity stunt, but I don't think that the Superman comparison is a particularly good one. Superman was killed back when I was in 4th grade. Considering that I'm graduating from college later this year, I don't think that the death of Superman was meant to peak interest in the movie. It was more than just a couple of years -- it was more like 13.

Wow...I didn't realize it was that long ago...1993 is quite a time, I thought they'd publicity killed him this century...

[MovieWes]

I think you're probably right about it being a publicity stunt, but I don't think that the Superman comparison is a particularly good one. Superman was killed back when I was in 4th grade. Considering that I'm graduating from college later this year, I don't think that the death of Superman was meant to peak interest in the movie. It was more than just a couple of years -- it was more like 13.

[OscarGuy]

I think you've hit the nail on the head, Penelope. It is so plainly a power stunt...after all, Superman died in his comic book a couple of years before the movie was resurrected...

Besides, I'm personally happy this patriotic drivel is being wiped out. I only wish it would stay away.

[Penelope]

In the comic-book universe, death is not always final. But even if Captain America turns out to have met his end in print, he may not disappear entirely: Marvel has said it is developing a Captain America movie.

Read: this is a publicity stunt to create interest in the movie, which, when released, will result in the resurrection of the comic book.

[MovieWes]

Comic book hero Captain America dies

NEW YORK - Captain America has undertaken his last mission — at least for now. The venerable superhero is killed in the issue of his namesake comic that hit stands Wednesday, the Daily News reported.

On the new edition's pages, a sniper shoots down the shield-wielding hero as he leaves a courthouse, according to the newspaper.

It ends a long run for the stars-and-stripes-wearing character, created in 1941 to incarnate patriotic feeling during World War II. Over the years, an estimated 210 million copies of "Captain America" comic books, published by New York-based Marvel Entertainment Inc., have been sold in a total of 75 countries.

But resurrections are not unknown in the world of comics, and Marvel Entertainment editor in chief Joe Quesada said a Captain America comeback wasn't impossible.

Still, the character's death came as a blow to co-creator Joe Simon.

"We really need him now," said Simon, 93, who worked with artist Jack Kirby to devise Captain America as a foe for Adolf Hitler.

According to the comic, the superhero was spawned when a scrawny arts student named Steve Rogers, ineligible for the army because of his poor health but eager to serve his country, agreed to a "Super Soldier Serum" injection. The substance made him a paragon of physical perfection, armed only with his shield, his strength, his smarts and a command of martial arts.

In the comic-book universe, death is not always final. But even if Captain America turns out to have met his end in print, he may not disappear entirely: Marvel has said it is developing a Captain America movie.