Comic to Screen Adaptations: Good or Bad?

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cherryalakei
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Comic to Screen Adaptations: Good or Bad?

Post by cherryalakei »

How do you feel about comic adaptations? Are you for it or against it? Obviously, Hollywood has been adapting comics for years ( Batman, DareDevil, Spider-Man, etc.) and people have had mixed reviews all along, but it seems the adaptations are everywhere now with shows like Agents of Shield, Super Girl, Arrow, The Flash, and even the new very different Riverdale(based on the Archie comics), as well as the introduction of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and so forth. A friend of mine made the comment that it seems like every movie anymore is superhero related in some way or another even if it isn't from DC or Marvel.

My personal favorite adaptations are Agents of Shield, Riverdale, and of course I appreciate the Marvel movies in general, but I'd have to go out on a limb and say Spider-Man Homecoming was probably my favorite thus far of the current run of movie adaptations.

So what do you think about all these adaptations? Should we continue to adapt comics into movies and shows? Do you like any specific adaptations? Is it disheartening to see your favorites translated to screen or do you welcome it? What comic would you want to see given the Hollywood treatment and why?

Discuss.
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Post by Star88 »

I really liked the Dark Knight Rises. However, I find that in most cases, the book is usually better. I don't deny that there are some excellent movie interpretations of comics out there.
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Post by BelindaC »

I quite enjoy them but in a different way than I do the comics. In comic books I am much more accepting of ridiculous plotlines, goofy antics and horrendous costumes, as it's kind of expected and can work well in that medium. Live-action television and film are more limited in regards to what they are able to depict and what they can get away with. I'm not sure why I, but I personally don't want to see live-action characters running around in the most impractical outfits and turning buildings into ice cream or what have you, as it just comes across as silly and childish. It's less believable, I guess. Animated films are able to get away with these more goofy elements of comics, and are therefore usually able to follow the material more closely.
I think that the tv show Gotham, although not directly adapting any specific Batman comics, does a really good job of balancing the grittiness and campiness that I like about Batman comics specifically and creates an environment that is very close to how I imagine the city of Gotham when I read the comics.
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Post by inaramid »

For as long as adaptations stay true to the source material, I think there won't really be a problem. Although the Riverdale adaptation re-imagined the entire world and it seems to have improved upon the source material. That just might be an exception, though.
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Post by P0tt3ry »

I'd agree that as long as the adaptation follows the source material, then telling the story on the screen is another way to enjoy it and not a problem. When a good comic gets reinterpreted so that it includes whatever the current trends are or changes characters drastically in order to be politically correct or more attractive -- that's a problem.
"I think that the tv show Gotham, although not directly adapting any specific Batman comics, does a really good job of balancing the grittiness and campiness that I like about Batman comics specifically and creates an environment that is very close to how I imagine the city of Gotham when I read the comics." BelindaC
You are so right, BelindaC. It's not just that they have captured the feel of Gotham either. Many of the scenes echo the composition and lighting of comic panels. My viewing companion saw one scene and named the artist who pioneered that design aesthetic.
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King Kush
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Post by King Kush »

What i think about that adaptation is very okay in my point of view. And yes u should continue to adapt comics into movies why so?
People in Kenya Don't have access to comic books, so we tend to watch movies.
I liked Captain America civil war was awesome
Its not disheartening i actually welcome it.
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Post by Camilla904 »

Well the movie says that it is based on the comics. There is always a hint that the movie is not the entirely book, so most of us is infavor to the comics its self not in the movie, some are disappointed because the plot its self changes. But if you're going to choose among those two well I would rather choose both why? Because I enjoy reading it and I also enjoy watching it. Atleast there's no changes when it comes to our opinions, it is still the same. Sorry for my english, but I'll try my best to correct my grammar.
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Post by uyky »

I loved Jessica Jones. The adaptation is so well done and it has this dark feeling all the way through the show. That one was perfect to me.
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Post by Vscholz »

cherryalakei wrote: 30 Aug 2017, 09:54 How do you feel about comic adaptations? Are you for it or against it? Obviously, Hollywood has been adapting comics for years ( Batman, DareDevil, Spider-Man, etc.) and people have had mixed reviews all along, but it seems the adaptations are everywhere now with shows like Agents of Shield, Super Girl, Arrow, The Flash, and even the new very different Riverdale(based on the Archie comics), as well as the introduction of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and so forth. A friend of mine made the comment that it seems like every movie anymore is superhero related in some way or another even if it isn't from DC or Marvel.

My personal favorite adaptations are Agents of Shield, Riverdale, and of course I appreciate the Marvel movies in general, but I'd have to go out on a limb and say Spider-Man Homecoming was probably my favorite thus far of the current run of movie adaptations.

So what do you think about all these adaptations? Should we continue to adapt comics into movies and shows? Do you like any specific adaptations? Is it disheartening to see your favorites translated to screen or do you welcome it? What comic would you want to see given the Hollywood treatment and why?

Discuss.
I ADORE Spider-Man: Homecoming! It is definitely my favorite of the MCU (Thor: Ragnarok is a close second).

As far as the shows go, Agent Carter deserved much more. I found it better than Agents of Shield, but that is a personal preference. I love her relationship with Howard Stark and Jarvis--it isn't romantic in any way. She's also just an awesome character and female role model overall. I don't recall there being much romance in Agent Carter (aside from her love for Steve, of course), which is quite refreshing especially as it is a show with a female protagonist.

I don't mind the adaptations as long as they are done the right way. The Killing Joke, for example, was great after the first bit with Batgirl. Even then, that part could have been good if they tied the story of her and her "Joker" into that of Batman and Joker. They could have made it more parallel, showing that heroes all have their flaws and Jokers, but they chose a route that seemed more about shock-value than story-telling.

I read more DC and watch more MCU. My attention span lately has been pretty low so watching shows more than half an hour long feels like a chore to me. I enjoyed Gotham when I was watching it (I'm about 2 seasons behind now), and I've watched a few episodes of Green Arrow, Flash, Supergirl... but those aren't my main comics.

My favorite Marvel characters haven't had much spotlight, except Phoenix/Jean Grey. I would love to see Spider-Woman and Spider-Gwen onscreen, and more of Laura/X-23 (and, of course, Gabby), but my standards are pretty high. However, if the characters are not portrayed correctly, it can ruin the show, movie, or even character.
As for you & your heart & the things you said & didn't say, she will remember them all when men are fairy tales in books written by rabbits. (Schmendrick the Magician)
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Post by anna0910 »

Comic to screen adaption is really and I highly respect those who cast them. They are really awesome especially when it comes to graphic designs it's just that some movies are really exagirating other concepts that sometimes its really hard to focus on just one thing. Sometimes the graphics are so unstable or shakimg that watchers are having headaches or getting dizzy, but all in all I highly respect those graphic designers out there
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Post by booklysis »

I am completely against it. Comics are nice in the form of books, turning them into a movie would be really awkward.
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Post by HailKingEbi »

They're good in my opinion. Arrow, The Flash.,these shows are good and get people who don't read comics curious about the source material.
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Post by Zimall »

Yes they should be adopted to screen. Comics becomes 10x more exciting when adopted to a movie
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Post by Jsovermyer »

I like what they did with the Walking Dead. Different characters die in the comics. So you are never sure what will happen even if you have read all of thhe comics.
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Post by Nisha Ward »

They're fine, for the most part, I think. With the exception of the Zack Snyder movies, a few early attempts at Marvel movies and the Fox Fantastic Four films, I'd say the comic to screen adaptation industry has been doing well for itself. I especially like the Arrowverse, which has been doing its own thing due to various constraints on what they can or can't use, but feel very comic-y for the most part.

With regard to the Snyder films in particular, I think the problem starts when the execution doesn't go over as well as you think it would. A lot of the ideas he put into the films work well in the actual comics (Batman may not exactly kill anymore, but his brutality has become legendary), but they don't translate well to a medium that caters to folks who wouldn't know what the comics are doing. That's where I think one needs to be wary of the adaptation process and how it's done.
"...while a book has got to be worthwhile from the point of view of the reader it's got to be worthwhile from the point of view of the writer as well." - Terry Pratchett on The Last Continent and his writing.
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