What? What makes a Fan, Mr. Lebowski? Is it being prepared to obsess over the right movie? Whatever the cost? Isn’t that what makes a Fan?
When I say fanboy, I am speaking of the knowledgeable enthusiast, not the GOD OF SOURCE MATERIAL (the dissector of details). I want to know what makes you a Fan-boy (or girl) of comic books and their, somewhat more popular yet less sophisticated younger brother, comic book movies.
The big rage in comic book movies these days seems to be the origin and prequel stories. It reminds me of a time of #0 comic books. “You think you know everything about this character you love? Well guess again, #0! Boom! Buy it, fan-boyeeee!” No, no creator ever said these words or impersonated Flavor-flave, but that’s what it said to me.
I’m taking the origin story back to the streets! Back to the everyday Joe. Every one of us fans has to have a beginning. An origin, if you will. I want to know what comic got you into getting HYPE about comics and comic book movies. If you are of the backwards evolution, I want to know what comic book movie got you into comic book movies.
When I think back to singular issues that got me into comics, I think of Uncanny X-Men #211 and The Mighty THOR #380.
In X-men #211 it is the beginning of a story line involving The Marauders. The Marauders start killing Morlocks. The X-Men try to come to the rescue but a couple are injured. Colossus kills one of them by snapping his neck! Storm sends wolverine into the subway system to track whoever is responsible. In the end he finds Sabretooth. I had no idea comics could be so life or death serious. I basically thought of them as an extension of the funny pages. Boy was I so wrong! John Romita JR. pencils and Chris Claremont writes.
I collected X-men exclusively for months then I saw Thor #380 on the rotating rack at the gas station I passed, walking home from school. The cover was pretty intriguing. I see a really cool dragon/snake thing attacking Thor, who at the time I thought of only as a guy that uses a hammer for a weapon. Thor never speaks the entire issue. I really can’t describe the beauty of this story, but I’ll try.
The serpent's name is Jormundgand. Throughout this tale, only Jormundgand speaks while Thor hardly says a word. Thor speaks through his actions and his facial expression, only. The serpent speaks of prophecy during this battle with Thor. Thor reacts with a hammer to the serpent’s teeth. The serpent charges, Thor calls upon the powers of thunder and lightening, they collide in explosion. Jormundgand plummets, his head split and smoking. The mighty Thor falls to the ground, his armor empty.
I was ten years old, standing in a gas station and completely enthralled with this story. I had never been spoken to and affected so deeply with only pictures. This was my first fine art. These pictures were worth a million words and definitely worth the dollar in my pocket. Actually it was .75 cents, isn’t that crazy!? Walt Simonson pencils and writes.
Many years later I am enlightened while casually exploring norse myth:
Jormundgand is the middle child of the god Loki. According myth, Odin tossed Jormundgand into the great ocean that encircles Midgard. Jormundgand, the serpent, grew so big that he was able to surround the Earth and grasp his own tail. When he lets go the world will end. Jormundgand's arch enemy is the god Thor.
This literally blows my mind! Literally, the top of my head blew off and an old timey locomotive steam whistle came out! This means that the first story of Thor that I ever read was actually the last tale that will ever be. After he defeats Jormundgand, everything ends, the world ends. That was his final battle and THE final battle. Thor is the harbinger of DOOM! J/K but no really, in a way.
This is the type of greatness I’m looking for in the Thor movie or any comic book movie. This is the epic win I wish to see. Can you see how hard it will be for a film-maker to even close to affecting me this way? Will I hate them if Thor is a tragedy? No, because I’m a nice guy. What I look for in a comic book movie is at least respect for the character and the few key elements that make them the legend that they are.
The first comic book movie to stand out and successfully capture all of these elements to me was Batman I. It was the first one to me that said, “I’m a cool comic book movie.” Yes I’m quoting what Batman I said about itself. I liked the Superman movies but really, Batman killed it.
So tell me, what are your origins? What were the first comics that built the fire of your fandom? What were the first comic-based movies that gave you faith in a group of people interpreting your hero? In no way do you have to go into as much detail. 'ey, I'm writing an article ova heeya. Please, give me pics.