This year, Marvel Comics battled for supremacy with DC, with “Iron Man” versus “Batman, The Dark Knight.” Suffice to say, the classic Batman franchise won all the box office glory, becoming the second-highest grossing film of all time, after Titanic. However, Iron Man’s success was hardly something to scoff at, seeing as it was the fifth most successful comic book movie hit (grossing $318,223,785). The “Spiderman” movies were Marvel Comic’s cash cows, setting records as the top three Marvel movies ever made, as well as the three most successful films ever produced by Sony/Columbia. The X-Men franchise captivated audiences and critics with its dazzling special effects, costumes, acting and directing, while showcasing how appropriately a comic book series can compliment new advances in film technology.
Marvel Comics began as Timely Publications in 1939, founded by Martin Goodman who started Western, Mystery and Science Fiction pulp magazine in 1933. Graphic novels were becoming the next hottest thing, so publisher Goodman added an editor, managing editor and business manager and moved into an office on West 42nd Street in New York City. The first publication was Marvel Comics # 1 starring the Human Torch (Carl Burgos) and Namor the Sub-Mariner (Bill Everett). Their real blockbuster comic book series was Joe Simon and legendary Jack Kirby’s Captain America (debuting as “Captain America Comics #1″ in March 1941), which sold nearly 1 million copies!
In the 1960s, editor and visionary Stan Lee was given complete creative control in the studio. He enlisted the comic book art of Steve Ditko and Jack Kirby, who created comic book heroes like X-Men, Spiderman, the Incredible Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, Dr. Strange and the Silver Surfer. What makes Marvel Comics distinct from DC Comics is that the characters have a more human appeal. Unlike comic book heroes like Superman or Wonder Woman, who were born with super powers, the Marvel heroes were created through science accidents or dramatic events. The settings were in real places like New York City, Los Angeles or Toronto and the struggles were very real as many of the “anti-heroes” struggled with vices (like explosive anger) and psychological tension. Many of the Marvel heroes didn’t really want to be heroes and longed for normalcy. In later years, some comic book characters even struggled with drug addictions or turned from good to bad.
The future of Marvel Comics lies in its ability to adapt to all the exciting formats, technologies and modern needs. “Motion Comics,” which add subtle movement, music, pans and zooms to bring a story to life, are gaining in popularity as DVD features and webcomics. “We want people to see these stories through as many distribution points as possible,” explains Marvel Comic Books. Some of the motion comics made by Marvel include Stephen King’s “N” and “Ultimate Spider-Man.” While the comic book industry has always been in danger of going under due to mismanagement or inner struggles, someone has always stepped up to the plate because of their intense love for the comic book series that shaped his or her childhood.
