8 Movie You Didnt Know Were Comic Books - Part 2

In my post yesterday I spoke about 4 movies revered by movie fans that had its' Secret Origins as comic books. A lot of people still think that comic books are juvenile crap produced for the barely literate, when in fact comic books has been a legitimate and respected sub-genre of literature for decades. Many current Hollywood writers, producers and directors sight the seminal works of Will Eisner, Frank Miller, Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman as inspirations that led them along the path of storytelling and film making.

Of course for every great comic book movie produced, we have had maybe 5 or 6 crappy movies but that is a discussion for another time. Let us now look at 4 more movies that fans in general would not have linked to a bleeding comic book


5. From Hell

It is 1888 in Whitecahappel England, and the poor live in squalor and fear as they are hunted by Jack The Ripper.

Starring Johnny Depp, Heather Graham, Robbie Coltraine and Ian Holm, this movie chronicles the life of Inspector Fred Abberline a brilliant opium addicted policeman who uses his psychic visions to aid in his work.

In the graphic novel written by Alan Moore (him again !) and artist Eddie Campbell, Abberline is a different character than the one portrayed by Depp, Abberline is middle aged, married and is assisted by an opium addicted physic. Moore uses actual historical records in writing his story and all the characters in the books are historically accurate.

The film turns the whole story into a "whodonit" but the graphic novel specifically states who Jack the Ripper is, and what a shocker it turns out to be. Moore speculates that the Jack the Ripper murders were a cover-up to hide a royal scandal - an illegitimate baby fathered by Prince Albert Victor the Duke of Clarence and that royal physician Sir William Gull tasked by the Queen to kill everyone with the knowledge, was Jack the Ripper.

While the people used were real, and Moore and Campbell spent hours researching hundreds of historical documents, Moore himself has stated that his story is a hypothesis of what happened and that this hypothesis has been disproved over the years but it did make for an interesting story.

If you ever have the opportunity of reading the book, please do so, as the movie has absolutely nothing over it.



6. 300

In 2007 people went ape crap over a movie based on the Greek legend of King Leonidis of Sparta at The Battle of Thermopylae, who along with his army of 300 men held off the combined might of Xherxes and the invading Persian army from over running Greece.

Comic book legend Frank Miller uses double spread pages throughout the entire book and his wife at the time Lyn Varley provided the lush colours that made the art really jump up off the page. Miller has been criticized for taking liberties with accuracy but his approach to the story is more theatrical portrayal rather than a historical battle.

While movie goers were oogling the rippling bodies of the Spartans, marvelling at the technology used to provide the unique colours and singing the praises of director Zack Synder, comic book fans were laughing to themselves quietly, realizing that Snider reproduced the entire comic book merely panel by panel and thus the movie is an exact duplicate of the comic book.


7. A History of Violence

A History of Violence was nominated for 2 Academy Awards, one for Best Adapted Screenplay and one for Best Supporting Actor - William Hurt.

It starred Viggo Mortensen as a small town diner owner who kills two robbers in self defense and becomes a bit of a celebrity. When confronted by someone from his violent past, Stall has to admit to his family who he is and why he ran away from his former life. Forced to confront unresolved issues, Stall returns to Philadelphia and deals viciously with outstanding issues before returning to home to his wife and kid.

The graphic novel written by John Wagner and illustrated by Vince Locke was turned into a movie with intelligence and insight and should encourage movie makers to continue to pay proper respect to the source material.

The film ends suddenly which might annoy some viewers, but the Director using a minimalistic approach leaves enough for you to conclude what happens next.

A wonderful movie that is worth seeing again and again.


8. Road to Perdition

I remember seeing this movie years ago and was just blown away by it. It had drama, action and intrigue, a fantastic and intelligently written plot and starred Tom Hanks at the heights of his career.

Mystery writer and former Dick Tracey chronicler Max Alan Collins along with artist Richard Piers Rayner produces an enthralling crime noir about revenge, morality and family loyalty. Michael O'Sullivan is a deeply religious enforcer for an Irish mob family. When O'Sullivan's son witnesses one of his father's hits, the Godfather orders the death of the entire family.

Barely surviving an encounter that takes his wife and youngest son, O'Sullivan and his only remaining child embark on a dark and violent mission of retribution against his former boss. Featuring accurate portrayals of Al Capone, Frank Nitti, and Eliot Ness, this book offers a poignant look at the relationship between a morally conflicted father and his adolescent son who both fears and worships him.

Directed by Sam Mendes, Hanks is joined by Paul Newman, Jude Law and Daniel Craig to help this comic book movie adaptation to 6 Academy Awards nominations for 2002 (It won for Best Cinematography)

The Road to Perdition holds a special place in my heart and blatantly shows along with the other 7 comic book movies listed above that comic books have to come to an age of literary and critical maturity and with the current slate of comic book movies currently in production, expect to see many more, whether the long underwear variety or not.