Comic relief, quite literally

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When superheroes made their way from the crumpled pages of teenage books and comic series into the reel life of glam movies, a new genre was born. Whether it is the thrilling Harry Potter series or the old-school Batman and Robin exploits, these characters have kept their readers engaged for a long time now. Teens over the ages have found a friend and solace in these legendary make-believe superheroes.
“With movies based on comic books and strips, the expectations are way different. For starters, there’s no suspense about the main plot and leading roles; which in turn, puts more pressure on the performance, direction and realistic packaging of the film — breathing life into fictional characters and getting actors to perform accordingly. The two parallel worlds of reality and fiction are merged and it isn’t an easy task,” says Jojan Job, head of the visual communication department at a well-known college in the city.
“In recent years, we’ve seen a boatload of comic books and graphic novels make their way on to the silver screen, from the Big Two stalwarts like Spiderman and Batman to independent titles like Scott Pilgrim and 30 Days of Night. Among the various adaptations, is an overlooked veteran who has fueled some of comics’ biggest successes on the big and small screen, says Aashim Benjamin, an animation artist. He further illustrates, “Though films based on comic books can really suck, once in a while, the movies manage to translate a graphic novel into a film that actually works on its own. Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World is one of those successes, its the adaptation of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s graphic novel series that’s charming and funny in its telling of the story.”
“I never imagined that the reel life actors could impersonate the fictional characters so well. It breaks the monotony of the regular cinema-watching experience. Such movies are a quick escape from reality, and the stories are usually about characters that we’ve all grown up with –— that nostalgic bit is a sure shot brownie point. All in all, it’s a complete entertainment package, a movie that whisks you away, far from the hustle and bustle of mundane life,” says Ritesh Vithalkar, a first year college student.
“Batman’s my all-time favourite. Growing up, I remember being fascinated by the cartoon series on television and later collecting comics. Now with the movies hitting the shelf, it is awesome to finally watch your childhood superhero in action for real,” wraps up 17-year-old Jayant Mala.