Wayne's Worlds: Ready For Next Big SF Thing?

When it comes to genre television and movies, you could be carrying it around with you during the day or have it next to your bed to read at night.

The biggest news of the weekend was the premiere of “Iron Man,” which took in $101 million, exceeding all expectations as it kicks off the summer movie season. As any comic book reader knows, Iron Man has been one of the higher-tier characters in Marvel Comics since his origin in the 1960s.

Interestingly enough, Tony Stark’s alter ego has been struggling of late in comics. In recent years, he was head of his own corporation (like most of his history), but he’s also been transformed into a younger version of himself, then was made the head of SHIELD, the biggest spy/enforcement agency in the United States. None of this has helped him sell a monthly comic, although I expect that will change as a result of this film.

(As an aside, whoever cast Robert Downey Jr., as Tony Stark was inspired since both have faced demons having to do with substance abuse.)

Like Superman, Batman and Spider-Man before him, Iron Man has made it to the big time – with a little help from his fans and readers.

Also coming this summer is a movies based on the Hulk and the big-picture sequel to “Batman Begins,” one of my all-time favorite films.

This summer promises to be a big one for me as far as movie attendance goes. There are many genre-related films coming out that I am anxious to see.

Another motion picture I am counting the days down to is “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.” I loved C. S. Lewis’ series of books as well as “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe” when it came out a few years back.

Notice anything similar about all those projects? They’re based on comics and novels, of course!

The intermingling of “written” sci-fi with television and movie projects is a long-lived one. One of my favorites is the SciFi Channel’s version of “The Dresden Files,” inspired by the Jim Butcher series of novels. A new series of comics penned by Butcher is out as a comic from the Dabel Brothers, by the way.

Now I know all of you are very busy people, and that reality gets in the way of science-fiction sometimes. But I’ve also come to understand that reading is an important activity.

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