Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Wolverine's Big Year

Man has this been the year for Wolverine or what?! I mean the movie, the Wolverine game, the dvd, the posters and figures. It just goes on and one. But that's good right? When you think about all the lousy characters that have gotten way too much attention it's good that finally a good and gritty character was able to break out.

Not that the breakout just happened, I mean clearly as far back as X-Men 1 he was a fan favorite. But that probably has to do more with good casting than character love. As of now Hugh Jackman is really a people's choice kind of guy. His performance as host of the Oscars is testament to that fact.

So really the X-men at this point ar being propped up by Wolverine. And that's as clear as day when you think about the new cartoon TV show Wolverine and the X-men. That's the most blatant as you can get in terms of taking a team member who basically came late to the party and making him THE main character.

But I'm happy about it.

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Comic Books and Independence Day Go Hand-in-Hand

Last weekend, the United States of America celebrated its national holiday on the 4th of July, Independence Day. The holiday is celebrated in remembrance of the US declaring its independence from Great Britain with the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. Common festivities unique to this holiday are fireworks displays, family parties, barbecues and, ceremonies honoring the United States. It is traditional for to wear red, white, and blue or anything with an American flag on it. A comic book superhero is a great example of a patriotic figure who represents the United States of America and who's costume emblems the American flag. He is known as Captain America, a fictional character created by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon. His patriotic character was created to represent the fighting powers of the US during World War II, and first appeared in comics in the 1940s.

Captain America is the alter ego of Steve Rogers, a sickly young man. He was given an experimental super soldier serum to make him stronger to help aid with war efforts and his human abilities were enhanced to perfection because of the serum. The character is a little different than other superheroes because he doesn't have super hero abilities. He is the ideal, perfect human being that has achieved perfection, strength, and conditioning. His costume, which has an American flag on it, is also indestructible and can be used as a weapon.

These characteristic traits made him the most popular Marvel Comic's comic book character during World War II, and an American indestructible super soldier. His popularity after the war ended and production stopped for a little while. Marvel comics tried to revive the character in the late 1950s but, were unsuccessful. In recent news, Captain America had a newly enhanced comic released on July 1st in celebration of Independence Day. It is a mini series called Captain America: Reborn #1. The series starts off where the last comic ended in which Steve Rogers was arrested on accusations of being a terrorist and was killed, or so people thought. Captain America Reborn, a limited series, will reveal the truth behind the death of Steve Rogers, who in fact didn't actually die.

Captain America was intentionally created as a political figure. Comics are another channel in which political thoughts and ideas are expressed. In one issue, there is a picture of him punching Nazi Leader Adolf Hitler which became one of the most popular issues sold. There are other political comics such as the Female Force series. Having political comics is another way to get more people involved in current events and the political system.

About the Author: Conan Saunders is Chief Technology Officer for mycomicshop.com, one of the largest retailers of comic books in the world. Mycomicshop is the online presence of Lone Star Comics, a leading retailer of comic books with seven stores in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. For more information please visit: http://www.mycomicshop.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Conan_Saunders

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Comic Book Summaries

Comics have a certain charm with them, especially if it tells a good story. Good stories can be adapted to many media. Good stories also draw us into the characters and their situations. We can relate to them. We can learn from the ways characters fail or succeed in dealing with their circumstances. With the recent release of the classic Watchmen, people can see that comic books can be of great quality and not just some cheap attempt to short tell a good book.

I imagine just about everyone, at some point in their life, has read at least one comic book. In fact, even if you haven't read one, you probably have watched a movie about superheroes. Many leaped to film successfully, such as Batman, Spider-Man and the X-Men, and attracted audiences that don't read comics. Each movie has created its own fan base, sometimes separate from the comic book itself. However, those that were really drawn to the movie and can't wait for the sequel go into the hobby of collecting actual comic books

However, comic book reading can take out a bit of your time and money. New comic books are released every week and for an average reader, who reads anywhere from 5 to 30 comic books weekly, it does take a chunk of your time and your allowance. I have experienced this situation before when I was still a student. Back then comic scans where non-existent and I had to buy each comic book that I liked every week otherwise I feel like I'm falling behind. Even with comic scans, though you might save money, it will still intrude in your busy life especially if all you like is to know what's happening.

Check out my site Comic Book Summaries to know what's currently happening in the comic book world and not take too much time from them. There's a lot to be learned and loved about comic books and this is just my way of sharing my appreciation for them.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Enrico_Medina

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Comic Books Have Motivating Superpowers

Literacy rates are so important. Children can't pass their classes and move on to a higher education if they can't read. The literacy rates in America have steadily increased. It is so important to be able to read because it is necessary for finding a job. You have to read to fill out applications and understand company policies when hired. As we all know, children are our future. We have to teach them how to read when they are young so they can move up to higher education, have great jobs, and help better our world. Comic books have a played a huge role in increasing literacy rates in our country. The bright colors, fun words, superheroes, villains, action, and adventure are so appealing to a reading child. Children are motivated to read the fun pages of a comic book.

Studies have been conducted in elementary schools about the motivational factor behind comic books and children reading. Researchers have found that when a child owns a comic book, they are more likely to become involved in a discussion or class debate. State officials and educators across the country even have a program to promote reading using comic books called the Comic Book Project. People are beginning to see what powers comic books have. They have literary elements that help children learn and understand about plot and character development. The pages and words also use a lot of literary elements such as onomatopoeias. Comic books also deal with moral issues, such as good versus evil, and social issues. A recent trend for comics is writing about political issues and historical figures such as President Barack Obama. After reading comics, most children will become more creative and imaginative because they are exposed to another world with superheroes and alien like characters.

Children are more inclined to stay focused reading a comic because of the ratio of pictures to words. Most comics are half pictures and half words. The words in comics are unique themselves. This introduces new readers to words they may not have seen in a textbook reading book. Because of the unique and interesting words and pictures, children will find reading fun and enjoyable. This will increase their chances of becoming a better reader and to read a lot because it will be a fun activity to them. A lot of comics are written for adults, so check with comic book stores or librarians to find the best suited comic for your children.

About the Author: Conan Saunders is Chief Technology Officer for mycomicshop.com, one of the largest retailers of comic books in the world. Mycomicshop is the online presence of Lone Star Comics, a leading retailer of comic books with seven stores in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. For more information please visit: http://www.mycomicshop.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Conan_Saunders