Words By David D.

There used to be a time when reading comic books was seen as a hobby for overweight, socially inept hermits with a large porn collection to make up for lack of a girlfriend or interaction with the fairer sex.

Like ’98, that’s a thing of the past.

Now, comic books have hit the mainstream due to their blockbuster movie adaptations over the past few years. No doubt, we are in a Golden Age for Comic Book Movies…but things haven’t always been this way. Granted, we had some amazing Super-Hero movies back in the day with the Christopher Reeves Superman flicks and the first Batman movie helping bring comics out of the campy “Bam-Holy Corniness” funk of the 60′s.

After the second Batman movie (which wasn’t that great in its own right), things went terribly downhill in a horrible George Clooney-piloted blaze of burning Superpoop. We had the atrocious Punisher movie starring Dolph Lundgren of semi-Rocky fame, the low-budget Captain America debacle, and the Fantastic Four flick that never saw the light of day. Hell, Marvel Comics was even bankrupt for a minute.

But we have one man to thank for the resurgence of the Comic movie genre.

Wesley Snipes and a little project known as Blade.

Blade was barely scratching the D-list of comic book characters for decades until the flick came out. He only had a cup of coffee as the star of his own short-lived series’ that were neither creatively or commercially successful. So all indications were that a movie adaptation would tank. Marvel didn’t even put their name on the flick. Word is, they sold the rights for a Snickers bar and a free high top fade for Mr. Snipes.

Blade eliminated the gimmicks and opted for the black leather look we see in most comic movies today. It was hardcore, scary, and bloody as all getout. After the success of the movie (it unseated Saving Private Ryan as the #1 movie in America), people took notice. Previously stalled Spider-Man, X-Men and Hulk movies were put back into production. And who do we have to thank? Mr. Snipes in all his badass glory.

Like a hip, judo kicking Barack Obama, Wesley pulled us out of the low-budget, incompetence we had all previously been forced to witness.

BONUS – Music Inspired & From The Motion Picture Blade (featuring Gang Starr’s & M.O.P.’s “1/2 & 1/2″)