It’s been an interesting year, fantastic for your average comic book fan with the long awaited network premieres of The Flash, Constantine and the now divisive Gotham, as well as huge cinematic releases like the widely praised and well received Guardians Of The Galaxy and Captain America: The Winter Soldier, not forgetting X-Men Days Of Future Past and The Amazing Spiderman 2 (that did come out this year right? I’ve seen it like 3 times already).
Amyway this year has just more re-inforced one thing if anything, that geek culture is practically now popular culture, also including the ongoing popularity of comic book adaptations on TV in recent years with shows like Arrow and Agents Of Shield. Not to mention the multiple netflix series coming in 2015 (Daredevil, Luke Cage), not forgetting the slew of DC and Marvel movies that are on the way in the next 5-6 years.
Maybe this post title is a bit of a misnomer, with the 2010s’ widely being the decade of the geek, but 2014 has been a good year in particular for comic book fans, but something interesting to think about, what is the lasting appeal of comic adaptations on TV and in film? Why isn’t everyone bored of comic book films yet? Why doesn’t D.C. just re-name Batman Vs Superman, Justice League? So many questions, it would be interesting to look into all of them and I aim to, but not just in post.
I like how traditionally geeky things like Doctor Who, comic books and liking sci-fi and fantasy are somewhat cool these days, you’d almost be considered un-cool for not liking or ever watching a megahit like Game Of Thrones for example. Or for not at least saying 1 or 2 of the pretty much annual comic book movies, it’s interesting to note how these things formerly viewed as being geeky are now part of normal conversation about TV and film.
Talking about the new villain on Arrow or how cool it is that Marvel announced Captain America: Civil War amongst a number of other exciting films is kinda normal now and in fact, it’s a shame that geek culture was traditionally sidelined and always seen as alternative. When it has always had the same appeal and in my opinion, coolness about it, albeit with much more mainstream appeal now, bigger budgets and huge studios pushing sci-fi and fantasy shows and films out there.
Is it a good thing thing that geek culture and pop culture are somewhat merged in an odd, mutually beneficial way, or is it a bad thing? I’m a bit mixed on the answer, it’s a thing for sure, but you know, if more people are getting into great sci-fi, fantasy or any other traditionally geeky genres books, comics and or films because of the now mainstream identity of geek culture, then that’s awesome and I applaud it.
Oh and 2015-16,-17 and so on will also be the years of the geek and long may it continue, I suppose.
