Though I was very pleased over the immense critical and commercial successes of films like Sin City, Batman Begins, 300, and Spider-Man (my favorite character since the tender age of 2), I have a uniquely different sense of pride over the success of Iron Man. Why? Well for starters, Iron Man has never been in one of the "major league" figures of comics. He has consistently been upheld as a secondary character, and yet director Jon Favreau saw that his story was a truly interesting one, and was willing to take a risk with a character who didn't have the recognition (and therefore, the immediate bankability) of the comic book A-listers.

I also feel the film further verified my theory that the best comic book films that have been produced are the ones that stayed the most faithful to the book they were adapting. Not only were the characters in the film splitting images of their comic counterparts, but the film provided a number of sly references to the comic that rewarded its loyal fan base (one scene in particular can be found after the credits have finished rolling, so stick around fanboys). Hopefully this will endow more filmmakers with a desire to stay true to the comics that are the basis of these films; after all, if the story within the comic is good enough to merit a film treatment, wouldn't it make sense to provide an accurate representation of what can actually be found within those pages?

Along with Spider-Man 2 and Batman Begins, I would consider Iron Man one of the best comic book adaptations that has graced the silver screen thus far. I wait with great anticipation to see what other offerings Marvel Studio has to offer, as it appears they are handling the fascinating cast of characters at their disposal with the greatest care. Their first film is not only a great comic film, but thus far it is one of the best films of the year.