At one time, comic books were seen as a sort of ghetto for serious writers, even though some professional authors did indeed work in comics back in the golden age of the 1940s and even later.

Best selling mystery author Mickey Spillane wrote comics. As did western and historical author Gardner Fox.

In recent years that has changed with some well known novelists and movie and television writers and directors working in comics. Because ultimately, comics are just another way to tell a story. In recent years, "Clerks" director Kevin Smith, "Rambo" author David Morrell, "Lethal Weapon" director Richard Donner, and "Lost" head writer Damon Lindeloff turning their hands at writing comic books. And of course in recent years, comic books have become the source for several big budget summer movie blockbusters.

The summer movie season kicks off this week with the first of five upcoming comic book adaptations.

Robert Downey Jr. was probably a perfect choice to cast in the role of "Iron Man" considering that the longtime Marvel Comics character he will be portraying has been plagued with alcohol addiction for years. Downey, a very talented actor that many overlooked due to his roles as sidekicks in comedies until he proved his acting chops with roles in fare like "The Singing Detective" and the excellent "Zodiac" and now, Downey will be taking on the larger than life role of billionaire weapons inventor Tony Stark who is injured behind enemy lines and creates a suit of powered exoskeleton armor to escape. Stark later refines this armor into the ultimate high tech weapon. I think there is something about the concept of putting on a suit of armor and becoming a hero lingering inside the typical kid since the days of King Arthur. Needless to say, I will be eagerly looking forward to seeing Iron Man tonight when it debuts at the FountainPlace Cinema 8.

In June Iron Man will be followed when Ed Norton takes over the role of Dr. Robert Bruce Banner, the alter ego of "The Incredible Hulk." This time around, Banner and the Hulk will wind up having to slug it out with the comic's villain Emil Blonsky, better known as The Abomination. The Abomination is a hideous Gargoyle like creature created similarly to the Hulk and (in comics at least) has always technically been the stronger and smarter of the two. This version of the Hulk looks like it will have a lot more action than the first Hulk film where director Ang Lee was obsessed with the motivations behind the main characters.

In July, the superhero who kickstarted the concept of comics as summer blockbusters in the 90s returns with a new take on his most infamous villain when Christian Bale dawns the cape and cowl of "The Dark Knight" and Batman swoops back into theaters. The late Heath Ledger has reimaged the Joker from the clownish character in other Batman films (and television shows) to making him the insane and malevolent urban terrorist from some of the 1970s and 1990s era comics, an unpredictable and malevolent figure capable of irrational violence for no apparent reason at all.

In July, "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" debuts with Ron Perleman returning as the dehorned "world's greatest paranormal investigator" in Guillermo Del Toro's sequel to the original film which was a FANTASTIC adaptation of the beloved independent comics character created by the ever quirky Mike Mignola. This time around, it looks like Hellboy will be up against some figures out of Celtic mythology, which is an idea that has me on the edge of my seat in anticipation as Del Toro is known for his own love of European folklore and myth as well as his faithfulness to the works of Mignola. As films go, Hellboy may surprise everyone by being the best of the bunch of action blockbusters based on comics.

One film that I am a bit put off by is "Wanted" which is based on the independent comic mini-series turned trade paperback by the brilliant Mark Millar and J.G. Jones.

In the original comics, Wesley Gibson is a Generation Y loser who gets no respect. Until he runs into a costumed supervillian named "The Fox" who explains to him that comic book supervillians are real and that they rule the world. Furthermore, Wesley is inducted into this secret society and he finds out later that at one point superheroes really existed and at one time acted as a balance to them. However, the villains managed to wipe them out and were able to take over the world and wipe out all memory of their action from the common populace, and they now control the strings behind the scenes.

The comic is raunchy, vulgar and offensive even by MY tastes (which should shock Dave Allen). However, there is a sadness to it when Wesley realizes the world he lives in was once better for everybody until his fellow bad guys took it over. By this time, however, Wesley has become the new "Killer" the replacement for his father, who had been the worlds' greatest assassin. The villains start turning on each other and Wesley has to try and figure out who he can trust and who he has to dispose of literally.

In all honesty, I am a bit put off by the film adaptation as the people who made the movie apparently never even read the comic, which is both ironic and sad, as Millar is better than 99 percent of the screenwriters plying their trade in Tinseltown today. It appears that the whole subtext of the plot is gone with Wesley and the Fox as just nameless assassins. Oh well, at least we will get to see Angelina Jolie shoot things up again.