Superhero film as action, horror, fantasy, comedy etc. Almost immediately after superheroes rose to prominence in comic books, they were adapted into Saturday film serials aimed at children, starting with "Mandrake The Magician" (1939). Serials such as "Adventures of Captain Marvel" (1941), "Batman" (1943), "The Phantom" (1943), "Captain America" (1944), and "Superman" (1948) followed. In the following decades, the decline of Saturday serials and turmoil in the comic book industry put an end to superhero motion pictures, with the exception of "Superman and the Mole Men", starring George Reeves, which was a trial balloon for the television series "Adventures of Superman", compilations
Comic Book: The Movie in-character were unscripted, for a realistic look. The film also was critical of "crowding out" in voice acting where celebrities have been cast instead of experienced voice actors. This film did the opposite by casting voice actors in live-action roles. Comic Book: The Movie Comic Book: The Movie is a 2004 direct-to-DVD mockumentary starring and directed by Mark Hamill. The story revolves around comic book fan Don Swan and his battle against a fictional film studio which is about to announce a film based on his favorite superhero, Commander Courage. Cameo appearances in the movie include Kevin Smith (filmmaker and