What might have been, comic book movies.

In 2008, Frank Miller took a beloved character from the golden age of comics, and took him to the screen. Will Eisner's "The Spirit" was a groundbreaking comic which set a bar for art, characterization, and just plain fun which remains a benchmark to this day. I mean, there are some comics as good, even a handful arguably better, but it's still one to learn from, one which holds up today, and is beloved because it actually is good enough to deserve it. I mean, there's a REASON the most prestigious award in comics is the "Eisner", and The Spirit is a real big part of that reason.

Frank Miller's movie was savaged by critics who weren't comics fans, who felt that it was incomprehensible, the acting was terrible, the characterization was inept, and the dialogue was ludicrous.

On the other hand, people who WERE comics fans... hated it even more. It's got a 14% on ROTTEN TOMATOES from critics, general audiences didn't like it much better, and comics fans liked it even less.

It wasn't the first time someone attempted to bring THE SPIRIT to the screen, however. Back in 1980, a young animator named Brad Bird wanted to take a shot at it:

He didn't get to do that one, but he did eventually do THE INCREDIBLES, for instance.

So, yeah. There is a universe very very close to here in which we had a SPIRIT movie in the Eighties, written by the guy who eventually wrote THE INCREDIBLES, and looking like, well, like that up there, except, y'know, finished.

The story is here: http://herocomplex.latimes.com/uncategorized/the-spirit-that/