Ok, a friend just pointed me at the trailer for Wanted:  http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809878244/video/4771511/standardformat/

 It looks pretty.  It looks fun.  It isn’t the comic book.  Instead of a kabal of evil supervillians who have killed off all the heroes and divvied up the world between five gangs, they’re a group of assassins who kill select people to make the world better.

Insert straight-faced emoticon here.

It’s been a couple of years since I read the comic, but the whole point of The Fraternity of Supervillians was definitely not safeguarding humanity through select assassination.  It was enjoying the fruits of being the evil fuckers who ran everything.   

I don’t know if you’ve read the comic.  I loved it.  There’s this guy, and he’s a pathetic loser.  He has a dead end job, his girlfriend’s cheating on him, he hates his life.  Then one day he finds out his Dad was the greatest killer ever, code named the Killer.  The Fox who knew his father, biblically as well as professionally, finds him, and his training begins.  He is taught to be the baddest killer ever.  The comic is peppered with references to, mostly, DC comics; for example there’s a chunk of a red cape in a glass case.  The Fox is pretty clearly Catwoman “inspired,” Shithead = Clayface, you get the idea.

Granted, as a buddy of mine says, there’s no way anyone would attempt to market that movie in the mainstream.  Not a chance in hell.  It’s full of bastards and murderous scum.  Not ot mention the potential for copyright and trademark infringement cases, although if the The Tick could get away with der Fledermaus and Bat Manuel, maybe not.  

I probably will go see the movie.  Angelina Jolie actually looks pretty convincing in the Fox role.  I’m not so into the Tomb Raider stuff, but I enjoyed her in Mr. and Mrs. Smith.   Granted, the Fox in the comic is African-American and I find it hard to believe they couldn’t find an African-American actress who was equally if not more bad-ass.   And like I said, the movie looks pretty as all get out.  The special effects look awesome.  I’m kind of curious to see how they managed to make heroes out of that group.  And, I believe I spied Liam Neason in the trailer.*  Me-ow.

*ETA:  Apparently I did NOT see Liam Neason, but Thomas Kretschman(?).  Methinks it is time for new glasses.  Crap.