Hollywood 'Discovers' Graphic Novels

Still tallying the proceeds of the Spider-Man and X-Men franchises, Hollywood is turning to darker, underground graphic novels like Wanted for movie adaptations—and comics auteurs have mixed feelings, Time reports. Some argue the mainstream success of ultraviolent adaptations like 300 and Sin City can only mean good things for the graphic-novel underworld, but others worry the interest will suck the medium dry.

Graphic-novel creators say that the freedom they enjoy makes for honest, edgier fare, so when Disney recently created a division devoted solely to developing comics that will later become movies, some got nervous. "As soon as you start reverse-engineering the process, it's broken," says 300 director Zack Snyder. (More film stories.)