Comic Book Villains

Great movie that holds up pretty well considering the fact it was made in 2002. The ending goes a little over the top because it's hard to accept that some of the characters take the actions they do, but it's fiction and it is allowed to go any direction it wants to.The plot involves rival comic shops on either side of town discovering a huge stash of vintage comics somewhere in the middle. Things start off innocently enough, but as the value of the collection is slowly revealed, basic human greed drives the story into very dangerous territory.The characterizations of the comic nerd community are overly generalized, Within the context of the story and because of the need for few actors due to budget, this is no big deal. The acting is good and the film is evenly paced and full of twists and turns.A fun movie if you've got nothing else to do and you are sick of Big Bang Theory.

This film deserves more attention than it gets; it's more enjoyable than alot of the comedies out there even if one has no interest in the comic book aspect shown in the film. That can be looked at as a frame for the characters and an incidental device to move the plot along. Of particular interest in the piece, even for people who are not comic fans, are the distinct characters and their quirky mannerisms, even the actors without as much screen time in this cast stand out. It's an interesting yet sometimes funny study of what greed can make people do, and how any type of obessession can bring out the worst emotions in people. It is held together quite well by the narration of one of the main characters, and in spite of its title manages to hit more than one emotional note throughout. It deserves a much wider audience because of the fine character acting of the entire cast.

The light comedy feel of the first half of the movie quickly turns dark in the second half, and there’s no turning back. It’s a weird little movie but I enjoyed the cast and the nuanced performances, with the unexpected changes in everyone’s actions. No one is just good or bad.

One of the best stories ever told! If you thought your life was complicated...

There is an underlining message to COMIC BOOK VILLIANS. All involved in this film must either hate comic books and its industry or know a lot about it... or care about comic books to put out this "message" film. It can go either way. In the mid-to-late 90's, the comic book industry and its subculture went on a collecting and memorabilia craze. People thought they were going to buy comic books as investments and be millionaires. That plan bottomed out and the industry nose-dived. COMIC BOOK VILLIANS indirectly is an outgrowth of what happened to the industry in the late 90's. The film is a cross between PULP FICTION, A SIMPLE PLAN, and VERY BAD THINGS with a touch of 'Kevin Smith' thrown into the mix. Two rival comic book storeowners Ray and Norman (Donal Logue / Michael Rapaport respectively) in a small town find out a local avid collector has died. Then they figure that they can get his comic book collection and sell it for a windfall. Unfortunately, the guy lived at his Mom's house (Eileen Brennan) where he kept his collection and she refuses to sell. So, the two rivals devise plans to woo her to get the collection. However, she stands her ground not to sell. They end up resorting to drastic measures to get the collection and it gets real ugly, and very, very, violent. The plot starts out innocently enough with the script and dialogue having "comic book-knowledge" banter and even mentions the SDComic Con Int. (The San Diego Comic Con International)etc. However, it suddenly takes a sharp left turn and it is jarring and unwatchable. None of the characters are likeable. The only positive aspect of the film is that one of the characters; a comic book aficionado (D.J. Qualls as Archie) realizes the futility of comic book collecting and comes out on top. Therefore, as stated, there is an underlining message of the film; and that it is telling comic book 'fan-boys' to "GET-A-LIFE!" and that there is a whole world out there to explore besides the world of comic books and its obsession with memorabilia and collections. The film is blatant in this message and if that is its main intent, it is a scathing dig on the whole culture of the comic book industry.

I heard about this DVD from an Entertainment Weekly article. They recommended it. I knew some of the actors and was familiar with Robinson's work in the comics (some of those books I like and some I didn't). Given I'm a comic reader for 30 years, I figured I'd give it a shot.It is a very dark comedy. The humor comes from the extremes these two collectors will go through to try to latch onto an ultimate collection. The shop owners are very sterotypical extremes of the industry, but any person who has been buying comics for many years will recognize the traits.Robinson also makes a statement on the comic industry as it has gotten into through the 90's and into the new millenium. It also takes shots at some traits of fans. We all know folks like them as well....

No dislikes. Movie is a must for any comic book fan

For anyone that ever enjoyed reading or collecting comics, this is a really funny movie. Poor critic review, but still worth the price for an evening's entertainment and reminiscing as you hear various titles being described or comic covers displayed. Lots of twists and turns. Ending is eye-poppingly sweet!

Comic Book Villains is a small film in a lot of respects. It's low budget, with a cast of under 10 and exploring the niche of comic book stores in small town America.Almost from the get go it's claustraphobic. The story is simple there are 2 stores in the town a small grubby store run by a fan for other fans and a larger shinier store run for profit.Both hear of a massive collection of comics that's recently become available after an old ladies son dies and a series of one upmanship and competition to buy the comics she doesn't want to sell ensues.It's pretty standard rivalry fair for a whil eand quite funny but at the end turns very dark in a "War of the Roses" sort of vein.Overall it's a nice little movie despite the budget restrictions none of the characters develop much depth but it's still worth a look.Personal recomendation rent before you buy

Very enjoyable - not only because I'm a bit of a comic book nerd. Captivating storyline in a different setting: not yoyr standard heist or crime story. Well worth the (low) price and the time used to watch it.

Had some funny bits in but would not be in a rush to watch it again. Worth buying for a couple of pounds.