Screen gems: The Hollywood Reporter checks in with an update of the nearly 70 -- could've sworn it was 700 -- comic book-based movies in development. The Reporter asks why comics are so popular in Hollywood, then answers its own question:

"For openers, the comic book genre translates really well to the screen because it's the literary form that is closest to what action adventure movies are or at least have become in recent years in terms of style. Comic books are a highly visual medium with stylized graphics, sparse dialogue, brief storylines, unique costumes and well drawn heroes and villains. Moreover, filmmakers tend to be very comfortable with the genre's format because it's basically what they use when they create storyboards for action sequences. If you've ever visited a production office for an action film and looked at the storyboard drawings tacked up on the walls you've found yourself looking at the rough equivalent of a comic book. In particular, these storyboard drawings emphasize camera angles and the camera's point of view much the same way that the artists who draw comic books have done for years in terms of their use of perspective to put the reader right into the scene."

The article goes on to state, "In addition, movies that are rooted in comic books are something Hollywood really knows how to market effectively."