Cause and effect? The Sarasota, Fla., Herald-Tribune wonders whether comic-book movies translate into increased sales of actual comic books. The answer, according to local retailers: It depends.

"We only see a minor bump. There will be a bump in merchandising, but not in the actual comic book. They put out extra little limited-run series around that time, and anybody who's already a fan of Spider-Man will probably pick it up. But very few people who hear about the movie come in to get the comics.

"Comics like Spider-Man and X-Men and Batman -- they're always popular. Movie or not, they're always going to be big sellers for our shop."

The Santa Cruz (Calif.) Sentinel had the same idea.