With comic book movies becoming a multi-billion dollar business, everyone in Hollywood wants a part of this booming genre. According to Wizard Magazine and Comic Buyers Guide Magazine, the two best selling comic book magazines on the market, there are currently over 80 comic book movies either being written, cast, filmed, edited, or distributed. The previous success of movies like “Spider-Man” and “Batman” paved the way for other, lesser-known comic books to be made into movies.

The first two movies of the “Spider-Man” franchise have grossed over $777 million and are the two most successful comic book movies of all time. Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios pulled out all the stops on “Spider-Man 3” by adding more villains, a new love triangle and computer graphics that are expected to be jaw-dropping. The most ambitious additions to the franchise will be the “black suit” and the villain Venom, two long time favorites of comic book fans.

The business of filming heroes has become more attractive to Hollywood producers. Although filming budgets are high, gross income, in many cases, have been higher. The budget for “Spider-Man 3” is the highest in movie history. Sony’s budget for the movie is an unprecedented $250 million on the film in hopes that the movie will have a bigger return than the previous two installments of the franchise.

Some producers focus almost entirely on special effects, a practice that sometimes backfires. When “Hulk” opened in 2003, Universal Studios spent $137 million. The majority of the spending budget went to special effects, but the movie only grossed $132 million domestically and was not received warmly by fans or critics.

At The Empire’s Comic Vault on Arden Way, every inch of shelf, wall and floor space is covered in role-playing games, pop culture paraphernalia and all things comic books. Owner and operator Ben Schwartz, who knows a thing or two about comic books, said that he believes the success of “Spider-Man” lies in the story.

“I think that ‘Spider-Man’ is the best comic book movie so far because of its content,” Schwartz said. “Stories like ‘Spider-Man’ have been around for over 40 years and now people are getting a chance to see them on the big screen.”

Schwartz said comic book movies succeed or die by content, and the most important content is in the story.

“Fans of the comic book ‘Spider-Man’ have always enjoyed and appreciated ‘Spider-Man’ stories, and as long as the essence of the comic book is portrayed on the big screen, fans will spend money to see it,” Schwartz said.

The next highest grossing comic book movie after “Spider-Man” and “Spider-Man 2” is Tim Burton’s “Batman.” Since 1989, “Batman” grossed over $251 million domestically from a budget of only $35 million. The entire “Batman” franchise is the most successful of all comic book movies. It has earned over $910 million domestically despite the two Joel Schumacher installments (“Batman Forever” and “Batman and Robin”), which were blasted by critics and said to have almost killed the franchise.

Warner Bros.’ “Batman Begins” is almost as successful as Burton’s 1989 “Batman,” having grossed over $205 million domestically. The success of “Batman Begins” was largely due to the story, which ignored the other four movies and started over by telling the origin of how Bruce Wayne became Batman.

The story of Batman has been told since his first appearance in “Detective Comics #27” in May 1939. Along with Superman, who was first created in 1932, these two characters have become a part of the culture of not only the United States, but elsewhere in the world.

Roberto Pomo, head of the film studies program, said that Superman even became part of the culture of his home country, Argentina.

“I remember reading ‘Superman’ when I was a child in Argentina,” Pomo said. He said that comic book movies are so popular because comic books are part of Western culture.

“Everyone grows up with comic books and the heroes portrayed in these books have a mythic point of view,” he said. “Just as the ancient Greeks went to the theater to see their mythological heroes and gods acted out, we go to the movies to see our mythological comic book heroes on the big screen.”

The idea of a person who can perform feats beyond human capacity is an idea that attracts many comic book fans. Comic books are based upon such characters, whether or not they are well known.

Maria Jaoudi, professor of humanities and religion, said that the heroes are what draws moviegoers to the theaters.

“We have a craving for heroes,” she said. “Even non-comic book films have a comic book quality to them.”

Superman was one of the earliest comic book characters to appear on the big screen. Richard Donner’s 1978 adaptation of “The Man of Steel” to the big screen earned a gross of over $134 million when the budget was only $55 million.

Now, due to the success of previous comic book movies, everything from “Ant-Man” to “Zatanna” is being considered for the big screen. Production is set for “Wolverine” and “Magneto,” two spin-offs of the “X-Men” franchise, and rumors of a fourth “X-Men” are spreading around the Internet. Another sequel is also being rumored because of the successful opening weekend for “Ghost Rider,” a movie that did not get rave reviews.

This Friday is the release of the next major motion comic book movie “300.” According to the film’s official website, Warner Bros. is hoping to please a different, more mature audience with their R-rated adaptation of Frank Miller’s graphic novel. Many production companies may have been avoiding R-rated comic book movies for fear of losing teenage viewers, but director Zack Snyder (“Dawn of the Dead”) and Warner Bros. have decided to closely adapt Miller’s graphic novel — despite its violence, sexuality and gore — to stay true to the original story.

Schwartz said comic books have always been good stories, just not well known. “There are untapped amazing stories that no one has heard of,” he said. “Now that writers like Alan Moore (‘From Hell,’ ‘League of Extraordinary Gentlemen’) and Frank Miller (‘Sin City,’ ‘300’) are becoming more mainstream, lesser-known writers are getting a chance to be recognized by Hollywood.”

Brandon Van Meter can be reached at [email protected]