Over the last few years, movies based on comic books have become a huge box office draw and this trend shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. But that wasn’t always the case. There was a time when movies based on comic books were actually a “gamble” for movie studios. So, I would like to dedicate the next couple of reviews to some of those “gambles and or forgotten movies that turned the public’s view around on the comic book phenomena. Here are some of the unsung heroes that started the global success of comic based movies.

Thankfully the powers that be decided to keep the R rating for Blade II, avoiding the pitfall of a watered down kid-friendly movie that would have killed the series. Blade II is the rare sequel that builds up from its predecessor (not to mention visually superior film) thanks to Guillermo del Toro’s excellent direction.

Basically, a mutation has developed a new breed of vampire called Reapers who feed off human and vampire alike. Blade has to team up with an elite group of vampires known as The Bloodpack to wipe out the Reapers. The second installment in the series was a hit as well, taking in around 150 million worldwide.