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That being said, I will definitely continue seeing these movies. I just hope that counting all of their money doesn't distract them from making sure these movies are actually really great. (I feel like a traitor for complaining about these movies since, as a kid, I used to dream of the day that I'd see these characters on the big screen. But aside from being a comic book fan, I'm also a movie fan.)

Brett Ballard-Beach: A grandmotherly aged co-worker in my office went with her family to see this Thursday night. That's expanding outside your target demographic and then some.

Bruce Hall: In topic #1 I likened the Disney/Marvel cinematic universe to the world's most diabolically successful pay-per-view network. From a business standpoint they've totally redefined what the word "franchise" can potentially mean, and the financial possibilities are staggering.

But from a creative standpoint, I have to say that I feel the same twinge of skepticism as Felix. I don’t expect each (or any) of these films to be without their flaws, but looking back, I don’t feel the original Iron Man holds up all that well. To me, Captain America was half a great movie spliced to something I would have hated even when I was six. Thor was an unremarkable film that only feels thematically relevant within the larger context of The Avengers universe. Iron Man 3 might one day mark the point where the mega-franchise officially became self-aware.

I guess the cynic in me is convinced that the business part of this will eventually ruin the artistic side of it, the way it all too often seems to in Hollywood. History sends me very mixed messages on this. But like anything, all you can do is try and enjoy it while you can. By and large the Great Marvel Experiment has been both a financial and creative success, and on a larger scale than either the suits or the dorks would ever have believed just five short years ago.

Max Braden: I'm the opposite of Bruce, having rewatched all the Iron Man movies this summer, I still think that the first Iron Man is the best movie of the Avengers franchise. And I think I'd put Iron Man 3 in second place among the group. I'd say that the difference of opinion just means that the franchise is decent enough in all corners to support a variety of viewpoints. Up against their brethren the X-Men, I think it's also evenly weighted - you can point to the best of the Avengers movies being better than the weakest of the X-Men, and the best X-Men being better than the weakest Avengers. Likewise against DC, although I think you'd probably find the highest critical acclaim for Batman while Marvel is enjoying the box office benefits of producing more movies.

David Mumpower: I line up with Max in that Iron Man remains my favorite comic book movie to date, narrowly edging Batman Begins. Debating quality is an artistic endeavor that will always be determined by individual taste. Evaluating the strength of the Marvel as a brand is a much easier proposition. Thus far, the only chink in the armor is Agents of Shield, a television series that has failed to match the impossibly high expectations of the fanbase of The Avengers. Beyond that one issue I believe can be rectified by better writing, every other aspect of The Avengers has been a pleasant surprise.

Iron Man was always perceived as the best property, which is why the project lingered in turnaround for over a decade. There was a prevailing belief that when the movie finally was made, it would be a tentpole title. Captain America and Thor each had significant question marks while the stated strategy to build toward an Avengers movie was widely derided as a doomed gambit. Fast forward to now and the Thor sequel has outperformed X2: X-Men United, approached Iron Man 2 and blown away both titles on the global market after 10 days. Marvel has not crafted a single franchise with The Avengers but rather a set of them similar to how Electronic Arts once gradually assumed control of the sports videogame marketplace.

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