There were plenty of groans over the “Batman” flicks: As if Michael Keaton was strapping enough to play the chiseled hunk Bruce Wayne. And a costume with hard plastic nipples? Holy nightmare, Robin.

The 1991 “Captain America” flick – a bit campy.

The “Fantastic Four” movie? Filmed quickly and cheaply so the producer could retain movie rights, then banished to bootleg.

Over the years true believers have learned to take their lumps.

“For a fan, it’s ‘Do you want to see a movie regardless of how it’s done?’ or ‘Do you not want to see the movie at all?'” says Poly Collins of Auburn.

The latest comic book adaptation, “Spider-Man 2,” opens Wednesday. The first flick drew lots of high praise from local fanboys, and two minor moans.

What some didn’t like: organic webshooters. In comic continuity, Peter Parker used his techy background to make tiny wristbands that shoot spider web-like fluid.

In the movie, webbing shoots out from under his skin.

Also, his rival, the Green Goblin’s shiny green costume bombed.

“He looked like a Power Ranger,” says Sarah Brennick of Lewiston. The crazed Norman Osborn needed to be a little more genuinely menacing, a little less metal-mouthed loony.

All told, though, “I thought they did really well with it,” said Vince Brock, who has read the “Amazing Spider-Man” comic off and on for decades. The Lewiston fan figures the movie was pretty faithful to the book, if it sped things along.

“They found a way to actually make the web slinging work,” said Carey Davis Jr. In the old “Spider-Man” TV show he mostly swung around corners on a rope – not so breathtaking. In the movie, “it actually looked like it could be real and I liked that.”

The success of the first one has set some high hopes for “Spider-Man 2.”

“I’m going opening day, first show,” said Christopher Akers of Lewiston.

Kalvin Gearhart was nervous Doc Oc’s tentacles wouldn’t translate well in real life. (A lab accident binds the good doctor to four snapping metal arms.) But he’s seen the movie trailer and they look pretty cool, Gearhart says.

So fans eagerly await the opening, hoping to see Spidey at his best and keep their groans in check.

But it’s not all sunshine and good reviews for comic lovers.

“I saw the preview for ‘Catwoman’ and that thing sucked,” says George Wright of Auburn. A woman who dies and is then licked back to life by cats? No thanks.

At least there aren’t nipples on the costume.

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