Marvel

        The sheer volume of films based on Marvel comics means that the studio has had opportunity to explore a broad range of animated title sequences, although what the majority have in common is a strong sense of their respective superhero's identity. For example, Prologue's (a studio that has been involved with many of Marvel's titles) Iron Man sequence is centred around technical drawings and blue prints, reflecting Tony Stark's engineering skills, while The Avengers (method design) film uses iconic objects which represent the characters' skills and strengths; Thor's hammer, Captain America's shield, Dr Banner's glasses etc. The sweeping camera shots which encircle these objects are somewhat reminiscent of opening of Tim Burton's 1989 Batman, where similar camera movements travel around the contours of a three dimensional Bat logo, as though it were a inescapable maze, although in this film the effect is darker, suggesting the DC character's more troubled state of mind.    

        As both of these sequences appear at the end rather than the beginning of the film (a trend which is becoming more prevalent) they cannot really be said to act as introductions or insights into the characters unlike earlier Marvel films in which the sequences did appear at the start. An example that stands out is Sam Raimi's Spider Man and its sequel Spider Man 2. Both sequences are created by Kyle Cooper (for Imaginary Forces and Prologue, respectively), yet have noticeable differences. The first film combines imagery of spider webs with ethereal smoke resembling DNA strands, alongside snippets of the hero's and villain's costumes and aerial shots of New York skyscrapers. These fleeting glimpses offer clues about the upcoming film and create anticipation amongst the audience. On the other hand, while the second film retains the integral spider web imagery and even uses some of the exact same shots as the first, the overall style is more graphic, using illustrations reminiscent of the story's comic book roots. Also, rather than create anticipation for the upcoming film, the focus is more upon recounting key scenes from the previous film, which not only demonstrate Spider Man's origin, but also suggest Peter Parker's state of mind, and the toll his alter ego is taking on him.

        Although all of these sequences are animated titles, much of the movement comes from objects rotating, moving apart, or web strands eclipsing static illustrations, rather than complex action which may prove too distracting from the credits. The two elements sit comfortably alongside one another.