This year, SXSW is premiering a new film, Kick-ass. If it sounds familiar, it’s because it is based off a comic book of the same name.

This matters because it’s another comic book in a long line of comic books that are being turned into artistically good and financially successful movies. There are so many of them, a whole community has formed around the comic book/movie duo.

Why are there so many, and why do they do so well in theaters? It’s all about minimum viable products, and iterating.