I think you've made a good point there Jayme. We do see certain trends that run against the way things used to be. Comic book movies are more likely to be pitched as blockbusters these days.
BUT...
(And please don't take this as me trying to be all clever and argumentative)
Here's the thing - As somebody who takes a great interest in comic books and stuff that relates to them, I'd argue that comic book movies may be more popular, but they still ain't necessarily guaranteed to be great movies. And Hollywood STILL hasn't got over its incessant need to tinker with things.
Look at the three X Men movies. They slowly declined in quality, and there's a fair bit of fanboy angst surrounding them. Wolverine Origins was a pretty average movie that baited the fans with some decidedly odd use of popular characters. And I hear a wave of discontent already in advance of the X Men: First Class movie.
Look at Watchmen. Not a bad movie, by all accounts. Opinion's are divided on this one among fans of the book, though. It's more faithful than some adaptations, but the deviations from the source material that are there REALLY infuriate some of the fans.
And there are others that run the gamut. There's Surrogates, starring Bruce Willis, which features changes to the comic book storyline that just make it feel dumb in comparison. Or From Hell - and this is the one Akira fans should really be worried about, as one half of the directorial team behind this is helming the US remake - which bears so little resemblence to Alan Moore's graphic novel it really is laughable.
I've always struggled to see what the point is of bringing these stories to the screen if important details from them must be changed. Obviously, the studios will make decisions they perceive will equate to financial success, but some things have to be sacred.
Bottom line, if it's not adaptable, then don't bother. Use it as a baseplate for something else, sure, but don't pass it off as something it's not.
Hollywood's remake of Akira may well turn out to be a passable American science fiction movie. But if they follow through with the changes that have already been proposed, it just won't be Akira.
I've said it before on the subject, and I don't mind repeating it again. Do it properly or not at all.