The 20 Greatest Comic Book Movies

RogueAgent · October 2006

According to EmpireOnLine:

20. Constantine
19. Ghost World
18. Batman returns
17. Superman Returns
16. Dick Tracy
15. Hulk
14. Mystery Men
13. Akira
12. Danger Diabolik
11. Hellboy
10. Superman 2
9. A History Of Violence
8. Sin City
7. Old Boy
6. Road To Perdition
5. Blade
4. Spiderman
3.Batman Begins
2. Superman
1. X-Men 2

Why BATMAN didn't make this list is beyond me. ?:)

http://www.empireonline.com/features/comicbookfilms/

arthur pringle · October 2006

Surely Spiderman 2 was better than the original. Ditto Blade II. Where is Superman IV:The Quest For Peace?

TonyDP · October 2006

These kinds of lists are always very subjective. One man's masterpiece is another man's garbage.

I would have definitely picked the 1989 Batman and even Batman Forever over Batman Returns. I would have also recognized the 1966 Batman movie as it did quite accurately reflect the tone of the comics at that point in time.

For me, the 1978 Superman would be #1. The 1989 Batman and Batman Begins would also be near the top of the list.

I don't know that Constantine, Ghost World, Akira or Old Boy would even make my list as they're not really my kinds of movies. Also, I know I'm in the minority, but I think Marvel's Spiderman and X-Men movies are overrated and really don't hold up to repeated viewings.

Danger Diabolik is a worthy inclusion, but where's Jane Fonda's Barbarella?

darenhat · October 2006

I, for one, would place Spiderman 2 at the top. Not sure Hulk merits a spot in the top 20 though. If necessary, bump Hulk and replace with The Rocketeer IMO.

RogueAgent · October 2006

I may be in the minority but how come The Phantom & The Shadow weren't considered is pretty puzzling to me.

Cosmetically The Shadow was pretty much dead-on.

caractacus potts · October 2006

theres some notorious stinkers on that list
I woulda made Mystery Men no 1
and The Mask should be on there somewhere, preferably infinitely higher than Ang Lee's Hulk

Hardyboy · October 2006

It is unforgivable that Spiderman 2--probably the best comic book movie ever made--is nowhere on the list, and that the godawful Constantine made it. And what about V for Vendetta? Who put this list together--a bunch of manatees?

caractacus potts · October 2006

you know what I liked better than many of those was the fleischer superman cartoons from the early 40s
but I guess they were 20 minute cartoons, if not shorter, so by definition they dont count

I think comic book superhero movies in general are usually letdowns on two fronts:
1. they almost never capture the charm of the comic book
this is partially the problem of these characters being corporate properties, already redefined by hacks repeatedly over the decades
but it may just be impossible to make a film look, for example, like the way Steve Ditko draws
and
2. such films embody the worst aspects of modern lazy hollywood filmmaking: all CGI and loud explosions and musclebound prettyboys who cant act
the character interactions from the source material are usually the first thing to be jetissoned

TonyDP wrote:

where's Jane Fonda's Barbarella

forgot about that one! that one was awesome

Mr Martini · October 2006

How can Road To Perdition be considered a comic book? I thought it was a Stephen King novel. And A History Of Violence , again. That was a comic book also?

Hardyboy · October 2006

Mr Martini wrote:

How can Road To Perdition be considered a comic book? I thought it was a Stephen King novel. And A History Of Violence , again. That was a comic book also?

Stephen King had nothing to do with Road to Perdition--it's a graphic novel written by Max Allan Collins (I don't know who illustrated it, though). Likewise, AHOV is also a well-received graphic novel. Of course, I'm now wondering why Dick Tracy is on the list, since it's a newspaper comic strip and not a comic book!

And, sorry, but I think Mystery Men doesn't belong. It has a couple of funny bits, but, otherwise, ugh. . .

RogueAgent · October 2006

Hardyboy wrote:

Of course, I'm now wondering why Dick Tracy is on the list, since it's a newspaper comic strip and not a comic book!

Well, H.B. I have an early 1940s issue of Dick Tracy in my possession; it happens to be the oldest comic book in my entire collection and in pretty good shape I might add. So yes, Tracy was in more than just newspapers.

Just like the Bond craze of the 60s, apparently Chester Gould's character prospered from the same type of success in the 30-40s. According to my grandfather, Tracy was on everything.

Mr Martini · October 2006

Hardyboy wrote:

Mr Martini wrote:

How can Road To Perdition be considered a comic book? I thought it was a Stephen King novel. And A History Of Violence , again. That was a comic book also?

Stephen King had nothing to do with Road to Perdition--it's a graphic novel written by Max Allan Collins (I don't know who illustrated it, though). Likewise, AHOV is also a well-received graphic novel. Of course, I'm now wondering why Dick Tracy is on the list, since it's a newspaper comic strip and not a comic book!

And, sorry, but I think Mystery Men doesn't belong. It has a couple of funny bits, but, otherwise, ugh. . .

Thanks for the explanation HB! I just realized a mistake. When I typed out the post I had The Green Mile on my mind. Why I got it confused with Road To Perdition I'll never know.

Pierce_Brosnan · October 2006

Hardyboy wrote:

It is unforgivable that Spiderman 2--probably the best comic book movie ever made--is nowhere on the list, and that the godawful Constantine made it. And what about V for Vendetta? Who put this list together--a bunch of manatees?

Even though I agree with most people about spidey 2 and the other batman, I love Constantine (not the book, just movie).

RogueAgent · October 2006

Pierce_Brosnan wrote:

Hardyboy wrote:

It is unforgivable that Spiderman 2--probably the best comic book movie ever made--is nowhere on the list, and that the godawful Constantine made it. And what about V for Vendetta? Who put this list together--a bunch of manatees?

Even though I agree with most people about spidey 2 and the other batman, I love Constantine (not the book, just movie).

I, too think that Constantine is a good movie; it's just that its top 20 ranking is debatable.

I do like the comic a little better though I'm not a month to month guy with the title.

ohmss1969 · October 2006

1st TMNT & Batman MotP should've been mentioned...

Dan Same · October 2006

PB, I too love Constatine.

My major problem with the list is that X-Men 2 made number 1.

Not only are there arguably numerous comicbook movies which are superior but I would hesitate to put any of the X-Men films (although fun) in the top 10. I mean, Batman didn't make the list yet X-2 made number 1. ?:)

Lazenby880 · October 2006

But where's Batman and Robin?

This list is quite strange, and I query the criteria used for assessment. For what it is worth, this is my top ten:

1) Batman Begins (2005)
2) Spiderman 2 (2004)
3) Batman: The Mask of Phantasm (1993)
4) Sin City (2005)
5) Batman Beyond: The Return of the Joker (2000)†
6) The Incredibles (2004)‡
7) Akira (1988)
8) Batman (1989)
9) Spiderman (2002)
10) Superman (1978)

† The unedited version.
‡ As so many of the pictures on the list are *inspired* by the original character and not based on a specific graphic novel, I'll do a stretch and contend that Pixar's great fun The Incredibles is inspired by DC's Doom Patrol (a four member superhero team with a character named 'Elastigirl').

Dan Same · October 2006

Lazenby880 wrote:

But where's Batman and Robin?

I hope you're kidding.

RogueAgent · October 2006

Dan Same wrote:

I mean, Batman didn't make the list yet X-2 made number 1. ?:)

Right, Dan. Clear evidence that this article had to have been written by a 12 year old. No offense to 12 year olds...

Look for Frank Miller's 300 to crack this list very shortly.

darenhat · October 2006

In defense of the X-Men movies, I felt they did an excellent job capturing the 'feel' of the comics, particularly the Claremont/Romita era...X-men 2 moreso than the original.

As far as graphic novels go...Road to Perdition is good. What about The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen?

RogueAgent · October 2006

darenhat wrote:

What about The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen?

Great graphic novels, a so-so movie. For me at least, it gets worse with wear.

arthur pringle · October 2006

'The League Of Extraordinary Gentleman' (both volumes) are amazing and my favourite graphic novels ever alongside 'Watchmen' and 'The Dark Knight Returns'. I haven't seen the film but it looked like it had bugger all to do with Alan Moore's book in tone and atmosphere.

Does anyone remember The Flash tv film and series? I watched a bit of that a few years ago and it wasn't bad.

caractacus potts · October 2006

I never understood how Alan Moore,
a comics writer who demanded and was allowed uunprecedented creative control over his work while at DC,
allowed his stories to be so completely *******ised by these hack fimmakers
those guys made it near impossible for me to convince people they might want to try reading From Hell or Extraordinary Gentlemen
I didnt even see V For Vendetta cuz a the stinktastic precedent of those two movies
was it any better?

Dan Same · October 2006

caractacus potts wrote:

I never understood how Alan Moore,
a comics writer who demanded and was allowed uunprecedented creative control over his work while at DC,
allowed his stories to be so completely *******ised by these hack fimmakers
those guys made it near impossible for me to convince people they might want to try reading From Hell or Extraordinary Gentlemen
I didnt even see V For Vendetta cuz a the stinktastic precedent of those two movies
was it any better?

I actually really enjoyed From Hell. I agree that League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is junk but not about From Hell. Also, you should see V For Vendetta. Although flawed, it's terrific.

RogueAgent · October 2006

I forgot all about FROM HELL. That was an Alan Moore book? That one slipped passed me but I enjoyed the movie.

Hardyboy · October 2006

I read From Hell before the movie came out, and I completely understand why Moore was dissatisfied with it. The producers seemed to do everything contrary to what Moore and Eddie Campbell did: the graphic novel makes the Ripper's identity known from the start in order to explore his psyche and motives, but the movie of course turns his identity into a mystery; the graphic novel makes the inspector a dumpy middle-aged man with limited romantic possibilities, but the movie casts Johnny Depp as the inspector and hooks him up with Heather Graham; and the graphic novel deals with a dazzling array of theories, philosophies, and metaphysical anecdotes surrounding the Ripper and Victorian England, and the movie is pretty simple in comparison. To me the movie was a standard Jack the Ripper story, lacking the oomph and originality of the Moore-Campbell work.

caractacus potts · October 2006

From Hell was a collaboration with Aussie cartoonist Eddie Campbell that took years to complete
first serialised in Steven Bissettes transgressive horror anthology Taboo but continued after Taboo came to an end
I think it was Tundra or some small 90s publisher, reprinted the Taboo chapters as a very irregularly published series of minitrade paperbacks, and continued for another half dozen issues
each issue had several pages of annotations, where Moore would cite his sources or else confess some bit was just included to make the FreeMasons look extra-evil
it took bloody years to complete, I remember the issue where The Ripper thinks hes killing the last girl in her apartment didnt get into Canada for months cuz of the graphic gore (its basically several dozen explicit pages of a surgeon removing internal organs while muttering Masonic rituals to himself)
once done, it was collected into a phonebook size volume which is not all that expensive
if youre an Alan Moore fan its essential, its one of his key works

one big difference from the movie:
the detectives not an opium addict, hes a very cleanliving workingclass conservative type
and you know in Moores version of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Quatermain isan opium addict

I picture in the development stage Sean Connery saying "theres no damned way Im going to play an opium adict" then Johnny Depp saying "well can my character be an opium addict then cuz I like playing drug fiends!"

TonyDP · October 2006

RogueAgent wrote:

I may be in the minority but how come The Phantom & The Shadow weren't considered is pretty puzzling to me.

Cosmetically The Shadow was pretty much dead-on.

I forgot about that one; somewhat uneven story but the look was 100% perfect, as was Alec Baldwin's laugh. It definitely would have come in over some of the selections from the list.

arthur pringle wrote:

'The League Of Extraordinary Gentleman' (both volumes) are amazing and my favourite graphic novels ever alongside 'Watchmen' and 'The Dark Knight Returns'. I haven't seen the film but it looked like it had bugger all to do with Alan Moore's book in tone and atmosphere.

I've never been a big fan of Alan Moore; I must be the only person on the planet who never read Watchmen. I've tried several times but can never remain interested to see it thru. On the other hand, Moore did write what is probably my favorite Supeman story ever: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrw? This was the final Superman story before John Byrne essentially rebooted the book in the mid-80s. Moore was pretty much given free reign and crafted a tale wherein Superman's secret identity is finally revealed and he is forced to make a desperate last stand at the Fortress of Solitude as he tries to protect his friends. He pulls out all the stops (even Krypto the Superdog is in it and has one of the most moving panels in the book) and the ending is sad, happy and poignant all at the same time.

Does anyone remember The Flash tv film and series? I watched a bit of that a few years ago and it wasn't bad.

I saw it and even used to have the pilot movie on laser disc. It wasn't bad as you say, but I think it suffered from trying to be too much like the 1989 Batman movie, right down to Flash's musclebound costume, which of course is 180 degrees opposite of the slender, athletic build the superhero sported in the books, and Mark Hamill's Joker inspired Trickster. Ironically enough, Hamill would later voice the Joker in the Batman animated shows.

RogueAgent · October 2006

I'd love to see someone take another stab at doing The Shadow again. IMO, the mistake was making the picture a tad on the cheesy side and not dark enough to the extent of...Begins?

I still cherish it though.

Just a side reminder, I was watching Ultimate Avengers last night on Cartoon Network and the commercial for the upcoming Hellboy series will be airing next Saturday. I will be watching it but I think that the subtext for this material is better suited for HBO or some other adult-based channel and not a kiddy-friendly network. Just an opinion.

RogueAgent · October 2006

Re-assessing this list, I have to wonder why The Crow isn't on it? I enjoyed that film much better than Constantine.

Dan Same · October 2006

RogueAgent wrote:

Re-assessing this list, I have to wonder why The Crow isn't on it? I enjoyed that film much better than Constantine.

Yeh, that puzzled me as well. The Crow is fantastic and is arguably superior to several of the films (X-Men 2, Mystery Men, Batman Returns, Hulk) that did make the list. A strange list. 8-)

The 20 Greatest Comic Book Movies

Comments