The best comic adaptations on the big screen


Comic book movies have become all the rage these days, and their popularity has led to the creation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There are so many amazing comic books out there that have been adapted into equally amazing movies. The appeal of comic books has always been the messages they promote and the allegories they explore. Many people are beginning to tire of comic book films, and I was like this a few years back. But, a recent slew of stellar offerings has reignited my interest.

Everyone will have their own personal favorite when it comes to comic book movies, and it’s likely that at least one on this list would make it onto your top 10 list. These are my favorite comic book adaptations, and, if they made them all like this, I would happily watch nothing but comic book films!

The Crow (1994)

One of the more underappreciated comic book adaptations because of when it was made. Well before the deluge of comic book films that came in the mid-’00s, this gem starring Brandon Lee flew into theaters. Better-known as being Brandon Lee’s last movie, and for the tragedy surrounding that, The Crow is a massively underrated and pretty darn awesome movie. A classic tale of revenge sees murdered Eric Draven resurrected a year after his Halloween murder to wreak havoc on the gang who killed him and his wife. Amazing visuals, atmospheric scenes, and a bonkers performance from Lee all add up to one of my favorite ever comic book films.

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The best comic adaptations on the big screen

The Avengers (2012)

What do you do when you need to combine loads of superheroes in an ensemble cast and churn out a tent pole release? You hire Joss Whedon. Buffy creator Whedon has a penchant for witty dialog and an expert knowledge of dealing with a large cast. So he was perfectly placed to direct this superhero odyssey. Making The Avengers was never going to be easy, but Whedon handled it with aplomb and delivered one of the most fun, thrilling, and engaging comic book adaptations ever.

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The best comic adaptations on the big screen

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Guardians blasted into cinemas in the summer of 2014, relatively under the radar, but, it became a huge sleeper-hit, and made Chris Pratt a superstar. Written and directed by the talented James Gunn, this is a movie that has everything. The action is cool, the set pieces are great, the characters come to life, there is the perfect amount of humor, and that soundtrack is simply stupendous!

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The best comic adaptations on the big screen

Superman: The Movie (1978)

Sometimes I’m a sentimental sucker, and that’s one of the reasons why I love this movie so much. I grew up watching the original Superman movie so much as a kid, and this is one of the reasons it had to make my list. Christopher Reeve is perfectly cast as the Man of Steel, while Gene Hackman’s Lex Luthor might be the best comic book villain ever. If you’ve not seen it, I recommend checking it out as soon as you can to see how they did it back in the day – you’ll believe a man can fly!

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The best comic adaptations on the big screen

The Dark Knight (2008)

Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy is one of the most impressive works in modern cinema, with each of the films different stylistically. The Dark Knight is the standout installment of the three, with Batman facing offer against the demented Joker who is wreaking havoc in Gotham City. Brilliantly shot, with a tight script, and an Oscar-winning turn from the late Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight is one of the top comic book movies of all time.

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The best comic adaptations on the big screen

So there we have it, my list of the ultimate comic book films so far. And the MCU behemoth shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. With DC joining the fold as well, we are likely to see many more comic book adaptations released in the future. Let’s hope a lot of them can measure up to the offerings above.

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