It is done. The final 10 greatest comic book movies of all time are below. I hope you enjoyed all the comics and would love to know what your favorite comic book movies of all time are.
Thor is out and it’s great. If we ever do a revised version of this list, I would expect to see it there.
If you haven’t read the first 31 entries, see what has come before.
10. History of Violence –David Cronenberg dipped his toes into the comic book world with this gritty adaptation of the comic book of the same name. A History of Violence moves the idea of comic book movies out of the realm of superheroes and explores the dark side of human nature.
9. Watchmen – Doing what many said was impossible, Zach Snyder made an unapologetically faithful adaptation of the Alan Moore comic. Watchmen is epic filmmaking in every sense of the word.
8. Iron Man – Most people didn’t have high hopes for this but they were proved wrong. One of the few superhero origin stories that gets better with repeat viewings.
7. Sin City – Sin City revolutionized green screen photography and create a look and feel that has been mimicked over and over again but never to the same effectiveness. Robert Rodriguez captures the amazing chiaroscuro art of Frank Miller.
6. American Splendor – Harvey Pekar is one of the most unlikely sources for a comic book let alone a movie. A blend of realty and fiction Paul Giamatti further established himself as an acting powerhouse.
5. Scott Pilgrim vs the World – High energy, none stop action, Scott Pilgrim vs the World is more than hipsterism posing as disposable fiction. Instead we get a film that captures the current pop culture zeitgeist.
4. Danger:Diabolik – One of the first and one of the best comic book movie adaptations of all time. Directed by Italian horror master Mario Bava, Danger: Diabolik has influenced everything from James Bond to Austin Powers to the Beastie Boys.
3. The Dark Knight – Batman Begins may have relaunched the franchise, but The Dark Knight raised the franchise to a whole new level. Proving that superhero movies can be elevated to art, Christopher Nolan created an epic story that appealed to the masses.
2. Kick-Ass – Amazing action, punchy humor and a bad attitude make Kick-Ass easily the second greatest comic book movie ever made. While playing with superhero conventions, the film isn’t a slave to them and manages to add a few new concepts.
1. Persepolis – An unconventional look at a young Islamic woman growing up during a very tumultuous time in Iran. The Islamic Revolution doesn’t seem like natural fodder for a comic book but Persepolis takes the unique art work from the comic and brings it to life.
If you haven’t read the 20 Worst Comic Book Movies Ever Made, read it now.
