christopher reeve superman
By
Robert Wood
Published 30 minutes ago
Robert Wood is a writer and editor based out of Cheshire, England. He is the author of 'The False Elephant: and 99 Other Unreasonably Short Stories' - 100 stories, each told in exactly 100 words.
Rob got into comics via Bendis' Ultimate Spider-Man and the UK anthology 'The Mighty World of Marvel,' which was running Frank Miller's Daredevil, Classic Hulk and Contest of Champions II.
Prior to journalism, he worked in copywriting and copyedited for Oxford University Press. He is on X as @PinchTwigs and Instagram as roobwoodjourno.
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Recently, we at Screen Rant have been debating the best Comic Book movie of all time, and in composing my own list, I was shocked to find there wasn't a single MCU movie in the top ten.
Part of that is down to how you define a 'Comic Book movie.' To some, it can apparently mean anything with a superhero, or movies that 'feel' like comics. But as a comic fan, I've got to insist that it's any movie that's based on/adapted from a comic property.
movies that people forget are based on comics
On that basis, I've assembled the real all-time top ten of great movies that are based on comics. For this list, we're judging the movies purely on how good they are and not counting manga, which deserves its own list.
10 The Dark Knight (2008) dir. Christopher Nolan
Based on Bob Kane and Bill Finger's Batman Character
nolan's the dark knight batman with flaming building behind
The Dark Knight is two movies - a GOAT-contender starring Heath Ledger's Joker, and a forgettable flick starring Aaron Eckhart's Two-Face
the dark knight two-face
Even in the comics, Two-Face is a difficult character to get right, and The Dark Knight doesn't come close. Eckhart's Harvey Dent is completely tonally different from the world around him, and it never feels believable that he'd suddenly snap and become a serial killer.
Meanwhile, Christian Bale doesn't imbue Bruce Wayne with enough humanity for it to feel tragic when his plans for retirement are scuppered. The final product is good, verging on great, but way too long.
the dark knight christian bale
Is the Comic Better? - At its best, yes. Check out The Long Halloween for a more stylized take on Two-Face's origin, and Chip Zdarsky's Batman run for a Bruce Wayne who feels like a real person.
9 Kingsman (2021) dir. Matthew Vaughn
Based on Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons' Kingsman: The Secret Service
kingsman movie poster
Kingsman is exactly what it's trying to be for at least 85% of its run, and that's more than most movies. Colin Firth and Taron Egerton conjure a wish-fulfillment spy fantasy about surpassing your haters, and Vaughn delivers more style than the comics themselves, which basically never happens.
kingsman's gazelle leaping into battle
Sadly, the film isn't perfect. Samuel L. Jackson is as miscast as anyone has ever been, the second half drags, and the final scene is unbelievably misjudged.
Is the Comic Better? - Yep. The comic has a real axe to grind, giving it more personality and urgency.
8 Superman: The Movie (1978) dir. Richard Donner
Based on Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster's Superman Character
christopher reeve superman flying
It's hard to think of any movie that understood the assignment better than Donner's Superman. Triumphant, funny and humane, Superman: The Movie nailed it on the first try.
Who'd have thought that embracing the core concept of a 'super man' helping whoever he can would pay off? Certainly not Zack Snyder.
Is the Comic Better? - The movie is very much 'Superman 101,' and that's a good thing, but All-Star Superman is the Supes comic for a reason, embracing the full imaginative potential of the Man of Tomorrow.
7 V for Vendetta (2005) dir. James McTeigue
Based on Alan Moore and David Lloyd's V for Vendetta
v for vendetta-1
In a grim but generic fascist state, kung-fu renegade V sets in motion his plan to bring down the whole stinking edifice, complicated by his growing love for protégé/prisoner Evey.
v for vendetta evey bald
The original comic is a howl against the specific inhumanity of Thatcher's Britain, and the film suffers from the loss of specificity. It also loses some of V's ambiguity as a murderer and terrorist - understandable in the context of when it came out.
Despite these changes, V for Vendetta gets more right than wrong, ending on an inspiring victory rather than the original comic's open-ended challenge to the reader: after you pull everything down, what's next?
Is the Comic Better? - So much better it's not even funny, but it's also in contention for the best comic of all time, so there's no shame in that.
6 Snowpiercer (2013) dir. Bong Joon Ho
Based on Jacques Lob, Benjamin Legrand and Jean-Marc Rochette's Le Transperceneige
snowpiercer cast
In a freezing post-apocalypse, Chris Evans fights to the front of a gigantic train where each car is living a better life than the one before it.
Bong Joon Ho has an amazing eye for detail, building a stylistic but compelling world for the last dregs of humanity to inhabit. The film leans a little too hard into melodrama - "I know babies taste best" - but it's all part of the movie's unique voice and style.
Is the Comic Better? - Let's call this a tie. The comic and movie have different themes (class war vs environmental destruction) and different tones. Both are worth your time.
5 A History of Violence (2005) dir. David Cronenberg
Based on John Wagner and Vince Locke's A History of Violence
a history of violence movie poster
The owner of a smalltown diner steps in to stop a robbery, but the resulting media frenzy exposes his former life as a mob hitman - one whose enemies now know exactly where to find him.
A History of Violence presents a quietly surreal world where violence is more than it first appears. The encroaching threat of the mob may endanger Viggo Mortensen's family, but it also strips away the lies that are hurting them most.
Ed Harris in a history of violence
Is the Comic Better? - The film probably wins out here, thanks to fantastic performances, but the comic is also great, with an extreme twist that arguably goes too far but really pays off the premise.
4 Batman Returns (1992) dir. Tim Burton
Based on Bob Kane and Bill Finger's Batman
Michael Keaton's in batman returns
The best superheroes are almost endlessly malleable. Batman can be realistic, he can be stylized, he can be grim, he can be camp, he can fight the mob, the Joker or the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
While today's Batman is all about feeling 'real,' Burton's larger-than-life concept of the Caped Crusader is just as valid, and a lot more fun. Danny DeVito is sensational as a grimy, fetid Penguin who heaves himself out of the sewers just to bite the nose off your face, while Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman is somehow even more unhinged.
danny devito as batman returns penguin
The movie is surprisingly witty and its depiction of Gotham as an art deco metropolis is a reminder that it's not just New York by another name, but the rightful home of pop culture's greatest villains.
Is the Comic Better? - Burton really threw the heart of the 80s/90s comics up on the screen, so let's call it a tie. Check out The Dark Knight Returns for a comic that's holding back even less.
3 The Suicide Squad (2021) dir. James Gunn
Based on John Ostrander's Suicide Squad Run
The Suicide Squad movie poster
Gunn effortlessly finds the heart of a group of scummy villains who have done (and in some cases are) terrible things, but still don't deserve to be treated as if their lives are disposable.
Margot Robbie has mastered the sublimated desperation of Harley Quinn, and somehow even giant-starfish villain Starro works on film.
margot robby harley quinn
Gunn structures his film like a comic arc, with each 'issue' having its own goal, stakes and character focus, learning the right lessons from what makes the superhero genre work (as opposed, say, to Ang Lee's Hulk.)
Is the Comic Better? - It's hard to say. Over six years, Ostrander wrote sixty-six issues of Suicide Squad as a longform story with a shifting cast. It's easier to hit a home run with a two-hour movie, but the comics meet a very high bar for much longer.
2 Men in Black (1997) dir. Barry Sonnenfeld
Based on The Men in Black Comic by Lowell Cunningham and Sandy Carruthers
men in black poster showing Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones
Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones kill it as secret agents policing alien life on Earth. Is it Citizen Kane? No, but who asked it to be? Men in Black is a fantastic family movie that crafts a living, breathing world you've never seen before, then drops in the exact right pair of characters to explore it.
It's smart where it needs to be, dumb where it needs to be, and has a big heart and a genuine sense of awe at the scale of the universe and our small place in it. If you're about to neuralyze me, take every previous entry on this list from my memory instead of Men in Black.
Is the Comic Better? - Famously not.
1 Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) dir. Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey and Rodney Rothman
Based on Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli's Ultimate Spider-Man
into the spider-verse art of miles, peter and gwen
In a glorious coming-of-age story, gifted teenager Miles Morales claims his place in the world, aided by an ensemble of characters who may love, support and champion him, but can't take that last, crucial step into adulthood on his behalf.
Gorgeously colorful, meticulously animated, perfectly cast, Into the Spider-Verse is the best Comic Book movie there's ever been, taking Miles' emotional journey incredibly seriously while never missing the chance for a joke or a flourish.
spider-man into the spider-verse still showing all the different spider heroes
Even at its best, the MCU always feels like it's trying to drag its source material back down to earth. In contrast, Into the Spider-Verse soars with a pride that's both entirely justified and totally contagious.
Is the Comic Better? - No. The movie understands what's great about the comics and adds even more.
Let us know what you think of our ranking below, and tell us what other films should appear on this list of all-time best Comic Book movies.
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Wait what?
Iron Man?Deadpool?Avengers?I'm a huge comic book fan, but not limited to DC/Marvel/Dark Horse/IDW/Image... so I find it hard to relate to this list if you exclude at least one those.
2025-11-27 13:39:02 Upvote Downvote Reply Copy