COMIC BOOK MOVIES LEAGUE TABLE

It’s a debate for the ages, one which will never truly be decided, but we’re gonna have a stab at doing so in the fairest way possible – which is the best modern day comic book movie? We all know it’s The Dark Knight, but how to justify such a thing? So yes, (Oscar-winning) Black Panther is good – but is it enough to put it in the Top 10…? We say “modern day” but basically anything from 2000 onwards, as that’s when it all kicked off.

This is exclusive to Marvel and DC Comics and live-action movies only – if there’s anything you feel is missing then do let us know!

So here goes…

10. Iron Man

09. Spider-Man 2

08. Black Panther

07. X-Men 2

06. Batman Begins

05. Captain America: Civil War

04. Deadpool

03. Guardians of the Galaxy

02. The Avengers Assemble

01. The Dark Knight

CRITERIA

We have 10 categories to help us score them and we think it’s only fair that the best movies have helped influence what those categories are, let us explain…

Characters

On a personal level, what’s our thoughts towards the superhero or villain of the piece? Batman scores 10, he’s our fave. Thor, admittedly we thought was never going to look good in a modern setting. How wrong we were…

History

What is the legacy of the characters and stories before this film was produced? Here we consider previous movies in the series, previous versions by comparison and the hype going into it.

Storyline

What’s the premise of the story? Is it ANOTHER Spiderman origin movie? Surely we’re done with that by now?!

Action

If it’s gory, is it worth it? Realistic fight scenes or ones that deserve the POW! and BIFF! graphics? If the latter, maybe that’s a good thing?

Style

Is this a different take on what’s gone before? A darker tone than previous? A great example would be Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins, but Guardians of the Galaxy showed you could also make things bright and colourful.

FX

Not just for those computer-animated baddies from outer space, but do the sets all suggest it was all shot in a studio? Do you feel like Ant-Man has literally shrunk or that Thanos is the real thing?

Setting

A new found world or a New York City wannabe? And ultimately what serves best for our heroes?

Soundtrack

Goes hand in hand with style and we’ll reference the same movies – The Dark Knight and Guardians of the Galaxy. Both very different but the music accompanying both films were central to their success. Not all movies need a great soundtrack, but you can argue that all great movies have them.

Cast

Is Ben Affleck Batman? Daredevil? Or better sticking to just being Ben Affleck?

After the Event

What is the legacy of this movie? Has it become a cult classic? Did it pave the way for others? Or did the initial hype leave a bad smell? So many questions to be answered…