1. Batman & Robin (1997) - The Fact It Failed!
Was there any doubt that Joel Schumacher's Batman & Robin would be included in a list featuring the worst comic book movies of all time? No. The real surprise is that someone actually managed to find a silver lining in this horrendous travesty of a movie. Since Batman & Robin first reviled audiences back in 1997, Schumacher himself has apologized for making the film and star George Clooney admits that he destroyed the iconic role of Batman with his one appearance in the franchise. A camp tone may have worked for the 1960's TV show, but the ludicrous dialogue and close ups of plastic nipples was just one step too far for fans tired of seeing their favorite hero butchered on the big screen. 50 Reasons Why Batman & Robin is the Worst Movie of all Time certainly has potential as a list for this site, but you probably know most of the reasons anyway, so today, let's focus on the one silver lining Batman & Robin has to offer the world. The critical mauling Batman & Robin received upon its release was unprecedented in its unanimity. Studios suddenly saw comic book movies as box office poison and began to avoid them like the plague. Another eight years would pass before DC would consider producing a Batman movie again, so many fans ultimately resented Batman & Robin for setting the superhero genre back a few years. They shouldn't have. In some ways, Batman & Robin was the best thing that could have happened to the superhero genre. Its spectacular failure forced studios to rethink the comic book movie aesthetic, moving away from camp excess towards a darker, more realistic tone that was first seen in Bryan Singer's X-Men, but soon dominated multiplexes worldwide. Some subsequent comic book movies may have swung too far in that direction, becoming grittier just for the sake of it, but you could argue that without the failure of Batman & Robin, there would be no 300, Iron Man or even The Dark Knight. At at a stretch, it could even be argued that Batman & Robin is the most important comic book movie of all time. That's a mind blowing statement right there, but maybe it's about time fans stop deriding Schumacher and hail him as the man who brought about the golden age of superhero movies. Unfortunately for him though, Schumacher will only forever be remembered as the one villain who came closest to killing off the Bat for good.
What do you think loyal readers? Do these silver linings justify the existence of these godawful comic book movies or should they have never been made in the first place? Were any movies unfairly placed on this list and can you think of any better examples? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.