45. Asterix (Various, 1967-present)
With the exception of maybe Eric Cantona, has there ever been a cooler Frenchman than Asterix? Now, dont get me wrong. When I talk about Asterix being number 45 in the top 100 comic book adaptations Im referring only to the animated movies and not the horrendous live actions ones that failed to impress on an epic scale. Over the years weve seen the tough little bastard meet Cleopatra, fight the Romans, travel to Britain and discover America - although in that one he was voiced by a Scouse which was the most unusual choice imaginable. Thee have been 34 Asterix and Obelix stories over the years leaving several adaptations left to do. With the development of new animation techniques there has never been a better time to reboot the series than now, so come on Hollywood, whats keeping you?
44. The Punisher (Jonathan Hensleigh, 2004)
From the minds that brought us Preacher, Welcome Back Frank was without a doubt the defining moment in the history of The Punisher comic book. The same can be said for the big screen adaptation starring Thomas Jane in the title role. After seeing his entire family wiped out by the Mob, Frank Castle drops out of society and becomes the deadly vigilante The Punisher. Intent on revenge he seeks out those responsible one by one and makes them pay for their crimes - in the most painful ways imaginable. Unlike in the comic books Frank is played as a man simply out to avenge his family rather than as a purely psychotic vigilante who has strayed from his mission. Thomas Jane is perhaps a little too clean cut for the role but he plays it perfectly and the audience can really identify with his plight, much more than they can with Dolph Lundgren or Ray Stevenson. Several changes are made as always, in particular the removal of Ma Gnucci who is replaced by John Travolta, which is a real shame as Ma is a particularly dislikable character that audiences would have loved to see get her comeuppance on screen. Some say the original Lundgren movie was the closest Punisher has ever come to being adapted for the cinema, but Jonathan Hensleighs 2004 effort is a damn fine example of how to bring Frank Castle to life on screen.
43. The Mask (Chuck Russell, 1994)
The Mask comic book had a short run through Dark Horse comics in the late 1980s early 1990s. It was every bit as off the wall as youd imagine but considerably darker than both the movie and the animated series. All three were brilliant. The Mask is the story of a mild mannered bank clerk by the name of Stanley Ipkiss who finds a strange old mask floating in a river. When he tries it on it takes over his entire body, giving him superhuman powers and abilities, obnoxious levels of confidence and a massive green head. The filmmakers make no attempts to hide the fact that this is literally a comic book come to life, and casting Jim Carrey in the titular role was a stroke of absolute genius - and the main reason the sequel was so very, very poor. I remember loving this film when I went to see it for my 11th birthday, but growing tired of it as Jim Carreys rubber face saturated the local cinemas. These days I cant get enough of his movies, and The Mask is a fine example of how to transform a comic book into a great movie.
42. Batman Returns (Tim Burton, 1992)
If Burtons first Batman outing was slightly grounded in reality, this sequel stretches that idea to its very limit with the inclusion of Danny DeVito as Penguin - a literal half man half penguin oddity intent on taking over Gotham City. Pee Wee Herman cameos in a blink and youll miss it moment as one of the unfortunate Cobblepot parents who dump the bizarre child into the sewers where he is raised by (ahem) penguins. Michelle Pfeiffer is simply brilliant as Cat Woman. Halle Berry should have taken advice on how to be sexy while pretending to be a cat, because Pfeiffer has it down perfectly in this brilliant sequel. Now, I dont think Burton is a wise choice for any comic book adaptation given his comments on the genre over the years but its safe to say his departure from the franchise after Batman Returns spelled the end of the original quadrilogy.
41. The Crow (Alex Proyas, 1994)
Cult classic based on the gothic favourite by James OBarr. A murdered musician returns from the grave to avenge his and his fiancees murder after being gifted with the mystical powers of a Crow. Rochelle Davis is the young girl that befriends him, while Ernie Hudson plays a friendly cop. The Crow is a highly stylized and sombre piece of cinema that is held in very high esteem amongst teenage Goths the world over, as well as just about everybody thats seen it. As entertaining as the film is, The Crow would also gain notoriety after its star - Brandon (son of Bruce) Lee - was killed in a freak accident mid shoot. Several inferior sequels and a TV series followed, none of which are anywhere near as successful as Alex Proyas original. Lees death aside the film is instantly relatable for its audience. Weve all loved and lost, albeit perhaps less tragically than we see in this film, and the recurring theme of love enduring beyond death has a massive appeal to the romantics among us.