100 Greatest Comic Book Movies Of All Time
37. Hellboy II: The Golden Army
After the success of the first Hellboy, Guillermo del Toro was given free rein over his sequel, resulting in a film that is completely him (and as if it needs clarifying, that is a great thing).
It retains some of the B-movie monster trappings of the first, but the visuals more stunning here, while Ron Perlman’s dark wit as Hellboy shines even brighter too.
Del Toro directs the hell out of the action sequences, but what’s even better is how this leans so hard into the fantastical trappings that have been the hallmark of his best movies. It’s Del Toro’s beautiful, dark, twisted comic book fantasy, and ever bit as amazing as that sounds.
[JH]
36. Sin City
One of the first times we saw a movie awash in digital effects, shot on sets comprised entirely of green architecture and screens, Sin City's "look" is unlike anything else.
The jury's out as to whether this effect is truly dated, but faithfulness to the source material is undeniable. From specific panel recreations to Mickey Rourke's Marv coming with an assortment of bandaids peppering his face, Sin City unfolds across three main stories, overlapping and delving into what the titular location means to each batch of characters.
There's a ton of grimdark monologuing, more fast-paced scattershot action and a final dollop of CG-accentuated stunts giving our cast the occasional superhuman leap or reflex.
If you can't get past the presentation that's a shame, because strapping yourself in only results in one of the most literal comic book movies of all time.
[ST]
35. Road To Perdition
Before he directed Skyfall, Sam Mendes was primarily known for directing 1999’s American Beauty. After that, however, came Road to Perdition, a film based on the Max Allan Collins comic of the same name.
Set during the Great Depression, Road to Perdition follows longtime mob enforcer Michael Sullivan (played tremendously by Tom Hanks) as he’s forced to go on the run with son of 12-years, Michael Jr. It’s a wonderfully constructed project, and features an all-star cast comprised of Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Jude Law and Stanley Tucci. Law in particular is cast to sinister perfection as Harlen Maguire, the hitman hired to track Sullivan & Son down - a character who didn’t actually feature in the comic book itself.
It’s a great crime film, and a great comic book film, with Hanks anchoring the story superbly as a man determined to protect his family during one of the bleakest periods in American History, with both the mob and the law hot on his heels.
[EP]