100 Greatest Comic Book Movies Of All Time

1. The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight The Joker Heath Ledger
Warner Bros.

Was it ever going to be anything else? Well yes, actually, because someone - someone who has the audacity to call themselves Comics Editor, no less - didn’t even include it in their top 10, but luckily common sense has for once prevailed, and The Dark Knight rules supreme over all other comic book movies, much like it has done for the past 10 years.

Christopher Nolan’s towering epic isn’t just a great comic book movie; it’s a great movie, period. Switch it out for characters not drawn from the page and you’re still left with a towering crime epic and blockbuster filmmaking on a scale few can match. But with those comics elements, it becomes something even greater.

There’s Christian Bale growing further into the dual role of Bruce Wayne and Batman, becoming the first to truly rival Michael Keaton’s portrayal. Michael Caine adding a layer of gravitas and wisdom. The sheer technical brilliance, the blistering action, an escalation of threat and violence that examines everything Batman is.

And there’s Heath Ledger’s Joker. An agent of chaos, but also a meticulously crafted performance that turns this into a truly transcendental piece. The Dark Knight redefined comic book movies in 2008, and the genre still hasn’t fully caught up.

[JH]

Agree with this ranking? What do you think is the greatest comic book movie of all time? Let us know down in the comments.

Advertisement
We love teamwork! Who doesn't? This article is a collaborative effort between Simon Gallagher, Scott Tailford, Josh Brown, Ewan Paterson, James Hunt and Ashleigh Millman.
 
First Posted On: 
Contributor
Contributor

WhatCulture's former COO, veteran writer and editor.

Gaming Editor
Gaming Editor

WhatCulture's Head of Gaming.

Contributor

Josh has over 11 years of experience as a published writer, having worked nine of those years as a full-time content producer at WhatCulture. In that period he has created hundreds of articles, videos and podcast episodes for multiple WhatCulture channels, specialising in gaming, horror and film & TV. He now primarily works as a senior content producer and presenter on WhatCulture Gaming where he co-hosts the WhatCulture Gaming Podcast, a top 3 UK most listened to gaming podcast that he co-created in 2018. Over the years he has reviewed several high-profile gaming releases, covered industry events with on-site reporting, opined on breaking news, and even kicked off his interviewing career by chatting to childhood hero, Tommy Wiseau.

Content Producer/Presenter

WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well. In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.

Contributor
Contributor

NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far. A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.

Contributor
Contributor

Horror film junkie, burrito connoisseur, and serial cat stroker. WhatCulture's least favourite ginger.