12 Greatest Ever Comic Book Movie Anti-Heroes

1. Batman

Despite the fact that he's being repositioned as the keystone to the entire DC Extended Universe, Batman is not supposed to be the central hero of anything. He's a lurker, shrouded in shadow and more comfortable with solitude than operating as part of some sort of super-pals ensemble.

He might have rules that limit how fatal he can be, and his commitment to protecting Gotham might be very typically heroic, but he's a cold-blooded anti-hero of the highest order. At least he was under Tim Burton and Christopher Nolan's control.

The fact that Schumacher's more traditionally aligned version of the character struggled with critics and fans as Warner Bros sought more mainstream appeal is the perfect evidence of why he has to be an anti-hero.

He's the kind of figure who you know will have contingency plans against the rest of the Justice League, who defies law enforcement to end crime and who inspires as much fear in those he protects as those he's protecting them from. He's probably also the most likely of the super team to ever think about using naughty words.

Which comic book movie anti-heroes do you think belong on this list? Share your favourites below in the comments thread.