The release of the first promotional still from the upcoming Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, featuring Ben Afflecks Batman engaged in an intense staring contest with his feet, has inspired less fevered speculation and more widespread mockery. Sad Batman, as the image was quickly christened, seems to be the culmination of DCs fumbled campaign to distinguish its new cinematic universe from its embarrassing funny book origins, like a teenager who rebels with a particularly awful haircut. No bad puns or maniacal laughter here, folks: this is serious business. As the marketing department responsible for Sad Batman presumably has had to write on the blackboard 100 times, the line between seriousness and self-parody is a thin one. Comic books are filled with implausible situations and larger than life characters, and their film adaptations tend to work best when they embrace that fact rather than wilfully ignore it. It follows that some of the most memorable moments in comic book film history, if not necessarily the best, come courtesy of otherwise perfectly respectable actors who left restraint behind and set about devouring the scenery. Less is more couldnt be further from the truth when it comes to these performances, so prepare yourselves for a countdown of gloriously hammy comic book movie stars.
Honourable Mention: Brian Blessed (Flash Gordon)
Although 1980s cult classic Flash Gordon is technically a comic strip adaptation, it does excel in the campy theatricality which was a hallmark of early comic book films. It was hardly revolutionary on its release and its considerably dated now, but one actor has managed to forge a career and reputation in its wake. Brian Blesseds infamous bellow of GORDONS ALIVE! remains the most enduring legacy of Flash Gordon aside from its Queen soundtrack, and it set a high standard for overenthusiastic actors in the future. Blessed is also notable amongst these entries because Flash Gordon is almost entirely populated by actors sorely lacking in indoor voices. Everyone involved apparently thought they knew exactly what kind of movie they were making and decided to enjoy it accordingly, so it must have been a pleasant surprise to find it was actually the kind of movie which would be remembered for decades to come, if only for one very loud line.
