The Final Verdict
2012 has certainly been a very interesting year for the superhero film genre. Despite the odd duff note (yes, Ghost Rider, Im looking at you), its offering has for the most part been more than consistent, with some genuinely unique and touching pieces coming our way. Avengers Assemble relished in glorious action and team chemistry, letting the occasional need for a deep storyline fly in favour of truly satisfying the expectations of its countless fanbases. Meanwhile, The Amazing Spider-Man successfully rebooted the Webbed Wonders cinematic adventures, taking the story in a brand new direction with the Untold Story and introducing the wonderful Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone to the wider world. Finally, of course, there was The Dark Knight Rises, a masterpiece in modern filmmaking to me represented one of the hallmarks of the past few years and stood on equal footing with its near-perfect acclaimed predecessor. In the end, theres no doubt in my mind that Nolans finale stands as the best entry in the superhero genre for the year, yet Im pleasantly surprised at the very strong competition its two main rivals put up. Avengers represents perhaps the perfect depiction of gung-ho, positive comic books on the big screen, a truly satisfying conclusion to the Phase One arc, while Spider-Man echoed the Ultimate universe with great strength. Such a landmark year for the genre of course lays down the (Infinity) gauntlet for future years to come, and it will certainly be exciting to see whether Iron Man 3, The Wolverine and Thor: The Dark World stand a chance of topping this impressive roster come 2013.