50 Essential comic-book Movies, with Edgar Wright

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Click here to start our rundown of the 50 most essential comic-book movies

Bam! Splat! Kapow! Etc! Strap on your utility belt, starch up your cape, pull your underpants over your trousers and prepare to fly faster than a speeding bullet with Time Out's superheroic countdown of the 50 essential comic-book movies, featuring exclusive commentary from the director of ‘Scott Pilgrim vs the World' and our favourite fanboy pin-up, Edgar Wright.

Adapting a graphic novel for the screen is a notoriously tricky process: despite superficial similarities, comics and movies work to very different rules. But that doesn't stop filmmakers from trying: ever since ‘Superman' in 1978, and especially since Tim Burton's ‘Batman' in 1989, comic book movies have dominated our cinematic landscape.

Throughout the list, Edgar Wright will be sharing his thoughts of some of his personal favourites. ‘I thought a lot about comic book adaptation while I was prepping "Scott Pilgrim",' says Wright. ‘A lot of recent adaptations have gone one of two ways: either they're striving for some kind of realism, like "Iron Man" or "The Dark Knight", which take place in the real world; or they're like very stylised and gritty like "Sin City" and "300". I wanted to make something which embraced the magical realism of comic books.'

So whether you're looking for brooding anti-heroes or spandex-clad defenders of justice, day-glo explosions of primary colour or bleak urban noir, tales full of action, adventure, murder, mayhem or, er, record collecting, it's all in Time Out's 50 Essential Comic Book Movies.

NOTE: To make room for a few more interesting and leftfield choices, we decided to group film series together. So if you're wondering where, for example, Tim Burton's ‘Batman' is, look under ‘Batman Returns'. And if you've got something to say about any of our selections (and we imagine you probably will) feel free to leave your thoughts in the handy comments box below.

Click here to start our rundown of the 50 most essential comic-book movies

Author: Derek Adams, Adam Lee Davies, Paul Fairclough, Tom Huddleston, David Jenkins and Bethany Rutter

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number hero hero should be the planetary patriot he fights al qaeda and zionism and even the u.n head on. the ultimate superhero. plus only hero searching for who really did 9/11 you will never guest who really did in all in said novels the best

superfan of the planetary patriot Wed Sep 21 2011
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To be fair to the article it does state that it is the "50 Essential Comic-Book Movies" rather than the best. There is a distinction isn't there? Either way, a fun trawl through the great and not so great Comic Book movies.

Dreddhead Tue Aug 31 2010
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Yep, this list is pretty haphazzard, overblown, and incomprehensible. Thumbs down.

J-Jo Tue Aug 31 2010
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Delighted to read Edgar's thoughts, but honestly FIFTY films? Even though comic book movies are a dime a dozen now, the genre's still not large enough for FIFTY to be considered "essential", the best of the best.

Adi Mon Aug 30 2010
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