Superheroes and comic books have definitely become a part of the mainstream. Before I was born, fans of comic books, superheroes, and geek culture were a small and scattered group of individuals, but now geek culture defines popular culture. Comic Con is one of the biggest conventions in the world, A-List actors and actresses all want to be in superhero movies, and every year there are at least two or three new movies based off of comic book characters. There are several reasons for this rise in the popularity in geek culture, but one that stands out are the movies. Superhero movies pack millions of fans into movie theaters every year, and superhero movies are constantly breaking box office records.
I was born into a world that was slowly becoming more geeky and I grew up with comic books, superheroes, and science fiction. I am not an expert in all things superhero, but I do like helping new fans expand their interests in masks and capes. So I have decided to make a list of comic book superhero movies that a new fan should definitely watch. Of course, a person does not need to watch these movies to be a fan, but these are absolutely fun movies to watch if you like superheroes, at least in my opinion. Without further ado, here are comic book superhero movies every fan should watch.
1966's "Batman"
New fans are probably familiar with the new dark and brutal Batman played by Ben Affleck or even the dark and serious Batman played by Christian Bale, but these interpretations of the dark knight detective are all descendants of the bright and campy Adam West. The 1960’s "Batman" TV series was funny, over the top, and nothing like the Batman you can find in the comic books today, and the ‘66 movie was funnier and even more over the top. The franchise stars Adam West and Burt Ward as the Dynamic Duo, protecting Gotham City and the world in their Batmobile, Batcycle with sidecar, Batboat, and Batcopter. Batman and Robin battle against the colorful criminals, Penguin, the Riddler, the Joker, and Catwoman, played by Burgess Meredith, Frank Gorshin, Cesar Romero, and Lee Meriwether, respectively. It does not really compare to today’s superhero movies, but it is certainly fun to watch Batman battle a shark with his Bat-Shark Repellent.
1978's "Superman"
When Superman was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster during the Great Depression, the character was bright and heroic, standing up for Truth, Justice, and the American way. There were many Superman adaptations following his comic book, including radio shows, TV specials, and Movie serials, but one film is especially iconic and represents many fans’ concept of Superman, and that is Richard Donner’s "Superman," starring Christopher Reeve. The movie showcases the character of Superman, from his origins on Krypton to his life in Smallville, Kansas, and from his role as reporter Clark Kent for the Daily Planet to confronting the devious Lex Luthor, played by Gene Hackman. "Superman" is actually quite a long film, but it does a good job of portraying Superman, leaving an impression that has lasted for generations and influenced many of today’s superhero movies.
1989's "Batman"
Some fans had seen the Batman of the 1960’s as an insult to the gritty character that they loved. They desperately wanted to see a faithful representation of Batman. Their cries were heard and resulted in Tim Burton’s "Batman" starring Michael Keaton as the caped crusader. Perhaps what really makes this movie stand out is not Keaton’s faithful portrayal of Billionaire Bruce Wayne and his Nocturnal alter ego, but Jack Nicholson’s interpretation of the Joker as a mad and colorful gangster determined to terrorize Gotham City. A lot of movies based on comic book superheroes seem to focus the plot on the character’s origin, and though the origin of Batman is important in this film, Tim Burton’s "Batman" is not interested in showing Bruce Wayne’s struggle to become Batman but more interested in showing the conflict between Batman and the Joker. I would say that this rendition of “Batman” definitely impacted superhero movies to come in showing how these characters could be interpreted in a real world setting but still keep their comic book roots.
1999's "X-Men"
You probably noticed that I have not mentioned any Marvel movies yet. Today there are definitely a lot of Marvel movies, but it actually took some time for someone to make a decent movie based on a Marvel character. DC was dominating Hollywood until Bryan Singer’s "X-Men" came out in theaters. Not only did "X-Men" give Marvel some much deserved time in the public eye, but made the Wolverine a pop culture icon. It spawned several sequels, prequels, reboots, and spin-offs with tons of Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine sprinkled in through cameos and references. Before the Avengers, it was the X-Men that had fanboys and fangirls excited about a team of superheroes on the big screen.
There are still many more films that I would love to talk about, but I also do not want to bore or overwhelm anyone with all of these films. So I will end it here and pick it up next week with even more movies based off of comic book superheroes that all fans should watch.
