For many audience members, the phrase “comic book movie” instantly conjures up visions of super powered caped crusaders. But actually, many movies are adaptations of sequential graphic narratives, including some that might surprise certain viewers.
Today, Comics Beat’s staff is sharing some of our favorite non-Big Two comic book movies. Did we include your top choice? Be sure and let us know, either here in the comment section or over on our social media page.
WILLIAM QUANT: 300 (2006) — Okay this movie belongs nowhere in the same echelon as any other work mentioned on this list, I just enjoy talking about this movie a lot because I love using it as an example of just how many different filters things like adaptations and retellings can possibly go through and can shape our view of the world. The movie 300 starring Gerard Butler is about the tragic and defiant battle of the Spartan army (and supposedly only the Spartan army) at the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BCE. The movie is based on the graphic novel 300 by Frank Miller, of which the movie is pretty much a 1:1 adaptation of. The 300 graphic novel is based on memories Miller had of watching the Old Hollywood era movie 300 Spartans as a young boy. That movie is based on the incredibly biased Spartan account of the actual historical Battle of Thermopylae, where several Greek city-states contributed to a 7,000+ man army. Their retreat was covered by the famed 300 Spartans who were also joined by 700 Thespians, 400 Thebians, and another 900 slaves. What wide webs (and fibs) are weaved to give us highly profitable stories sometimes.
LAWRENCE MARABLE: Akira (1988) – Any chance I get to talk about Akira is a great day. Based on the feature graphic novel Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo, and I really mean “based” because the plot of both Akira’s differ greatly from each other. I saw the film on my birthday years ago and I think it fundamentally changed my life. The aesthetic of the cyberpunk, the stellar animation, and the intense story of Shōtarō Kaneda and Tetsuo Shima all had me hooked. I mean seeing the iconic Akira slide with context was kind of crazy on its own.There really isn’t much to say about Akira that hasn’t already been said, if you’ve been on the internet for longer than a year there’s a 90% chance you’ve heard of it in some capacity but if you’ve been holding back for any reason? Take this as your reason. The film is possibly one of the most important films of all time in terms of anime, cyberpunk, cool guys on motorcycles, and post-humanism.
GREGORY PAUL SILBER: American Splendor (2003) — Paul Giammatti perfectly embodies autobiographical comics pioneer Harvey Pekar in this dramedy biopic pulled from the underground comics icon’s decades of hilariously self-deprecating, painfully honest, and sweetly heartfelt work. The documentary-style bits featuring the real-life Pekar (who narrates the film), as well as his wife Joyce Brabner (played in the reenactment scenes by Hope Davis) add a wry meta element that reinforces how lovingly writer/directors Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini adapted this dryly witty and occasionally heartbreaking dramedy. If you have friends or loved ones who dismiss comics as IP slop or are allergic to superheroes and/or genre fiction in general, this is the grounded, grown-up film to open their minds to the medium.
ARPAD OKAY: Birth or Planet Busters (1984) – An early OVA made by a murderers’ row of contributors, considered a pivotal piece of art in the formation of the modern superflat style, bombed because the fans despised it. You can understand why: instead of adapting the manga it’s based on, Shinya Sadamitsu and Yoshinori Kanada made a gumball rally movie where local kids, a biker gang, space pirates, and giant robots are all chasing a magic flying sword. The artists on this one were too busy making the animation for their scenes go “god mode” hard to find any time to fit in a real plot and I’m cool with that.
DEAN SIMONS: Dredd (2012) — The second filmic attempt at portraying the Lawman of the Future, and possibly the best there will ever be (Good luck Taika Waititi!). Karl Urban nails his performance as Judge Dredd in a movie that chooses to go down to basics – a routine call out to one of Mega City One’s overpopulated city-blocks where all hell breaks loose. Unlike Sylvester Stallone’s divisive 1995 movie, Urban stays true to the comics: Dredd is never seen with the helmet off, says only what is necessary, and maintains that fierce humorless scowl from start to finish. With Lena Headey as terrifyingly deranged mob boss Ma-Ma, and Olivia Thirlby as psychic powered cadet judge Anderson, it is worth every minute of explosive action. The black humour is also present and correct. Director Pete Travis and screenwriter/producer Alex Garland clearly had a feel for the source material and it’s a shame we didn’t get more outings – but we got this, and it’s a wild ride.
CHRISTOPHER CHIU-TABET: Ethel & Ernest (2016) — This hand-drawn animated film of the late, great Raymond Briggs (The Snowman)’s graphic memoir tells the story of his parents from their meeting in the 1920s, until their deaths in the ‘70s. There’s not much in the way of a plot, beyond raising their son while trying to survive World War II, but it is simply a quiet and devastating ode to the beauty of ordinary people living in London, especially among the working class. Sometimes a great story isn’t about overly heroic figures vanquishing evil, as is often the case with films set during this time period, but about people simply living, meeting, marrying, raising children, growing older, and then finally saying goodbye. Many of our parents would not be considered “extraordinary” figures “worthy” of a biopic, which is why Ethel & Ernest is such a beautiful and relatable film, because it honors all of our families, not just Briggs’s one, and for that reason it’s not just one of the best comic book movies ever made, it’s one of the best movies ever made, full stop.
AJ FROST: Fritz the Cat (1972) — When Fritz the Cat arrived on screen in 1972, it was already slightly an obsolete piece of greasy arcana, but it’s this slight out-of-zeitgeist energy that makes Ralph Bakshi’s (infamous?) adaptation fascinating as a cultural artifact. R. Crumb’s Fritz comix were excavations of a particular countercultural id that was horny, politically incoherent and deviant.. and Bakshi renders that torrid fascination with the underground at full throttle. What the film captures, not quite by accident, is the moment where the “heavy” freewheelin’ sixties curdled and the free-love rhetoric is revealed as exploitation, with hippie-dippie posturing exposed as empty performance. Fritz, even while it remains reviled by Crumb, remains a satisfactory adaptation as the antithesis of liberation. It’s all jive, but only some of us are in on the joke.
TAIMUR DAR: Hellboy (2004) — The very first Hellboy film is by no means flawless. But I think we can all admit it’s by far the best adaptation of Mike Mignola’s iconic character to date. The film holds a very special place in my heart because it was not only my introduction to Mignola but also filmmaker Guillermo del Toro. At this point in his career, del Toro was definitely well established and coming off the success of Blade II, but I don’t think anyone could have foreseen he’d be where he is today in the industry. Now that I’ve become a fan and reader of Hellboy comics, the changes del Toro made from the source material definitely stick out for me such as Hellboy and Liz Sherman having a romantic relationship and giving Abe Sapien psychic powers. There are however some inspired changes such as making Kroenen, a visually interesting but boring character in the original comics, into a more physical threat. After the lukewarm reception to the most recent attempt to bring Big Red to the big screen with Hellboy: THe Crooked Man in 2024, it’ll likely be awhile before we see any new Hellboy movies. The 2004 movie still remains the gold standard.
AVERY KAPLAN: Josie and the Pussycats (2001) — A masterclass in comic adaptation and a fourth-wall smashing commentary on capitalism, Josie and the Pussycats was an instant cult classic that has only appreciated over the years. On top of the excellent thematic foundation and perfect cast (“I’m here because I was in the comic”), the movie also has one of the best fictional band soundtrack this side of Spinal Tap. And did I mention it’s hilarious?
SEAN DILLON: Lupin the Third: The Mystery of Mamo (1978) — While Lupin the Third is perhaps best known cinematically for being the first movie directed by Miyazaki, its direct predecessor (directed by Sōji Yoshikawa) is an absolute underrated gem of a film. Absolutely bonkers in the best way possible, brimming with ideas, images, and comedic set pieces that should earn its status amidst the pantheon of great animated movies. Easily getting into the core ethos of Monkey Punch’s conception of the character with all the superficiality, depth, and meaning that implies.
JACKSON: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984) — Hayao Miyazaki’s hit movie initially started in the Animage magazine, starting serialization in 1982.
D. MORRIS: Oldboy (2003) — Park Chan-wook’s western breakthrough turns the manga by Garon Tsuchiya and Nobunaki Minegishi into pure Greek tragedy. Park follows the basic outline of the manga; a drunk layabout gets mysteriously imprisoned for 10 years and then just as mysteriously gets released. But because this is a Park Chan-wook film, this version becomes a dark, violent story of vengeance. Vengeance though becomes a hollow exercise for everyone involved only leading to tragedy. The hallway fight remains one of the all time great single take shots and the penultimate scene still horrifies. Oldboy remains truly unsettling. Multiple aspects of this film are triggering and not just for the brutal violence. Truly not for the faint of heart but certainly one of the all time great films.
E.B. HUTCHINS: Scott Pilgrim Versus The World (2010) — Much digital ink has been spilled about Scott Pilgrim and its adaptation but the main one I want to focus on is the audacity of its earnestness. From the visual effects to the humor, Scott Pilgrim not once laughed at its audience, but laughed with them. It didn’t do well at the box office, but that was because the public wasn’t ready for it. Deeply Canadian, deeply 00’s, and certainly problematic, Scott Pilgrim vs The World solidified my love for weird indie comics and sparked my dream to have my own work adapted someday.
JORDAN JENNINGS: Sin City (2005) — Robert Rodriquez’s adaptation of Frank Miller’s Sin City is a visual marvel that pioneered film techniques that have become commonplace in the industry. I still remember being enamored by its distinct black and white monochrome visual palette, perfectly capturing the signature look of the source material. It’s a bit kitschy and the dialog oozes pulp, but so is the comic. I’m a sucker for a crime-noir story about some bastards trying to make their way through the world. I do wish Rodriquez stuck to his guns and interspersed the three narratives instead of keeping them siloed off. That said, this is the film that got me to seek out Frank Miller’s comics. While the man had fallen from grace in the past couple of decades, I cannot deny his influence on the comic industry and my own art style.
TIM ROONEY: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) — Directed by British filmmaker Steve Baron with practical, animatronic turtle costumes provided by the Jim Henson Company, TMNT 1990 manages to thread the needle between Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird’s original violent underground comics and the slapstick humor of the 1987 cartoon to create a perfect synthesis of both. Beautifully shot with evocative shadows and exceptional practical effects, by the time four human-size turtles are crying around a campfire at a shared ghostly vision of their missing rat father, you totally buy in. With story beats and action scenes lifted right from Eastman and Laird, it’s also one of the most faithful adaptations of a comic ever made. TMNT stands the test of time for rooting its strangeness in familial relationships and were it released today, this moody kung-fu comedy would be heralded as an idiosyncratic breath of fresh air.
HEIDI MACDONALD: A History of Violence (2005) — Okay a little bit of a cheat since it was published by a DC imprint, but it’s once of the best comics-inspired films of the era. What happens when a person who does horrible things decides to just be a good father and husband? Well, violence follows. Director David Cronenberg delivers his usual spare, hard-hitting storytelling and the cast of Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, Ed Harris and William Hurt carry it out to perfection. The last scene remains crushing and unforgettable.
