2012 The Year of the Superheroes went to the movies

 #6 Ghost Rider: Spirit of VengeanceNic Cage’s follow up to the 2007 film, again starring Marvel Comic’s motorcycle riding creature of the night. While also not so well-received, we actually did really like this film as it seemed harsher, gritter, and offered up better CGI-SPFX. In fact the only complaint we did have with it is that it didn’t include Sam Elliott as the Caretaker. #7 DreddA reboot of the classic British Thatcher-era comicbook anti-hero that offered up a trimmed-down, more aggressive (and truer) version than the original outing starring Sylvester Stallone. This version worked as it took its story directly from the comic, and stayed faithful to the source material.#8 The Dark Knight RisesThe conclusion to Christopher Nolan’s magnum opus staring DC Comics seminal dark hero, Batman, was (once again) lovingly produced, but wound up being a big swing-and-a-miss as it was replete with both character and story inconsistencies and came in at a bloated 165 minutes. The film was savaged by fans and critics alike. View the list »
#9 Dark ShadowsBased on the eponymous TV show, this film failed to garner support from both fans of the TV series, or anyone who had ever read the comicbook (including the new one by Dynamite Entertainment), as it was lavishly over-produced by Tim Burton, who famously is more interested in style over substance, and turned it from a moody gothic horror soap opera into a badly-conceived and laughless parody.

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Like the decade that preceded it, the 2012 Box office was replete with films that either started out in comics, or had a long history in comicbook form. Last year was particularly notable as it featured not only the massive blockbuster hit, The Avengers (which finally brought together many of the lead Marvel comic characters that have been popping up in films for the past several years), but because it also marked the conclusion of Christopher Nolan’s epic Dark Knight trilogy, as well as the re-boot of Marvel’s very popular Amazing Spider-Man franchise. These three films were certainly the most anticipated of the comicbook fare to hit the Silver Screen last year, and while many fans did express some disappointments with them, they each did quite well at the box office, landing First, Second and Sixth (respectively) as the top-grossing films from last year.

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  • #9 Dark ShadowsBased on the eponymous TV show, this film failed to garner support from both fans of the TV series, or anyone who had ever read the comicbook (including the new one by Dynamite Entertainment), as it was lavishly over-produced by Tim Burton, who famously is more interested in style over substance, and turned it from a moody gothic horror soap opera into a badly-conceived and laughless parody.
  • #8 The Dark Knight RisesThe conclusion to Christopher Nolan’s magnum opus staring DC Comics seminal dark hero, Batman, was (once again) lovingly produced, but wound up being a big swing-and-a-miss as it was replete with both character and story inconsistencies and came in at a bloated 165 minutes. The film was savaged by fans and critics alike. 
  •  #7 DreddA reboot of the classic British Thatcher-era comicbook anti-hero that offered up a trimmed-down, more aggressive (and truer) version than the original outing starring Sylvester Stallone. This version worked as it took its story directly from the comic, and stayed faithful to the source material.
  •  #6 Ghost Rider: Spirit of VengeanceNic Cage’s follow up to the 2007 film, again starring Marvel Comic’s motorcycle riding creature of the night. While also not so well-received, we actually did really like this film as it seemed harsher, gritter, and offered up better CGI-SPFX. In fact the only complaint we did have with it is that it didn’t include Sam Elliott as the Caretaker.
  •  #5 Men in Black 3Malibu Comic’s alien-Hunters returned to the Big Screen with both Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones (this time played by Josh Brolin). We totally loved how Brolin perfectly mimed Jones’ character as his younger self. It gave a new and very interesting twist n the series which we totally enjoyed. 
  •  #4 ChronicleWhile this film did not originate as a comicbook, it certainly channeled quite a number of comicbook superhero motifs into its storyline, delivering a compelling realistic story of what could possibly happen when at-risk kids suddenly come into becoming more powerful than mortal men.
  •  #3 John Carter Warlord of MarsYes, this was (a week into its run) unconscionably derided by the Disney brass that produced it to be a failure, but it was anything but. On the hundredth anniversary of the Edgar Rice Burroughs conception of the character that was truly the spiritually godfather of Star Wars, John Carter finally the movies, only to be disrespected by the folks who stood to make money off it and its sequels. In comics, ERB’s creation has had a long and storied career. What happened to this film was a real crime.
  •  #2 Amazing Spider-ManOK, we freely admit that there were problems with this film (quite a few, in fact), but we are now and will always be a Spidey fan, so, on some level we simply can’t help our self, but still, for us, the absolute best part of this film was the inclusion of Gwen Stacy as Peter Parker’s girlfriend.
  •  #1 The AvengersOf course, coming at the top of the heap is Marvel Comics teaming of all of their big guns in the form of The Avengers, which far-and-away was the best comicbook movie of the past decade. It not only managed to remain faithful to the source material (always a good idea in these instances) but managed to work in all of the established past history of the films as well. It had action, drama, and even a few laughs as it successfully posited what a world full of superheroes and super spies would possibly look like.
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, Comic Books Examiner

Robert J. (“Bob”) Sodaro is an American born writer, editor, and digital graphic production artist. Sodaro was born in Norwalk, CT and is best known for writing for numerous publications in the comicbook industry press during the ‘80s & ‘90s. He is currently the Vice President of Media Relations...

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