Top 5 Best and Worst Comic Book / Graphic Novel Films of All Time

America can't get enough superheroes. The past decade has witnessed comic book and graphic novel movies set records at the box office over and over again. My own personal theory is that, between the war and the economy, Americans need this kind of supernatural, heroic type of entertainment to satisfy their need for hope. Just in the past five years, Hollywood has spit out hits like "Iron Man," "The Incredible Hulk," "The Dark Knight," the "Spiderman" series, "Superman Returns," the "X-Men" series, "Transformers" and the two "Fantastic Four" films, among others. There have been some jaw-dropping masterpieces, as well as some disasters that are too terrible to sit through. Let's review with a top 5 best and worst:

Top 5 Most Awesomely Incredible Comic Book / Graphic Novel Films:
1. The Dark Knight (2008): The film that made the late Heath Ledger a legendary comic book villain easily compensated for the less-than-perfect track record of “Batman” movies. The DC comic book blockbuster became the fastest film in history to pass 400 million dollars at the North American box office, and it’s no surprise with such a noteworthy cast, including Christian Bale, Ledger, Aaron Eckhart and Maggie Gyllenhaal. Perfectly created action scenes, a new, drool-worthy Batmobile and a surprise twist at the end culminate in a film worth seeing twice on the big-screen.

2. Iron Man (2008): Robert Downey Jr. made his Hollywood comeback in this impressive Marvel Universe comic book film debut. Jam-packed with exceptional sci-fi action, this movie rocked the box office and excited an enormous amount of moviegoers, despite what the DC comic fans may say about the film paralleling “Batman Begins.”

3. V For Vendetta (2006): Everyone loves an underdog who has the balls to take on a group so powerful as an oppressive government. Natalie Portman and Hugo Weaving team up with director James McTeigue and the Wachowski brothers to create a comic book-based film with the best monologues Hollywood has ever heard.

4. X-Men (2000): No actor besides Hugh Jackman could play a superhero bad-ass enough to be Wolverine. Though the third “X-Men” film of the series disappointed most, the original movie and its sequel make for two of the best comic book movies created.

5. Sin City (2005): “Sin City” may be the one exception to the rule that any film including Jessica Alba in its cast is bound to leave you dumber. Its unique cinematography and use of color makes this film stand out among others. Though packed with violence and gore, the plot and amazing direction make it worth the watch.

Honorable Mention: 300 (2007) and The Incredible Hulk (2008)

Top 5 Miserably Terrible Eye Sores Within the Comic Book / Graphic Novel Film Genre:
1. Josie and the Pussycats (2001): It’s hard to believe that a comic book-based movie could be this bad. Derived from an Archie comic, “Josie and the Pussycats” expresses a satirical perspective of the pop music industry. Though we can all appreciate the occasional laugh at this joke of a music genre, the joke was on the cast. Rachael Leigh Cook, Tara Reid and Rosario Dawson combine the character brainlessness of “Legally Blond” with the plotlessness of “Crossroads.”

2. Daredevil (2003): A sad attempt to duplicate “Spiderman,” this Mark Steven Johnson creation uses poorly made action scenes to an extent that no movie watcher should have to bear. If you haven’t seen it, don’t.

3. Batman and Robin (1997): DC comic book hero Batman could easily be considered the worst superhero of all time (at least in my book), but if Christopher Nolan could make Christian Bale incredible enough to land the #1 spot in the best films, director Joel Schumacher should have been able to mold George Clooney into the role. I mean, it’s George Clooney. He’s basically already a superhero. It shouldn’t take much work. However, the fact that Schwarzenegger appeared in the film as Mr. Freeze adds a whole different level of difficulty when it comes to developing a good movie.

4. Fantastic Four (2005): “Sin City” may have been an exception to the Jessica Alba rule (see above), but “Fantastic Four” is not. Any comic book film has the potential to be cornier than the average chick flick; it’s a predictable, from rags-to-riches plot that usually ends with a happy ending. “Fantastic Four” surpasses any cheesiness ever accomplished by previous comic book films, or any since its debut.

5. Spider-Man 3 (2007): Spider-Man 1—awesome. Spider-Man 2—entertaining. Spider-Man 3—what the hell happened?? There’s one scene that sums up the entire film’s devastation: Tobey McGuire is enjoying his revenge-driven date at Mary Jane’s club, when suddenly he decides to break out in a piano-playing, jazz-singing, chandelier-swinging insult to dance choreography, all the while sporting a hair style that makes him look like an even less attractive version of Adam Sandler from “Little Nicky.” Ugh.

Honorable Mention: “Wanted” (2008): Sure, I haven’t seen it yet. But the trailer that shows Angelina Jolie hanging off the hood of a car by her feet and shooting a pistol just makes me want to gag.