Graphic Novels

Do you enjoy over-the-top action movies? Do you enjoy violent graphic novels? Do you enjoy <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/movies-you-didnt-know-were-based-on-comics/ranker-comics" target="_blank">graphic novel adaptations</a>? Then&nbsp;boy, oh, boy&nbsp;do we have something&nbsp;for you. The nature of comic books and graphic novels make them <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/tv-and-movies-you-didn-t-know-were-based-on-books/brent-sprecher" target="_blank">easily adaptable</a> to film and television. A lot of the storyboarding is already done for you! Just get the film rights and go! And there certainly has been no shortage of comic book adaptations in recent years... but how about those films that have gone underappreciated?

We&#39;re talking&nbsp;Atomic Blonde. We&#39;re talking&nbsp;Wanted. We&#39;re talking Snowpiercer. Every film that follows may not be at the cutting edge of cinematic quality, but they definitely are fun to watch if you can get in the right frame of mind. They&#39;re based on graphic novels, after all, and though that medium is full of all kinds of masterpieces, the action-based ones that tend to get film adaptations aren&#39;t really pushing the boundaries of storytelling. These movies are loud, they&#39;re brash, and they&#39;re just good fun.

Underrated Action Movies Based On Graphic Novels

Film

T.W. Mitchell

Total Nerd

The longer the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues, the more it strays from its comic book origins. Changes in character arcs for the films are often due to contracts, how long a certain actor wants to play a certain character, and other real life intrusions that don't get in the way when your characters are drawn by artists as opposed to played by people.As a result, Marvel comics and the MCU have a different landscape of who's alive and who's dead. In the comics, some of the biggest MCU characters have <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/mcu-characters-survived-in-movies-not-comics/stephanroget">actually been dead for a while</a>. On the flip side, big MCU players who died in the films are <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/mcu-characters-that-came-back-from-the-dead/stephanroget">alive and well in the comics</a>.One interesting difference in the comics is also the ways that characters come back to life. The MCU seems to try to stay relatively grounded, rarely straying into the strangest corners of the Marvel Universe, with the exception of the Guardians movies. The stories of many Marvel comics characters' resurrections are far weirder than one might expect to see on the big screen.

MCU Characters Who Died In The Comics And Came Back In Confusing Ways

Comic Book Character

MCU Characters' Confusing Resurrections in Comics

Sean Migalla

Lists that rank the best and worst characters, moments, films, costumes, and etc. in DC Comics history.

The Universe of DC Comics

Crime doesn&#39;t pay, and in the world of DC superhero films, it usually&nbsp;ends in some sort of karmic justice. Whether it be <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/strongest-characters-in-dceu/ashley-reign" target="_blank">General Zod&nbsp;duking it out with&nbsp;Superman</a> or Ares dueling Wonder Woman, most DC villains are so driven by their beliefs that they don&#39;t turn back when it leads to a dead end. To live by the sword is to die by the sword, and to live by a twisted sense of justice is to have that same set of rules applied to yourself, ultimately leading to your doom.&nbsp;

In real life, villains don&#39;t always get what they deserve. It seems like more often than not, the worst among us live lavish lives of luxury. That&#39;s why it&#39;s so cathartic to turn to the world of superheroes and see a villain actually face consequences for their actions. Below are a set of the most poetic, cathartic, and <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/most-deserved-action-villain-ends/williamsbrianjake" target="_blank">satisfying villain demises</a> and punishments in DC&#39;s cinematic output.

16 DC Villains Who Got Exactly What They Deserved

Fictional Character

Jake Brian Williams

DC Comics

The most powerful technology of DC Comics can save worlds or destroy them. Metahumans, good or bad in the DC Universe, derive their powers and abilities from high-tech devices. Sometimes, it&#39;s the same person using a device for good and then later changing their minds. Technology from DC Comics can rival the power of the gods, meaning&nbsp;the tech can just as easily create life as it can destroy it.&nbsp;

Sometimes, Batman creates a satellite meant to monitor heroes that is later used by villains to take out those same heroes. Other times, there are devices like the Motherbox, which are used for benevolent reasons by the gods of New Genesis and destructive reasons by their brother gods on Apokolips. To quote a different company, &quot;With great power comes great responsibility.&quot; There&#39;s no greater power than the technology featured in the DC Universe, which indicates&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/dc-universe-most-powerful-weapons/jonathan-kantor" target="_blank">there must be great weapons floating around</a>, too.&nbsp;

The Most Powerful Technology In The DC Universe, Ranked By Destructive Force

General

Superheroes

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was absolutely chock full of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/spiderman-into-the-spider-verse-easter-eggs/kyle-chorpening">great Easter eggs</a> for Spider-Man fans, and its sequel seems to be taking a page out of the same book. If anything, there are actually way more Easter eggs in the new movie with the introduction of the Spider-Society.The Spider-Society is a collection of spider people from across the universe run by Spider-Man 2099 and includes a lot of fun cameos. Fans even got a look at some of their favorite Spider-Men, like Josh Keaton's incarnation from Spectacular Spider-Man. There was even a surprising live-action cameo that we certainly don't want to spoil here.With so many new spider-people, that means <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/into-the-spider-verse-character-backstories/stephanroget">even more backstories to learn than Into the Spider-Verse had</a>. So let's take a look at some of the new characters that play an essential role in the sequel. Be sure to vote up your favorite ones!

Everything You Need To Know About The New Spider-People Of 'Across the Spider-Verse'

Everything You Need To Know About The New Spider-People Of 'Across The Spider-Verse'

Comic Books & Characters

Robbing a bank in a colorful costume isn&#39;t the behavior of a model citizen, but it doesn&#39;t hold a candle to the worst things the DC villains have ever done. Ever since comic books started to mature in a post-Watchmen world, the villains have gotten a whole lot scarier. Whether it&#39;s <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/awful-batman-villain-acts/jacobybancroft" target="_blank">brutalizing a loved one</a> or destroying a planet, the list of their collective misdeeds is pretty bleak.&nbsp;

If you stopped reading comic books when you were a kid&nbsp;and Batman was still wearing blue, you&#39;re in for quite a ride. Follow along and vote up the acts of evil that you think go&nbsp;above and beyond.&nbsp;

The Most Evil Things DC Villains Have Ever Done

You&#39;ve seen the Avengers actors in other movies, but who has the most impressive filmography outside of the MCU? It&#39;s not an easy choice; after all, success in the Marvel movies has given many of these performers the opportunity to take on smaller, more personal projects on the side. It has additionally afforded a few of them the chance to headline more big-budget blockbusters.&nbsp;

A notable element of the MCU is that&nbsp;some of its stars were already quite well-known before becoming Avengers. Robert Downey, Jr., Scarlett Johansson,&nbsp;and Samuel L. Jackson, for instance, were household names who took on the job of portraying superheroes. Others, including Tom Holland and Chris Hemsworth, were introduced to mass audiences primarily through the Marvel films. Regardless, the company has put a lot of care into casting performers who can really embody the beloved characters in a meaningful way.

The following Avengers have impressive non-MCU filmographies across the board. Whose is best? Start voting and let us know.

Which Avenger Has The Best (Non-MCU) Filmography?

Actor

Mike McGranaghan

Underrated

“Tell me your favorite small, underrated moment in the MCU.” - <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://twitter.com/WhimsyDesigns">@WhimsyDesigns</a>Over on Twitter, Marvel fans are sharing the tiny moments from the MCU that they feel are underappreciated. These are the blink-and-miss it, inside jokes, and/or one-liners that need more recognition. Here are a few that were shared. Please vote up your favorites.&nbsp;

Small Moments From The MCU That Are Completely Underrated, According To Marvel Fans

Damon Davis

The best and worst characters, scenes, lines, moments, costumes, etc. in all your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man properties.

Spider-Man, Spider-Man

Spider-Man (Superhero)

No one does costumed conflict quite like Spider-Man and his spectacular foes. With the possible exception of DC&#39;s Dark Knight, no comic book hero has a stronger rogues&#39;&nbsp;gallery than Spidey, a character who&#39;s starred in more than a half-dozen solo films and still hasn&#39;t had all of his prominent villains make it to the big screen. There are simply too many iconic baddies out there who&nbsp;primarily want a piece of the wallcrawler.

Of course, those Spidey villains who have made it to Hollywood are clearly the cream of the crop, and worthy of being celebrated as their own distinguished cohort. The challenges they&#39;ve put Peter Parker through have helped define his heroism for multiple generations and have given audiences some of the most memorable interactions to ever grace the silver screen - even if, in the end, they always come up short of&nbsp;the webslinger.

Vote up the most powerful foes Spidey has ever faced on the big screen.

The Most Powerful Villains In 'Spider-Man' Movies

Stephan Roget

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

With its stunning visuals and genius twist on classic Spider-Man mythology, it may seem like it was a breeze to make Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, but behind the scenes, it wasn&#39;t necessarily a guaranteed hit. While there had been six other solo Spider-Man movies before it,&nbsp;Spider-Verse&nbsp;was the first animated Marvel story to hit the big screen, and it had the double-burden of introducing casual fans to a completely different hero in Miles Morales while living up to the high expectations of comic fans protective of the young Spider-Person.

By committing to wild, interconnected comic book storytelling,&nbsp;Into the Spider-Verse&nbsp;became one of the decade&#39;s most beloved movies, a superhero showcase packed with <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/spiderman-into-the-spider-verse-easter-eggs/kyle-chorpening" target="_blank">Easter eggs to delight fans</a> and ambitious world-building.&nbsp;The story isn&rsquo;t the only refreshing thing about this movie, with an approach that made this feature look like a giant comic. This handcrafted visual style breaks all the rules of traditional CG animation (there&rsquo;s a reason it won an Oscar for <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-oscar-winning-animated-films/ranker-film?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Best Animated Feature</a>), and the journey to creating a modern classic took plenty of turns going from pie-in-the-sky ideas to perfectly executed movie magic.

Behind-The-Scenes Stories From ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’

'Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse' Behind The Scenes

Jack Morgan

Marvel Comics

The second chapter in the Spider-Verse trilogy landed in theaters, and audiences are overjoyed. Along with the return of Miles and Gwen, fans are gleefully celebrating the big-screen debut of Hobie Brown, AKA Spider-Punk, the anti-establishment, PM-hating Spider-Man from Earth-138. His punk rock attitude and coolness factor have already made him a favorite with Spider-Verse fans. Here are a few posts celebrating the punk rock hero.&nbsp;

26 Posts About Hobie Brown's Spider-Punk From 'Spider-Verse' That Challenge The Establishment

Spider-Man (2002)

In the hunt for <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/all-easter-eggs-from-marvel-movies/ranker-comics?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Marvel Easter eggs</a>, there&#39;s no movie more ripe for in-jokes and references than&nbsp;Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. The animated film from producers Chris Lord and Phil Miller is overflowing&nbsp;with ideas that comic book fans have been waiting for -&nbsp;the feature-film debut of Miles Morales!&nbsp;Seven different Spider-People! Parallel universes! -&nbsp;and that commitment to fan service extends to the many hidden details in&nbsp;Into the Spider-Verse.

From the gut-punch of <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/unanswered-avengers-infinity-war-questions/stephanroget" target="_blank">an ending in Avengers:&nbsp;Infinity War</a>&nbsp;to a starring role in <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-spider-man-ps4-suits/ranker-games" target="_blank">the PS4&nbsp;Spider-Man&nbsp;game</a>, 2018 was a significant year for Peter Parker, and Into the Spider-Verse&nbsp;gives Marvel a chance to shine some light on its many other arachnid heroes. Miles Morales takes center stage, with support from Spider-Gwen, Spider-Man Noir, Peni&nbsp;Parker and SP//dr, and the Spectacular Spider-Ham, to save not just his Earth, but every Earth in the multiverse.

While the heroes&nbsp;save the day, the filmmakers&nbsp;took time to sneak in a ton of references and Easter eggs that make&nbsp;Spider-Man:&nbsp;Into the Spider-Verse&nbsp;worthy of a rewatch.

Did You Catch Stan Lee's Cameo(s) In 'Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse'?

18 Easter Eggs And References You Missed From 'Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse'

18 Easter Eggs You Missed From 'Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse'

Kyle Chorpening

Originally known as Timely Publications and then as Atlas Comics, the comic book publishing company known as Marvel began in 1961 when it launched The Fantastic Four.

The Universe of Marvel Comics

Superhero & Comic Book Movies

Everybody knows the Marvel Cinematic Universe is the hottest film property around, but what about the non-MCU Marvel movies? Back when&nbsp;an interconnected superhero universe was just a fan&#39;s dream, there were still plenty of chances to see classic Marvel characters on the big screen (some more successful than others).&nbsp;With the news that Jamie Foxx will be playing Electro again&nbsp;in the upcoming third MCU&nbsp;Spider-Man, it potentially opens the door for other <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/top-avengers-not-in-mcu/joedonley" target="_blank">non-MCU characters</a> to return to the fold.

Doctor Strange and the Scarlet Witch&nbsp;are&nbsp;clearly going to be surfing around the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/best-alternate-universes-and-timelines-in-marvel-comics/ranker-comics" target="_blank">Marvel multiverse</a> in&nbsp;Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and that just begs for cameos from Marvel stars of yesteryear. What has Tobey Maguire&#39;s Peter Parker been up to since 2007&#39;s&nbsp;Spider-Man 3? Ever wished that&nbsp;Wesley Snipes&#39; Blade was around to handle all the MCU villains trying to ice skate uphill? And you know, that Johnny Storm from 2005&#39;s&nbsp;Fantastic Four&nbsp;really does look a lot like Captain America...

13 Marvel Performances We Want To See Brought Into The MCU’s Multiverse

Marvel Performances We Want To See In The MCU’s Multiverse

The greatest, funniest, most cringeworthy, heartwarming, and heartbreaking moments in MCU history.

Great Moments in the MCU

When the Marvel Cinematic Universe began, it was all quips and lighthearted superhero action. Now we&#39;ve got all kinds of brutal happenings going on in the franchise, which begs the question: <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/darkest-mcu-moments/williamsbrianjake" target="_blank">Is the MCU getting darker</a>? The Avengers and their cohorts are coming up against <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/nonlethal-mcu-villain-moments/williamsbrianjake" target="_blank">universe-ending baddies</a> now, and there have been numerous times in the series where the MCU has gone a bit more serious than its&nbsp;comic book counterparts.

For example, Thanos&#39;s <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/how-avengers-beat-thanos-in-comics/stephanroget?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Infinity Gauntlet snap</a> in the comics doesn&#39;t turn people to ash when they disappear... they just, you know, disappear. And the Starks aren&#39;t brutally slain by the Winter Soldier in the middle&nbsp;of the night. And Aunt May isn&#39;t killed off by a Green Goblin pumpkin bomb. And don&#39;t even get us started on Ego giving Meredith Quill cancer on purpose. The comic books have plenty of dark moments, too, but it seems like they can&#39;t hold a candle to what&#39;s going on in the MCU.

Dark MCU Moments That Didn't Come From The Comics

Fans of superhero movies are always eagerly awaiting the many comic book films coming down the Hollywood pipeline. While moviegoers are certainly well-acquainted with characters like The Guardians of the Galaxy and The Flash by now, they might be less familiar with someone like Blue Beetle. With the&nbsp;Blue Beetle&nbsp;movie finally getting released, fans might want a little background information on the character before watching.Jaime Reyes - AKA Blue Beetle - is one of DC’s&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-best-teenage-superheroes">best teenage legacy characters</a>, and he is much more popular than the original Blue Beetle Dan Garret. To be fair, Jaime has a lot of distinguishing characteristics. Whether it's his&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/the-best-latinx-comic-book-characters/coy-jandreau">ties to his Mexican-American heritage</a> or the strong presence of his family in his life, Jaime feels like a unique hero in the comic book landscape. Here’s everything viewers might want to know about Blue Beetle ahead of his solo film.

Everything You Need To Know About Blue Beetle

If you love the MCU and also love laughing, you've come to the right place. 

MCU Memes & Viral Things

Entertainment

Whether or not you&#39;re still bitter from&nbsp;Infinity War, Starlord is the reason the world received&nbsp;Endgame. Yes, his actions had disastrous consequences, but Starlord was gripped with some of the most challenging decisions in the fight with Thanos. What better way to celebrate his emotional strife than through memes making fun of him?&nbsp;

Take a look and vote up the Starlord and Guardians of the Galaxy memes that make you laugh.

Star-Lord Memes That Prove Fans Are Still A Little Salty After 'Infinity War'

Raelyn Giansanti

Comic Books lists at Ranker provide the best comic book movies, games, characters, heroes, villains, and more voted on by 1000s of comic fans.

Comics & Anime lists on Ranker

Best Comic Book Movies, Games, Characters, Heroes, Villains, and More

Comics

Gambit

Magneto

Rogue

The Dark Knight

Batman

The Dark Knight Rises

Watchmen

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns

Batman: Year One

Ranking the best novels and non-fiction books of every genre.

Bibliophilia

A list of the best graphic novels and collected editions (trade paperbacks). The best graphic novels and collected editions are generally fan favorites and regarded highly by readers and collectors of graphic novels. If you're looking to read graphic novels that will keep your head in the pages long after you've stopped reading, these are some of the greatest graphic novels and collected editions to check out.This list includes some of the best graphic novels for kids and teens, the top graphic novels for adults, and some collected editions for any age. Some of the greatest graphic novels, like Watchmen, have become some of the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-best-superhero-movies-ever-made">best superhero movies</a> and the Hollywood obsession to turn graphic novels and collected editions into franchise movies. For the purposes of this list of the best graphic novels and collected editions, multi-volume works with a clear beginning and end should be treated as one entry. Adaptations should generally be omitted. If you don't see your favorite graphic novel or collected edition on the list, feel free to add more so other collectors and new readers can get dialed in to what you think the top graphic novels are. And once you do add your choice for greatest graphic novel, make sure to vote it up so it gets to the top of the list of the greatest graphic novels and collected editions.

V for Vendetta

The Greatest Graphic Novels and Collected Editions

Ranker Community

Lists about all the versions of DC Comics's Batman to make it to the big screen, including Burton, Nolan, and Lego adaptations and 2022's The Batman.

Batman on the Big Screen

Batman (Character)

Alot of fans consider the Christopher Nolan Dark Knight&nbsp;trilogy to be the best of all Batman films.&nbsp;But&nbsp;were they the best Batman movies of all time? This list of the greatest Batman films ever is here to declare, in order, which of all Batman movies is really the top Batman film ever made. How can you possibly rank such masterpieces? It&#39;s easy - consider the mood, directing, actors, and storylines that the movie creators were able to capture in their films. Which of all of the Batman movies do you feel was most faithful to the original comics or more entertaining than the others? It&#39;s unlikely that anyone&#39;s answer would be a chronological list, given that the films have continued to build on themselves over time.

Batman has been one of the most popular comic book characters to make the jump to movies. There&#39;s also no end in sight to his cinematic appearances, as a<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/new-batman-movie-2021/mike-calendrillo" target="_blank"> new Batman film</a>&nbsp;seems to perpetually be on the horizon. This list has every adventure of the Dark Knight tallied by preference, from Adam West all the way up to Christopher Nolan&#39;s Dark Knight trilogy with <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/christian-bale-movies-and-films-and-filmography/reference">Christian Bale</a>, including the final film, 2012&#39;s <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/the-dark-knight-rises-movie-quotes/movie-and-tv-quotes">The Dark Knight Rises</a>.&nbsp;It also includes the animated Batman movies that became popular in the mid-90s. But what is the best Batman movie? Or have you ever wondered how many Batman movies are there? This list will answer both those questions!

Batman films are so iconic and popular that there&#39;s even a whole genre of <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/guide-to-batman-fan-films-list-of-fan-made-batman-movies/fan-films-list">Batman fan films</a>! Many other cultures have translated Batman films into their own languages. FYI there&#39;s another list on Ranker of <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/the-best-batman-comics/analise.dubner">Best Batman Comics</a>, if you&#39;re interested.

Vote for your favorite Batman movie titles below on this Batman movies list! And if you&#39;re a real fan, check out our list of the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-batman-actors/ranker-entertainment" target="_blank">best Batman actors</a> who ever donned the batsuit.&nbsp;

Justice League: Doom

Every Single Batman Movie, Ranked Best to Worst

The Best Batman Movies Of All Time, Ranked By Fans

Lists about Marvel's team of superhuman mutants in all its variations.

Who Xes the X-Men?

X-Men

We&#39;ve all been big fans of X-Men for quite some time now. Now is your chance to let your comic book knowledge shine. We&#39;re turning to you, our Ranker Community to make lists of your favorite X-Men Mutants in action of which you&#39;d like to see star in their own film next summer. Let the world know who has the best back-story that could be developed into a prequel. We&#39;re looking to shine light on other comic book legends that deserve a chance to share their story, like bombshell Jean Grey or powerful Beast. If it were up to the Ranker&#39;s Staff, we&rsquo;d like to see Rouge or Mystique star in a movie sometime soon.

Which x men deserves their own movie?