CBMM

Tomorrow will be one of the best days of the year. The long awaited COMIC BOOK MOVIE MARATHON can finally come to fruition for nerds worldwide. MUTHAFUCKIN SPIDERMAN2 COMES OUT ON DVD. WHAT WHAT.

Here's a sample line-up of movies that can be played for at least 24 hours of geeky drooling. Let's start with the crappiest, and then work up to the best of the superhero inspired cinema.

Daredevil (2003)
I kind of liked this movie at first, although there were many stylistic changes to the concept. It worked on the basic level, but altogether it didn't make me love comics as much as the other movies.

The Hulk (2003)
I wanted to give this movie a chance, hell, Ang Lee even experimented with sequential panel cinematography. However, it was a failure in experimentation, as the stylized paneling detracted from the experience. Plus the acting was quite whack.

The Punisher (2003)
This movie ALMOST had me fooled as being badass, but alas, there is no way to make The Punisher a true hardcore savage in live action. I suppose no one realizes that the real Punisher is a machine of death and vengeance, not some emo/rock soundtrack.

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003)
I liked it. Fuck, I liked this movie a lot. Although it didn't stay completely true to the Alan Moore books, it was a treat to witness legendary fiction heroes duke it out in classic fashion.

Blade (1998)
NOW the movie line-up is getting intense. Blade was the first in a new generation of comic book movies that stayed true to its roots as well as brought a level of modern rockstar quality to a franchise. Thankfully, the half-vampire, half-human Midnight Son wasn't a household name, so there was plenty of sauce that the movie could bring to the table.

Blade 2 (2002)
Cherish a movie if it can turn out to be better than it's prequel. Not only did this sequel introduce a fresh new angle to the Blade story, but it added a sexy amount of CG that didn't make the movie too cheesy. Although the whole movie had the hint of mozarella flowing through each scene, it still made me laugh and cry, "OH SHIT" at the same time.

X-Men (2000)
Instant Classic. Cult Hit. Genre Defining. Name it, this movie has got it. Bryan Singer took a relatively young franchise (though highly popular) and reshaped it to suit a new generation. It was anti-hero and boyscout at the same time. It was white knuckle and thought provoking. An ensemble cast, as well as ingenious imagery made this movie a flagship of comic book cinema.

X-Men 2 (2003)
Once again, the sequel just about outshines the first. Not only that, but the sequel almost redefined that which sought to redefine itself. Anyway, the X-Men sequel kicked ass and took names.

Hellboy (2004)
If it werent for the fact that Spiderman came out before this movie, it would have defintely taken the highest honors in my mind. True to text plot, beautiful imagery, irresistable dialogue, inside jokes galore. If you're an avid Hellboy/Mignola fan, this movie would have you hooked. Until Sin City comes out, Guillermo Del Toro and Mike Mignola combined produced a perfect comic book film.

Spiderman (2002)
The greatest comic book movie since Tim Burton's Batman. It was sublime in it's take on the Spiderman mythology, insanely great in execution, and overall made my inner-geek splooge all over the walls of my brain membrane. Sam Raimi rocked this movie out.

Spiderman 2 (2004)
I'd say its a beautiful streak that the comic book movie sequels have been top-notch in comparison to their predecessors. Better than the first in every category that the previous movie excelled in. The fights were glorious, the story was dramatic and gripping, the nerd factor was raised to x50. Bonus points on the Evil Dead homage, Sam Raimi.