Popcorn Addict: The top 10 Best Comic Book Movies

It seems like something recent, but comic books have been turning into movies since the 1930's. It started with the serials that showed before the main feature. As the technology behind the movies improved, Hollywood found it easier to make movies out of comic books.
Comic book movies have a dilemma because they have two audiences to please. Not only do they have to please those who know little about the source material, but they also have to please those who've read the comic book.
So which movies do the best? Well, here's my list. Keep in mind, this obviously only applies to the ones I've seen. So, since I haven't watched Watchmen yet, I can't comment on it.
10) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The first Ninja Turtles movie was the closest Hollywood ever came to the comic. It was nothing like the cartoon--edgy, dark and not dumbed-down. The Turtles even cursed! (Raphael said "Damn!" a total of three times) The fights were well-choreographed and Jim Henson did great work on the Turtles.
9) Hellboy: DC and Marvel aren't the only big names in the comic biz. One company that's managed to do quite well is Dark Horse, the company that publishes Hellboy. Hellboy is a different kind of superhero in that he actually looks like someone the heroes usually fight. In fact, the villains often attempt to coerce him to their side, but he always refuses. This movie captures the dark fantasy and humor of the comic well and looks excellent.
8) The Crow: The Crow is a great gothic story of a spirit of vengeance that possesses those who have died at the hands of injustice. The first Crow movie tells this story expertly and is worth watching.
7) Iron Man: This movie was better than I expected. Robert Downey Jr was an excellent choice for the part of Tony Stark. I wasn't expecting a prodigal son-type story, but it actually worked. The special effects were top-notch and the fights toward the end were excellent.
6) X-men: Next to the Justic League, the X-men will always be my favorite superhero team. I've always loved the familial relationship between the members. The movie did a great job of telling the story. Ian McKellan was excellent as Magneto and I doubt anyone could've played Professor X better than Patrick Stewart.
5) Batman: Tim Burton makes some of the best movies around, and this is no different. Michael Keaton proves he's one of the most underrated actors in Hollywood and Jack Nicholson is excellent as the Joker.
4) Superman II: A lot of people think the first Superman movie was the best, but I beg to differ. That movie did little that hadn't been done in the comics numerous times. Superman II, on the other hand, gave us the more spiritual side of the character. If you were to ask Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster where they got the idea for Superman, they'd tell you it was actually from Jesus. And in this story, we get a Superman who is willing to give up everything for love, just as Jesus did (Okay, so Superman doesn't get crucified, but if you think about it, there is a spiritual side to Superman)
3) Spider-man: Spider-man is a great study in everything that makes him cool. What I especially like is its emphasis on his responsibility. Willem Dafoe was the best choice for the Gren Goblin. He was just as menacing in the movie as he is in the comic.
2) Batman Begins: After the debacle of Batman and Robin, people must've thought there'd never be a good Batman movie again. Batman Begins proved that notion wrong. Christan Bale was terrific as Batman. Cillian Murphy have us a bone-chilling Scarecrow. Liam Nesson was very convincing as Ra's Al Ghul, providing an excellent foil for Batman. Only one question remained, could it be done twice?
1) The Dark Knight: This movie answered the question with a resounding yes! Jack Nicholson was a great Joker in the original movie and a tough act to follow. Ledger gave us his best performance as a Joker who revelled in the chaos he created. Aaron Eckhart was over the top as Two-Face, and did an excellent job of playing someone with inner demons. If you want an excellent Batman movie, this is the one.
Note: honorable mention goes to:
Sin City
The Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Spider-man II
X-men: United We Stand

The Best Batman Villains

Batman's always been my favorite superhero. I've always enjoyed the fact that Batman can handle any villain without the need of powers. It almost makes it seem like he could actually exist in our world.

They say a hero is defined by his villains. If that's true, it's no wonder Batman's so obsessed with order. His enemies are so uniquely evil, they're practically the stuff of our nightmares.

What follows are my favorite Batman villains. In fact, since I'm such a Bat-nerd, I'll even give you their first appearances. Oh, and for you Catwoman fans, I'm excluding her from the countdown because she spends so much time on the right side of the law, she's more of an outlaw than a villain.

10) Harley Quinn (Batman: the Animated Series ep 22: "Joker's Favor") Harley Quinn is a unique character because unlike the others on this list, she was originally created solely for the excellent Batman: the Animated Series. She got so popular DC actually worked her into the actual universe. Harley is certifyably insane. Anyone who's fallen so hopelessly in love with The Joker has to have a screw or two loose.

9) Poison Ivy (Batman #181): Posion Ivy is more than just sex appeal. She's an environmental terrorist who can control plants. I've always thought environmentalists were crazy, but I never thought I'd actually like one.

8) Mr. Freeze (Batman #121): When Mr. Freeze first appeared he was just another villain who used cold, a la Captain Cold (was DC thining "We have two cold villains. Surely, we must be cool now!) Then came Batman: the Animated Series and that changed. Now he became a tragic character you could almost pity. When he lost nora, Freeze didn't just lose his love, he lost his sanity and humanity. He became as cold as the ice he creates. He had no emotions now, making him even more frightening. Now if only he'd turn Joel Schumacher into a human icicle.

7) The Riddler (Detective Comics #140): The Riddler is one of the craftiest villains around. I love when he shows up because he gives you the ability to play detective with Batman. If it weren't for his obesession with clues, he'd probably be a more baffling foe. But then, he wouldn't be The Riddler. And you gotta love the thinking behind his alter ego's name: Edward Nigma. That's right--E. Nigma!

6) Bane (Batman: the Vengeance of Bane) Oh boy! Bane broke Batman's back and started one of the best Batman crossovers, "Knightfall." But Bane is more than just a steroid junkie. He actually had enough intelligence to know that if he kept Batman distracted by breaking all of Arkham's inmates out, he'd weaken Batman both physically and mentally. He's tried again and again to break Batman, but if you ask me, he should forget him and go after Joel Schumacher instead. (Okay, that's the last jab I take at the guy--for this column anyway.)

5) Two-Face (Detective Comics #66) Okay, I know, I should've put Two-Face at #2. But to put him at #5 still works--it's the halfway point!

Anyway, what I like about Two-Face is he represents the evil nature within all of us. He could've been a great district attorney, but evil had other plans.

4) Deadshot (Batman #59) Hey Christopher Nolan, I have a great idea: put Deadshot in your next Batman movie. Deadshot is Batman's polar opposite. They're both rich people and have similar origins. But Deadshot is evil and will actually kill people and even use guns! Now that we've seen two animated versions of Deadshot, let's see a live-action version. Trust me, Nolan, it'll work.

3) Scarecrow (World's Finest Comics #3) Scarecrow is your worst nightmare. He can bring your worst fears to life or create completely new ones. I thought Cillian Murphy did a great job playing Scarecrow. It was very close to both the comic book and Bruce Timm and Paul Dini's version.

2) Ra's Al Ghul (Batman #232): Ra's Al Ghul is what Batman would be if he had a bigger ego. IF you listen to Ra's Al Ghul's rhetoric, the only way to fix the world is to put him in charge. I don't need Talia to tell me how screwed up that'd be. Ra's Al Ghul even crated a disease and spread it through Gotham in the "Contagion" crossover.

1) The Joker (Batman #1): Was there any doubt that the Joker would be at the top? When most people think of Batman, the Joker is the first villain they think of. The Joker delights in the chaos he reeks. The guy even poisoned the Gotham River just so the fish would have his face. Then he tried to patent them!

The Joker has even made the fight personal. He broke Batgirl's legs in The Killing Joke. He killed the second Robin, Jason Todd, in A Death in the Family. (Yeah I know DC brought him back. Don't they realize majority rules?) And let's not forget his most evil act of all, when he took over Tim Drake's mind in Batman Beyond: the Return of the Joker. The Joker is pure evil. That's why he's such a great villain.

Rant Mode: Cartoon Network Goes Live-Action

Cartoon Network has made lots of bonehead decisions. They played Outlaw Star during their Toonami block. (great show, but it wasn't really for kids.) They make schedule changes, often without telling the viewers first, especially during Adult Swim. They recently cancelled Toonami after 11 years! And now, they have added live-action programming.
Why is this so bad? If you must ask, you must work for Cartoon Network. Cartoon Network was originally founded as a 24-hour cartoon channel. That means NO live-action. Now Cartoon Network loses its identity.
I guess the blame really falls on MTV. When they added reality shows and cartoons back in the 90's,they showed cable networks you don't have to play to the niche. VH-1 has also followed suit. Sci-fi plays three shows that aren't sci-fi: ECW, Scare Tactics, and The Chase. The only video game-related programs on G4, a so-called video game network, is X-play. Toon Disney has added live-action programming as well, but at least now they call themselves "Disney XD" (a reference to the recent HD change?). But come on, does every network have to do this? Does every network have to lose their identity for the sake of ratings? NO! This is a terribly boneheaded decision. Cartoon Network, wise up!

Top 9 Favorite Johnny Yong Bosch characters

Johnny Yong Bosch is one of my all-time favorite VA's for anime. He's a great voice actor, especially when it comes to heroic characters. What follows is my top 9 favorite Johnny Yong Bosch characters. Why 9? Because that's all I've seen. Yes, I know about his role in Naruto, but it's so small I decided not to mention it. Anyway, here we go:

9)Adam (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, MIghty Morphin Power Rangers: the Movie, Power Rangers Zeo, Power Rangers Turbo, Power Rangers in Space, Power Rangers: Operation Overdrive) This is probably the most well-known role Bosch has had outside of anime. Adam was the Black Power Ranger. He replaced Zack, who was really nothing more than the "token black kid". Let's face it, the only way a Power Ranger can have depth is to be either the Black Ranger or be the final Ranger to join the team. Bosch should be commended for being able to do so much with so little to go on. Adam was basically the never-say-die kid and Bosch played him well.

8)Kaneda (Akira) To be honest, I'm not a big fan of Akira. Now before you rabid otakus break down my door. I will say I have seen two other Katsuhiro Otomo movies that I did like: Steamboy and Memories. Kaneda was the only thing I liked about Akira. This motorcycle punk anti-hero was a great preparation for another role I'm bringing up later.

7) Rossiu (Gurren Lagann) Rossiu is a rarity in anime: a giant robot pilot who isn't prone to panic attacks. Rossiu starts art as a boy looking for direction and Bosch plays this character very well.

6)Renton Thurston (Eureka 7) Renton is a great charater. He is a true hero who doesn't give up. Plus, he's got a cute girlfriend.

5)Kiba (Wolf's Rain)Kiba is one of Bosch's favorite characters and who can blame him? It's probably earned him a lot of fan mail from bishonen-crazy girls. Kiba is searching for the same thing many of us are: Paradise. For that reason, many views can sympathize with him, which may explain why he's such a popular character.

4) Claus Valca (Last Exile) Claus is another rarity. Usually a character as young as Claus is voiced by a woman. This was a chance for Bosch to show his range, and he did a great job showing us a kid who never backs down.

3)Ichigo Kurasawi (Bleach) Give Bosch some credit. I've actually watched some subtitled episodes of Bleach and I have to say Bosch comes pretty close to the original's pitch. Bosch had some preparation for Ichigo when he played Kaneda: they're both punks who are forced into becoming unlikely heroes.

2)Lelouch Lamprouge (Code Geass) Lelouch is a complex character. He is a source of inspiration for several of his fellow "Elevens" who've become his followers. This despite the fact that he has put innocent lives in danger. You almost don't want to root for this guy. Bosch is having the time for his life playing this kid, and it shows.

1) Vash the Stampede (Trigun) Vash is a strange one: one moment, he's a donut-loving buffoon; the next, a compassionate man who'd rather not resort to violence. Bosch captures both sides of Vash well. I think Bosch saw the parallels between Trigun and the message of Christianity and used them well. Vash is a Christ figure: he is an innocent man who is immortal and is persecuted despite his innocense. Bosch is actually a devout Christian, so he understands this and that's why I think this is his best role.

So there you have it, all my favorite Johnny Yong Bosch characters. Next up: Cartoon Network goes live-action?

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Lobster Quadrille Intro

Welcome to my new Blog. This is my first time at it, so bear with me. What will I talk about? Well, whatever I feel like! I'm a Roman Catholic and very vocal about my faith. I love anime, video games, and comic books. I reside somewhere on Earth. Really, that's all you need to know.
Now, why am I calling this Lobster Quadrille? Well, Lobster is because of my username, while Quadrille is a dance. To be more specific, it's really an Alice In Wonderland reference. I also like C.S. Lewis, Harry Potter, Tolkien, and lots of other writers. OK, that's enough intro. Next month is my first real column. BE there!