This is how it all began....

[Mandon Knight]

What, would people say is the most IMPORTANT comic book film release, not your best, favoutite, most valued, CBM, but the most important due to what it may have meant for the genre long term, its defining release & effect on studio development, what one film meant for comic book films in general ?

I would say it's 1978's, Superman The Movie. Without that one film, all of what has grown since, could not be released. Donner's film showed a) how to take a source seriously and place it on film with love & passion for the character and b) how the genre should be shown it could be projected as a film in its' own right, not just as a throwaway film, that comic book films could be taken as a medium alongside drama, action, romance, given it contained all these elements, prior to Superman, all we'd had were serials or 1966 Batman, which was so tongue in cheek.

For me, it's still the bench mark, my love for the film & character are lifelong but without it, Marvel, DC /WB would not have their expanded universes, the X-Men revolution would not have happened and certainly we'd have no clamour from the studios across the board to have a CBM released each summer as a requisite of their output each year.

 

[TeeKay]

I think TDK and The Avengers totally changed the genre and will have lasting impact on the genre as a wholewhole (for different reasons of course) especially TDK. That film is the epitome of the genre. TDK elevated the genre, by having a great script, great performances and just genuinely a great directed film. We won't be getting that in a long time post an Avengers world IMO. The closest we got IMO was with CA:TWS by that's not saying much (and I do genuinely love that film).

EDIT: I forgot to add in Raimis Spiderman 2 in there as well. Great superhero films are the ones that put story telling first before anything else. I think X-2, SM2, TDK and CA:TWS are the creme de LA creme of the CBM genre.

 

[Flint Marko]

I'll throw my two cents in and say that 2008 saw the two most important CBM's come out; TDK and Iron Man, the start of the MCU. The Avengers should be mentioned as well. I'd argue that those three movies shaped the current comic book movie landscape more so than any other film.

 

[Erzengel]

If we were to put all these CBMs on a Graph, these would be when it would spike:

Superman in 1978.
Batman in 1989
Blade in 1998
X-Men in 2000
Spider-Man in 2001
TDK and Iron Man in 2008
Avengers in 2012

While Blade is kinda the outlier, I think it gave a small resurgence before X-men and Spider-Man.

 

[HaplessHenchman]

If we were to put all these CBMs on a Graph, these would be when it would spike:

Superman in 1978.
Batman in 1989
Blade in 1998
X-Men in 2000
Spider-Man in 2001
TDK and Iron Man in 2008
Avengers in 2012

While Blade is kinda the outlier, I think it gave a small resurgence before X-men and Spider-Man.

Great post. I agree with this list 100%. Each of these movies can be credited with elevating the genre in some way.

 

[CyclopsWasRight]

If we were to put all these CBMs on a Graph, these would be when it would spike:

Superman in 1978.
Batman in 1989
Blade in 1998
X-Men in 2000
Spider-Man in 2001
TDK and Iron Man in 2008
Avengers in 2012

While Blade is kinda the outlier, I think it gave a small resurgence before X-men and Spider-Man.

Good post. Spider-Man was 2002 though

Great superhero films are the ones that put story telling first before anything else. I think X-2, SM2, TDK and CA:TWS are the creme de LA creme of the CBM genre.

Agreed completely

 

[Mandon Knight]

Sorry, not trying to be 'pinikity', but as I say, the thread is based on 'importance' to the genre by way of a 'heralding' moment, not by way of 'how good they are', some peops, posting this kind of point. Not being a thread police enforcer, but whilst CA:WS is a great film, it's not a genre turning point film. That's what I intended the thread to be about.

 

[Shikamaru]

Superman '78 is what started it all. It's the Action Comics #1 of comic book movies.

The more challenging question would be "what's the Fantastic Four #1 of CBM's?" Because while Superman brought the idea of the superhero to the mainstream, the latter issue brought the complexity of the superhero to the mainstream. We don't see it that way now since the FF appear so lighthearted compared with other Marvel properties, but for its time it was arguably the most revolutionary comic since AC#1.

I would argue the answer to that question is Batman Begins.

 

[Guard82]

If we were to put all these CBMs on a Graph, these would be when it would spike:

Superman in 1978.
Batman in 1989
Blade in 1998
X-Men in 2000
Spider-Man in 2001
TDK and Iron Man in 2008
Avengers in 2012

While Blade is kinda the outlier, I think it gave a small resurgence before X-men and Spider-Man.

Excellent list. I definitely agree with all your choices for the most historically significant comic book movies.

I would only add one final year to your list: 2014. I feel that 2014 was a key year for comic book movies because it gave us two groundbreaking movies in the genre: Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and Guardians of the Galaxy. These two movies both did a lot to move the genre forward in their own unique ways. Both movies have set a high standard to follow in the future.

 

[CyclopsWasRight]

Superman '78 is what started it all. It's the Action Comics #1 of comic book movies.

The more challenging question would be "what's the Fantastic Four #1 of CBM's?" Because while Superman brought the idea of the superhero to the mainstream, the latter issue brought the complexity of the superhero to the mainstream. We don't see it that way now since the FF appear so lighthearted compared with other Marvel properties, but for its time it was arguably the most revolutionary comic since AC#1.

I would argue the answer to that question is Batman Begins.

I'd say X-Men since it was the first blockbuster Marvel movie and the real start of the Marvel movie trend. Action Comics and Superman 79 started it all but FF#1 and X-Men 2000 opened the floodgates

Excellent list. I definitely agree with all your choices for the most historically significant comic book movies.

I would only add one final year to your list: 2014. I feel that 2014 was a key year for comic book movies because it gave us three groundbreaking movies in the genre: Captain America: The Winter Soldier, X-Men Days of Future Past and Guardians of the Galaxy. These three movies both did a lot to move the genre forward in their own unique ways. They movies have set a high standard to follow in the future.

Fixed.

 

[Erzengel]

I think I'd agree with that

TWS, DOFP and GOTG proved that we could have multiple stellar CBMs in 1 year. `

 

[Mandon Knight]

I'd say X-Men since it was the first blockbuster Marvel movie and the real start of the Marvel movie trend. Action Comics and Superman 79 started it all but FF#1 and X-Men 2000 opened the floodgates



Fixed.

Superman was 1978

 

[Val_Zod]

IMO, Superman is by and far the most important Superhero character of all. Everything that has come about since stems from, and is in a way a reponse to his conception. Superman the movie to me is that to comicbook films, as everything that would come about from here on out in the genre was a result of it's success, and ability to translate a character from the books to the big screen.

 

[Squaremaster316]

Batman Begins. Probably the single most influential film of the 21st century, regardless of genre.

 

[Erzengel]

How long into a date do you bring up Batman Begins?

 

[Keehar]

Superman 78 for beginning it all. TDK for bringing whole new respect and influence. Avengers for bringing in the shared universe.

 

[Kermit_The_Frog]

All I want... is a Runaways movie.

 

[Batmannerism]

Superman 78 for beginning it all. TDK for bringing whole new respect and influence. Avengers for bringing in the shared universe.

Totally agree, couldn't have said it better.

 

[John Locke]

Superman 78 for beginning it all. TDK for bringing whole new respect and influence. Avengers for bringing in the shared universe.

I'd add Spider-Man for reviving it.

 

[CyclopsWasRight]

^ X-Men or to a lesser extent Blade did that

 

[Keehar]

Not as much as Spidey. Spidey was bigger than them both.

 

[CyclopsWasRight]

But without X-Men and Blade reviving the genre after B&R killed it would Spider-Man have gotten made? we'll never know

 

[Spidey's Curse]

The first Spider-man film didn't just get fast tracked because Blade and X-men made it to the big screen, that film was in developmental hell and tied up in legal troubles for a looooong time. People were trying to make a Spider-man film for about 15 years, so yeah, it would of eventually got made... once the courts figured out who actually owned the rights to the film. It was more of a coincidence that it was finally made and released around the same time as those two films. Blade and X-Men are more of a blip on the radar compared to that first Spidey film. Raimi's film showed superhero films can once again be mega blockbusters and that audiences werent tired of them.

... and yeah, Superman is the most important cbm.

 

[Erzengel]

I don't think anyone is insinuating that Blade or X-Men gave the same blips on the radar or spikes on a graph as say Superman or Spider-Man. But , I think they made a smaller impact to the genre.

 

[Flint Marko]

Let's not get carried away, a Spider-man movie was an inevitability. X-men and Blade can be credited with giving the genre some of it's credibility back after B&R, but Spider-man is what put it on the map.