The Screening Log is proud to present the first Log Top 5, a brand-new feature we've set up to honor some of the best flicks in particular genres. With Marvel's "Iron Man" flying to theaters this week, we decided to take a look back at the best comic book/graphic novel adaptations in recent years.

The Log team members literally united and voted for their favorites, and you can enjoy the results right here. Please note that these are only the five films with the most votes. Many others were named in the individual lists of our writers, but they didn't make the cut. Enjoy the TOP 5 COMIC BOOK ADAPTATIONS!

5. SPIDER-MAN 2

Heather Provost: Just the fact that the sequel was just as good as or maybe even better than the original is enough to put "Spider-Man 2" at the top of my list. My expectations were SO high when the lights in that theater dimmed. And there was not one disappointed bone in my body when the lights came back up. What the first installment of "Spider-Man" did with CGI pales in comparison to what its sequel accomplished. The action segments are breathtaking, and the complexity of its villain is masterful. It's a rare thing when one sympatizes with the villian. It's a lot easier to just make a bad guy bad. But to care about the villian's journey, and how he got to the place he's in, well, that takes some talent. Not to mention the Mary Jane/Peter storyline - perfectly told. To make these characters so real, in a place so real, all while telling the story of a comic book superhero? To me, that is genius.

Stuart Ervin: "Spider-Man 2" is my idea of the perfect superhero movie. We already know all about our hero, so we can get right into the story. The cast and crew of the first "Spider-Man" did an amazing job expanding and improving upon everything that made the first movie so great. Here, we get bigger and better action sequences, a weightier, more emotional story, and possibly the greatest super villain in Doctor Octopus. This is one of the greatest sequels ever made.

Franck Tabouring: “Spider-Man 2” is quite simply my favorite comic book adaptation and the best superhero flick I have ever seen. And yes, I find it superior than its already awesome predecessor. Unlike most sequels these days, this second film jumped to the big screen with an improved story line, a better villain and an even deeper development of the main characters. Indeed, Sam Raimi seized the opportunity to give us the best Spidey yet. He hit all the right notes with the adaptation, and delivered even better special effects, a whole lot more action, and marvelous cinematography and editing. “Spider-Man 2” remains a grand action spectacle and the epitome of a successful, ass-kicking comic adaptation.


4. X2: X-MEN UNITED

Jake Horsley: The first "X-Men" movie was passable, the third forgettable; only the second installment captured the pop mythology of the comic, and along with Raimi's first "Spider-Man," it's the closest movies have come so far to the exuberance of those early Stan Lee/Jack Kirby/Steve Ditko comics. Bryan Singer does one better than Raimi, however, by creating a fully grown-up movie that sustains an intelligent level of action and character development throughout its length. In just over two hours, "X2" manages to offer just about every conceivable genre pleasure, yet it never loses coherence or narrative drive. It even develops a terrific subtext, showing the inevitable hostility between mutants and humans, even when they are both of the same family (parents' reactions to their children's mutant-status wittily evokes conservative parents' reaction to homosexuality.) Besides being blissfully exciting, this is poignant and stirring stuff, and pretty much a template of how to get a superhero movie exactly right. Too bad more people haven't followed Singer's example.

Chris Newman: In my mind, "X2: X-Men United" is the best comic book adaptation ever. This movie fleshed out many of the "X-Men" characters I have grown to love. We find out about Wolverine’s past, and they included the Jean Grey/Dark Phoenix story line from the comics. Brian Cox’s William Stryker was a great enemy to unite the X-Men and Magneto and his henchmen. Stryker was diabolical in wanting to eradicate mutants that he even enslaved his own mutant son. From the movie’s opening sequence with the soldiers entering the Mutant Academy to the final scene at the dam, the entire movie left me satisfied and wanting more. 

Rachel Thuro: As great as "X-Men" is, the second installment of this superhero franchise manages to outshine it.  The film has a fantastic plot, character development and dialogue working for it, but three scenes specifically stand out in my mind. 1.) The attack on the school is purely wicked, especially when we get to see the true madness of Wolverine, which was only glazed over in the first movie. 2.) Magneto’s escape from prison has to be one of the most imaginative, as well as beautifully shot scenes I’ve ever witnessed on screen. 3.) The intense and brutal battle between Wolverine and Lady Deathstrike is mesmerizing. These three scenes alone make the movie worth watching, but luckily "X2" has many more enjoyable aspects sandwiched in between these standout moments. Proving that a provocative plot and character development can exist in harmony with raw action sequences, "X2" certainly raised the bar for the comic book movie genre.


3. SIN CITY

Jake Horsley: To say that "Sin City" is the best movie adaptation of a comic book isn't to express an opinion but to make a statement of fact. Rodriguez worked side-by-side with original creator Frank Miller, using the comics as storyboards and not only reproducing dialogue word-for-word and imitating set design, but also recreating many of the same camera angles found in the comic. So whether you love Sin City depends entirely on how you respond to Miller's postmodern pulp-noir sensibility and his penchant for Samurai style violence and black humor. Personally, this isn't just the best comic book adaptation but one of the best action movies ever (right up there with "The Matrix"). What really makes the movie special, however, is Mickey Rourke's soulful performance as Marv, a man who (we're told) would have been more at home in medieval times splitting skulls with an axe. Yet Marv is a knight as well as a killer: he loses his heart to a whore, and gives his life to avenge her. Between them, Rourke, Miller, and Rodriguez created a modern archetype. The movie is as close to pulp perfection as we are likely to get.

Rachel Thuro: Film noir meet comic book adaptation, comic book adaptation meet film noir. "Sin City" is one of the few movies that left me speechless afterwards. In the first five seconds my senses were hypnotized into watching one of the most beautifully shot films on screen. It was as though the pages of a comic book were coming to life before my eyes.  "Sin City" is a cool modern film that pays homage to the classic Hollywood film noirs of old. The skillful mixture of color into a predominately black and white film put the modern twist on a classic style, while the stylized gore and violence scream comic book adaptation. Together these two elements dance in rhythm across the silver screen, providing provocative plots and captivating characters, leaving this viewer extremely anxious for the highly rumored "Sin City"  sequels.

Aaron Osborne: It is rare to see a comic transform to film as flawlessly as "Sin City." This beautifully dark and violent movie keeps the grainy style of Frank Miller’s original graphic novel, and makes one of the best comic/film conversions to date. First of all, the impeccable style in which Miller created his graphic novel is reenacted onscreen through the use of an incredible combination of CGI and live action. Also, the use of rough black and white is combined with timely dashes of color to recreate the unforgettable pages of the original books; not sacrificing originality in an attempt to become a blockbuster with mass appeal, as many comic films have done. The stories of corruption, love and betrayal are also well-adhered to in the making of the movie, not to mention the incredible casting of the film. The cast represents these characters very well, drawing viewers into the grotesque underbelly of this fictional city, in all of its passionately raw stories. I wait with anticipation for the sequel.


2. SPIDER-MAN

Emily Hurst: "Spider-Man" is the perfect mix of action and love story. What is so impressing is that the characters truly carry the movie, and not the violence, as we see in many other comic book adaptations. It surprises me to think that a comic book character who first appeared in 1962 makes a perfect flick for the modern day. The transition from the comic book to the big screen couldn’t have been smoother. It leaves audiences of all ages wanting more and ready for the sequel.

Heather Provost: I don't like comic books. I don't care about or even know many comic book characters. So, I'm sure you can deduce from this that I am clearly not a fan of movies based on comic books and/or their characters. EXCEPT for one special guy, who has his own comic book series, and now has his own movie franchise. The special guy to whom I am referring is my boy, Spider-Man. The first installment never once sacrifices story for action. The film allows us to go on Peter Parker's "wild and crazy ride." It makes a comic book superhero very human and very tangible. The relationships between all of the characters are very real and quite developed - not the norm for these types of films. The action is exciting, the plot driving, and the characters' stories gripping. I remember sitting and watching it for the first time and not wanting it to end. This film made me love Spider-Man. The first "Spider-Man" film, to me, is not just a movie about a comic book superhero, but a movie that can stand on its own as a great piece of cinema. And for someone like me to really love it, well, let's just say, it has to be pretty special... just like the guy it's based on.

Chris Newman: "Spider-Man" broke through Hollywood back in 2002 and hasn’t looked back since, and the original story made us feel for the Peter Parker, Mary Jane Watson and Harry Osborn enough to sit through two other movies. From the action-packed fighting sequences to all the stylish swinging in the air with Spidey, this film is a must-see superhero movie. 


1. BATMAN BEGINS

Aaron Osborne: This prequel is most definitely the best of the series, and it puts some badly needed air under the caped crusader’s wings. Dropping the goofy cheesiness of "Batman Forever" and "Batman and Robin," and going with a more intriguing and serious story line was one of the best directions Christopher Nolan (director of "Memento" and "The Prestige") could take with the "Batman" series. Story line and writing aside, the casting of Christian Bale was another move in the right direction, bringing a young talented actor to turn around the fledgling "Batman" franchise.

Stuart Ervin: "Batman Begins" delivers on all the promise of the almost-great Tim Burton "Batman" films, and it almost makes us forget about the not-in-any-way-great Joel Schumacher "Batman" films. This film effortlessly juggles an original story as well as a handful of villains. Never before has a film treated the superhero genre with such respect. If you have never seen a superhero movie, start here. If you are already a fan, pop this one in your DVD player one more time as you count down the days until "The Dark Knight."

Franck Tabouring: What can I say? I truly enjoyed Tim Burton’s first “Batman” flick, but Christopher Nolan delivered a perfect resurrection of Bruce Wayne and Batman in the marvelous “Batman Begins,” a film so awesome, it’s hard not to love it. Above all, and very much like Sam Raimi in “Spider-Man 2,” Nolan did a fabulous job capturing the flair and atmosphere of his superhero’s world, showcasing his strengths and touching on his weaknesses. A brilliant cast, plenty of darkness, a solid story line and first-class direction and effects turned this comic book adaptation/superhero flick into one of my all-time favorites. May the Dark Knight rise!