Every 2024 Comic Book Movie Ranked From Worst To Best

Interestingly, 2024 was hailed as reinvigorating the MCU despite there being only one film release, while DC suffered a severe blow to the reception and performance of Joker: Folie à Deuxand Sony's Spider-Man universe apparently came to an inauspicious end. The writing on this series was very difficult, and Sony will have more plans for its Marvel characters, but the triumvirate of Lady Teia, Venom: The Last Danceand Kraven didn't exactly move the needle.

Aside from the focus, 2024 was not a good year for comic book movies. There were a good number of them, but if any of them except Deadpool and Wolverine actually lasts in the memory in some way is very uncertain. The very fact that whoever is reading this already knows what the best choice of the year is tells its own story, in this respect. However, it was a year that promised less than many of the previous ones, with Marvel slowing things down and the DCU set to begin in 2025 with James Gunn. Supermanbut these days, a slow year has still meant we've had no fewer than eight DC and Marvel films.

Before we start looking at the future and the promise of the next Marvel MCU films and the arrival of the DCU reboot, let's look at the year that saw the return of Chris Evans' MCU, three Spider-Man spin-offs from Sony is a success. -dunk Joker sequence that was anything but…

8

Madame Web – Sony SSU

Reviewed by Simon Gallagher

The most memorable comic book movie of the year – and possibly of all time – for all the wrong reasons, Lady Teia It was hardly what any superhero movie fan would have wanted. Somehow undermined by a frankly unbalanced marketing campaign which was only usurped at the end of the year by EvilDespite the travel as a standout campaign (again for all the wrong reasons), the film is clearly a mess.

Dakota Johnson's oddly underwhelming performance as the titular hero was fun if you choose to accept it as a comedy, but the film never promised that. However, almost every line of dialogue is incredibly poor, the villain speaks in strange platitudes (and is redubbed in a very empty and disturbing way), and the tone is incredibly jarring. There's also a very uncomfortable, wink-nudge-nudge dance around the involvement of young Peter Parker, who feels like a sarcastic decoy and hangs an unfulfilled promise on the door.

In the long run, Madame Web will be remembered for Twilight Zone-like vibes, some startlingly obvious Pepsi product placement, and for being way funnier than it intended to be, in the worst way. That is if you remember.

7

6

Kraven the Hunter – Sony SSU

Reviewed by Simon Gallagher

Sony launched two films in the Spider-Man universe in 2024, and both were terrible disappointments. Lady TeiaThe problems shouldn't come as a surprise given the IP, but when Kraven was announced to be directed by JC Chandor and star Aaron Taylor-Johnson, it seemed to have real potential. Russell Crowe even appears as Kraven's overbearing father and plays the rotten core of this strange meditation on toxic masculinity. But the big lie Kraven: The Hunter It's just that it was interesting enough without Spider-Man.

Kraven's greatest enemy and target is Spider-Man, not a philosophical battle against his father's sins. This is a concrete fact. It's almost as if Chandor and her creative team watched Clown and decided that the world needed another slice of discourse, rather than just making the easiest movie out of the available raw materials. That doesn't help either the higher purpose of his message is balanced with a silly spirit that is completely at odds with the overly serious toneand technical issues that stand out clearly.

If someone had told me in advance that I would be watching a version of the Marvel supervillain Chameleon, whose powers manifest as him being able to perfectly imitate Harry Styles and Ozzy Osbourne, I would have laughed at them. And yet here we are: it actually happened. Put this alongside some of the worst re-dubbed sequels since… well, Lady Teiaand you'll get a real idea of ​​what this strange film really was.

5

Watchmen: Chapter 1 – DC Animation

Reviewed by Zoe Miskelly

The animated adaptation of Watchers occupies an interesting place in DC history, with Zack Snyder's 2009 live-action iteration of the story being the last time audiences saw the characters in film format. The 2024 film changed that, bringing a version of Watchers this was much closer to its comedic roots – though not identical due to the 2.5-D art style.

Animating the story of Watchers adds something to many parts of the narrative – with Rorschach's ever-moving mask lending another subtle layer of menace to the character, and the ways in which certain figures move and provide lines adding depth to his overall depiction. However, the close similarity between the animated release and the comics also raises questions about how necessary this type of adaptation was, making it an installment that some might prefer to avoid in favor of the original graphic novel itself.

4

Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – DC Animation

Reviewed by Zoe Miskelly

• Your changes have been saved

  Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths, Part One is an animated film set in the DC Universe, where heroes like Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman team up with counterparts from various Earths. They face an imminent existential threat, coming together under the leadership of the mysterious Monitor to prevent a multiverse-wide cataclysm.

• Your changes have been saved

  Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths, Part Two follows the combined forces of superheroes, including Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, as they battle an invading army of shadow demons that threaten all realities. They face hidden secrets involving the Monitor and Supergirl, which challenge their efforts to save the multiverse.

• Your changes have been saved

  Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths, Part Three continues the saga with the Anti-Monitor unleashing an unyielding attack on the surviving Earths. As universes face annihilation, heroes from different timelines join the Justice League and allies in a final confrontation against this formidable existential threat.

Crisis on Infinite Earths is still one of DC's most ambitious comic book projects all these years later – and the animation Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths the trilogy gets it right not only because of the sheer scale of the story, but also because of the considerable pre-existing timeline of the DC Animated Universe in which it takes place. After 11 years in the universe, Crisis on Infinite Earths brings this universe to a grand conclusion, doing justice to a colossal range of characters and their legacies.

Although the sheer scope of the story in question means Crisis on Infinite Earths is forced to skip over some characters more than others – and only pay lip service at a few key moments – is arguably still the most authentic adaptation of the comic arc. It's also one of the few releases where you can see such a wide variety of iconic DC characters in one place, which is sure to give it lasting significance in the history of the comic book franchise.

3

Joker: Folie à Deux – DC Elseworlds

Reviewed by Simon Gallagher

Given the box office performance, you could be forgiven for raising your eyebrows at the idea that Joke: Folie à Deux would deserve a podium. You'd probably be more surprised if I told you whether it's better than Venom: The Last Dance It changes almost every time I think about it. What doesn't change is how perplexed I remain by the wider reception of Todd Phillips' sequel to DC's most surprising billion-dollar hit. Why Folie à Deux It's a genuinely good film.

The problem with the sequence is the discourse around Clownthe original ending of and Phillips' insistence on allowing the audience to interpret the film's message. The sequel then undid these blows with gusto, to the point where the film's best reading is a meta-commentary on the original's rebellious reception. I'm still convinced that the only way you misunderstand Joker: Folie à Deux what a betrayal of the original is if you deliberately ignored the messages obviously planted in the original with all the subtlety of a brick house.

Speech gets in the way of everything in this pair of films, and it's probably a good thing that Folie à DeuxBox office failure killed this part of DC's Elseworlds project. But before that, it's important to note that Phoenix is ​​once again excellent as Arthur Fleck, Lady Gaga plays an excellent and convincing role for him, and Brendan Gleeson is very good. Now let's all move on.

2

Venom: The Last Dance – Sony SSU

Reviewed by Molly Freeman

Listen, I'm a fan of the movie Venom. I've been a fan of the movie Venom since day one (when I saw the first Poison in 2018). Then Venom: The Last Dance it was a film made specifically for me. It leaned further into the eccentric dynamic of Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) and Venom, offering plenty of fun moments of fights and emotional scenes where the symbiote and its host were forced to say goodbye. While I'm not convinced we've seen the last of Hardy's Venom, The last dance gives him a proper send-off.

Of course, there are still some weak points in the film. Anne Weying, by Michelle Williams, is missed Venom: The Last Dance as she and her chemistry with Hardy's Eddie were a highlight of the previous films. Furthermore, the inclusion of Marvel supervillain Knull, with seemingly no plans to bring back the Thanos-level villain, seems pointless when Hardy emphasized that his Venom trilogy of films is complete. We also end the series without Spider-Man appearing, which is a little disappointing.

1

Deadpool and Wolverine-MCU

Reviewed by Molly Freeman

On the theatrical scene, there wasn't much competition for the best superhero movie of 2024, but Deadpool and Wolverine still wins easily. That's it the event-style MCU mainstay that's been missing post-Marvel StudiosEnd of the game wasgiving viewers a reason to go to the theater. Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool transitions into the MCU and finally teams up with Hugh Jackman's Wolverine for a two-hander that's as funny as it is action-packed.

There are also, of course, many, many cameos and surprise appearances from returning Marvel stars and actors who have only been cast in superhero roles in fans' dreams. Deadpool and Wolverine manages to tell a really solid buddy comedy story while also including those fan service elements. There may be some debate as to whether other MCU films – notably Spider-Man: No Way Home and Avengers: Endgame – they dealt better with this kind of thing, but Deadpool and Wolverine did well enough to be the best superhero movie of 2024.