Top 100 Comic Book Movies

The first three of Gerani’s quartet of Top 100 books teased us on the final pages, announcing that the next book would SOON be available. And sure enough there was only a year between their releases. However, just as the others did, the final page of “Top 100 Fantasy Movies” assures us that “Top 100 Comic Book Movies” was coming soon. But “soon” in this instance is FIVE years! God only knows, and Mr. Gerani too, why the delay, but we should be grateful that the book is now real and here.Of course, books like this beget disagreement. In my view “The Dark Knight” shouldn’t be number one. Similarly, his choices for 97, 96, and 94 really should be rated higher. But my biggest sadness is that Gerani does not think much of Bryan Singer’s “Superman Returns”, which is hands down my favorite comic book movie. I’ll never forget at the very second the title sequence starts, the visuals and music mimic Richard Donner’s “Superman” and “Superman 2 the Donner Cut”. I literally jumped out of my seat squealing with joy and for the next two hours I sat motionless, mesmerized clear through to the very last frame of film.Gerani complains that the film that should have been made at that moment in time (2006) ought to have been something comparable to 2013’s “Man of Steel.” He was right, of course, if box-office is your criterion for placing a movie higher up in his 100. However, the movie is obviously a product of Singer’s love for the Donner movies and is a pure labor of love, and he hit a homerun if his intention was to make a sequel to “Superman” and “Superman 2 the Donner Cut” (ignoring 3 and 4).“Superman Returns” flows flawlessly from the previous movies, while allowing for some of the inevitable cultural updates that happened during the 36 years between “Superman 2” and “Superman Returns”. In my estimation, “Superman Returns” is a perfect movie and the perfect sequel to the Donner films.Basically, Gerani is unhappy that Singer didn’t spend his time and money making “Man of Steel” seven years before it actually got made. This is a rare instance of Gerani and I disagreeing. I respect Gerani, and we are mainly on the same page and often practically soul mates when it comes to appreciating, rating, and commenting on genre movies.In fact in my new book “ Mars in the Movies: A History ” I reference Gerani seven times. “Top 100 Sci-Fi Movies” was a useful reference when researching my book, which is about the making of the 100 Mars movies. Yes, it so happens that from 1910, when the very first Mars movie was made by Thomas Edison—the 5-minute-long “A Trip to Mars”—the count of important Mars movies is coincidentally about 100.Though my book is organized totally differently, a good case can be made that my “Mars in the Movies: A History” should have been titled “Top 100 Mars Movies”.In fact, Rutgers University’s John Powell in his “Emerald Insight” review of “Mars in the Movies: A History” says “there is not one [reference work] that is singularly devoted to the subject of movies about Mars. Miller’s book would serve as a compliment to [‘Keep Watching the Skies!’ (Warren, 2010) and ‘Top 100 Sci-Fi Movies’ (Gerani, 2011)] and to …’VideoHound’s Golden Movie Retriever’” He also notes correctly that “[Miller] pens the ultimate 292-page love letter to an often-overlooked sci-fi sub-genre… [but] make no mistake, Miller is authoritative on this topic and it is refreshing to read his insightful comments.”

This is Gary Gerani's best book on films. Comic book superhero films are seemingly taking over the box office. This is a novel attempt to unravel the many opinions.

A great book

Excellent addition to Gerani's Top 100 series. A must for any fan of the comic book based film genre.I

could be better

Item received was just what I ordered and am enjoying it.

Exhaustive list if everything from obscure 30's titles to the current superhero blockbusters. I could quibble with some choices ("Batman v Superman" in the top 20?) but really I am more annoyed by the little mistakes. The editor or a proofreader needed to do a better job. Several titles are incorrect......examples, "Captain America: Civil Wars and The Final Stand in reference to the subject of the third X-Men film...sigh

Gerani applies his film historian and critical thinking cap to the genre of Comic Book Movies and offers up great insights and opinions to spark endless debates among movie fans and comic fans alike! Superlative & informative text and a fun visual pop as well! A SUPER-FUN READ!