5 Non-Comic Book Movies Where Comics Are Still Important

There are a ton of comic book movies, especially since the start of the 21st century, but there are also some great non-comic book movies where comics still play an important role. While fans love the MCU and movies based on DC Comics characters, there are also regular movies, including comedies, biopics, and dramas, that have plot lines that deal with comic books without having anything to do with superheroes, or even as an adaptation of another comic. This makes sense because there are several filmmakers who grew up reading comics as kids, so having characters in their movies interacting with comic books is perfectly understandable.

Here are five great movies that deal with comic books without actually being a comic book movie.

5) Comic Book Villains

The 2002 Comic Book Villains had a major comic book name behind it. James Robinson, the co-creator of Starman and DC writer during the Superman: New Krypton storyline, wrote and directed this movie. Comic Book Villains is a dark comedy that has some familiar names in the cast, including DJ Qualls, Natasha Lyonne, Michael Rapaport, Cary Elwes, and Donal Logue.

The storyline follows Wualls as Archie, a kid who hangs out at the local comic shop and narrates the story. There are two rival comic stores, one owned by Logue’s character and the other by a couple (Rapaport and Luonne), and the two stores attempt to go to any length to convince an elderly woman to sell them her mint condition comic collection after her son’s death.

4) Chasing Amy

Chasing Amy was Kevin Smith’s first attempt at a critically acclaimed movie, and it was his greatest success for years. The movie starred Ben Affleck as Holden McNeil, a comic book creator who had found success with his Bluntman and Chronic comic book series with his friend Banky Edwards (Jason Lee). While at a convention, he meets Alyssa Jones, a struggling writer working on her own comics.

The movie is a romantic comedy-drama, and it sees McNeil fall in love with Alyssa, although she is a gay woman. Chasing Amy has received some controversy over the years as Holden attempts to convince her to go straight to be with him, but Kevin Smith seemed to have his heart in the right place as he ensured this would not happen. However, the idea that they would connect at a comic convention is pure Kevin Smith.

3) Catch Me If You Can

The Steven Spielberg movie Catch Me If You Can is based on a true story, and it is one that uses a specific comic book as part of its plot. The film was based on Frank Abagnale, a young con man who traveled the world pulling off elaborate cons while impersonating various people. Tom Hanks played the FBI agent, Joseph Shea, who was trying to catch and arrest him.

Since no one knew who this con artist was, since he always used fake names, Shea got a break thanks to the DC comic book The Flash. This was hinted at early with an old issue of The Flash seen on a bedside table. At one point, Frank calls himself Dr. Connors (The Lizard), but later Frank meets Shea and says he is a Secret Service agent named Barry Allen. This was what doomed him because it didn’t take Shea long to realize Barry Allen was a comic book character, and he finally knew what Frank looked like.

2) Mallrats

A second Kevin Smith movie has a strong comic book connection thanks to the fact that the most famous comic book creator of all time had a role in the movie as himself. Smith’s second movie was a romantic comedy called Mallrats, which stars Jeremy London as T.S. Quint, a young man who is struggling with his girlfriend Brandi (Claire Forlani). However, most of the movie takes place in a mall, where T.S. hangs out with his best friend, Brodie Bruce (Jason Lee).

Stan Lee stars in Mallrats as himself. There is a moment in the movie where Brodie Bruce meets up with Stan Lee, who shares a story about “the one that got away,” a story that was in no way based on facts. However, it was a funny moment, showed Brodie’s love for comics, and gave comic book fans a chance to see the beloved Marvel creator playing a fictionalized version of himself in a movie.

1) Unbreakable

Unbreakable is kind of a comic book movie, but it is not based on a comic and is not really even similar to a comic book movie until the twists at the end. Bruce Willis stars as David Dunn, a man who was in a train derailment and ended up as the only survivor. Not only was he the only survivor, but he walked away without a scratch. This brought out Samuel L. Jackson’s Mr. Glass.

Mr. Glass is the opposite of David Dunn, as he is a man with a medical condition that causes his bones to break easily, and he lives his life in constant pain. He is a massive comic book fan and has been looking for his archenemy his entire life, wanting to find the indestructible hero to prove that his body breaking had meaning. The movie uses comic books to build its story, and it remains the best film to ever use comics in this manner.

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