7 Superhero Movies That Stayed Totally True to the Comics

The success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has made superhero movies one of the biggest tentpoles of Hollywood, but even before that, adaptations of comic books have been a mainstay for decades. Along the way, there are some titles that arrive on the big screen, but something got lost in translation; maybe the filmmakers only liked the title or the concept and wanted to take the movie itself in a different direction. Sometimes that gets you a movie like Tim Burton’s Batman, where the director’s visual sensibilities can tap into larger motifs that resonate with audiences and make a film iconic; and sometimes that gets you a movie like The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, which butchers the comic book so spectacularly that it forced the original writer to reconsider having his work ever adapted into movies in the first place.

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What follows are seven movies that, while perhaps not full adaptations of their source material, are ones that feel like the comics themselves have quite literally sprung to life. Maybe they have a tonal quality that is a perfect translation, or they recreate iconic visuals and story beats from the source material. In any event, these superhero movies are ones that comic book readers can watch and feel like the book they held in their hands has transcended mediums completely.

7) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)

Though there have been plenty of interpretations of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as a concept and a franchise, the original movie from 1990 is the only one to really capture the full spirit of Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird’s original comic books. Slightly grim and with a darker tone, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie not only adapts the comic in terms of its style and mood but the narrative too. Key sequences from the first issue of the comic happen almost exactly the same on the big screen, including the Turtles’ origin story (and Splinter’s separate origin), plus their fight on the roof with the Foot and Shredder.

The first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie managed to embody the style of the original comics so much that parents complained and forced all the sequels to be totally sanitized by comparison, more in line with the cartoons than the comics. Despite this shift in style, nothing has come close to adapting those classic TMNT comics like the first film.

6) The Crow

Though some narrative changes are made from adapting James O’Barr’s The Crow from a comic to the big screen, like Ninja Turtles before it, the film operates in the same tonal space as its source material and is much richer for it. Director Alex Proyas delivers a textured depiction of the world of The Crow, where every corner feels lived in, and every death carries an impact.

It’s worth noting that the on-set tragedy where star Brandon Lee passed away while filming the movie resulted in major changes being made to the editing and construction of The Crow. Had this not occurred, a major piece of The Crow comic that was cut from the film, the skeleton cowboy that speaks to Eric in his visions.

5) Punisher: War Zone

In theory, adapting Marvel’s The Punisher seems like a task that would be easy, as gun-toting vigilante movies have been a staple of action cinema for decades. It wasn’t until the third go around that the movie actually worked, though, with Lexi Alexander’s Punisher: War Zone fully taking on the ethos and style of Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon’s over-the-top Punisher MAX comic series. Filled with cartoonish villains, stylized action, and bizarre narrative decisions at every turn, this may not be a movie that every Marvel fan can really get into, but it’s one that Punisher readers know well after years of comics. If this one turned you off as a viewer, you’re not going to like the comics where The Punisher fights a mob goon in a Polar Bear exhibit at the zoo.

4) Dredd

Though some comic book adaptations come out of the gate swinging and nail everything about their source material, Judge Dredd got the short end of the stick by having one movie for decades that was an abysmal take on the material. The good news for fans is that 2012’s Dredd arrived as not only a faithful adaptation but one of the most entertaining comic book movies of all time.

Unlike the Stallone-starring movie, Dredd‘s Karl Urban never removes his helmet, with only his permanent frown on display under his slick visor for the entire film. This may not seem like an important detail, but for Dredd fans, it’s a defining trait. Beyond the character’s helmet, though, Dredd has an aesthetic adaptation that feels perfect and a narrative that works in tandem with what readers know about the world, an uncompromising and grim reality with extreme sci-fi tendencies.

3) Deadpool

Though it doesn’t directly adapt a specific storyline or arc from the comics themselves, Deadpool harnesses the core foundation not only of the character but the stories that he lives in. Much of this can be attributed to the writing, which succinctly lampoons superhero movies while still sticking to their structure, but most of the success of Deadpool falls on the shoulders of Ryan Reynolds‘ performance. It’s one thing to become a serious, grim superhero for an actor, but to play a tragic comic book hero who has an abrasive sense of humor and make that compelling (and not annoying at all) is a major feat.

2) Shazam

Though decades of Shazam!, aka Captain Marvel, comics precede the movie, the film is built on the foundation of DC’s New 52 reboot of the character, which weaved much of its mythology together in a slightly more cohesive way than ever before. In fact, anyone who has seen the Shazam! movie and then reads the comic written by Geoff Johns and drawn by Gary Frank will find beat-for-beat similarities down to a cynical Billy Batson who learns to accept his found family. Other major elements like the Rock of Eternity, the Christmas setting, and even the other adopted kids in the family are almost perfectly adapted from the comic onto the big screen.

The only major omission, which isn’t enough to knock the film down a peg, is that the comic features a major appearance by Shazam’s biggest antagonist, Black Adam. As fans may recall, Dwayne Johnson remained attached to that character for a long, long time, which prevented him from appearing in this movie. In the end, Shazam won the fight between them without having to throw a single punch.

1) Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

One of the most impressive things about Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (and its sequel) is that it makes a major concept from comic books work incredibly well. By succinctly explaining the multiverse at large and making sure that all of its Spider-Man variants are distinct and fully their own characters, it’s able to tap into a wellspring that comic books have been exploring for decades, and which movies are only just now catching up on.

Though not an exact adaptation of any of the “Spider-Verse” comic book storylines, the film nails the vibe and tone of a colorful, expansive crossover event in ways that live-action movies have flirted with but never quite accomplished. Not only is there a narrative and character function that is very faithful to Marvel’s Spider-Man comics and the multiverse at large, but stylistically, it may be one of the most faithful-looking comic book movies of all time as it plays with varying art styles, paneling, and even onomatopoeic sound effects.