The comic book movie is alive and well, and it isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

For a bit of time, I tried to resist it. Maybe I just wasn’t used to living in a world where it was cool to like comics. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. As long as knowing the score to the Giant game isn’t a necessary element of small talk, I can get used to this new world order.

It makes sense why Hollywood would want to adapt graphic novels and comic books onto the big screen. After all, comic books are kind of like storyboards but with a lot more onomatopoeias. Today’s breed of comic book movies go well beyond superheroes. There’s anti-heroes, talking trees, and even Canadians.

Comic book movies have become a genre of their own, albeit one that encompasses many other sub-genres. With Guardians of the Galaxy out this week, shattering box office records and bridging the divide between fan boys and critics, it is as good a time as ever to celebrate comics. I have dabbled in reading comics, but my knowledge of them comes more from film. Here are the rules in order to be qualified for this list:

1. Must be adapted from either a comic book or graphic novel.

2. Either it is the best possible representation of a comic book on the screen, or it does something completely unprecedented with the format.

3. It is just plain f***ing awesome.

4. It does not star Ben Affleck. Sorry, buddy.

Read my complete list below:

10. A History of Violence

This dark meditation on violence in America is about as brutal and explicit as you’d expect any Cronenberg Joint to be. A History of Violence doesn’t look or feel like a comic book movie at all; it’s set in a small town, nobody ever steps in toxic waste and gains super powers, and the hero is more of an anti-hero. A History of Violence is too often overlooked; even I wasn’t a huge fan of it when it first came out. The film boasts career best performances from the likes of Viggo Mortensen (at the time just known as Aragon), Ed Harris, and William Hurt.

9. Snowpiercer

As I wrote last month, Snowpiercer is a cult classic in the making. It is based on a little known French graphic novel that feels like it was meant to be a movie. It employs every genre from martial arts, to dystopian sci-fi, to black comedy. It is one of the most intricately detailed and original sci-fi universes in recent memory, with each section of the train that it takes place on having its own unique story to tell. In ways, Snowpiercer feels like a multimedia adventure: part comic book and part video game, in cinematic form.

8. X2: X-Men United

The original X-Men movies shaped much of my understanding of comic books. In fact, I loved the movies so much (not you, Ratner) that it inspired to buy some of the comics themselves. I almost put the original X-Men on because I watched the shit out of that DVD copy from Blockbuster. Besides some fantastic action set pieces (Magneto’s prison escape is especially noteworthy), X2 stands out by turning its biggest villain into a hero, as all the mutants now must fight for survival. X-Men has always been an allegory for Civil Rights, and X2 is when it worked the absolute best.

7. Spider-Man

Spider-Man holds a very special place in my heart. In fifth grade, I wore my DVD copy out. My love of the movie then led me to find my brother’s giant box of comics in the attic, and then me reading them. So, I also thank him for being much cooler than me. Spider-Man is not perfect, and it deviates from the source material in many ways. For instance, Spidey couldn’t actually blast webs out of his arms. Nit-picking aside, this is exactly what a Spider-Man movie should be, and it showed how Peter Parker, the vaguely Jewish* outsider, was one of the most relatable heroes out there. Raimi’s first Spider-Man would lead to an even better sequel (more on that later).

6. Iron Man

Iron Man was the hero that a country going through two wars needed. Tony Stark might be the coolest, most confident super hero alter ego out there. He is perfectly portrayed by Robert Downey Jr., who made his giant career comeback here. Iron Man mixes action and comedy perfectly, making it one of the more fun Marvel adaptations. Plus, it has a great twist ending, and it represents a time right before Marvel started using its own movies to promote movies that hadn’t even been made yet.

5. Sin City

Besides Planet Terror, Sin City is the best thing that Robert Rodriguez has ever done. This is one Tarantino ripoff that deserves to be mentioned in the same class as Tarantino, and that’s not just because Tarantino was somewhat involved in this project. Sin City is an interlocking crime story set in the grimiest city imaginable, the kind of place that makes even Gotham look tame. It’s shot in gorgeous black and white with splashes of red. A Dame to Kill For needs to come out already.

4. The Dark Knight

The movie that changed the game, for better or worse. The Dark Knight transcends the comic book movie into something between allegory and tragedy. Heath Ledger scored a well-deserved Oscar for his performance as The Joker. With all of his weird facial ticks and unpredictable impulses, Ledger’s performance is still as terrifying today as it was back in 2008. The Dark Knight ushered in an era of the gritty blockbuster, where every action movie thought that being dark would make them good. But The Dark Knight wasn’t good just because it was dark; it had a powerful story. It was about something. And most of all, it was still a blast to watch.

3. Guardians of the Galaxy

Speaking of which, Guardians is the first official film of the post-gritty era. In fact, it feels less like a comic book movie and more like a throwback to Raiders of the Lost Ark. It contains five protagonists who are all fully fleshed out. Maybe the best part about is that it is the rare super hero movie in which all of the heroes are true outcasts. They wear their flaws on their sleeves, and that it what makes this space opera so relatable. It is still in theaters. You have no excuses. Go see it right now.

2. Spider-Man 2

I do not hesitate to call Spider-Man 2 a masterpiece. Not only is it one of the best comic book movies of all time, it is also by far one of the best sequels. Like any good sequel, it expands upon the original and doesn’t just repeat all of the best parts of it. With Spider-Man 2, Sam Raimi proved that he was the perfect choice to direct a super hero movie, as he strikes the perfect balance between the silly and the sincere. Here is a super hero movie that asks the deep, dark existential questions behind being a super hero, and at the same time it is as fun as any summer blockbuster should be. It is a good thing that this was the last Spider-Man movie ever made, and that there were no future Spider-Man movies that might possibly have ruined the franchise’s reputation.

1. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

Upon its initial release, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World was a box office flop. Today, it’s the kind of movie that you will see on cable and then watch it until the end because you have no choice. Scott Pilgrim is not about a hero, but rather its about somebody who is selfish and sometimes a little insufferable. Scott Pilgrim might be the only movie based on a comic book I have seen where it literally looks like a comic book come to life. It is a visually arresting spin on everything from nostalgia to video games (the Pee Bar is one of the film’s funniest moments) to romantic comedy. It is clever when it could have so easily been snarky. Scott Pilgrim is a perfect display of Edgar Wright’s genius, and it makes me all the more sad that we will never get to see his version of Ant-Man.

“And that’s why you always leave a note!” Image via Digital Spy

Oh Spider-Man, why do you always play with my emotions like this?

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is a movie that didn’t need to exist, given that a perfect Spider-Man sequel already exists. Yet, here it is. While it is here, it might as well be loud, proud, and filled with search engine product placement.

Picking up a bit after the first Amazing Spider-Man left off, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 finds Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) on the day of his high school graduation. As always, he is late, because he has to chase a bunch of people through recognizable Manhattan landmarks before he can watch his girlfriend Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) deliver her valedictorian speech. While Peter loves Gwen Stacy, he also knows that dating Spider-Man can be a dangerous thing. Of all of the different stories in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, the Gwen Stacy romance is probably the most interesting to watch. This makes it one of the few superhero movies where the romance is better than any of the action. I think that Garfield and Stone’s real life romance is partly to thank for the onscreen chemistry.

On top of the romance, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is a film told in three villains. Ever since I saw Iron Man 2, I have preached against the Multiple Villain Syndrome that plagues most superhero movies. Yet, no one seems to listen (probably time to yell more on Reddit). Each villain has their strengths and their flaws, but mostly they have flaws. Let’s start with Electro (Jamie Foxx). His alter ego, Max Dillon, is a nebbish Oscorp employee who is creepily obsessed with Spider-Man. I loved the start of that character, as it was weird enough to not belong in a big blockbuster. Then, he becomes Electro too quickly and any semblance of backstory is gone.

Then, there is Harry Osbourne (Dane DeHaan), who becomes the Green Goblin. Harry and the Green Goblin are two of the most important characters in the Spider-Man universe, so it’s surprising that the movie barely gives them the proper introduction that they deserve. Despite the fact that the Amazing Spider-Man series is supposed to be a way to introduce Spider-Man to a new generation, you can’t really watch it without knowledge of the previous movies. Instead of a Harry backstory, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 decides to delve into the lives of Peter’s parents. Then, it does absolutely nothing with that information. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 has the power to do something great. Yet, it also wants none of the responsibility.

The third villain is The Rhino (Paul Giamatti), who (spoiler alert?), is barely in the movie. He is in there either to tease another movie I am not sure if I want to see, or to satisfy the needs of people who were dying to see Paul Giamatti do a cheesy Russian accent. It’s okay, Giamatti now has enough money to build a second pool or whatever movie stars do with their money.

The biggest problem with The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is that it keeps throwing challenges at Spider-Man and never quite knows how to handle them. Usually, writers and directors should have a better handle on their characters. Now, Spider-Man always has a lot on his plate. This is what defines him as a hero. Spider-Man 2 basically explores these same grounds, but it understood which issues were actually important to both Peter Parker and Spider-Man. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is the equivalent of watching four screenwriters (not an exaggeration) run circles around each other for 150 minutes.

Throughout The Amazing Spider-Man 2 there are shades of what could have been, and ultimately there is disappointment at the mess that ended up on screen. Besides all that, I had a fun time. It did what a subpar superhero movie is supposed to do: it entertained at a moderately fun level. I just feel like at this point it is time that audiences started expecting something better.

Brain Farts From The Edge (SPOILER ALERT)

• Don’t worry, there are no cranes in site this time around.
• The end scene might be one of the worst I have seen all year. It is a blatant attempt at pandering. It is like they were trying to put in a message that wasn’t built up to at all.
• Okay, now we can talk about Gwen Stacy’s death: This was handled very well in the film. If you’re a fan of the comics, then there were teasers throughout (Peter and Gwen on top of the bridge). In the movie, the death takes place in a clock tower, and the tragedy is handled in a tasteful way. Emma Stone was such a great part of these movies, and it is sad to see her go. Poor Spider-Man, he’s always accidentally killing the ones that he loves the most.
• I wish this ended with Peter standing by Gwen Stacy’s grave and then giving up on being Spider-Man. That would have been a much stronger cliffhanger than Paul Giamatti in a rhino costume.
• On that note, Peter’s deep struggle of whether or not to be Spider-Man seems trivial here, when it should have been a larger focus. Giving up the ability to swing across New York City with web launchers must not be an easy decision to make.
• Sally Field is a great Aunt May. Overall, she’s a great lady, too.
• When Electro blows out the power in the city, everybody immediately freaks out. Okay, blackouts are bad and cause chaos. However, things don’t immediately explode the second a city stops running. Calm down, Marc Webb.
• Take it easy with the faux-Queens accent, Andrew Garfield.
• Four writers. Four f***ing writers. Did they just let everybody at Sony have a say in this?
• So…how much longer until Guardians of the Galaxy comes out?