some comic-book movies aren’t for the
faint of heart
you took your chances like we all did
and you lost you have any idea how easy
I kill little snots like you welcome to
watchmojo.com and today we’re counting
down our picks for the top ten darkest
comic-book movies what brings you here
don’t imagine it’s the pussy but this
list we’re looking at comic book
inspired films that were overwhelmingly
dark and by dark we mean a mix of adult
content with an emphasis on violence and
gloomy atmosphere the movies aren’t
judged so much on their quality but
their adherence to more sinister themes
comic books and graphic novels are
eligible sources but manga is not
because there’s enough of those to make
a separate list
number ten dread give her one day in the
field supervise see if she makes the
grade sink or swim
check her in the deep end it’s all a
deep end perhaps the most brutal
comic-book movie to come out in the 21st
century Dredd is the adaptation of the
comic book character we’d all been
waiting for since the 1995 version
failed so miserably comic fans were
aching for a worthy Judge Dredd movie
especially one that didn’t pull any
punches and boy did this one deliver
what are you doing you know what I said
I’ll kill bitch yeah I heard John Sean
what I said hotshot Dredd is pretty much
a ninety five minute bloodbath build
with ultraviolence ultraviolence
also with remarkably stoic acting and is
setting straight out of Blade Runner it
rejects the stereotype of the
one-dimensional action movie in fact
Dredd may be one of the most complete
action films of the decade number nine a
history of violence sorry did we know
each other
you tell me a history of violence is
quite unconventional for a comic book
movie there are no superheroes
no monsters and no melodrama the
protagonist is simply a small-town diner
owner and his life is anything but
excited but when his diner gets
threatened things turned dark
immediately starring Viggo Mortensen and
based on the graphic novel by John
Wagner a history of violence lives up to
its name with brutal violence graphic
scenes of sex that are kinda rapey and
psychological turmoil did you grow up in
Portland and you never talk about your
adopted parents because you don’t have
any however this is all presented in
such a sober way that you almost feel
like you’re watching your own family
suffer from the same tribulations and
we’ve got David Cronenberg’s directing
to thank as it leaves no room for comic
relief and still earned loads of
critical acclaim you got anything to say
before I blow your brains out you
miserable prick
I should’ve killed you back your family
number eight Constantine
Alan Moore first conceived John
Constantine the demon hunter in 1985
after appearing periodically in Moore’s
Swamp Thing comics Constantine received
his own series called Hellblazer in the
late 80s produced by PC business access
the character proved popular and in 2005
a movie was made chronicling his
otherworldly adventures with Keanu
Reeves as Constantine the film takes us
to hell and back as Earth’s most cynical
protector fights all types of demonic
phenomena true but you’re not
Constantine delivers a macabre
examination of life and the afterlife
with some even considering its
depictions of hell and Satan and cinemas
very best
number seven thirty days of night thirty
days of night was actually pitched as a
film first but several rejections sent
the idea into development purgatory with
no other options creator Steve Niles
issued a comic miniseries as a vessel
for the story one in which vampires
terrorize an Alaskan town during the
period in which it experiences a 30-day
polar night the three issue series
succeeded in attracting attention from
producers and the coveted property
finally became a film in 2007 thirty
days of night is about darkness and the
exploitation of said darkness by a
legion of ancient vampires they invade
the isolated town under the protection
of night and resulting carnage is so
great this list would be incomplete
without it and it’s not such a bad movie
either number 6 punisher warzone
the first Punisher bill was an r-rated
action rump fairy dark in its own right
especially for a Marvel own superhero
Punisher war zone however is a much
darker entity and this has everything to
do with the villain jigsaw though
Punisher himself is a vicious and
brooding character the antagonist jigsaw
no relation to the saw character is born
from nightmares
he’s a horribly disfigured psychopathic
killer who strikes fear into viewers he
antagonizes Punisher throughout the film
and they’re ruthless back and forth
brings meaning to their hostile
relationship go one round left in there
you shoot one of these two I’ll let the
other one go free what do you say Frank
who’s it to be your fat friend right
here or that nice little piece of
jailbait over there burn it now number
five the Dark Knight
don’t let me find you out here again
we’re trying to help you I don’t need
help not my diagnosis when Batman Begins
premiere in 2005 superhero movies were
changed forever one-dimensional
characters kid-oriented themes and corny
campy dialogue would no longer be the
standard for the genre you look nervous
is it the scars no know how I caught him
Batman was dark and the public loved it
so much so that the sequel upped the
ante and gave us the darkest mainstream
superhero movie of all time up until
that point at least what am i mad I
believe whatever doesn’t kill you simply
makes
stranger The Dark Knight had murder
torture Gore the deaths of principal
characters and a terrifying antagonist
that signified a new generation of film
villains The Dark Knight paved the way
for a darker Captain America a darker
Iron Man and darker x-men plus the first
hugely successful r-rated superhero
movie Deadpool leaving books in her
general direction again and you will
learn in the worst of ways that I have
some hard spots too that came out wrong
number 4 spawn what you sure sure spawn
was created by a maverick artist from a
maverick comic book company so it’s not
surprising that it’s movie adaptation is
far from traditional the character was
the brainchild of Todd McFarlane and the
Image Comics label and it’s 1992 debut
became one of the highest selling
independent comic books ever predictably
film rights were quickly obtained and
spawned from the Year five years later
it’s a little early for Halloween
Simmons where you’re going everydays how
do we following the eponymous character
a demon resurrected antihero with a
cloak powers the film is riddled with
frightening imagery disturbing
characters and an overriding paranormal
theme it doesn’t hurt that the main
villain is a clown demon named violator
his inclusion alone basically ensures
spawns placed on this list
number three watchman
most dark comic books can be traced back
to Alan Moore who conquered a
milquetoast land and left a settlement
of mature readers in his wake
most people say this started with
Watchmen which Moore wrote and David
Gibbons illustrated another you seem to
understand locked in here with you right
you’re locked in here with me
this limited comic book series showed a
grim existence where superheroes are
illegal once the film industry caught up
with the darker trending comics a
Watchmen adaptation was kind of
inevitable under the direction of Zack
Snyder the Watchmen film exhibits all
the dark subject matter of the source
material complete with torture and
attempted rape while its quality might
not completely match that of the comics
there’s no question that its content
does it wouldn’t be the first time
Snyder attempted a dark adaptation of a
comic series either the director gave
Frank Miller’s 300 the big-screen
treatment three years earlier my arm
it’s not yours anymore
number 2 Sin City s kiss fed corpse of a
slugs worth dying for
worth dying for worth killing for
speaking of Frank Miller he is another
comic book writer known for his dark
work in Sin City is arguably his finest
accomplishment a modern neo-noir
masterpiece the Sin City comics were
adapted into a film in 2005 which Miller
co-directed with Robert Rodriguez the
film captured the style of the comics
phenomenally a mostly black and white
action revenge thriller with an ensemble
cast of violent characters scut you
smoking there bud
you shut the hell up Jackie black also
the film used the same color contrasting
that was pioneered in the comics which
added selective coloring to the mostly
dark backdrop the success of the film
enabled a long-awaited sequel and though
a dame to kill for was lacking the same
quality as the first male it still
retained much of its darker style before
we unveil our top pick here are a few
honorable mentions
number one the crow here him the Avenger
the killer a killers myself once you’re
above face though based on the comic
series by James O Bar The Crow is a
comic book movie cut with a jagged edge
with an undead crow resurrected
protagonist and an intense revenge story
the crow is darkness personified
nothing about this neo-noir flick is
joyful anguish pervades the entirety of
the film and controls every second of
footage this is further accentuated when
one is made aware of the accidental
onset death of actor Brandon Lee who
portrayed the main character Eric Draven
a tragedy that added real despair to the
clouded work of fiction suddenly I heard
a tapping as of someone gently rapping
rapping at my chamber door
in both story and legacy The Crow really
put the morbid into comic book
adaptations and that’s why it nabbed
this spot on our list a building gets
torched all that is left is ashes I used
to think that was true about everything
families friends feelings do you agree
with our list what’s your favorite dark
comic book movie just look at the heads
on the wall for more sinister Tompkins
published every day be sure to subscribe
to watchmojo.com
faint of heart
you took your chances like we all did
and you lost you have any idea how easy
I kill little snots like you welcome to
watchmojo.com and today we’re counting
down our picks for the top ten darkest
comic-book movies what brings you here
don’t imagine it’s the pussy but this
list we’re looking at comic book
inspired films that were overwhelmingly
dark and by dark we mean a mix of adult
content with an emphasis on violence and
gloomy atmosphere the movies aren’t
judged so much on their quality but
their adherence to more sinister themes
comic books and graphic novels are
eligible sources but manga is not
because there’s enough of those to make
a separate list
number ten dread give her one day in the
field supervise see if she makes the
grade sink or swim
check her in the deep end it’s all a
deep end perhaps the most brutal
comic-book movie to come out in the 21st
century Dredd is the adaptation of the
comic book character we’d all been
waiting for since the 1995 version
failed so miserably comic fans were
aching for a worthy Judge Dredd movie
especially one that didn’t pull any
punches and boy did this one deliver
what are you doing you know what I said
I’ll kill bitch yeah I heard John Sean
what I said hotshot Dredd is pretty much
a ninety five minute bloodbath build
with ultraviolence ultraviolence
also with remarkably stoic acting and is
setting straight out of Blade Runner it
rejects the stereotype of the
one-dimensional action movie in fact
Dredd may be one of the most complete
action films of the decade number nine a
history of violence sorry did we know
each other
you tell me a history of violence is
quite unconventional for a comic book
movie there are no superheroes
no monsters and no melodrama the
protagonist is simply a small-town diner
owner and his life is anything but
excited but when his diner gets
threatened things turned dark
immediately starring Viggo Mortensen and
based on the graphic novel by John
Wagner a history of violence lives up to
its name with brutal violence graphic
scenes of sex that are kinda rapey and
psychological turmoil did you grow up in
Portland and you never talk about your
adopted parents because you don’t have
any however this is all presented in
such a sober way that you almost feel
like you’re watching your own family
suffer from the same tribulations and
we’ve got David Cronenberg’s directing
to thank as it leaves no room for comic
relief and still earned loads of
critical acclaim you got anything to say
before I blow your brains out you
miserable prick
I should’ve killed you back your family
number eight Constantine
Alan Moore first conceived John
Constantine the demon hunter in 1985
after appearing periodically in Moore’s
Swamp Thing comics Constantine received
his own series called Hellblazer in the
late 80s produced by PC business access
the character proved popular and in 2005
a movie was made chronicling his
otherworldly adventures with Keanu
Reeves as Constantine the film takes us
to hell and back as Earth’s most cynical
protector fights all types of demonic
phenomena true but you’re not
Constantine delivers a macabre
examination of life and the afterlife
with some even considering its
depictions of hell and Satan and cinemas
very best
number seven thirty days of night thirty
days of night was actually pitched as a
film first but several rejections sent
the idea into development purgatory with
no other options creator Steve Niles
issued a comic miniseries as a vessel
for the story one in which vampires
terrorize an Alaskan town during the
period in which it experiences a 30-day
polar night the three issue series
succeeded in attracting attention from
producers and the coveted property
finally became a film in 2007 thirty
days of night is about darkness and the
exploitation of said darkness by a
legion of ancient vampires they invade
the isolated town under the protection
of night and resulting carnage is so
great this list would be incomplete
without it and it’s not such a bad movie
either number 6 punisher warzone
the first Punisher bill was an r-rated
action rump fairy dark in its own right
especially for a Marvel own superhero
Punisher war zone however is a much
darker entity and this has everything to
do with the villain jigsaw though
Punisher himself is a vicious and
brooding character the antagonist jigsaw
no relation to the saw character is born
from nightmares
he’s a horribly disfigured psychopathic
killer who strikes fear into viewers he
antagonizes Punisher throughout the film
and they’re ruthless back and forth
brings meaning to their hostile
relationship go one round left in there
you shoot one of these two I’ll let the
other one go free what do you say Frank
who’s it to be your fat friend right
here or that nice little piece of
jailbait over there burn it now number
five the Dark Knight
don’t let me find you out here again
we’re trying to help you I don’t need
help not my diagnosis when Batman Begins
premiere in 2005 superhero movies were
changed forever one-dimensional
characters kid-oriented themes and corny
campy dialogue would no longer be the
standard for the genre you look nervous
is it the scars no know how I caught him
Batman was dark and the public loved it
so much so that the sequel upped the
ante and gave us the darkest mainstream
superhero movie of all time up until
that point at least what am i mad I
believe whatever doesn’t kill you simply
makes
stranger The Dark Knight had murder
torture Gore the deaths of principal
characters and a terrifying antagonist
that signified a new generation of film
villains The Dark Knight paved the way
for a darker Captain America a darker
Iron Man and darker x-men plus the first
hugely successful r-rated superhero
movie Deadpool leaving books in her
general direction again and you will
learn in the worst of ways that I have
some hard spots too that came out wrong
number 4 spawn what you sure sure spawn
was created by a maverick artist from a
maverick comic book company so it’s not
surprising that it’s movie adaptation is
far from traditional the character was
the brainchild of Todd McFarlane and the
Image Comics label and it’s 1992 debut
became one of the highest selling
independent comic books ever predictably
film rights were quickly obtained and
spawned from the Year five years later
it’s a little early for Halloween
Simmons where you’re going everydays how
do we following the eponymous character
a demon resurrected antihero with a
cloak powers the film is riddled with
frightening imagery disturbing
characters and an overriding paranormal
theme it doesn’t hurt that the main
villain is a clown demon named violator
his inclusion alone basically ensures
spawns placed on this list
number three watchman
most dark comic books can be traced back
to Alan Moore who conquered a
milquetoast land and left a settlement
of mature readers in his wake
most people say this started with
Watchmen which Moore wrote and David
Gibbons illustrated another you seem to
understand locked in here with you right
you’re locked in here with me
this limited comic book series showed a
grim existence where superheroes are
illegal once the film industry caught up
with the darker trending comics a
Watchmen adaptation was kind of
inevitable under the direction of Zack
Snyder the Watchmen film exhibits all
the dark subject matter of the source
material complete with torture and
attempted rape while its quality might
not completely match that of the comics
there’s no question that its content
does it wouldn’t be the first time
Snyder attempted a dark adaptation of a
comic series either the director gave
Frank Miller’s 300 the big-screen
treatment three years earlier my arm
it’s not yours anymore
number 2 Sin City s kiss fed corpse of a
slugs worth dying for
worth dying for worth killing for
speaking of Frank Miller he is another
comic book writer known for his dark
work in Sin City is arguably his finest
accomplishment a modern neo-noir
masterpiece the Sin City comics were
adapted into a film in 2005 which Miller
co-directed with Robert Rodriguez the
film captured the style of the comics
phenomenally a mostly black and white
action revenge thriller with an ensemble
cast of violent characters scut you
smoking there bud
you shut the hell up Jackie black also
the film used the same color contrasting
that was pioneered in the comics which
added selective coloring to the mostly
dark backdrop the success of the film
enabled a long-awaited sequel and though
a dame to kill for was lacking the same
quality as the first male it still
retained much of its darker style before
we unveil our top pick here are a few
honorable mentions
number one the crow here him the Avenger
the killer a killers myself once you’re
above face though based on the comic
series by James O Bar The Crow is a
comic book movie cut with a jagged edge
with an undead crow resurrected
protagonist and an intense revenge story
the crow is darkness personified
nothing about this neo-noir flick is
joyful anguish pervades the entirety of
the film and controls every second of
footage this is further accentuated when
one is made aware of the accidental
onset death of actor Brandon Lee who
portrayed the main character Eric Draven
a tragedy that added real despair to the
clouded work of fiction suddenly I heard
a tapping as of someone gently rapping
rapping at my chamber door
in both story and legacy The Crow really
put the morbid into comic book
adaptations and that’s why it nabbed
this spot on our list a building gets
torched all that is left is ashes I used
to think that was true about everything
families friends feelings do you agree
with our list what’s your favorite dark
comic book movie just look at the heads
on the wall for more sinister Tompkins
published every day be sure to subscribe
to watchmojo.com
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