Best to Worst Superhero Films/Shows: Grade 'Em!

[toddly6666]

I know there have been countless best-to-worst lists superhero movies in this forum, but I'm not sure if there has been a list that includes television and animated interpretations of famous superheroes as well. Recently, the animated and/or tv versions have surprisingly been better than some of the theatrical movie counterparts. So, here goes! Please mention any more that I have missed:



Aquaman: 70s animated tv
Avengers 1 animated movie
Avengers 2 animated movie
Avengers: 90s animated tv
Avengers: Young Avengers animated movie
Batman 1
Batman 2: Batman Returns
Batman 3: Batman Forever
Batman 4: Batman & Robin
Batman Begins
Batman Beyond: animated tv
Batman: 60s movie
Batman: 60s-80s animated tv
Batman: 90s animated tv
Batman: Birds of Prey tv
Batman: Gotham Knight animated movie
Batman: The Brave and the Bold animated tv
Batman: The Dark Knight
Batman: The Batman: 2000s animated tv
Blade 1
Blade 2
Blade 3
Captain America: 60s animated tv
Captain America: 90s movie
Catwoman
Crow 1
Crow 2
Crow 3
Daredevil (Director's Cut)
Daredevil (Theatrical Cut)
Doctor Strange: 70s tv
Doctor Strange: animated movie
Elektra
Fantastic Four 1
Fantastic Four 2: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Fantastic Four: 60s animated tv
Fantastic Four: 70s animated tv
Fantastic Four: 90s animated tv
Fantastic Four: Roger Corman 90s movie
Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes animated tv
Flash: 90s tv
Generation X tv
Ghost Rider
Hellboy 1
Hellboy 2
Hellboy: Bood and Iron animated movie
Hellboy: Sword of Swords animated movie
Hulk 1
Hulk 2: The Incredible Hulk
Hulk Vs. Thor animated movie
Hulk Vs. Wolverine animated movie
Hulk: 60s animated tv
Hulk: 80s animated tv
Hulk: 90s animated tv
Hulk: Ferrigno tv
Iron Man
Iron Man: 60s animated tv
Iron Man: 90s animated tv
Iron Man: animated movie
Isis: 70s tv
Judge Dredd
Justice League New Frontier animated movie
Justice League/Society/Superfriends 60s-80s animated tv
Justice League/Unlimited: 2000 animated tv
Man-Thing
Nick Fury: 90s tv movie
Plastic Man: 70s animated tv
Punisher: 2006
Punisher: 2008
Punisher: Dolph Lundgren
Savage Dragon animated tv
Shazam: 70s tv
Shazam: 80s animated tv
Silver Surfer: 90s animated tv
Spawn
Spawn: animated tv
Spiderman 1
Spiderman 2
Spiderman 3
Spiderman: Japan 70s tv
Spiderman: USA 70s tv
Spiderman: 60s animated tv
Spiderman: 90s animated tv
Spiderman: MTV animated tv
Spiderman: Spectacular Spiderman 2008 animated tv
Spiderman: Spiderman & Friends 80s animated tv
Spiderwoman: 70s animated tv
Static Shock: animated tv
Steel
Sub-Mariner: 60s animated tv
Superboy and the Legion of Superheroes: animated tv
Supergirl
Superman 1
Superman 2 (Director's Cut)
Superman 2 (Theatrical Cut)
Superman 3
Superman 4
Superman 90s animated tv
Superman Doomsday animated movie
Superman: Krypto: animated tv
Superman Returns
Superman: Louis & Clark tv
Superman: Max Fleisher animated shorts
Superman: Smallville tv
Superman: Superboy tv
Swamp Thing
Teen Titans Go!: animated tv
The Thing: 70s animated tv
Thor: 60s animated tv
Watchmen
WildC.A.T.S. animated tv
Witchblade animated tv
Witchblade tv
Wonder Woman: 70s tv
Wonder Woman: animated movie
X-Men 1
X-Men 2
X-Men 3
X-Men pilot: Pride of the X-men animated tv
X-Men: 90s animated tv
X-Men: Wolverine & the X-Men animated tv
X-Men: Wolverine Origins
X-Men: X-Men Evolutions animated tv




Here are my grades of what I've seen:

A+ Batman: The Dark Knight
A+ Watchmen
A Batman Begins
A Justice League/Unlimited: 2000 animated tv
A Spiderman 2
A Wonder Woman: animated movie
A X-Men 2
A Iron Man
A- Silver Surfer: 90s animated tv
A- Daredevil (Director's Cut)
A- Daredevil (Theatrical Cut)
A- Spiderman 1
A- X-Men 1
B+ Superman 1
B+ Hulk Vs. Wolverine animated movie
B+ Spiderman: MTV animated tv
B+ X-Men: 90s animated tv
B+ X-Men: Wolverine & the X-Men animated tv
B Superman 2 (Director's Cut)
B Superman 2 (Theatrical Cut)
B Avengers: Young Avengers animated movie
B Blade 2
B Hellboy 1
B Hellboy 2
B Superman: Max Fleisher animated shorts
B X-Men 3
B- Batman 1
B- Batman 2: Batman Returns
B- Batman: 90s animated tv
B- Blade 1
B- Fantastic Four 1
B- Fantastic Four 2: Rise of the Silver Surfer
B- Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes animated tv
B- Hulk 2: The Incredible Hulk
B- Hulk Vs. Thor animated movie
B- Hulk: 80s animated tv
B- Iron Man: 90s animated tv
B- Justice League New Frontier animated movie
B- Plastic Man: 70s animated tv
B- Spiderman: 90s animated tv
B- Superman 90s animated tv
B- Superman Doomsday animated movie
B- Superman: Smallville tv
C+ Avengers 1 animated movie
C+ Avengers 2 animated movie
C+ Batman: Gotham Knight animated movie
C+ Doctor Strange: animated movie
C+ Fantastic Four: 90s animated tv
C+ Hulk 1
C+ Hulk: 90s animated tv
C+ Iron Man: animated movie
C+ Spiderman 3
C+ Spiderman: Spiderman & Friends 80s animated tv
C Batman: 60s-80s animated tv
C Hulk: Ferrigno tv
C Justice League/Society/Superfriends 60s-80s animated tv
C Spawn: animated tv
C Spiderman: 60s animated tv
C Wonder Woman: 70s tv
C- Avengers: 90s animated tv
C- Batman: Birds of Prey tv
C- Captain America: 60s animated tv
C- Crow 1
C- Fantastic Four: 60s animated tv
C- Flash: 90s tv
C- Hulk: 60s animated tv
C- Iron Man: 60s animated tv
C- Judge Dredd
C- Sub-Mariner: 60s animated tv
C- Superman 3
C- Thor: 60s animated tv
D+ Superman Returns
D Catwoman
D Spawn
D Superman: Louis & Clark tv
D- Batman: 60s movie
D- Elektra
D- Punisher: 2006
F Batman 3: Batman Forever
F Batman 4: Batman & Robin
F Blade 3
F Captain America: 90s movie
F Doctor Strange: 70s tv
F Fantastic Four: Roger Corman 90s movie
F Ghost Rider
F Nick Fury: 90s tv movie
F Steel
F Supergirl
F Superman 4

[fujishig]

Wow, a huge list!

Wasn't there also a Generation X tv special? As I recall, that was horrible, in the F range.

Also, the Spiderwoman cartoon... wasn't that in the early 80's or late 70's? I remember liking it a lot.

Also in that time frame was the absolutely horrid Thing cartoon that was bundled with Flintstones:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_and_Barney_Meet_the_Thing

Also missing are:
Static Shock
Batman Beyond
The Batman (2000's)
The Tick (animated and live action)
Spawn the animated series
the Maxx
Justice League Unlimited (unless you're throwing it in with JL)
Teen Titans Go!
Superboy and the Legion of Superheroes
Krypto
Superfriends (unless this is the C Justice League/Society 60s-80s animated tv entry)
The Phantom (movie)
Defenders of the Earth (cartoon featuring the Phantom, Flash Gordan, and Mandrake the Magician)
Pride of the X-men (80's animated one-shot)

and the excellent new series:
Batman: the Brave and the Bold

Also, I'm assuming you are only counting superhero cartoons based on comic book characters, but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Ralph Bakshi's reinvigoration of Mighty Mouse, the New Adventures in the 80's. I mean, it had the return of the Mighty Heroes!

[toddly6666]

Also, I'm assuming you are only counting superhero cartoons based on comic book characters, but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Ralph Bakshi's reinvigoration of Mighty Mouse, the New Adventures in the 80's. I mean, it had the return of the Mighty Heroes!

Thanks for the additions! I'll update my list...and yeah, I wanna keep it at superheroes based on comics or else the list will be endless then...And thanks for mentioning that Thing cartoon. Although I don't really remember it, you just gave me a memory jolt. I feel like I may have watched it and liked it, but I'm not sure...

[fujishig]

Thanks for the additions! I'll update my list...and yeah, I wanna keep it at superheroes based on comics or else the list will be endless then...And thanks for mentioning that Thing cartoon. Although I don't really remember it, you just gave me a memory jolt. I feel like I may have watched it and liked it, but I'm not sure...

I just remember it because it was so bad... basically, there was a teenaged Ben Grimm who had two magic rings. He would say "Thing Ring Do Your Thing" and these orange blocks would merge on him and he would become the Thing. Ah, Hanna Barbera...

[fujishig]

Also, not technically super heroes (but then again, Judge Dredd and even Hellboy aren't really either):
Tank Girl (movie)

and how could I forget:
Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot (based on Frank Miller and Geof Darrow's one-shot)

man, I want that on DVD.

Also, I completely forgot about two Image based cartoons:
WildC.A.T.S.
Savage Dragon
Witchblade live action tv series
Witchblade anime

Man, it's all flooding back to me:
Nightman (live action series based on, of all things, a Malibu Ultraverse title)
Ultraforce (cartoon series)
Shazam! (early 80's cartoon)

Ok, not superheroes, but...
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Usagi Yojimbo!)
Bucky O'Hare

(sorry, i'll try to edit my posts later with grades)

[TylerDurden_73]

You forgot the 1970's spiderman tv show that was produced here in america.

[Trevor]

Pretty nice list. I might go thru my shelf of comics on DVD and see if I have any to add.

Your ratings seem ok too, except that I think X-Men 3 is more like a D-, and the original Crow an A. Oh, and Spider-Man 3 a D at best.

[Chew]

"Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb" gets a D-? :eek:



And if you have Shazam from the 70's, you certainly need Isis too.

[toddly6666]

You forgot the 1970's spiderman tv show that was produced here in america.

thanks, was that show any good? It's been released on VHS actually (except for one episode).

What is up with the live-action 70s superhero shows not having famous villains?

[toddly6666]

"Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb" gets a D-? :eek:



And if you have Shazam from the 70's, you certainly need Isis too.

added, thanks...was Isis any good? was it as good or even better than the Wonder Woman show? It actually seems like it would be more interesting than the Wonder woman show...I see on imdb that Captain Marvel appeared in 3 episodes which is cool...

Isis also appeared in a 5-episode cartoon called The Freedom Force, but I think her character is connected to her mythological side rather than the DC connection in the live-action show...

[Chew]

added, thanks...was Isis any good? was it as good or even better than the Wonder Woman show? It actually seems like it would be more interesting than the Wonder woman show...I see on imdb that Captain Marvel appeared in 3 episodes which is cool...

I'd have to go with WW being better than those two shows combined.

Whatever grade anyone gives to Shazam, I'd expect the same grade from them for Isis: they were more "after-school special".

[fujishig]

I actually missed out on that Silver Surfer cartoon originally, but they've been showing it on some toon disney channel I got with my recent move to DirecTV, so I've been recording it. They've also been showing the other shows from that era: Iron Man (really, force works), Hulk, Spiderman, X-men. Nostalgia city, but I have to watch a few more episodes to really tell if it's decent... I'm just surprised they had a Silver Surfer cartoon at all!

I didn't even know the new Wonder Woman DVD was out...

[Chew]

I actually missed out on that Silver Surfer cartoon originally, but they've been showing it on some toon disney channel I got with my recent move to DirecTV, so I've been recording it. They've also been showing the other shows from that era: Iron Man (really, force works), Hulk, Spiderman, X-men.

Thanks for that info, I didn't even know they were showing all those. I'll have to set up the TiVo for 'em.

[fujishig]

Forgot to mention they're also showing "Spiderman and his Amazing Friends."

[toddly6666]

I actually missed out on that Silver Surfer cartoon originally... I'm just surprised they had a Silver Surfer cartoon at all!

I didn't even know the new Wonder Woman DVD was out...

I was totally surprised as well when I heard they did a Silver Surfer cartoon as well. I was even more in shock when I realized what a great cartoon it was - totally represents the comic. It's too bad it got canceled just when Thanos was popping up more at the end. There is a great video/audio quality "Comic convention" DVD of the Silver Surfer complete series. I was just about to upgrade to the official Silver Surfer DVD on order from Amazon.co.uk, when they pulled the plug just a couple weeks before release, and they did the same with the 1970s Fantastic Four cartoon. The bastards!

The Wonder Woman DVD is not officially out - I picked it up from one of my stores that releases DVDs early...

yup, out of all the animated films/tv shows of superheroes i've seen, JL/JL Unlimited, Wonder Woman animated movie, and Silver Surfer show are the most special ones.

[toddly6666]

Watchmen is right on up there with The Dark Knight!

[benedict]

There is a great deal of crossover here with the Movie Talk thread "Best to Worst Superhero Movies: Grade 'em!".

Given the fact that this subforum has the tagline "The Place to talk about Comics", I think that a discussion of tv adaptations, minus the part of the list that is already included in Movie Talk, might be more suited in TV Talk.