My picks!

Danny DeVito - Penguin
Christian Bale - Batman/Bruce Wayne
Michael Keaton - Batman/Bruce Wayne
Jack Nicholson - The Joker

Do you mean the best actor who has played a comic book character, or the best comic book role played by an actor?

Ian McKellan as Magneto

Or do you mean an actor who fit the role better than anyone else could have?

Very vague question. I'll throw out an answer though:

Brandon Lee: The Crow

Wesley Snipes as Blade
Hugh Jackman as Wolverine

Christopher Reeves, he was/is Superman.

No even comes close.

While not thrilled with S3, props to Tobey Maguire. Not only did he inhabit the character (as unlikely as that seemed) and jumpstart the franchise, but then Spiderman's success revitalized the whole genre.

Have to agree with some of the above:

Tobey as Spidey
Hugh as Wolverine
Ian as Magneto

Ian McKellen - Magneto
Tobey Maguire - Spiderman
Alfred Molina - Dr. Octopus
Hugh Jackman - Wolverine (Dougray Scott did him a huuuge favor)
Christopher Reeve - Supes

Patrick Stewart as Prof. X
Christopher Reeve as Superman
Hugh Jackman as Wolverine
Christian Bale as Batman
Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman
Mark Pillow as Nuclear Man

Yes, Christopher Reeve hands down. This thread can now be closed.

Christopher Reeve is always going to be the definite Superman. Always.

Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman
Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker/Spider-Man (more Peter then Spidey)
Thomas Jane as Frank Castle

I think if you gave George Clooney a decent script and decent villains, he would have been remembered as one of the best Batmans / Bruce Waynes.

I don't know if he falls in the category of Comic Book Character, but Robin Williams' take on Popeye was spot on in my opinion.

Clive Owen

Hugh Jackman as Wolverine (I think it was the hair ), Wesley Snipes as Blade, Ron Perlman as Hellboy (the creature makeup helped too).

Wow. I thought I was the only one with this sentiment. I have to wholeheartedly agree. If he had more than 10 minutes screen time, he could have been great.

Oh, and Christopher Reeve is a given.

I have to go with Patrick Stewart as Prof. X

Hero: Christopher Reeve, although I really dig Bale as Batman too.

Villain: Alfred Molina was amazing as Doc Ock. Runner up would be McKellan's Magneto. Both powerful performances.

I never liked him as superman, he never looked right in the suit, To me, I think Brandon Roth "Looks" more like Superman, I like Reeve, but I always thought he was miscast.

I agree with a lot mentioned already. Christopher Reeve, Ian Mckellan, Tobey Maguire, Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Wesley Snipes, Alfred Molina, Christian Bale, Ron Perlman, Jack Nicholson...all excellent as the characters.

I also liked Liam Neeson (Ras Al Ghul), Cillian Murphy (Scarecrow), Rebbecca Romain (Mystique), Colin Farrel (Bullseye) Ray Park (Toad). And Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman was just amazing. Man she looked good in that costume.

I think a couple of the worst were Tyler Mane (Sabretooth....just nothing near as good as the comic book character) and Vinny Jones (Juggernaut.....see Tyler Mane).

Wow...thats the first time i have heard someone say that. I think that Reeves captured both Superman and the Clark Kent roles perfectly. He was an actor that got saddled with the role too much and he gave some great performances in other movies (Deathtrap comes to mind) but never got to fully acheive the recognition he deserved. Routh on the other hand i liked, but i felt that the role was too empty. The character in the original movie had a great storyline and script to back up the acting, Superman Returns had a downright awful storyline and script and it affected my view of the Superman character. He didn't do enough in the movie, and the role of Clark Kent wasn't a scratch on Reeves original in any way, shape or form.

Repeat after me:

R

E

E

V

E

That's it. How many times do we have to go through this?

Reeve - Superman.

Bale - Batman

Steward - Pro. X

That's it really.

But Routh was cast because he looked like Reeve, so how does this logic follow?