TOP 10 CBM´S I WANT TO SEE BEFORE I DIE
These are just the top 10 comicbook movies that need to be made, or at least I would like to see before I enter the heavenly gates. Some are more likely than others and yeah I should tell you now unfortunately Justice League did not make the list and neither did the much anticipated ·Worlds Finest. Just warning.
10. BATMAN VS THE RIDDLER AND PENGUIN
When Nolan first announced that Bane was going to be the villain in the latest Batman movie, The dark Knight Rises, my first response was, huh? WHAT? Why not Riddler? But then I decided screw it, I´ll get on board, afterall it is Batman. Then I saw the movie, and man was I ever right at my first response. Its not that its awful, even though I swear, till this day I´ve only been able to sit through the whole thing once. It was more just the sense of utter disappointment. Bane is just not a good followup for The Joker. Especially after doing such a good job of the character. We needed someone with the same level of iconicness, and, charisma as The Joker if the movie was going to be the success The Dark Knight was, and only one Batman villain fit the bill for me (in Nolans style of Batman anyway) that was Mr E Nygma.
But to hell with it, alas, Nolan went in another direction and made an OK movie. Well now I say since I live in world where Batman is going to be rebooted 12 times in my life time, its “Time To Play The Game”:
That’s right, The Riddler with Peguin as a backup villain, in a darker, more twisted take on the character would be awesome. He´s just a character who has that dimension of villainy that´s purely psychopathic and sick like The Joker, but I believe in a very different way. It could be an excellent, detective kind of movie, where The Riddler takes Batman and Gotham to the edge of sanity and back, with Puzzles with in Puzzles that all have a deadly solution. Riddle me this Batman, how could the Batman reboot top The Dark Knight? I wonder.
9. MARTIAN MANHUNTER
Martian Manhunter has always been a character that fascinated me, since I first saw him on Justice League The Animated Series. He was always in the background, but nonetheless, tragedy marred his whole existence, yet it was never fully explored. Of all The Justice League team he is the only true alien. After all Clark grew up as one of us, right? And all the other Justice League members at least look human, take Hawk Girl or Man depending on whether you go by comic or animated lore.
I think he could make for a really interesting original DC one off film, that could even correct some of the mistakes of Man Of Steel. I think people may stop reading this article after I say this, but I swear I would even rather see a Manhunter movie than Justice League. I would make the film less about him being a superhero, and more about him being a war victim, the last survivor of a planetary Genocide, one that cost him his planet, his life, even his family. Whats worse then, after having survived that, than to realize it was your own brother responsible. That is an epic, emotional story and one that has so many directions it could go. But hey, never gonna happen. ☺
8. INCREDIBLE HULK VS SENTRY
It has baffled me that Marvel thinks Hulk is so unadaptable to screen. I think he´s such a great character and so rich in terms of what you can do with him. However it is true that he does lack a seriously challenging villain. However, I think the best way to go with a Hulk movie is have him face Sentry. Why?
I think he´s the greatest foil to Hulk, a superpowered schizophrenic superhero so corrupted by his own immense power that he begins to see humanity as mere ants and himself a god. At first Shield want to use him, Banner and him can even work together, but slowly he begins going mad and Banner sees this warning Shield. They don´t listen and Sentry goes on a rampage, only one being on the planet even has the remote chance of stopping him, Banner must embrace his inner beast.
Tell me that isn´t a synopsis and a half for a Hulk film. Plus it will give comic fans the closest they´ll ever see of the battle of all battles, Hulk Vs Superman. Everyone and their mother will have to watch it.
7. HITMAN
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This ones way out of left field, but this was one of my favorite comics as a kid, and, I could totally see Tarantino directing this. The basic premise, Tommy Monaghan is a Hit Man who gains superpowers through some freak accident involving an alien vampire. He works cleaning up the streets of Gotham, taking on the jobs nobody wants, killing supervillains. Batman wants Tommy Monaghan jailed for the trail of bodies and blood money he´s left, supervillains want him because he´s so good at his goddamn job and Gothams´ most dangerous mob bosses want him dead, because he´s a royal pain in the ass, all a day in the life of Tommy, but hey it’s a living.
6. X-Men Done Justice In 3d
I´m going to be brief on this one, apart from X-Men First class every time I paid a ticket to see an X-Men movie I felt robbed. I actually felt like some slick salesman had tricked me into buying a one wheeled BMX, while convincing me it was a Cadillac he was selling. What a load of utter crap.
This is one of the main reasons I´m against a Justice League movie without solo movies first. I knew what was going to happen. I knew it was going to be Wolverine and Friends, and that was going to be a load of crap. In the animated show we had a great team of some of the coolest characters, like Gambit some slick bad ass thief with cool powers, a sexy southern bell, who could hand any one their ass in Rogue, a complex multifaceted African Weather Witch in Storm, and then Wolverine, a bad ass, whose upset for some reason cause the government made him indestructible. Oh boohoo. Man what a tragedy, you´re indestructible and you have a crush a sick obsession with a married woman, what a tragedy, here´s like the smallest violin in the world to playing, just for you.
Don´t get me wrong guys, I love Wolverine, but he was never my favorite character in the X-Men, and to be honest putting him at the center piece of the X-Men movies was just so annoying for me, and, to make it worse they weren´t even that good. Maybe the second was OK, at best, but none of them came up to the standards of the comic series in the 90s or animated series that made the world fall in love with these rag tag group of Mutie rebels.
As such I want to see an X-Men movie set in the future, with Apocolypse and The Centinals as bad guys and I want the team be Rogue, Psylocke, Cyclops, Wolverine, Gambit, and, Storm (and maybe Beast, cause he´s cool as well) Have it in 3d, mutants being hunted, Charles Xavier dead and Magneto solitary, bitter and hiding in the wilderness licking his wounds as he witnesses the hell he created by finally killing his archenemy. That is the setup and let the games begin.
5. Shazaam
Ahhh Good old orphan boy with the heart of gold Billy Batson. I´ll admit, I haven´t read that many comics of Shazaam, mainly because there aren´t that many available. But I love Geoff Johns take on the character and I will be buying the graphic novel version when it comes out. I loved Superman/Shazaam Animated film although, it could have been longer and I love the concept of the character.
He´s another unused DC character that just has a great origin, and I hope one day, hopefully when I have a son (or daughter), I can take them to the cinema and have them feel the same magic I felt first buying a comic of just imagining having great power. OK, I have to say it’s a bit strange, but even when I was 8 I related to the Joker, but I think, just for kids Shazam would be the ultimate magical journey. What kid doesn´t want to be a superhero, and here we have Billy Batson, a good kid from the wrong side of the tracks, given powers to become a hero, and facing the mighty pharaoh of Antiquity Black Adam. That’s a great story. Quite frankly its telling that kind of magical story that the movies were made for.
4. The Joker Movie
OK, I´m gonna go there, I love the Joker. He is probably the most beloved villain in comicbook history. I´ll admit Batman bandwagoners annoy me. I love Batman and I love his story, but for me there are so many great DC stories to be told and Batman fanboys I feel are one of the main reasons they don´t. However I´ve got to admit in my truest most honest moments I can see why the world has fallen in love with Batman and The Joker; its cause they´re awesome.
Now a dark, mature, even, 15 rated Joker movie could be one of the most awesome films of all time. Maybe one telling the birth, the origin of the villain, could just be amazing or one even loosely following Azzerello´s Joker graphic novel. A neonoir journey into the underworld, through the eyes of the clown prince of crime. Screw it I know there´s like 20 Batman related movies now, personally to the point I´m fed up and I really don´t even care about seeing some rushed crappy Batman/Superman movie, which they are going to bring out right after what I´m sorry to say a mediocre Superman movie in Man Of Steel. I know I´m a hypocrite, but The Joker is just so captivating a villain I think a movie based solely on him would be worth the price of admission.
3. The Flash Movie Fastest Man Alive
Flash is just one of the greatest comicbook inventions for the atomic age. I love me some Flash. A character whose fundamental powers is the ability to bend the laws of physics. You can´t get anymore cool than that. The possibilities visually and conceptually are just so vast.
I should think it obvious after watching Flashpoint paradox that people now get that Flash Wally West or Barry Allen are just cool. Personally I´d like to see a mix for a film, but depending on the tone, either Wally or Barry could work.
I can see the problem with The flash, its kind of obvious. Perhaps if the Matrix hadn´t lead to years of ripping off bullet time so people got utterly bored with every action scene slowing down then speeding up it would be more workable, but still I´m sure there´s a way to capture the fastest man alive on screen. It just takes the will and a good script. I have to say i´m stumped at how it would be possible, but its another one I´m working on. He´s always been for me the heart of Justice League; the optimistic, hopeful, average guy, who finds himself with the powers of a god.
I love that story and I think if handled right The flash could be the less arrogant version of Iron Man. Just a kind of cool, relatable guy with superpowers, forced into being the hero. Anyway WB, please do this, I swear, this and the next one on my list bumped off Justice League, that’s how much I want Flash in a solo movie.
2. Wonder Woman Movie
Now this as you know is a personal mission of mine. As many know on the site I have taken to writing a Wonder Woman script because I love this character so much. She is easily now my second favorite superhero, just falling below Hulk and now trumping Batman and Superman for me.
My mission isn´t a feminist one. I dabble in sexist boob jokes like every other red blooded male. My mission isn´t even for equality as I can´t think of a single other female superhero I like, outside maybe Rogue, deserving of a film. Even characters like Huntress or Batwoman, two characters I really dig I just don´t think their story is as compelling or important enough to make a film out of.
For me, everything people said in the runup to Man Of Steel about Superman, about how he inspires hope, how he´s just a true hero, how he has this kind of messianic or operatic story, equally if not more applies to me to Wonder Woman.
Now I can only hope there is some realistic possibility that somewhere down the line this movie will happen. And I hope those jerks at DC will stick to Wonder Woman´s true origin, not this emo crap their going with in the New 52. Its time for Wonder Woman to give us a vision of peace, a superhero with a truly inspiring message and a woman who can kick ass and look good while doing it to boot.
I have one other reason for wanting to see Wonder Woman done justice and his name is ARES. God damn I love writing him. i´ve stated many times this guy is one of the best DC villains. Sure he´s out of Greek Mythology and maybe DC has some weird pride of ownership, but this character could be so badass if done correctly, just a pure anarchist, evil to the bone, thirsting only for war for its own sake, reveling in humanities suffering. This would just be a great cinematic clash and it needs to be done. But alas, apparently straight males between 13 and 30 don´t buy into hot chicks that can kick ass, apparently we only like badboys, with fancy cars, and, brooding temperament. Wait a minute?
1. Justice League Vs Avengers
Ok, I swear if this movie came out, it might as well be a porn film for me. Id´ literally be thrown out of the Cinema for indecency, because I would just be sitting at the back, while some poor kid is sitting next to me crying his eyes out asking why the strange man next to him is touching himself (OK that sounded weird) I mean because of the film guys. I know logistics make this film impossible, but if there´s a god please, please, give me this. (and a great Wonder Woman and Flash film. don´t get me wrong God)
Now I don´t know if you noticed but I´m really into story and character development, less action is usually more for me. But I swear in this movie, I say give me Michael Bay, give me Noel Emmerich. Cause all I want to see is 15 minutes setup, then after the most over the top set of action pieces you´ll ever see.
I want Hulk Vs Superman, the eternal debate settled, I want Wonder Woman duking it out against Thor Lasso Vs Magic hammer style, I want The Flash and Green Lantern tag teaming against Spiderman and Wolverine, I want Batman and Cap America to go 10 rounds (till Batman beats America of course; why “cause he´s Batman”)
It would just be so bloody epic, it would be too much to bear. Web, claws, lassos just trashing the streets of Gotham, New York and beyond, Till everyone just admits, Supes and Hulk are equals, Amazons triumph over Azgardians any day, Speed force just over tingles that spder sense, Admantium takes out silly green rings powered by will, and Bats can beatup America. Sorry Yanks.
But maybe I´m just a little bias. ☺
Thanks for reading.