2024 is very nearly at an end and, if you're a comic book movie fan, you might be glad about that.
Following last year's Hollywood strikes, the likes of Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts* were pushed into next year. That left us with one MCU movie, three titles from Sony's Spider-Man Universe (sans Spidey, of course), the last DC movie from the previous regime, and a couple of unwanted reboots.
So, yeah, this ranking wasn't easy.
2025 looks to be considerably better but 2024 isn't over yet and now that Kraven the Hunter is in theaters, we're finally able to see how all these movies compared...and we're sure you'll have some thoughts on where they land.
To see where we've ranked 2024's comic book movies, click on the "Next"/"View List" buttons below.
7. Joker: Folie à Deux
Despite not being particularly faithful to the comics, 2019's Joker is a fantastic movie and a fascinating character study of how a seemingly normal man can become "Joker."
Joker: Folie à Deux, in comparison, is destined to be remembered as one of the worst comic book adaptations to ever grace the silver screen. A musical set in Arkham Asylum exploring Joker and Harley Quinn's twisted romance had potential; so too did a courtroom drama delving into Arthur Fleck's mental state.
Filmmaker Todd Phillips mashes both ideas up in this sequel and delivers a movie that doesn't work in any respect. The musical numbers are wretched, the story paper-thin, and the performances arguably its only saving grace. We wanted and expected so much more from this one.
6. Kraven The Hunter
It feels like a crazy world we're living in when Sony Pictures releases three Marvel movies in a year where we've had only one from the MCU and one from DC. Unfortunately, Kraven the Hunter is by far the worst of the SSU's offerings in 2024.
Not even a stellar cast and R-Rating could save this insulting mess. Filmmaker J.C. Chandor and star Aaron Taylor-Johnson have waxed lyrical about wanting to do right by the comics but managed to deliver a movie that does a disservice to every character that appears in this blood-soaked bore of a blockbuster.
Sony repeated all its past mistakes with Kraven the Hunter and released it in a week when the news broke that the studio had finally decided to pull the plug on its poorly received slate of Marvel movies. What a waste of a great bad guy.
5. The Crow
We never had particularly high hopes for The Crow and, like Kraven the Hunter, all the gory action scenes in the world couldn't rescue what proves to be a bad take on James O'Barr's comic and a poor successor to the 1994 cult classic.
The reboot featured so-so performances from Bill Skarsgård and FKA Twigs, while its weak story and cookie-cutter villain were enough to ensure that nothing here would be remembered when the credits rolled (and boy, even making it to them was no easy feat).
Director Rupert Sanders could have found a way to put a modern spin on this story. Instead, he delivered another comic book movie that felt like it was released in 2005.
4. Madame Web
We're still very much in the realm of awful comic book movies with this entry, but you know what? Madame Web really isn't that bad. It's by no means good, but beyond the memes and nitpicking, there's a serviceable movie in there...somewhere.
Horrible ADR, lousy performances, and a painfully dumb story kneecap Madame Web. However, filmmaker S.J. Clarkson deserves credit for at least a handful of exciting action scenes, some undeniably cool costumes, and mostly impressive visuals.
Is Madame Web worth revisiting? God, no. However, if you skipped it earlier this year in theaters, perhaps consider giving it a chance because it's better than Kraven the Hunter. That isn't saying much we know.
3. Hellboy: The Crooked Man
Hellboy: The Crooked Man was, in many ways, destined to fail. It was marketed horribly, released across the globe at random, and arrived at a time when there was little appetite for the character.
It was hard to know whether to place this or Madame Web at #3; they're arguably equally as crummy, after all. Still, when it came to a direct-to-DVD-style back-to-basics approach, The Crooked Man worked and did right by Mike Mignola's comics for the most part.
In terms of direction, it's exactly the sort of disorientating mess you'd expect from Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance helmer Brian Taylor. Jack Kesy, however, deserves more credit for his solid take on the Right Hand of Doom.
2. Venom: The Last Dance
The Venom franchise has failed Eddie Brock as a character. If, however, you can look beyond that and enjoy these movies for the brainless, popcorn flicks they're meant as, you can have fun with them. As for Venom: The Last Dance, it might be the strongest effort yet.
It certainly feels considerably more cinematic than its predecessors and ups the stakes with the big screen debut of Knull, God of the Symbiotes. The same old mistakes and missteps are present with Sony calling the shots but there's plenty to love about this one, including some great practical locations and fight scenes.
We're not sad the franchise has seemingly ended with this threequel but Eddie Brock and Kelly Marcel deserve at least some credit for delivering Sony's only recent Marvel hits.
1. Deadpool & Wolverine
By far the year's best comic book movie, Deadpool & Wolverine is on another level to every single other title listed here. Delivering the team-up we've spent years dreaming of, the Marvel Studios threequel managed to make the Multiverse interesting again.
That's no easy feat but whether it's the fan-pleasing cameos, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman's unbelievable chemistry, or the surprising amount of heart that accompanied the laughs and action, this was the MCU firing on all cylinders (with an R-Rating, no less).
For this writer, Deadpool & Wolverine ranks among Marvel Studios' best movies. Perhaps its most amazing feat was making us look back lovingly at 20th Century Fox's Marvel Universe...despite it being a franchise often just as appalling as the SSU.