Critique Essay

Gregory Heppolette Critique Cre-3029

Why is ‘The Dark Knight’ Trilogy’s Batman More Compelling Than His On-Screen Superhero

Counterparts?

Orphan gods from another planet, web-slinging wall-crawlers, playboy

philanthropists in flying armoured suits, mutant teams and billionaires with gadgets and an

animal mask jumping from rooftops; all of these terms refer to the many superheroes that

exist in the pages of comic books and their respective movies. Since the late nineties, the

superhero movie has seen an explosion in popularity, practically dominating the May

blockbuster season year in and year out from Marvel’s Blade (1998) up to last year’s reboot

of the Superman franchise, Man of Steel (2013). Amazing visuals combined with intricate

storytelling, political intrigue, morals, religion and even humour have succeeded in drawing

in larger audiences. In more recent years the superhero movie seems to have undergone

somewhat of a rebirth within the rebirth. It is the aim of this critique to research into

whether Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Dark Knight’ trilogy is responsible for this re-imagined

wave of superhero movies, since the second and third instalments are the two highest

grossing solo superhero movies of all time – each grossing worldwide over one billion

dollars. It will discuss what makes Batman so much more compelling than his counterparts

from other comic books.

Perhaps, to truly understand the Batman we have to deconstruct him. From the pages

of the comic books and graphic novels, to the small screen, to the silver screen the last

seventy-five years has seen Batman take on what is probably the most transformative

journey compared to his superhero counterparts. Fans saw the creation of the ‘camp’

Batman under the guidance of Adam West for television screens, in what nearly irreparably

damaged the dark and brooding nature of the comic book character. It took until the late

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eighties for that reputation – by the hand of Tim Burton - to be restored for the wider

audiences on film. Though these films took on an obviously darker tone to its predecessor

there was still a nightmarish childlike quality to them only for that reputation to once again

be besmirched by the last two family-friendly sequels as they became overly childish with

Jim Carrey’s ‘The Riddler’ and George Clooney’s notorious ‘Bat-nipples.’ We had to wait until

Batman Begins (2005)1to be released under the masterfully guided hands of director

Christopher Nolan to get the Batman we had been waiting for. From the Nolan brother’s

and David S. Goyer, we were provided with the hero that previous movies lacked. A vigilante

who was branded as such and hunted for his crime. This final transformation from the

cartoon superhero made famous among the recent generation of fans into the realistic hero

Batman could and should be immediately makes us sit up and take notice and not just carry

on eating our Saturday morning breakfast. Writer of The Dark Knight (2008)2, Jonathan

Nolan is quoted in the book The Dark Knight Trilogy discussing ideas of deconstructing the

Batman character for their new endeavour,

What struck me about the Iliad was the reason for its enduring appeal is it’s an examination of what it means to be a man: how to make decisions, how to reconcile irreconcilable things, what to do with feelings of anger and revenge.3

It seems from what Jonathan Nolan stated here he suggests that they went back to

the basics. Rather than showing us a character and saying this is what he can do, this is

what he has to do and this is how he did it, we get the sense of who the person is, how

he became the man he is and why, why we as an audience should care about the man

1 Batman Begins. Dir. Christopher Nolan. Warner Brothers Entertainment, 2005.

2 The Dark Knight. Dir. Christopher Nolan. Warner Brothers Entertainment, 2008.

3 Nolan, Christopher. The Dark Knight Trilogy. Faber & Faber, 2012. Pg.1-2.

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behind the mask. This view on the deconstruction of superheroes seems to be in

agreement with Danny Fingeroth,

Biblical and mythological heroes are clearly precursors of superheroes. Odysseus, Thor, Moses are individuals of courage, commitment and noble ideals, flawed though they may be as individuals.4

So, what makes the high-flying Superman and web-slinging Spider-man so different

from the avenging Batman, if these fundamentals are at the core of every superhero

ever created? The most glaringly obvious thing could be the strength of character –

however buried it may be in fantasy lore and impossible feats – at the centre of every

hero, the pure determination to stand for and protect a set of ideals. Interestingly, a

trait carried too by the villains, for we have no doubt that they perceive themselves as

the hero of their own story.

One thing that ‘The Dark Knight’ trilogy has successfully achieved is in attracting

larger audiences than its counterparts. A factor that may be responsible for this

achievement could be the trilogy’s penchant for more adult themes. Throughout the three

films Christopher Nolan and co-writer, David S. Goyer, attempted to stray from the norm of

superhero movies in which the hero is simply showcased against one of his more infamous

villains. This attitude towards the superhero movie seemed to swing in favour of the grittier

and more grounded character, perhaps achieving the height of its success with The Dark

Knight (2008)5 by addressing themes of chaos versus order. This film challenges the ethical

code of the Batman character as well as the morality of society as a whole, and by drenching

the story in political intrigue the audience is provided with a rather powerful link between

4 Fingeroth, Danny. Superman on the couch: What superheroes really tell us about ourselves and our society. Continuum, 2004. Pg.16.

5 The Dark Knight. Dir. Christopher Nolan. Warner Brothers Entertainment, 2008.

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the narrative world and the real world. Ideas portrayed as chaos versus order on film are

mirrored by ‘us’ versus ‘them’ in the war on terror and is more specifically relatable to

American society and the post-9/11 cultural myth. Lizabeth Mason discusses ideas of

imagery in the film reflecting the 9/11 terrorist attacks in her thesis, ‘While seen on a

smaller scale in The Dark Knight, shattering glass falling from high-rise buildings still evokes

an extremely strong image within American media.’6 Now, whether or not the filmmakers

intended this is not in question, what they managed to do here, whether conscious of the

creative decision or not, was draw on particularly compelling imagery. This can be construed

as specifically relatable to the United States but following attacks across Europe and other

countries, such incidents as the 2004 Madrid train bombings and July 7th London Bombings,

more people would find the films a compelling watch. Suddenly, The Joker was cast in the

role of ‘Them’ and Batman in the role of ‘Us’ he was no longer just Batman’s most iconic

villain, he was ours too.

The most common thread between all superheroes is trauma. These are the stories

of men and women born to lead and save and embody the best qualities of human nature

and all of them are born of great tragedy. Whether it is personal tragedy such as Bruce

Wayne/Batman’s or a physical tragedy such as Bruce Banner/The Hulk. This sense of trauma

is present for all to see in the real world, the tragedies of war often bring nations together

under a single emotive identity, World War Two and the horrors of the Holocaust eventually

led to the creation of the United Nations as the first global governing body a symbol of

complete unity after a great heartbreak. The purpose of film is to evoke these emotions, to

remind us of past traumas and pains we thought were long forgotten, The Dark Knight and

6 Mason, Lizabeth D. "American Masculinity in Crisis: Trauma and Superhero Blockbusters." Electronic Thesis or Dissertation. Bowling Green State University, 2010. Pg. 34.

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The Dark Knight Rises (2012)7 remind us of these great pains. Both films portray the iconic

villains not as ‘Super-Villains’ but as more realistically named ‘terrorists,’ and where the

Joker simply incites chaos because he believes it is more sane than law and order, Bane has

a more direct goal. His initial success plays on the fears we have concerning the failure of

those that protect us. The dominance of these themes seems to suggest the films are an

allegory of the war on terror. This is a view that is supported by Mason, ‘All the imagery of

these explosions is strongly reminiscent of that of the collapsing towers.’8 In particular,

Bruce Wayne’s seven year retirement from his superhero role and the subsequent

revolution of Bane seems to particularly suggest that we must remain vigilant lest the

terrorists strike while our guard is lax. In this metaphor, the Batman’s victory over the Joker

becomes symbolic of the defeat of Osama Bin Laden in 2011 and Bane becomes a

representation of the still influential Al-Qaeda sect. Furthermore, these films successfully

force the audience to acknowledge suppressed feelings towards the war on terror and it is

in this that The Dark Knight trilogy surpasses all other superhero films. Where films like

Spider-man (2002)9only suggest a brighter end with a hero who saves the citizens of New

York, Nolan’s Batman films approach the matter more directly.

As the world changes around us, so too must the superhero movie. Many of the films

are produced as direct representations of certain storylines within the comics, albeit with

many adjustments. Therefore, it becomes the responsibility of the production teams to

adapt stories that may have been written decades ago for a different audience into a

relevant story for the current age. For example, as Marvel characters led the charge in the

7 The Dark Knight Rises. Dir. Christopher Nolan. Warner Brothers Entertainment. 2012.8 Mason, Lizabeth D. "American Masculinity in Crisis: Trauma and Superhero Blockbusters." Electronic Thesis or Dissertation. Bowling Green State University, 2010. Pg.39.9 Spider-man. Dir. Sam Raimi. Columbia Pictures. Marvel Enterprises. 2002.

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rebirth of superhero movies several of the origin stories were altered to seem more

modern. Peter Parker in Spider-man was now bitten by a genetically altered spider rather

than a radioactive spider, as depicted in the source material, coinciding well with a surge in

interest in genetics around the time of the movie’s release. It reflects modern day interest in

stem cell research or cloning, which must have sounded like science-fiction in decades past

but is now a distinct possibility. Plastered across magazines and newspapers we see the

famous constantly altering their faces and body shapes unhappy with the genetics they

were provided with at birth. This obsession with altering ourselves to achieve a self-assigned

vision of perfection is most aptly described in The Incredible Hulk (2008)10 whereby the

search for a perfect soldier creates a monster, perfectly mirroring plastic surgery horror

stories. Maybe, the success of the superhero movie resurgence can be attributed to subtle

changes like this, simply by making the stories more applicable the audience of a new

generation is provided with a base foundation in which to enjoy the new franchises.

Possibly one of the film’s most harrowing yet important lines, first quoted by Harvey

Dent, before he adopted the ‘Two-Face’ super-villain persona, ‘You either die a hero or you

live long enough to see yourself become the villain.’11This quote resonates throughout the

movie almost like a self-fulfilling prophecy for whoever dares to utter the words, however,

its importance lies not in the film for the audience but in how it is perceived in the real

world. As a society every day we see actors, sportsmen, celebrities, and politicians reaching

the height of their fame only to be cast down, often suddenly and brutally, whether it is due

to drugs or drink or promiscuity or, as in the case of Batman, if we are made to realise they

are not the people they pretend to be. It is this complexity to the Batman character that we

10 The Incredible Hulk. Dir. Louis Leterrier. Universal Pictures. Marvel Enterprises. 2008.11 The Dark Knight. Dir. Christopher Nolan. Perf. Aaron Eckhart. Warner Brothers Entertainment, 2008.

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are drawn to; he is a broken man twisted by the pains of his past and is no more susceptible

to these sudden personality and popularity changes than we are. Paul Asay states, ‘Batman

sometimes acts as a saviour stand in. But for the most part, he’s not a Messiah figure. He’s

us.’12This statement seems to agree with the above point, perhaps what we find most

compelling about Batman, in comparison to his super-powered counterparts, is that his

weakness is not some form of magic or a glowing stone or a natural element. Simply put, it

is his human nature; after all, he is just a man. So, not only does he embody ‘Us’ in our

ideals, so too does he embody our penchant for mistakes. Perhaps in support of this is a

question posed by Mark White, ‘So why doesn’t Batman just kill the Joker?’13 Whatever

answer is given we are still left unsure as to our original decision. We question whether we

would still view Batman as the hero if he gave in and just ended the Joker and the threat he

poses. We see this desire in the interrogation scene between Batman and the Joker, while

Commissioner Gordon can do nothing but look on as Batman’s personal dichotomy breaks

through and culminates in a vicious beating of the Joker. Usually, we believe that a

superhero should do whatever it takes to save the masses, but what if the thing they have

to do is at the cost of their own humanity? Should we expect them to compromise

themselves in such a way? But, we forget that Batman is not a hero, he didn’t start his

vigilante career for the good of mankind, Bruce Wayne became the Batman because of a

personal vendetta against crime in his own city and maybe it should be up to him when and

how he carries out that mission, maybe, it is not for society to dictate. So, perhaps the

12 Asay, Paul. God on the Streets of Gotham: What the Big Screen Batman Can Teach Us about God and Ourselves. Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2012. Pg. 6.

13 White, Mark D., and Robert Arp, eds. Batman and Philosophy: The Dark Knight of the Soul. Vol. 2. John Wiley & Sons, 2008.

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question cannot be so easily answered when the answers we give throw up more questions

and again we dive into the tar pit of Batman’s complexity that we find so compelling.

So If The Dark Knight was the peak of superhero storytelling, how can it be followed?

Can different superheroes emulate the success or are they doomed to follow the path of

post-millennium superhero movie breakout? In the years that followed The Dark Knight in

particular there seemed to be a stark rise in the more realistic superhero archetype, perhaps

not in how they performed visually, aesthetically these films were still all about flying and

fighting and shooting, but, there was a change in the winds as the stories became more real,

more hard-hitting. Perhaps, one of the best examples of this is Zack Snyder’s Watchmen

(2009)14 a movie stuffed full with politics, international relations and ethical issues told from

the view of Rorschach – who could be described as a Batman who broke the ‘One Rule’ and

proceeds to carry out merciless justice to criminals of any kind. This film leads the audience

to wonder about how the themes reflect on us, about how the government protects us, on

how much we truly know about what’s going on behind-the-scenes. Since this story is

actually set over twenty years ago, there is already a certain appeal for an older audience, as

it deals with issues from the Cold War, the Vietnam War and the Presidential term of

Richard Nixon. However, this film ties neatly into the point previously made about the Post-

9/11 cultural myth in the United States of America, the implications felt by Adrian Veidt’s

disguised terrorist attack on Manhattan mirrors the attitude felt towards Al-Qaeda and

Osama Bin-Laden after 9/11. As an audience, we feel more involved by these implications as

it solidifies this sense of a national identity, again, the union of ‘Us,’ this time championed

by Rorschach, versus ‘Them,’ championed by Adrian. However, the success of this film may

14 Watchmen. Dir. Zack Snyder. Warner Home Video, 2009. DVD

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not be entirely down to its story but may be down to crowd pleasing, or to be more precise

pleasing the fan-boys of the original graphic novel. Snyder achieved with this film what no

superhero film has ever even attempted. Watchmen, though not to one hundred percent

capacity, was the closest any superhero film has come to being an exact representation of

the original source material, even the ‘The Dark Knight’ trilogy strayed heavily from the

original material that inspired them.

Possibly the most perfect example of how to follow Nolan’s trilogy comes from

Arrow (2012)15 which follows the trials of Oliver Queen as the Green Arrow, a somewhat

modern day Robin Hood character, he is commonly referred to as the poor man’s Batman in

the comic book world– despite still being a playboy billionaire vigilante. The producers and

directors of Arrow took on the task of emulating The Dark Knight trilogy for television

screens, and after gathering a rather large fan base and reaching the end of its second

season - an impressive feat for any show trying to survive in America - it may be safe to

assume that Arrow has succeeded in its goal. The emulations between the show and the

trilogy of films are almost endless, the character of Oliver Queen/Green Arrow is already

considered somewhat of a carbon copy of Bruce Wayne/Batman in the comic books. Grant

Morrison discusses the character of Green Arrow during one of the many reboots DC Comics

put their stringer characters through over the years, ‘The bland, gimmick-driven Green

Arrow found a voice at last as the title’s fiery liberal conscience,’16having already stated that

a previous incarnation of the character had already distanced itself from, ‘his faux Batman

15 Arrow. Warner Home Video, 2013. DVD

16 Morrison, Grant. Supergods: Our World in the Age of the Superhero. Random House, 2012. Pg. 153.

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trappings’17, the show was given a character that visually could emulate the Christian Bale

Batman but was distinctively different. Having gotten over his personal vendetta in the first

season, the show’s second season allowed this liberal version of the superhero to shine

through. No longer would he kill in anger, now he was a champion of the people, a

protector of the ‘little guy’ that Batman never claimed to be. Perhaps this is the reason the

show continues to succeed critically and commercially as Nolan’s ‘The Dark Knight’ trilogy

did. You could say that, particularly as characters away from the movies and shows, Green

Arrow treats the symptoms whilst Batman cures the disease. Inherently written within the

characters’ stories and confined by what they can achieve by the comic books, it is to

Batman that we look to ultimately be the hero of our story and save everyone whether he

wants to or not.

It is conceivable that last the release of Man of Steel (2013)18held the most promise

in this revolution of superhero cinema. In the world of superheroes, Superman is the

precedent, the forefather, the god. So, naturally we assume that the most inspiring and

most powerful icon in superhero history would be able to knock The Dark Knight’s Batman

off his podium as the greatest superhero movie. Christopher Nolan produced, David S.

Goyer written and Zack Snyder directed, it sounds like a production dream team. And it is.

The film was distinctly darker in tone than the previous incarnations of Brandon Routh and

Christopher Reeve. However, Man of Steel fell well short of The Dark Knight’s one billion

dollar windfall. It looks as though the writers gave us a suitably believable world to ground

Superman in but it may be possible to accuse them of pandering to the fan-boys. By

assuming everyone in the audience is up to date on the Superman origin story, they

17 Ibid.18 Man of Steel. Dir. Zack Snyder. Warner Home Video, 2013. DVD

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appeared to sacrifice some of the finer points of his story for the epic action sequences the

fans have deserved and didn’t get in Superman Returns (2005)19and thereby fell prey to

traps early post-millennium superhero movies did. Although, perhaps the short falls this film

suffered were not because of the production approach, because the movie did give us a

darker and grittier film just not enough of it, perhaps the fault lies in the character of

Superman himself. Grant Morrison posits that, ‘Superman began as a socialist, but Batman

was the ultimate capitalist hero, which may help explain his current popularity and

Superman’s relative loss of significance.’20Personally, I would disagree with Morrison’s

wording here, Superman will never have a loss of significance. It is by no accident that the S-

shield emblazoned across his costume is largely regarded as the most recognisable symbol

behind the crucifix of Christianity and it is exactly that reason. Superman has become bigger

than America, he is a global icon of hope and sacrifice, as a champion of immigration he is

the greatest representation of the vision of a co-operating pantheistic world. On the other

hand, the world, although progressive, is by no means close to achieving a pantheistic

dream. It does seem that as opinions changed over the last seventy-five years we became a

society that no longer sought the hope of a better world that Superman represented but

craved the retribution that Batman offered us. It seems that in a world of persistent warring

and terrorism now no longer admired the hero of pure goodness but the one who is willing

to get his hands dirty, such as the Black Hawk team that took down Osama Bin Laden. To

quote Commissioner Gordon, ‘I hope you have a friend like I did...to plunge their hands into

the filth, so that you can keep yours clean!’21 It can be suggested that Batman’s use of 19 Superman Returns. Dir. Bryan Singer. Warner Home Video, 2005. DVD20 Morrison, Grant. Supergods: Our World in the Age of the Superhero. Random House, 2012. Pg. 26.

21 The Dark Knight Rises. Dir. Christopher Nolan. Perf. Gary Oldman. Warner Brothers Entertainment, 2012.

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terrorism as a weapon against the terrorists is what is admired the most by today’s society.

We are still a violent and vengeful society, cries for retribution are still much louder than

those of forgiveness, and for now, that is reflected in a love for Batman in favour of a more

hopeful Superman.

It would probably be remiss to ignore what other studios have been recently

producing Marvel Studios, Fox and Sony all hold the rights to many Marvel comics’

characters and as a direct rival to DC Comics and Warner Brothers, it is possible that these

movies demonstrate how to perform as commercially successful as Nolan’s Batman. It is no

secret that Marvel products are designed to be much more humorous than their DC

counterparts and have a decidedly lighter tone, but this by no means excludes them from

serious stories. Eric Lichtenfeld appears to support this observation stating, ‘Whereas one is

a brooding noir, the other is a light romp, at times bordering on comedy.’22This is especially

true for early Marvel titles such as Fantastic Four (2005)23. However, more recent titles

seemed to have taken a leaf out of Christopher Nolan’s book, and have tried adopting

darker tones while retaining aspects of the light-hearted comedy. A prime example of this

would be the recently successful The Amazing Spider-man (2012)24, this latest incarnation of

the character, off the back of a third movie in a previous trilogy that nearly killed the

character’s on-screen career, was much more brooding. Often, he would take to rooftops in

contemplation much like Nolan’s Batman. The tone was much darker and the story much

more personal, we feel more tied to this new Peter Parker’s plight, more invested in his

success because we are given a feel for who is. He is no longer being a hero because he was

22 Lichtenfeld, Eric. Action speaks louder: Violence, spectacle, and the American action movie. Wesleyan University Press, 2007.Pg. 320.23 Fantastic Four. Dir. Tim Story. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. 2005.24 The Amazing Spider-man. Dir. Marc Webb. Columbia Pictures. Marvel Enterprises. 2012.

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told to but because he has an urge to help people, it is his own personal trait and partly

because he feels responsible for his part in creating ‘The Lizard.’ The Spider-man character

plays to the extremes of the Jungian archetype of ‘The Hero,’ Spider-man he is overly

competent and courageous and in that we find his greatest weakness, his over-confidence

and arrogance. But as an audience we enjoy this flawed character, Andrew Garfield aptly

portrays a man who’s personal struggle and powers allow him to swing between the cocky

teenager and dogged avenger, from comic jester to brooding hero. This is his most

compelling aspect, the fine balance between happiness and determination.

However, Nolan’s trilogy can only claim the title of most successful solo superhero

movie. The title of the of the most commercially successful superhero movie goes to

Avengers Assemble (2012)25, the ensemble cast of superheroes is the culmination of years of

work between various directors of the solo films into what seemed like an impossible task.

Now, we bear witness to the power of the shared Marvel cinematic universe and with

Warner Brothers’ recently released plans to pursue a ‘Justice League’ movie it seems that

the future of the superhero movie lies in building shared cinematic universe and increasing

the profile of lesser known heroes such as Thor, Ant-man, Green Lantern, Hawkeye and

many others described by Morrison as ‘second stringers’26

As an aspiring fantasy writer, it is important to me to understand these god myths of

the modern age. The fantasy hero is not so different from the superhero, both follow the

rules of the Jungian archetype and it is important that I gain a fully grasped understanding of

the ‘Hero’ archetype at a core level and who better to learn it from than those who created

25 Avengers Assemble. Dir. Joss Whedon. Marvel Studios. Paramount Pictures. 2012.26 Morrison, Grant. Supergods: Our World in the Age of the Superhero. Random House, 2012. Pg.53.

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greatest, most iconic heroes of the past century. Like those, who followed Nolan’s Batman

or the ensemble heroes of the Avengers, my goal is to emulate characters that can be

debated to a depth I never knew they could reach.

Given this new age of superhero shows no sign of abating and in fact seems to be

diversifying into other areas of cinema: spy thriller, fantasy adventure, crime, science-fiction

–or was it that they were always so diverse and producers have only just caught up? We can

only assume that we have only scratched the surface of the potential these movies hold.

The future seems bright for fans, new and old, as entire universes are constructed around

our favourite characters and Hollywood finally seems to be paying attention to what we

want: in-depth interesting characters, realistic threats, thrilling action, gritty themes and

darker tones. And it may be safe to assume that the Batman spearheaded the charge of the

revolution. We are living in dark times and we need our heroes to have lived in them with

us. We need them to question ourselves and help us grow.

Bibliography

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1. Asay, Paul. God on the Streets of Gotham: What the Big Screen Batman Can Teach

Us about God and Ourselves. Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2012.

2. Brooker, Will. Hunting the Dark Knight: twenty-first century Batman. IB Tauris,

2012.

3. Irwin, William. Green Lantern and Philosophy: No Evil Shall Escape this Book. Vol.

21. Wiley, 2011.

4. Irwin, William. Superman and Philosophy: What Would the Man of Steel Do? (Vol.

79). John Wiley & Sons, 2013.

5. Feblowitz, Joshua C. "The Hero We Create: 9/11 & The Reinvention of

Batman."Student Pulse 1, no. 12. 2009.

6. Fingeroth, Danny. Superman on the couch: What superheroes really tell us about

ourselves and our society. Continuum, 2004.

7. Lichtenfeld, Eric. Action speaks louder: Violence, spectacle, and the American action

movie. Wesleyan University Press, 2007.

8. Mason, Lizabeth D. "American Masculinity in Crisis: Trauma and Superhero

Blockbusters." Electronic Thesis or Dissertation. Bowling Green State University,

2010.

9. Morrison, Grant. Supergods: Our World in the Age of the Superhero. Random House,

2012.

10. Nolan, Christopher. The Dark Knight Trilogy. Faber & Faber, 2012.

11. White, Mark D., and Robert Arp, eds. Batman and Philosophy: The Dark Knight of

the Soul (Vol. 2). John Wiley & Sons, 2008.

Filmography

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1. X-Men. Dir. Bryan Singer. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. 2000.

2. Spider-man. Dir. Sam Raimi. Columbia Pictures. Marvel Enterprises. 2002.

3. Daredevil. Dir. Mark Steven Johnson. Marvel Enterprises. 2003.

4. Batman Begins. Dir. Christopher Nolan. Warner Brothers Entertainment, 2005.

5. Fantastic Four. Dir. Tim Story. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. 2005.

6. Iron Man. Dir. Jon Favreau. Paramount Pictures. Marvel Enterprises. 2008.

7. The Dark Knight. Dir. Christopher Nolan. Warner Brothers Entertainment, 2008.

8. Watchmen. Dir. Zack Snyder. Warner Brothers Entertainment, 2009.

9. Iron Man 2. Dir. Jon Favreau. Paramount Pictures. Marvel Entertainment. 2010.

10. Thor. Dir. Kenneth Brannagh. Paramount Pictures. Marvel Entertainment. 2011.

11. Avengers Assemble. Dir. Joss Whedon. Marvel Studios. Paramount Pictures. 2012.

12. The Dark Knight Rises. Dir. Christopher Nolan. Warner Brothers Entertainment, 2012.

13. The Amazing Spider-man. Dir. Marc Webb. Columbia Pictures. Marvel Enterprises.

2012.

14. Arrow. The C.W. Warner Brothers Entertainment, 2012.

15. Man of Steel. Dir. Zack Snyder. Warner Brothers Entertainment, 2013.

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