Keene Equinox

Issue date: 10/11/07 Section: A & E

Media Credit: Jack Earl

This decade alone has seen more comic book heroes hit the big screen than any before.

While some were big successes like "X-Men" and "Constantine," others, like "Catwoman" and "Hulk," stunk up the joint. This is a list of the top five superhero movies that have come out so far this decade.

5. "Superman Returns" (2006)

When director Bryan Singer dropped "X-Men: the Last Stand" to direct the Man of Steel's return to the big screen, fans were in for a treat. In the movie, Superman returns to Earth after having been gone for five years, looking to see if what scientists found in space was indeed Krypton. Now Superman has to see how the world moved on without him.

Brandon Routh proved to be a worthy heir to the Superman throne. Kevin Spacey was also a great Lex Luthor. It was very reminiscent of Richard Donner's "Superman: the Movie", and had some of the best special effects to grace the silver screen in a long time.

4. "Hellboy" (2004)

Director Guillermo del Toro did what a lot of directors can't do. He took a well- known comic character and made "Hellboy" a successful film. The movie, based on the notable miniseries "Seed of Destruction," shows how Hellboy originated, and what the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense was all about.

What made this movie so good is the original story was not complicated, and it had a good dose of humor and action. A sequel is already underway, called "Hellboy 2: the Golden Army," due this coming summer.

3. "X2: X-Men United" (2003)

"X2" is one of those rare sequels that is better than its predecessor. Do not get me wrong, "X-Men" was a great film, but "X2" was that much better. The movie showed how the government tried to eradicate the mutant threat to humanity.

Not only did Director Bryan Singer add more action, but he also added more drama, and made the characters believable even though they have mutant powers.

2. "Spider-Man 2" (2004)

Not only was this better than 2002's "Spider-Man," it also had much better fight scenes than its predecessor. Say what you want about Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker/ Spider-Man, but James Franco stole the show as Peter's best friend/ Spider-Man's future enemy, Harry Osborn.

The visual effects were stunning, especially the scene where Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina) had their first encounter. With a great blend of humor, and outstanding fight scenes, "Spider-Man 2" was the best comic book-based movie to come out this decade, until…

1. "Batman Begins" (2005)

Simply put, this is the best superhero-based movie to come out this decade. Director Christopher Nolan and writer David Goyer made everyone forget 1997s disaster, "Batman & Robin," with this very faithful adaptation of the Dark Knight. Christian Bale proved to be the quintessential Batman.

Cillian Murphy also made a very good Scarecrow with just the right amount of creepiness.

The sequel, "the Dark Knight," is due in July 2008.

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