Another year, another wave of comic book films have hit the big screen! Although, many people have claimed that 2023 is the year where comic book movie fatigue has finally settled in for general audience, due to numerous flicks of this subgenre underperforming or flat out bombing at the box office. However, if the success of the likes of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, and (fingers crossed) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem are any indication, I think it’s more that audiences are fed up with lackluster comic book films or ones that are just okay. If every single movie on this list were anywhere near as good as the top three on this list, I don’t think we would be complaining about the amount of comic book films released today, or at least crying over fatigue. At the end of the day, all it matters if the actual movie itself is good or not.
Now that this subgenre of movies have come to a close for the remainder of the year, let’s rank all the superhero or comic book related films to come out of 2023.
Also, just for fun, I decided to include the infamous fan film from this year, Spider-Man Lotus. Why? Because it’s a terrible film that was made by a bunch of racist idiots who legit thought they could make a better Spider-Man movie than the MCU and they deserved to be laughed at! It’s also far worse than any superhero movie that came from Hollywood, which is saying quite a bit.
Let’s not waste anymore time and let’s get on this list from worst to best!
10.) Spider-Man Lotus
Spider-Man: Lotus comes across as a film made by a fan with a very ill-conceived vision of what the character of Spider-Man stands for. It attempts to dive into the inner turmoil of Peter Parker and how he responds to losing those he cares about because of his duty as Spider-Man but the film fails to deliver a compelling narrative or a reason to get behind this version of Spider-Man, with Konop mistaking dourness and pro-faced seriousness for depth and nuance. What kills the whole picture is that Peter Parker is profoundly unlikable here, constantly lashing out as his friends and pushing them away in the hopes that will somehow ease the pain. It also doesn’t help that the pacing is slower than a sloth with a broken leg and the storytelling here is basically non-existent. Spider-Man: Lotus feels less like a love letter to Spider-Man and more of a neglect for him. There’s a reason why people like Jon Watts are the ones in charge of making these Spider-Man movies in Hollywood and people like Gavin J. Konop are not.
9.) Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
After ten years and 16 films deep, the DC Extended Universe comes to an end with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. While I’m sure there was a strong version of this movie that was presented during the production, it is anything but that when it comes to the finished product. The Lost Kingdom is a film that’s feels like it’s on autopilot throughout it’s entire runtime, hitting many of the same beats as the first movie but with no energy, passion, or heart to be found here. The jokes don’t work, the tone is inconsistent as hell, the editing is terrible and it’s embarrassing how the film was trying to do everything in it’s power to NOT have Amber Heard’s Mera on camera, only showing up when the plot absolutely demands her to show up. Aside from some fun buddy cop-like moments between Jason Momoa’s Aquaman and Patrick Wilson’s Orm along with some neat visuals, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is superhero cinematic burnout at it’s finest. You can tell this was a movie that Warner Bros was just desperate to get out of the way so they can finally move on to other things. Such a shame that a once promising cinematic universe had to go out with such a damn whimper, with not a single care from anyone else on the planet. Let’s hope James Gunn and Peter Safran is up to the task in the future because man, does DC (and superhero movies in general) not look good right now!
8.) Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania isn’t quite the worst movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe but it’s certainly knocking at that door. Despite the movie’s overall goal is to give everyone a clear direction as to where this next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is going, it still has that feeling of inconsequentiality because of how little that will likely matter in the long run and how it barely progresses the characters and their stories here. It still hits the same beats you would expect from a Marvel movie but whether or not that will be enough to save the picture is entirely up to you. And if the box office results and fan/critical reception is anything to go by, it’s clearly not for most people. Jonathan Majors as Kang stands out well here (at least until Majors had to be an abusive idiot and destroy his career) but very little else does, especially the mind numbing CGI. It’s a film so lackluster that it was basically a wake-up call for Marvel Studios, forcing them to re-think their current direction and potentially even erase the Kang storyline entirely. Whether or not that will act as a necessary evil remains to be seen but for now, Quantumania may not be the worst thing ever but we know that Marvel and superheroes are capable of much better.
7.) The Flash
Even taking way the controversies surrounding the production of this mess, The Flash is still not a very good movie. Yes, Michael Keaton is just as awesome as Batman as he was in Tim Burton’s duology. Yes, Sashe Calle is perfect as Supergirl who is more than deserving of her own movie. That still doesn’t take away how terrible the CGI is here, how the fan service and cameos scattered throughout don’t amount to anything, how it can’t escape the whole feeling of obligation, and how this version of Barry Allen is still an incredibly annoying and unengaging character. It does everything it sets out to do and may even delight DC fans with the amount of Easter Eggs provided, but none of it is done as well as it could and leaves plenty to be desired. It just comes across as a movie that DC felt they were forced to make just so they can later get to the movies they actually want to make. While it does pave a way towards a more open future, I certainly hope that future doesn’t feel as phoned-in as The Flash does. Please bring back Sasha Calle for Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow!
6.) Shazam!: Fury of the Gods
While Shazam! Fury of the Gods certainly doesn’t break any new ground for the superhero sub-genre and doesn’t quite reach the heights of the first movie, it still makes for a solid albeit formulaic sequel. Director David F Sandberg is able to deliver the exact goods that he delivered in the original Shazam! had even if it’s not able to deliver much else that feels as fresh. It’s not groundbreaking by any means, but with a movie that is this lighthearted, fun, and just has it’s own warm tone to it, I really find it hard to be overly critical off. I can’t help but think that the negative reaction that this movie received is not so much of the quality of the movie itself but with the either the feeling of superhero fatigue or the studio politics behind the DC movies itself. And of course the controversy surrounding certain cast members offscreen such as Zachary Levi and (at the moment) Rachel Zegler doesn’t help either. Even so, put all the off camera drama aside and you find there’s actually quite a bit to like here, even if it’s not all great what’s on camera.
5.) The Marvels
Talk about a movie that came out at the worst possible time imaginable. Releasing during multiple strikes, franchise/superhero fatigue, and internet trolls being louder than ever, The Marvels is basically the one MCU movie that no one gave a chance to, not even Disney and Marvel themselves. Which sucks because when actually looking the movie on it’s own, it’s actually quite fun with some damn good action sequences, neat looking visuals, and three enjoyable female leads. Iman Vellani is precious as hell as Kamala Khan, Teyonah Parris is cool as Monica, and Brie Larson is able to shine much better her than any other films she’s been in as Captain Marvel, almost as if this is the character that Brie has been wanting to play since signing up for the role. It could have used a stronger villain in Dar-Benn, with more flesh out dynamics between her and the Marvels themselves and it’s certainly a film you can nitpick to death if you want to get technical about it but judging it as a straight up action movie, it’s entertaining with solid chemistry between the three leads. Much like Shazam!: Fury of the Gods, what would have been consider good enough five to ten years ago is simply not good enough anymore. If you skipped this movie in theaters because of the inconsistent quality of recent Marvel movies or other personal reasons, I’d say give this a chance once it comes out on Disney Plus and you might be surprised with it.
4.) Blue Beetle
Blue Beetle is easily the best film that DC has released this year and even their very best one since The Batman. While lower expectations may have played a factor in that, it feels like the only film released this year to do the job it sets out to do exceptionally well. There’s no universe baggage or sequel setup to weight the whole thing down, there’s no painfully distracting reshoots and CGI of certain characters that will take you out of the movie, and there’s no drama with any cast member making unpleasant remarks and/or doing terrible things of the camera to distract you from the picture. All we have here is a very well made and enjoyable new superhero origin tale about a cool new superhero with everyone from the cast and crew doing their jobs as well as they possibly could have. Jamie Reyes is a likeable and engaging protagonist, the dynamics with his family are great, the action is fun to sit through, and it has the kind of beating heart that not much superhero movies have nowadays. Also, it has the most badass granny in any movie ever! It may not be the best superhero movie ever made nor even the best one that has come out this year but it’s still a fun and refreshing comic book movie that has plenty of action, humor, and heart at it’s center for anyone to enjoy. If there is anyone out there that was on the fence of seeing Blue Beetle, I definitely recommend checking it out in theaters while you still can!
3.) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
Of all the feature films that have we have gotten so far involving the TMNT brand, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is probably the one to get the most things right since the original 1990 live-action film. The animation is top notch with learning the “right” lessons from Into the Spider-Verse, the characters are all well-utilized, defined, and bounce off each other perfectly, the story feels fresh yet faithful to the turtles lore with plenty of resonate themes that might connect with general audience, the score is absolutely killer and gives the film it’s own upbeat personality, the action is a lot of fun to sit through, and it’s able to exist in it’s own sandbox as being the kind of thing that can stand proudly on it’s own along with being among the best of what the Ninja Turtles have offered throughout their history. While I won’t go as far to say that it’s a perfect film in it’s own rights (there’s a bit too much pop culture references and “milking” jokes for my taste), it’s certainly a perfect TMNT film, one that will likely be the one to get a new generation into this successful running franchise. And if the next film and the new 2D series that’s in the works is as good as Mutant Mayhem, then this next wave of Ninja Turtles fans will have plenty to be spoiled by!
2.) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is able to successfully hit all the beats it needs to give fans and audiences a very satisfying ending to it’s trilogy of what is perhaps the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most surprising and consistently great franchise, along with showing how Marvel can still find ways to deliver quality entertainment, even when it might seem like they’ve reached their limits. It’s able to be funny, dark, sad, engaging, and deliver the highest and most personal stakes of all the three Guardians films that helps make it stand out as possibly the very best in trilogy. This also has some of the very best performances and emotional beats in anything Marvel related! I don’t know what the future holds for the MCU in terms of quality or what awaits for the team members that end up living to fight another day but in the case of this movie, I don’t really care. All Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 needed to do was deliver a conclusion that felt definite, right and satisfying all the same. And on those terms, it was no doubt able to deliver a famously huge third (Pun entirely intended!) I’m glad James Gunn was able to end his run with Marvel on a high note and leave me awaiting his future with DC. A fitting farewell to these lovable galatic a-holes!
1.) Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse shows that the Spider-Verse could in fact make lightning strike twice. Everyone involved with the making of this movie wanted to take everything to the next level without holding anything back and they are able to exceed greatly with a sequel that manages to be as good as Into the Spider-Verse and in some ways, even better. The animation might be the very best I’ve ever seen in any film, the entire cast is perfect with everyone feeling like they are absolutely in LOVE with their roles, Miles and Gwen are some of the most interesting, engaging, and layered protagonists in any comic book film, the themes and morals of the story still resonate and fits the core elements of Spider-Man perfectly, there’s plenty of well earned fan service throughout that never gets in the way of the main central storyline, and while it does end on an obvious cliffhanger, it will no doubt make anyone excited to see how they will wrap up the story in the third and final installment. For as much as there been talk about superhero movie fatigue nowadays, I’m willing to bet if the majority of modern superhero movies were anywhere near as good as these Spider-Verse movies are, we would not been having that conversation whatsoever and realize that the movie being good is what matters most at the end of the day. Across the Spider-Verse is the best comic book film of 2023, one of the best films of 2023, and might just be one of the most perfect sequels ever made! Bring on Beyond the Spider-Verse and PLEASE treat your animators right this time!
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