Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' Watchmen is a graphic novel that attempts to deconstruct the mythology of the superhero. It uses elements of a traditional superhero story but also comments, satirizes them, and blows them to pieces. As such, should it really be lumped into the same category as Superman and Iron Man, as a lot of critics are doing in their reviews of the Zack Snyder film?

It got us at MovieRetriever thinking about movies based on comic books and graphic novels that aren't your typical superhero stories. Believe it or not, but comic books don't necessarily have to be about men in tights. In fact, some of the best movies of the '00s have been based on works of graphic literature with nary a special power or mustache-twirling villain in sight. So, what are the ten best flicks based on non-superhero comics and graphic novels? It's arguably a better list of ten flicks than you could come up with for movies that people usually think of when they hear "movie based on a comic book."

 
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First and foremost, there were a few close calls and determinations needed about what qualifies as a superhero movie. After much consideration, we decided that Men in Black, Wanted, The Mask, and V for Vendetta follow closely enough to the superhero structure with their alternate identities and action scenes that they could more easily be lumped in with, say, Iron Man, than A History of Violence. Thus, they were excluded. On the other hand, 30 Days of Night could have made the list ... if it was any good.

- Brian Tallerico

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10. From Hell, based on the book by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell

Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell's From Hell was kind of decimated on its way to the big screen, but if you can completely ignore the differences from the vastly superior source material, there are things about the Hughes Brothers' film that work. Johnny Depp gives a typically good performance and there's an over-the-top sensibility to the design that really clicks with this material. Yes, the script is a total mess and casting Heather Graham, one of the least period-looking women in Hollywood, as a Victorian-era hooker was a huge mistake, but it's still not as easy a film to dismiss as League of Extraordinary Gentlemen or even Constantine. We also needed ten. And there are really only nine good ones. (Forgive the filler.)

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9. The Road to Perdition, based on the book by Max Alan Collins

This is one of those titles that most people don't even remember is based on a graphic novel. The Sam Mendes/Tom Hanks film doesn't have the "feel" of a comic book and there are no superheroes in sight. Well, sort of. If you think about the plot of Road to Perdition and its concentration on the consequences of violence, it's not that far off from the world of The Dark Knight or Iron Man. What sets Road to Perdition apart is the stunning, Oscar-winning cinematography by the masterful Conrad L. Hall. Perdition is a movie that time has forgotten in the seven years since it came out. If, like a lot of people, you haven't seen it in a while, double back and revisit a film that's far from perfect but looks pretty close to it.

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8. 300, based on the book by Frank Miller

Speaking of visually stunning films, Zack Snyder's 300 is as striking a movie to look at as any in the last few years. Almost too loyal to its source material, 300 was one of the most surprisingly successful films of the '00s. We all thought it would do well, but no one on Earth expected the men in loincloths to make nearly half-a-billion dollars worldwide. Watchmen wouldn't exist as we'll all see it this weekend without the success of 300. And don't believe the backlash. 300 is a pretty good movie. Is it great? No. It's a little too in love with itself, but, once again, the design of the movie sets it apart, particularly the excellent sound design. Every crack, boom, and scream is brought to vivid life in Snyder's vision. 300 will be a popular film with a beloved following for years to come and that's more than fans of the book could have possibly asked for.

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7. Persepolis, based on the book by Marjane Satrapi

Yes, animated films count. And this won't be the last one on the list. Persepolis is the perfect example of both the range of the graphic novel and the animated film. Not every comic book heroine needs to look like Elektra and not every animated film needs voice work by Seth Rogen. Persepolis is about a young woman coming of age in a turbulent time of social and political upheaval. It's a work that lingers with you long after you see it, at times funny, heartbreaking, and more genuine than most live-action films released the same year. The film didn't make the splash at the box office that most of us who liked it hoped it would, despite several awards and universal critical acclaim (96% on Rotten Tomatoes is not something that happens every week). Do yourself a favor and seek it out on DVD. You'll be happy that you did.

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6. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, based on the manga by Hayao Miyazaki

Miyazaki rules. Anyone who tells you otherwise is not your friend. If someone starts a conversation by telling you that they think the man who made Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, and My Neighbor Totoro is overrated, just turn around and walk away. One of Miyazaki's best films, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, is based on a manga created by the man himself, who actually has a long history in the form. He started illustrating manga before he even made his first film, but Nausicaa is basically his The Dark Tower. It's a seven-part series that was published from 1982 to 1994. The film came out long before the end of the series (in 1984) but it technically came after the manga, so it counts. This is the pic that really founded Studio Ghibli. It's a beautiful piece of work that was mangled and released as Warriors of the Wind in the '80s. Ignore that version. The original is on DVD now (released in 2005) and it's a must-see for animation fans everywhere.

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5. Sin City, based on the book by Frank Miller

Robert Rodriguez was born to adapt Frank Miller's Sin City. Yes, he was arguably a little too loyal to the source material, not offering much more than you could get from reading Miller's books, but I'll be damned if Sin City isn't a hell of a lot of fun. All of you who think Mickey Rourke had a comeback with The Wrestler - where were you a few years ago when he gave an award-winning performance in Sin City? But Rourke is just the beginning of the one of the more enjoyable ensembles of the last few years. From Clive Owen down to Nick Stahl, what always impresses me about Sin City is how many talented people got together to give this project their absolute best. It's a better version of Sin City than most us Miller fans ever thought we'd see on the big screen and definitely one of the best non-superhero comic book movies ever made.

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4. Ghost World, based on the book by Daniel Clowes

This is one of those titles - like all in the top four actually - that a lot of people forget was even based on a graphic novel. Clowes' Ghost World originally appeared in the comic book series Eightball in the mid-'90s and was published in book form in 1997. The book became an instant cult classic and it wasn't long before Hollywood came calling. Every time I see Ghost World, I'm impressed more for what the film is not than what it is. A lot of writer/directors would have turned this into another fish-out-of-water comedy, but there’s a lot more than that going on here. The great Terry Zwigoff stayed loyal to his source material and its fans, making a film so well-received that it was nominated for an Adapted Screenplay Oscar. And I bet half the people who voted for it didn't even know it was adapted from a comic book.

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3. American Splendor, based on the book by Harvey Pekar

It only goes to prove the strength at the top of this list that the four-star, truly awesome American Splendor is only number three. Featuring what are still my favorite performances by Paul Giamatti and Hope Davis, American Splendor is a wonderful comedy because it perfectly bridges Pekar's book with the more modern aesthetic of film. Splendor could have been a total disaster, a story of a misanthrope that would have turned off millions. But documentarians Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini made Harvey if not lovable, relatable. He’s one of the more consistently interesting movie characters of the ‘00s.

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2. A History of Violence, based on the book by John Wagner and Vince Locke

One of David Cronenberg's best films, A History of Violence is a movie that has gotten better every time I see it. With Viggo less in the shadow of LOTR and less publicity about William Hurt's movie-stealing supporting turn, you can really appreciate what Cronenberg accomplished here (and how ripped off Maria Bello was for an Oscar nomination). Honestly, A History of Violence has gone from a very good movie to one of the first I think of when asked what the best films of the last several years are. It's both a riveting mystery and a commentary on the human capacity for both violence and change. Can we put our past behind us? And can we call on it when we need to or are forced to do so? Cronenberg and writer Josh Olson have made an amazing film that works on so many levels, as escapist entertainment or as something much, much deeper. 

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1. Oldboy, based on the manga by Nobuaki Minegishi and Garon Tsuchiya

It's a nightmare of mine that audiences will see the inevitable remake of Oldboy that is reportedly going to star Will Smith, hate it, and never know that this masterpiece exists. Let’s not let that happen. Mobilize and tell your friends to not just rent but buy the best non-superhero comic book movie ever made. Currently ranked in the top 120 films of all time on IMDB, Oldboy is just perfect. Chan-wook Park sense of pacing and timing is what really makes it work (although Min-Sik Choi's lead performance shouldn't underrated). I love how Park and his writers slowly reveal the mystery of Oldboy while never losing the character study underneath it. Oldboy is mystery, action movie, and Greek tragedy rolled in one. Come to think of it, with the number of Greek God undertones in most superhero movies, maybe it's not as far from Iron Man as I first though. Give Dae-su Oh a hammer and he could probably take down any super-villain in town.

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What do you think? Did we miss some obvious choices? Can't believe that we forgot to mention Tank Girl? Did Wanted or MIB deserve inclusion on this list?

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