The year 2017 saw an unprecedented number of comic book movies released in cinemas. Nine, to be exact. While some of these films were less successful than others, such a high number of them meant that a great many comic book movie characters graced our screens – and this is something that’s of huge importance.
Perhaps more than any other storytelling medium, comic books truly hinge on the strength of their characters, because it’s this that shines through on every page. Comic books can include great action-based artwork, but don’t have the capacity to dazzle with pyrotechnics and CGI. Instead, they must keep readers engaged with the creation of compelling characters, about whom we care, if they’re to succeed. This is why some of them have endured as pop culture icons for over 75 years.
When this aspect of comic books is translated onto the big screen, it can sometimes get lost in the mix – and poorly drawn characterizations can drown amid the special effects. Not so in 2017, though. In 2017 – the year of nine comic book movies – we were treated to a host of excellent characters.
The following heroes/villains are the ones that reached out from the screen and made us feel deeply – whether that be love, admiration or fear. These are the characters that stayed with us long after the end credits rolled, because they resulted from the perfect marriage of writing, casting, direction and performance. These are the ones that we’ll remember most and these, are the best comic book movie characters of 2017.
