The Decade's Best and Worst Graphic Novel Adaptations

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Sin City (2005)

Frank Miller's comic noir, sapped of all shades of gray and steeped in blood, smoke and whiskey, possesses in its every stroke the spirit of the graphic novel. Robert Rodriguez's equally bold and surrealist take boasted much to love -- including the original Mickey Rourke comeback as lantern-jawed ex-con Marv, Elijah Wood as his creepy cannibal target Kevin, Rosario Dawson as an S&M madame, Bruce Willis, Rutger Hauer, Benicio del Toro, Clive Owen...it goes on and on. It's like mainlining Chandler with a Dali chaser.

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Watchmen (2008)

Alan Moore's alterna-present '80s dystopia is probably one of the most sacred texts in the modern comic canon -- perhaps a little too sacred, as Snyder adhered to it slavishly in his big-budgeted adaptation. The result was a release too esoteric to really appeal to the mainstream, and too hampered by the limits of its inherent "adaptationess" to sate Watchmen purists. And yet for pure audacity of vision -- however bizarre, dated, rambly or flat-out portentous -- we slip it into our best list. It takes balls to make a movie with giant blue ones hanging unobstructed for over 20% of it.

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V For Vendetta (2005)

The Wachowskis' last producing effort before heading to candy-cane raceways (and next -- Ariannaland...and beyond!) was this version of yet another bleak Mooreian tale, directed by James McTeigue. It follows a faceless anarchist in a Guy Fawkes mask (the always great Hugo Weaving) who has severely worn out the "V" section of his OED. V plots to destroy a Big Brotheresque political entity controlling England, and recruits Natalie Portman as his shorn, revolutionary ward. It's uneven, but filled with brash sociopolitical commentary and striking language and imagery ("Remember, remember, the fifth of November..."), Vendetta has become iconic all the same. A minor classic.

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