It's no wonder that graphic novels -- essentially pre-drawn storyboards featuring ultra-violent, supernatural plotlines -- are such an appealing sell. But caveat emptor, Hollywood-types: many come with fanatical fanbases that will make your lives living hells if you so much as get a single inkblot wrong on your anti-hero's mask. Even worse -- some are simply unfilmable. We round up for you now some of this decade's best, and worst, examples of graphic novel adaptations.
And a note for purists: The term graphic novel is being used here to also encompass limited comic book series that have later been published in volumes. OK! Let's begin...
The Best
300 (2006)
Before New Moon turned exposed male abdominals into a standalone selling point, and before Avatar set an angry tribe of spearchucking warriors against a 100% computer-generated landscape, there was 300. Director Zack Snyder's epic, homoerotic tale of martial bloodlust may not be a great film -- where factors like plot, dialogue, and convincing-looking hunchback turncoats are considered measures of greatness -- but as an example of the graphic novel adaptation, it's a gem. It retained the stark iconography of Frank Miller's illustrations and text, but also had the chutzpah to dive headlong into its ridiculous world of nose-jewelry-wearing Persian deities and thong-and-cape-bedecked Chippensoldiers. Somehow, it all worked.
A History of Violence (2005)
Suspense master David Cronenberg was an unlikely, but, as it turns out, perfect fit with this comparatively straightforward story of former mercenaries and mob retribution, based on the underselling 1997 graphic novel by John Wagner. The story adhered closely to its source for the first half, at which point screenwriter Josh "I Will Not Read Your Fucking Script" Olson took some creative liberties that paid off nicely -- William Hurt's contemplative, half-speed psychopath brother character being one of them. Cronenberg's unflinching taste for injury added a certain compound fracture c'est quoi to the proceedings.
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.
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.
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.
The Worst
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003)
It's rumored Alan Moore bought up all the known DVD copies of this film in existence, and uses the covers as bathroom tissue. We may never know if that's true (OK -- I just completely made it up), but one viewing of this steampunk-for-retards version of his 1999 comic series is enough to consider its validity, and to question ever attempting to adapt one of his works for the big screen ever again. I have a feeling he'd be just fine with that.
Whiteout (2009)
It seems kind of cruel to pounce on a movie that shat the igloo as hard as Whiteout did at the box office ($10.2 million to date), but Dominic Sena's stalker-on-ice adaptation of Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber's comic series managed to be both ploddingly predictable and utterly incomprehensible. Useful only when thrown into a highball glass and doused in expensive bourbon.
Have any more to add to either column? Let us know in the comments.