Top 12 Comic Book Animated Movies

*Spoilers throughout this article*

Hello, loyal readers, and welcome to another issue of Dustin's Dirty Dozen. This issue will be on the top 12 comic book animated movies, marking the end of animation month. This list will not include the hybrid comic-animation series' (I.E. "Wolverine: Origins" or "Iron Man: Extremis"), nor will it contain any of the Marvel anime that was popular on "G4TV." However, it will cover the other animated pictures from both DC and Marvel. I hope you all enjoy, excelsior!

12) Ultimate Avengers 1 & 2

"Marvel" doesn't do too well with animation, but every once in a while a gem will come through all of the crap. This is an example of one of those gems (or rather 2); albeit, not exactly first place material. The voices in this range from good to awful, so I can't really make that a justification as to why this should be on here. One of the main reasons this made the list was for my favorite scene in both films, the Hulk fight, wherein the Hulk actually picks up Thor's magically imbued hammer. The hammer is supposed to be impossible for anyone but Thor (or whomever the hammer deems worthy) to lift; despite this, Hulk lifted it anyway. Besides that, you have a great prelude to the live-action films that Marvel came out with afterwards; and all-in-all, a good time.

11) Superman: Doomsday

Let me just put this out here, I am not a fan of Superman in the least; I think he is too overpowered and boring (joined that band wagon long ago), and his character could have been so much more. Maybe that is why his most popular moment (his death) made the list, because I love seeing him get owned. Even though the event itself turned out to be a hoax and superman turned out fine in the end, it was still an important point in comic book history. My favorite scene in this movie has to be the fight scene between Doomsday and Superman; really, that is the only point in the movie worth noting, but makes it good enough to make this list.

10) Green Lantern: Emerald Knights 

"Green Lantern: Emerald Knights" took on the role of telling the multiple stories of a number of Green Lanterns (much like "Batman: Gotham knight"), and turned every story into something amazing. Nathan Fillion, found his way into the voice of Green Lantern (Hal Jordan), and proved himself amazing enough to make repeat appearances. The best scenes of this movie were definitely between Mojo (the Green Lantern planet) and Laira's back story. Laira had amazing action sequences, and Mojo is just Mojo... he is a planet. He is a planet with the power of the Green Lanterns; just let that get into your head and join the rest of us in awe. 

9) Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths

I love parallel universes; the story arcs that follow them are always interesting and unique ways of looking at your favorite superheroes. So, of course, "Crisis on Two Earths" made the list based on that merit, but another good point was the voices. James Woods' acting for Owlman was sinister and sent a chill up your spine listening to it. Owlman's character was the best part of this movie by far; as a ruthless, cunning, and driven alternate to Batman, he stole the show and ended up being the baddest of bad guys. The fight between him and Batman is still one of my favorite scenes, especially Batman's line at the end: "There is a difference between you and me. We both looked into the abyss, but when it looked back at us, you blinked." Just has Batman's essence wafting over it.

8) Superman/Batman: Public Enemies

This is the closest DC came to rivaling the storyline of Marvel's superheroes, who are mostly looked at as outlaws. Finally, the characters of Batman and Superman gained a little more depth, making them go through society treated as the enemies of the free world. I love any movie that reinstates the amazing talents of Tim Daly and Kevin Conroy; they are the originals, and most people alive during the airing of the "Batman: the Animated Series" know Kevin Conroy as THE voice of Batman. The best scene in this (besides the friendly banter between the two icons the movie is based on) has to be the royal rumble between seemingly every bad guy in existence. You see all the people that use powers as weapons (such as ice, strength, size, etc) together and somehow it all just fits into one big ass kicking, the likes of which no movie could have done better. 

7) Wonder Woman

Oh, DC; it is too hard to make a live action Wonder Woman movie, yet here is an amazing Wonder Woman animated movie that holds the character in a new regard. Oh well, I guess we will have to deal with thirteen Ben Affleck Batman movies before we get the third member of "the big three." Anyways, this movie was amazing for two reasons; it held, in high regard, the Greek mythology of Wonder Woman's backstory, as well as the voices. Hades has to be the best part of this movie, showing him as a fat, arrogant, slob of a god, yet still so menacing and powerful. When he pulls out Ares' son from the pits of Tartarus and shows him to Ares as his slave, I couldn't help wanting to punch Hades for Ares. On the Female side of voices, you have Keri Russell playing the lead role as Wonder Woman, and Rosario Dawson playing the overly battle-hardened Artemis; both did amazing and made me wish for a recurring roles for them in future DC projects. On the male side, you have Nathan Fillion again as a fighter pilot and womanizer, Steve Trevor (Wonder Woman's semi-love interest), and Oliver Platt playing the aforementioned Hades and stealing any scene he was apart of. 

6) Batman: Year One

I may have loved "Batman: Begins;" however, this movie just seemed to be everything that the theatrical movie was missing. What the general public has to understand is that the comic book "Batman: Year One" which is what "Batman Begins" and this were based off, was mainly about Jim Gordon, with a few Batman scenes as filler. This movie celebrated that fact and made Jim Gordon the badass that he was supposed to be, while subsequently giving him more depth. The best scene in this movie has to be Jim Gordon giving detective Flass the beating of his life. If any other scene could come close to it, the scene in question is definitely Jim Gordon's affair, giving his character more of a dark and troubled edge. Voices in this were amazing (as always when Andrea Romano is in charge of voice directing and casting), and the major scene thieves were Bryan Cranston, Eliza Dushku and Alex Rocco. If there is any truth to Bryan Cranston playing the new Jim Gordon in the live action movies I know that he will do well since he has already done it. Alex Rocco always plays the best gangster, and Eliza Dushku hopefully will be our next Catwoman with the performance she has given here serving as her resume.

5) Batman: Under the Red Hood

The comic book this is based off of is considered one of the hardest slaps to the face of all time in the comic book community. The comic book (A death in the family) killed off Jason Todd (the second incarnation of Robin) after DC took a poll from the readers on if they should and said "he would never come back;" so when he did, it sent off more than a few loyal fans. I don't know how they did it, but, this movie is one step in the right direction of fixing that mistake. It made the revival of Jason Todd seem more believable; although it's hard to be any less believable than Superboy punching something so hard that reality itself breaks. The acting was awesome even without the original "Batman: Animated Series" cast being in it, with performances from Jensen Ackles as the Red Hood and Wade Williams as Black Mask stealing the movie.

4) Planet Hulk

The comic event that followed the "Civil War" in marvel comics was "World War Hulk," and it was brilliant in every sense of the word. "Planet Hulk" was the comic about the events leading to that amazing series, and it held up just as much as other off-shoots did. This was the movie adaptation of that comic series, and I can't help but love it all the same. Anything with Beta Ray Bill smacking the hell out of Hulk with Stormbreaker has to be nothing less than amazing. The best voice of the movie was the main one, Rick D. Wasserman as the Hulk, since the hulk had a lot more to say than "rawr." There is nothing more that I can say about this movie other than if you have any respect for comic books at all, you will go read the World War Hulk series...Now.

3) Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (Pt. 1 & 2)

Carrie Kelley is the best Robin in any Batman universe by far, and any movie designed with her in mind is going to be outstanding. Why is she the best you ask? Aside from being the most original of the four, she was also the one you could relate to the most: Obsessed fan girl that takes to the streets with a store-bought Robin costume, and gets to live all of her fantasies while she fights along side her icon in battle. Of course there is more to the movie than that, the best scene proving to be the Batman/Superman battle that ended in Batman's favor. Want to find out how? Please watch it.

2) Justice League : The Flashpoint Paradox

Remember when I said that I am a fan of multiverse storyline? Well that applies to time paradoxes as well. The voices in this movie are amazing. When you have the talents of Justin Chambers, C. Thomas Howell, and Michael B. Jordan, it's always going to be good. It's hard to pick a scene I like more. When you have a skinny, agoraphobic Superman; Thomas Wayne shooting up Gotham as Batman (instead of Bruce); and the love scene between Wonder Woman and Aquaman; the choice is almost impossible. Quite possibly the death of Hal Jordan was the best scene in the movie, but as I said, the choice is so hard. This movie, being the most recent installment from DC animation, is proof that the DC animated movies just keep getting better and better. It makes me unable to wait for the next installment.

1) Justice League: Doom

Perfection. I couldn't find one thing wrong with this movie and that is rare for me, being a cynical asshole. I loved the revival of the old "Justice League: Animated Series" cast, with the addition of Nathan Fillion, again taking the reins of Hal Jordan. The scenes are, again, almost impossible to choose from, to think about which one would be the best. Who could forget Martian Manhunter sweating out magnesium due to a poison-laced drink that was given to him by a disguised enemy, and thus being lit on fire. How about Wonder Woman being drugged, making her envision everyone she meets as Cheetah, which in turn makes her fight non-stop until her heart almost gives out. There is also a bomb being bolted through the Flash's wrist that makes him run forever, taking a page from "Speed," since if he decelerates, the bomb explodes. Hal Jordan is infected by the Scarecrow "fear toxin," and left to spend the rest of his days crying over a woman that he was too late to save. Superman is shot through the heart by kryptonite, and no one knows how to save him, since you can't simply pierce his skin. I guess the best though was Bruce Wayne being buried alive with the skeletons of his parents. I mean could you imagine that shit? Having a vendetta against your parents' murder, so strong, that you take a vow to stop crime in the city in which it happened, then being buried with their skeletons, left to spend the rest of your days looking at the very thing that drove you to a life of crime-fighting. Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. Too bad none of the ways to kill the Justice League actually panned out. Thanks, Cyborg.

HM) Doctor Strange

Doctor Strange is my favorite superhero of all time, and I am still waiting for a live-action movie with him as the lead. The cartoon movie was only ok, but I just know I would be hating myself later if I did not put this on here. "By the light-by the Truth-by Sangreal and sword and Pendragon's Fire-by Defender's might and Dragon Circle's destiny-BEHOLD THY BANE!"

Next time on Dustin's Dirty Dozen: More comics with the top 12 live-action comic book movies.