This story first appeared in the January issue of EGM.

We wouldn't dare overlook cultural touchstones like the first few Superman and Batman films -- especially those of us who grew up poring over their illustrated adventures -- but superhero flicks have made leaps and bounds over the past eight years, becoming yearly studio tentpoles and reliable summer fun. Sure, we were excited to see our favorite heroes come to life on the silver screen pre-2000, but they always seemed to encounter roadblocks: licensing issues, swelled budgets, and special effects that were perpetually almost where they needed to be.

In 2000, the first X-Men film changed all that, breaking through to mainstream success behind a respected director (Bryan Singer, The Usual Suspects), competent casting, and everything you'd expect from a top-tier action film. It opened the floodgates for other long-brewing comic-book projects, like Sam Raimi's record-breaking Spider-Man and Ang Lee's art-house adaptation of Hulk. These days, it's huge success after huge success -- both Iron Man and The Dark Knight grossed crazy amounts of dough this past summer, and classic graphic novels like Sin City and Watchmen finally have the confidence of movie studios.

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