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Even though we're over six weeks away from the actual start of summer, the summer movie season begins this Friday with the highly anticipated X-Men Origins: Wolverine, yet another entry in the ever-growing comic book genre. Will this new iteration of the X-Men series end up as beloved as X2 or as loathed as X-Men: The Last Stand? This series is just a drop in the bucket of the many, many films based on comic books of all kinds.

Obviously, the most common association with the comic book these days is the superhero. Spider-Man, Superman, Batman, Iron Man...the list goes on and on. Of course, there have been many, many superheroes who haven't made the translation to the screen as well. Ghost Rider, anyone? How about Elektra, Daredevil, or the Fantastic Four? For every great superhero and superhero movie, there are double or triple the number of failures that everyone involved would just like to forget ever happened.

This A-List, however, is not full of costumed fighters. Some of the great comic book movies don't have a single character with extremely heightened senses, the ability to fly, or any other awesome power. Films like 2001's Ghost World, a previous A-List entry, are based on smaller, underground comic books; these indie books were made into indie films, but are mostly as highly respected as films as they were on the printed page. However, that doesn't mean the superheroes won't make any appearances, so don't fret. Wolverine, however, won't be appearing on this list, nor will any of his other mutant buddies; maybe, though, if he's lucky, his new movie might be so good it may wind up a future A-List entry. With that in mind, here's the A-List's look at the best movies based on comic books and their characters.

The Dark Knight

No list about anything having to do with comic books can start these days without mentioning the best film of 2008 (sorry, Slumdog Millionaire). Though it's not the first film based on a comic book series that can prove it's not all just loud, grinding action, The Dark Knight is the first to make its characters and situations as realistic as possible. Though they're incredibly familiar characters in American popular culture, Batman and the Joker aren't just super-nemeses in The Dark Knight; one is a guarded millionaire whose ideals are pushed to the brink, and the other is a severely disturbed man with too much time on his hands and a desperate need to screw with the status quo. Director Christopher Nolan not only helps make these two characters and those who surround them feel real, but the extensive action sequences don't seem too outlandish, even for a movie with a guy flying around like a bat. Some people had a few problems with the final half-hour, but any movie that gives us such great performances (though the late Heath Ledger won heaps of deserved praise and an Oscar as the Joker, Aaron Eckhart and Gary Oldman, as Harvey Dent and Jim Gordon, were amazing) and a deadly game of chicken between an 18-wheeler and a motorcycle - with the motorcycle winning, too - can be forgiven. Also, I have to admit, I like the ferry sequence; I'm biased, though. Debates will rise about whether it's the best, but The Dark Knight is arguably one of the best comic book movies ever.

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