My list has often changed for this but after thinking through it, I'm pretty happy with the following.

1) The Dark Knight (2008)

At the top of my list is Christopher Nolan's 2008 masterpiece 'The Dark Knight'. While it may be rather predictable to have this at the top spot, it is completely deserving of it.

Taking place 9 months after the events of Batman Begins (2005), the menace known as the Joker is wreaking havoc and chaos on the people of Gotham. Batman must accept one of the greatest psychological and physical tests of his ability to fight injustice.

Much to the film's benefit, there is a tonal shift with this film in contrast to it's more fantastical predecessor. The more over the top elements of that film (ninjas, city destroying devices, etc) are replaced with more grounded adversaries and scenarios. Gotham is depicted as a regular metropilis rather than the dystopian Blade Runner sequel, which cements Batman as an exotridnary figure in an order world.

In particular, The Joker is re-imagined as a terrorist rather than a goofy gangster, which is appropriate for a post 9/11 setting. It goes without saying that Heath Ledger's performance is amazing. I'd go as far as saying it's one of the greatest performances of all time. Ledger completely took ownership of the role and immersed himself in the character. Joker only clocks in at 30 minutes of screen time in a 2.5 hour film, yet leaves an enormous impression on the viewer.

Make no mistake, this is just as much of a character study for Batman as its predecessor. While Christian Bale is somewhat overshadowed by Heath Ledger, his performance is still excellent. Bale manages to capture the rage that would realistically drive a character such as this. From hacking into people's phones and extradition foreign nationals, Batman is pushed into a morally grey territory we haven't quite seen superheroes depicted like before.

The supporting cast is also excellent, especially Aaron Eckhart's Two Face. In spite of all the praise I have for this film, it is not without its issues. The fight choreography is a step up from its predecessor, but that bar was not a particularly high one. Batman's movements often look slow and clumsy, despite the fact that he is fully intended as being dangerous and skilled in-universe. Bruce and Rachel's relationship is also rather confusing and leaves a bit to be desired, the chemistry never quite felt there.

Regardless, the film's good outweighs its flaws and the end result is an unforgettable superhero epic.

2) Joker (2019)

If you had told me years ago that the director of The Hangover movies would make an elseworlds movie about Joker with no action and no Batman, I'd have called you crazy. Yet in 2019, that's exactly what we got.

Set in 1981, Joker follows Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix), a failed clown and stand-up comedian whose descent into insanity and nihilism inspires a violent counter-cultural revolution against the wealthy in a decaying Gotham City.

This film managed to do something which I never thought possible, and that was bring a portrayal of Joker that's close to if not on par with Heath Ledger's legendary performance. Joaquin Phoenix is one of this generation's greatest actors, and this film shows why.

There's not much of a story to this film, but that's okay. This film simply could not have worked without Joaquin. His performance is so immersive and disturbing. He pulls you into his mind and evokes a range of emotions, portraying a mental break that is both raw and believable. At the film's heart is a message on the importance of empathy and effects of neglect.

This film doesn't just entirely hinge on Phoenix though. Much of what makes the film work is the immersive cinematography and Todd Phillip's direction. The cinematography helps the viewer step into Fleck's hellish world, and Phillip enhances that with the use of slow lingering shots.

Perhaps this film's biggest flaw is that it's highly derivative of past films, namely Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver (1976) and The King of Comedy (1981). From the characters to the themes right down to costume design. One can't help but feel that for as good as this film is, it is ultimately a worse version of Taxi Driver. That said, there's nothing wrong with that - few films measure up to Taxi Driver in quality.

Todd Phillip's managed to make a very daring comicbook movie. A 2 and a half hour character study with no action and very little humour (the few comedic moments are dark comedy), Joker sets itself apart from other CBMs.

3) Logan (2017)

Similar to the sentiment echoed above, Logan is daring in it's own way. It had only been a mere 3 years since Days of Future Past had both retconned X-Men 3 and given the original cast a happy send off. For Logan to retcon this ending and revert the state of the universe to a much more depressing state was ballsy - yet, it paid off.

In a future where mutants are nearly extinct, an elderly and weary Logan leads a quiet life. But when Laura, a mutant child pursued by scientists, comes to him for help, he must get her to safety.

Logan is one of the few films in its genre to actually ask the inevitable question; what would the end of a superheroes journey look like? In a genre plagued with reboots and retcons, this question is rarely explored. Fortunately, Logan explores the question in a believable and emotionally satisfying way.

The tone of this film is set immediately from the outset as bleak, gritty and depressing. The R rating elevates the action to be more visceral, raw and impactful. This is the first time we've seen what it would actually look like for Wolverine to slash people, and its satisfying.

Jackman gives his best performance of Wolverine to date, whereas Stewart gives what is by far the best portrayal of the Professor X character in live action. Compared to the more fantastical plot of Days of Future Past, Logan ditches the time travel and giant robots for a more intimate small stakes character study. Interestingly, the decision to go for a smaller scale story actually makes the film feel higher stakes and more weighted. Many CBMs these days have world ending or even universe ending stories, which eventually becomes bland and predictable.

The greatest X-Men and Marvel movie to date, Logan is a must see.

4) Spider-Man 2 (2004)

Having watched this as a kid when it was first released, it still holds up as an excellent piece of filmmaking and storytelling.

It's been two years since Peter Parker transformed into Spider-Man, and he is still trying to balance life perfectly. His love for Mary Jane is becoming much stronger, as he finds it hard to not let her down. His friendship with Harry Osborn is at risk, as the young Harry is frustrated with Spider-Man getting away with his father's death. And if this wasn't enough for the super hero, a new enemy is in town. Dr. Otto Octavius is involved in a freak scientific accident and becomes the dangerous Doctor Octopus.

This is the first and still to this day one of the only superhero films to truly explore the burden of the dual identity of being a superhero. Superman II (1980) touched upon it, but never explored it in any meaningful way ~ similarly the case with Tim Burton's Batman films.

Spider-Man 2 actually grounds Peter's civilian life into a believable reality. We see Peter struggle to make rent, we see him struggling to hold down a job, his grades, his friendship with Harry and his relationship with Mary Jane. The film shows us exactly why Peter wouldn't want to be Spider-Man, and it's that central conflict between his desires and call to responsibility which makes the film so compelling.

It goes without saying that Danny Elfman's score elevates this film and is quie possibly the greatest score in any comicbook movie. Alfred Molina's performance as Doctor Octopus also stands as one of the best in a CBM - riding the balance between camp and dramatic. The action and action set pieces are more creative and thrilling than its predecessor and the blend of comedy and drama is perfect.

Plus, pizza time solos.

5) Superman: The Movie (1978)

The comicbook movie that started it all, Richard Donner's 1978 Superman film is perhaps the definitive take on the character.

An alien orphan is sent from his dying planet to Earth, where he grows up to become his adoptive home's first and greatest superhero.

It's difficult to believe that Christopher Reeve was only 24 when making this film, he conveyed maturity beyond his years. In my opinion, Reeve stands as the greatest depiction of the character. He has the commanding, assuring yet kind and joyful presence that Superman should have, while balancing that against the bumbling and neurotic Clark - he completely makes one believe that Clark and Supermen are two different people.

The effects are very good for their time and still hold up given the circumstances. Most importantly, Christopher's chemistry with Margot Kidder (Lois Lane) works on every level. Its charming, cute and memorable - and is large part of why this film resonates with audiences so many years later.

Perhaps my only issue with the film is Gene Hackman's Lex Luthor. While Hackman is an amazing actor, I think he leaned into that camp a little too much. Regardless, it's a great film that is worth checking out.