Within the glut of modern superhero fiction on the big screen, Matt Reeves’ The Batman is a stylish, revitalizing tonic. A coming-of-age story grafted onto a pitch-black noir, the film plants the seeds for The World’s Greatest Detective and strikes at the beating hearts of Batman, the Waynes, and Gotham City. Under a slowly unspooling mystery and a bevy of comic book influences, Reeves launches the Caped Crusader back into the limelight of his own franchise, delivering a new, definitive Batman mythos. Robert Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz shine. Minor spoilers ahead…

What can only be described as a fervently anticipated reclamation of an artist’s vision, Zack Snyder’s Justice League is a unique beast not just among comic book adaptations, but filmmaking in general. More than just a simple director’s cut, Justice League - or The Snyder Cut, as it’s been affectionately dubbed by fans - is a lumbering, bloated, and generic superhero epic, but it’s also a massive improvement over its 2017 iteration. Stripped of its director’s trademark grimness and imbued with a surprising amount of heart, Zack Snyder’s Justice League is finally the big screen team-up worthy of its iconic characters. Minor spoilers ahead…

James Wan’s foray into the DC Extended Universe is a poorly paced and corny cheese-fest, but it never pretends to be anything other than fun. What Aquaman lacks in finesse, it makes up for in Jason Momoa’s attitude and charming commitment to the role. Leaps and bounds better than Zack Snyder’s Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League, the film is a flawed spectacle whose sole purpose is to entertain - an old-fashioned fantasy yarn with likable characters and frenetic underseas action. Mild spoilers ahead…

Sony Animation Studios and directors Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman, and Bob Persichetti go buck wild with the fantastic Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Ditching continuity altogether while still keeping things layman-friendly, Into the Spider-Verse is a rollicking adventure that is equal parts thrilling, funny, and moving. Fast-paced with a lot of heart, the film is refreshingly quirky with a bombastic aesthetic and a charming sense of humor. In addition, the introduction of the Afro-Latino Miles Morales onto the big screen scores another home run for diversity this year. Minor spoilers ahead...

Justice League avoids DOA status like Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad, but Wonder Woman it is not. An attempt is made to inject much needed levity and fun to the franchise; however, a rotten foundation of previous stinkers, a cookie-cutter plot, and the worst comic book film villain in recent memory sabotage the film. Mild spoilers ahead...