The guys, (Kareem, Ken & Pat) continue reviewing bad comic adaptations with special guest J.P.G. Tangents include veering off into Eddie Murphy’s dual personas, the history of “Werewolf by Night”, Cyclops’ failed leadership, and more.
Show Notes
Topic 1
1. Main point – What makes a bad comic movie
We have an objectional idea of what makes a good comic movie by measure both Gross and possible Rotten Tomato Score as seen below, but how do we measure the inverse?
Strength in numbers
Marvel put together its most beloved superheroes to take on Thanos and all the box office records. And the long, systematic strategy of producing individual heroes’ stories between the releases of the Avengers series helped build hype for the collective effort. The plan worked: all of the Avengers movies rank in the highest-grossing top 10 for Marvel.
And when it comes to ratings, they score high too. Avengers: Endgame earned a 94% Rotten Tomatoes score, and the lowest-rated film of the series, Avengers: Age of Ultron, still managed to get a 75% rating.
Avengers: Endgame, which was the final film of the series, made nearly $750 million more than the second-highest box office performer, Avengers: Infinity War. While Avengers: Endgame may have ended on a down note, it’s the favorite film of the Avengers franchise for most critics, as well as the highest-grossing movie of all time, beating out Avatar, Titanic, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
From <https://www.reviews.org/tv-service/marvel-vs-dc-big-budgets-rotten-ratings/>
So, for a bad movie:
We need an anti-hero
The secret to a high ROI might be, “Don’t make the most obvious good guy your story’s protagonist.” The only two movies to make more than $10 ROI (Joker and Deadpool) were based on anti-hero types.
Marvel vs. DC: Top 10 best investments
| Title | Marvel/ DC | Production budget | Worldwide box office | ROI worldwide box office |
| Joker | DC | $55,000,000 | 1,071,739,764 | 1,949% |
| Deadpool | Marvel | $58,000,000 | 801,025,593 | 1,381% |
| Venom | Marvel | $116,000,000 | 853,628,605 | 736% |
| Aquaman | DC | $160,000,000 | 1,146,894,640 | 717% |
| Spider-Man: Far From Home | Marvel | $160,000,000 | 1,131,927,996 | 707% |
| Avengers: Endgame | Marvel | $400,000,000 | 2,797,800,564 | 699% |
| Avengers: Infinity War | Marvel | $300,000,000 | 2,048,359,754 | 683% |
| The Avengers | Marvel | $225,000,000 | 1,518,812,988 | 675% |
| Black Panther | Marvel | $200,000,000 | 1,346,913,161 | 673% |
| Captain Marvel | Marvel | $175,000,000 | 1,129,729,839 | 646% |
Source: the-numbers.com and boxofficemojo.com
While DC managed to win some good gambles (and win big), it doesn’t change the fact that they also have the majority of the worst ROI films in their lineup. DC lost money on three films: Jonah Hex, The Kitchen, and Catwoman.
Marvel vs. DC: Top 10 worst investments
| Title | Marvel/ DC | Production budget | Worldwide box office | ROI worldwide box office |
| Jonah Hex | DC | $47,000,000 | $11,022,696 | 23% |
| The Kitchen | DC | $38,000,000 | $15,980,032 | 42% |
| Catwoman | DC | $100,000,000 | $82,145,379 | 82% |
| Elektra | Marvel | $65,000,00 | $56,824,633 | 87% |
| Green Lantern | DC | $200,000,000 | $219,535,492 | 110% |
| The Losers | DC | $25,000,000 | $29,863,840 | 119% |
| Dark Phoenix | Marvel | $200,000,000 | $246,356,895 | 123% |
| Batman: The Killing Joke | DC | $3,500,000 | $4,462,034 | 127% |
| Watchmen | DC | $138,000,000 | $186,976,250 | 135% |
| Fantastic Four | DC | $56,117,548 | $167,849,187 | 140% |
Source: the-numbers.com and boxofficemojo.com
Contrasting the top 10, DC holds seven out of 10 of the bottom spots for the lowest return on investment, but they’re not alone in the gamble: Marvel also lost out with Dark Phoenix which earned $1.23 per production dollar spent. Even worse, Marvel’s Elektra earned only $0.87 for every dollar spent, a negative return on investment for the studio.
Curious to find out how DC’s latest film Harley Quin: Birds of Prey did? Harley had an $84,500,000 budget and brought in $201,858,461 worldwide at the box office. With a return on investment of 240%, or $2.40 for every dollar invested in production, the film didn’t make Warner Bros. any big bucks, but it didn’t lose the studio money, either.
From <https://www.reviews.org/tv-service/marvel-vs-dc-big-budgets-rotten-ratings/>
Segue (can be a sound effect, short musical clip, or a phrase)
Topic 2: Duration:30-45 mins
1. Main point
- Discussing the movies themselves
-please attached lists-
[Sponsor message]
Topic 3: Duration:30-45 mins
1. Main point
- Coming to a consensus on worst comic movie of the last 20 years
CAPES, CHOAS, AND COLLECTIBLES – Reviwing content for our 2025 Comic-Con panel – Tangential Giants Podcast
tangentialgiants.com 