With 2008 firmly behind us, it's time to look forward to a new year, and specifically, a new year in big-screen comic book adaptations. While 2008 gave us superior comic book movies (The Dark Knight and Iron Man), it ended with some of the worst adaptations in years (The Punisher: War Zone and The Spirit). What will this year have in store for us? So far 2009 is shaping up to provide a healthy dose of comic book movies.

Here are a few adaptations to look forward to in the new year:

X-Men Origins: Wolverine
After the disappointing X-Men: The Last Stand, it only makes sense to explore the background of one of the most popular characters in the X-Men universe. Hugh Jackman is the man, and from what I can tell, everything is pointing to awesome for Wolverine. If the film is as successful as everyone is hoping it will be, we can look forward to more X-Men Origins in the future.

Preacher
Based on the comic by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon, Preacher follows Jesse Custer, a Texas preacher possessed with supernatural abilities whose new mission is to make God accountable for having bad things happen to good people. The original comic was gritty and hard hitting, making Preacher possibly one of the darkest comic adaptations ever made.

Hack / Slash
The premise revolves around a super-hot heroine as she travels across the country, hunting down and murdering serial killers along the likes of classic slashers (think Jason and Freddy). The draw to this comic is not only the contrast between the attractive hero and the savage killers she hunts down, but its blend of comedy, gore, and horror. Plus, Megan Fox is rumored to star.

Red Sonja
Based on the comic and not the hokey Arnold Schwarzenegger flick from 1985, the new Red Sonja promises to deliver the goods with Robert Rodriguez and Rose McGowan re-teaming to bring the red-haired warrior back to the big screen (Rodriguez, however, will not be directing). McGowan rocked as Cherry Darling, the hero with the machine gun leg in Planet Terror, and I can't wait to see what she can do with a sword.

Sherlock Holmes
Guy Ritchie directs Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law as the detectives Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in this adaptation of the graphic novel by Lionel Wigram. If those names don't have you drooling for more, I don't know what will. We've seen the duo fight crime and solve mysteries before, but never quite like this.

Whiteout
Based on the graphic novel by Greg Rucka, Whiteout features Kate Beckinsale as a U.S. Marshall tracking down a killer in the snow-covered Antarctica, fighting the clock as each day brings them closer to six months of darkness and losing the killer forever. The premise sounds cool enough, but the constant juggling of the release date has me worried.

Kick-Ass
Nicolas Cage stars in this adaptation of the Mark Millar comic series, about a comic-book loving high school kid who decides that he is going to be a superhero, even though he has no skills or super-powers to think of. Considering how awesome Millar's Wanted ended up being, I have a feeling that this flick, will in fact, kick ass.

Watchmen
300 director Zack Snyder has taken on the challenge of bringing the ultimate graphic novel -- billed as one of the top 100 novels of all time by Time magazine -- to the big screen. From the posters to the trailers, this looks like the holy grail of comic book movies, right there alongside The Dark Knight. Let's just hope the legal battle between 20th Century Fox and Warner Brothers doesn't get in the way of the flick being released, otherwise no one will be able to watch Watchmen.

*******

Ammon Gilbert covers the latest in horror and comic fun every week for Film.com.

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