To celebrate the release of the expletive-ridden, ultra-violent, ball-busting sequel Kick-Ass 2, we thought we'd rank our top 12 R-rated comic book movies. Y'know, those ones that are a little more adult, a little more bloody, and a little more terrifying to parents than the usual men-in-tights fare.

Once you've read our list, share your favourites in the comment section below.

12 300

300 is a brawny, sex-fueled and unapologetically bloody fan-boy favorite, the kind of movie that dazzles audiences with its sheer physical commitment to the cause. Zack Synder’s faithful adaptation of Frank Miller’s beautiful (but broad) source material suggested he was an agile adapter of comic books, which he confirmed two years later with his adaptation of Alan Moore’s Watchmen.

11 Blade

Blade is a movie fueled by spectacle, by outrageous, blood-soaked hyper-violence and beautiful people with immaculate skin. Yes, it’s silly, but it’s embracing its equally silly comic book roots, complete with a healthy splatter of black humour and enough gory practical effects to delight horror fans (few will ever forget Pearl.)

10 The Crow

Aka The Film That Launched 1000 Goths, The Crow’s seductive appeal is as much due to its moody gothic sensibilities as the tragic off-screen death of star Brandon Lee. Underneath its heavy eyeliner, however, resides a great comic book movie; just one that appeals directly to the romantic concerns of angsty teenagers.

9 Watchmen

Before 2009, adapting Alan Moore’s graphic novel was thought to be an impossible task, so dense were his ideas, so multi-layered his storytelling. And while director Zack Snyder did not please everyone (certainly not Moore himself), he delivered as slavishly faithful an interpretation he could within the three hours he had to work with. The film was immortalized, perhaps, by Jackie Earle Haley's perfect delivery of Rorschach‘s manic human-hot-chip victory call: “None of you understand. I’m not locked up in here with you. You’re locked up in here with…me!”

8 V for Vendetta

Loosely adapted from the Alan Moore graphic novel by the Wachowski siblings, V for Vendetta presents us with a jumble of fascinating ideas and an anarchic overtone, all wrapped up in a stylish package. Hugo Weaving steals the show as V, whose (now-iconic) mask meant the actor had to express primarily through flowery but chillingly alluring vocals.

7 Dredd

Lean and mean and spectacularly violent, Dredd was an unexpectedly entertaining take on the decades old 2000 AD character, pulling him from the ashes of 1995’s god-awful Sylvester Stallone-starring Judge Dredd. Kiwi actor Karl Urban does a remarkable job acting primarily with his chin, while the dystopian ‘Mega City One’ is peppered with the kind of creative detail one yearns for in most apocalyptic sci-fi actioners.

6 Kick-Ass

Kick-Ass was so cool it hurt; the spoiled, anarchic brat of every somber superhero movie that had preceded it. We loved it because it was bloody and sweary and satirical and so refreshingly for adults, yes, but it had a proper soul underneath the spandex, principally thanks to the touching relationship between Nicholas Cage’s hilariously overwrought Big Daddy and Chloe Grace-Mortez’ smack-talking Hit Girl.

5 Sin City

Airbrushed in black and white, Sin City is a sensationally stylized modern noir, a movie so cartoonish it leaves you yearning for a dive bar where the punters are one beer away from snapping pool cues over their knees. Here, men are grizzled and damaged, broads are the sultry trophies they fight for, and dialogue is served hard-boiled; it’s a perfect little piece of bloody pulp fiction.

4 Road to Perdition

Like The Godfather that preceded it, Sam Mendes’ measured Chicago gangland film concerned itself with the heritage of violence, in this case via Tom Hanks’ enforcer and his 12 year old son. Based on Max Allan Collins’ and by Richard Piers Rayner’s 1998 graphic novel (albeit with great liberties taken) Road to Perdition was a moody and understated second feature from Mendes that reinforced his talents behind the camera.

3 American Splendor

Pulled from the autobiographical panels of Harvey Pekar, the hilarious and heartbreaking American Splendor stars a grouchy Paul Giamatti as the 'everyman' cartoonist as he grumbles and stumbles his way through menial jobs, David Letterman, and cancer; a life that is banal and extraordinary in turn.

2 A History of Violence

An adaptation of John Wagner and Vince Locke’s graphic novel of the same name, David Cronenberg’s A History of Violence was a brutal character drama that mused on heavy themes like the omnipresence of violence and man’s duality while delivering slick, fast-paced action. Stands apart from most of its ‘comic book’ peers by actually addressing the consequences of violent acts, past and present.

1 Ghost World

Based on the graphic novel by Daniel Clowes, Ghost World is one of the most sophisticated examinations of disaffected youth ever seen in a film; like a Catcher in the Rye set in the ‘90s. Thora Birch and Scarlett Johansson star as a pair of best friends whose great joy in life is to reject the mainstream, until their outgrowth of adolescence sees them painfully drifting apart. While both Birch and Johansson are excellent (Birch has never been better), it is Steve Buscemi ‘s turn as a twitchy record collector that’s worth the ticket; he’s never been more, how do I put it, Buscemi-like.

Lucy O'Brien is Entertainment Editor at IGN AU. Follow her ramblings on IGN or @Luceobrien on Twitter.