The comic book teaser trailer has kind of become a staple of the genre. Today saw the release of the Fantastic Four teaser trailer, and just a few weeks ago we got Ant-Man. Rumors have been circulating about Warner Bros dropping a Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice teaser since the end of 2014.

But it’s interesting to look at the history of these teasers. When you check out the very first one for Superman (1978), it was simply intended to remind people that the movie existed. The teaser features no footage from the film, and oddly now, not even the iconic Superman theme so. I thought it would be fun to check out all of these teasers and see which ranked among the best. Without further adieu, here are our Top 7 Best Comic Book Movie Teaser Trailers!

7. Spider-man – This is something that Pixar excels at, but your teaser trailer doesn’t actually have to be footage from your movie. As long as it retains the spirit and design of the movie you ultimately deliver. This Spider-man teaser feels like a PayDay: The Heist trailer until their getaway is thwarted at the last minute. It is fun, it is fast and exciting and it leaves you wanting more. This is low on the list because it had a relatively short shelf-life due to depicting the World Trade Center, and was removed after the tragic events in 2001.



6. Batman Forever – Sometimes the best teases are short and simple. We know the symbol. We know the name. We know the date.



5. X-Men 2: X-Men United – A teaser that focuses again on the power of the brand over any sizzle reel footage. This one gives you the general idea of what the X-men will have to contend with without actually showing anything. And visually, the way it plays with the logo keeps you engaged.



4. Batman Begins – Unlike many other entries on this list, Batman Begins’ teaser had to do more than tease fans of the upcoming film, but it also had to reassure them that this wasn’t going to be Batman and Robin redux. This trailer does that and more setting a more somber mood while making Batman out to be this mystical creature. We only get the faintest of flashes of him by the time the teaser ends.



3. Ang Lee’s Hulk – If you want a teaser that simply teases the moneyshot, here you go. We only get the slightest idea of the monster inside.



2. The Spirit – Sometimes being a direct adaption helps more than the vague idea of one. The Spirit teaser gets to be a comic come to life. Its bold in its use of colors. It has a internal monologue running throughout. It sets up the titular character and his mission extremely well. It has some striking visuals including the opening with him walking through the rats, and it does it all without really ruining any of the context of the film.



1. Superman Returns – This trailer strikes the right balance between nostalgia, between teasing without telling, between give you glimpses of great shots and moments without putting any of it in context and it leaves you excited for the movie. Even almost a decade later, it still makes me wanna see the movie… even though I know how it turned out.

