The Lists: In Contention's Top 10 Performances in Comic Book Movies

With 'The Avengers' on the way, we look at the best portrayals of the subgenre

By Kristopher Tapley Tuesday, May 1, 2012 3:32 PM

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3. Steve Buscemi, "Ghost World" (2001)
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3. Steve Buscemi, "Ghost World" (2001)

It can be far too easy for some to miss the magic of what Steve Buscemi is doing in Terry Zwigoff's "Ghost World." Thankfully, few -- save the Academy -- missed it in 2001 when the actor was raking in precursor nominations and awards all season. Buscemi gave us a lot of familiarity with his portrayal of Seymour, the mild-mannered, record-collecting relic of a bygone era in the film (which was adapted from the Daniel Clowes comic), but within that was a tender representation of repression that made for a fascinating foil to Thora Birch's lead. Buscemi has always been stellar at crafting characters, but here, that craft lead to something infinitely more human.

Photo Credit: United Artists