The movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe have been getting darker of late but with "Spider-Man: Homecoming" we get a true comic-book movie with lots of action, light-hearted fun, and character growth.

The first superhero film to be directed by a woman, Patty Jenkins, "Wonder Woman" tells the origin story of Diana Prince, who is both compassionate, gentle, and peace-loving while at the same time strong, uncompromising where important, and unwilling to be pushed around.

As the Guardians save the galaxy again, they come to better understand what family means. Meanwhile, Baby Groot steals the show!

When Hugh Jackman put on the adamantium claws of the mutant Wolverine for Marvel’s adaptation of the X-Men comics to film, I suspect he didn’t think he would be playing that character for the next 17 years, including a three-film arc featuring only Wolverine. “Logan ,” the last of the Wolverine films shows an aging hero, bitter towards the world but with a heart in the right place that motivates his defining moments.

One reason comic book movies provide great conversation starters with faith groups is that they often show the hero’s journey—how he or she got superpowers, how he or she struggled with them and then came out on the other end with the firm resolve to use their gifts to help people. "Doctor Strange," the latest film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, does not live up to this ideal.

The latest film in the popular X-Men franchise falls short of its immediate predecessor, "Days of Future Past," but fans still get the satisfaction of seeing the younger versions of their favorite characters. This time around, the graduates and students of Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters band together to stave off world domination in "X-Men: Apocalypse."

The great anticipation that’s been building up since the last Avengers film is finally over. "Captain America: Civil War" bounded into the theaters this past weekend with all the superheroes one could possibly want (with the exception of Thor and Hulk). Oh, well. I suppose we can’t have everything. Although billed as a Captain America film, it might as well have been “Avengers 3.”

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice fits perfectly into the Easter Season, although I’m pretty sure the seasons of the Church year had absolutely nothing to do with the consideration of release dates by Zack Snyder and crew. The film is also the first in two comic book movies this year that are pitting the good guys against each other. Maybe the film industry is tapping into our culture’s difficulty with intelligent and mature conflict resolution.The darkness in Bruce Wayne’s (B...

If you’re a big fan of the ever-expanding Marvel cinematic universe, you’ll love the addition of Ant-Man to the mix. If you’re just out to see a movie and pick this one because it sounds weird and the show time is right, you’re in for some laughs but probably won’t be overly impressed by the standard super hero plot.