In the long run, the success of Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman set off the domino effect that led to our current superhero-blockbuster landscape. However, the immediate result was far more niche: Studios scoured the pulp heroes of the early 20th century for the next smash. “Pulp,” as a genre, describes the comics and adventure novels often seen as disposable as the paper they were printed on. But these pages acted as a proving ground for the mystery men archetypes that would become the superhero.

Each film in this series takes a distinct approach at interpreting classic tales of good and evil for an audience at the opposite end of the 20th Century, all offering visual spectacle, disarming sincerity, and sheer pulse-pounding adventure.