The Best X-Men Movie?
Yes. Bryan Singer's X-Men and X2 were darkly tinged, meticulously crafted adventures that redefined the franchise for mainstream audiences and, at least for a time, set a gold standard for all other comic book flicks. And they still hold up on DVD (the less said about The Last Stand and X-Men Origins: Wolverine, the better). But Vaughn's First Class beautifully captures the vibe of the Kennedy era that birthed the Silver Age of Marvel - an inspired, invigorating choice that I wish Fantastic Four, among others, had pursued - while managing to add new backstory and nuance to, in some cases, almost 50-year-old characters. The historical context of Vaughn's film also elevates the stakes of the action beyond the super-powered slugfests that characterized, and ultimately limited, the other X movies.

The Best Portrayals of Familiar Characters?
Yes. Fellow knights and veterans of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan imbued their respective older versions of Professor X and Magneto with the necessary gravitas and paternal flair. But as their younger counterparts, James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender bring jaunty energy, sex appeal and bromance to their portrayals of these friends-turned-rivals. You've never seen Charles Xavier until you've watched him use his "groovy" theory of mutation as a chat-up line with the ladies, while Erik Lehnsherr has never been this this badass, this anguished, this magnetic. And granted, Rebecca Romijn's nearly mute Mystique gave Jennifer Lawrence a low bar to surpass, but the future Katniss Everdeen nevertheless does a fine job giving the shapely shapeshifter more depth and shading (and that's not a reference to her blue scales).

The Best Bad Bacon?
Yes. Kevin Bacon's played dark and twisted before in Hollow Man, Sleepers, White Water Summer (he was so mean to Sean Astin!), and other films, but as Sebastian Shaw, the leader of the Hellfire Club with a pro-Nazi past and an anti-human agenda, he's never been this simultaneously evil and charming. The '60s sideburns don't hurt, either.

The Best Episode of Mad Men?
Just joking, of course, but January Jones' regal, icy portrayal of the lingerie-loving, diamond-hard Emma Frost isn't a far cry from the less-than-beloved Betty Draper from our favorite AMC show, and the overlapping time period only makes it easier to think of the two characters as one. Don, Henry, Sally and the rest should thank their lucky stars that's not really the case.

The Best Direction by Matthew Vaughn?
Hell yeah. It's only his fourth film behind the camera (though he's produced seven others), and his previous Kick-Ass was a ton of envelope-pushing fun, but First Class shows off his chops like nothing he's done before, firmly establishing him as a top-tier helmer of blockbusters. And no, that's not faint praise - ask Kenneth Branagh how tough it can be to do this kind of popcorn fare right.

The Best On-Screen Nazi Hunter?
Almost. Aldo and his Inglourious Basterds still deserve top honors for their sheer body count and the coolness of their cruelty, but Fassbender (himself a Basterd) gives Magneto's quest for justice against his family's murderers a truly righteous, emotional dimension - not to mention that his methodology puts the Bear Jew's baseball bat to shame.

The Best Big Screen Cameo Ever?
Well... I can't say it tops NPH's career-redefining appearance in the original Harold & Kumar or the celebrity surprise in Zombieland, but First Class does have one uncredited, jaw-dropping guest turn that'll delight fans (resist the temptation to Google it and just enjoy it when it happens). Plus, there are several other familiar faces in minor roles, including a geek icon and a liar who's both pretty and little.

The Best Argument Against Marvel Movie Continuity?
Several film and comic book bloggers have already argued that First Class is more of a reboot than a true prequel because of inconsistencies in the X-movie timeline - for example, 1962's adult Emma Frost doesn't jibe with the teen version that appeared in the more modern day Wolverine (simple solution: let's pretend that film never existed). But the more important continuity issue, in my opinion, is the fact that 20th Century Fox's First Class (like Sony's Spider-Man series) has no apparent connection to the Avengers Initiative storyline developed by Marvel Studios in their recent string of films. That means there's no S.H.I.E.L.D. or Nick Fury nonsense awkwardly shoehorned in, and the film is better for it. So you don't have to sit through the endless credits for a Sam Jackson teaser - there isn't one.

So, Is It the Best Comic Book Movie Ever?
Can't say that. Ghost World and American Splendor are both deeper, richer, better films.

Is It At Least the Best Superhero Movie to Date?
Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, the aforementioned Kick-Ass... First Class belongs in the pantheon, but as much as I loved it, none of its performances can match Heath Ledger's; no moment provides the shock and awe of Hit-Girl in her first action scene; the filmmaking - while assured - is not in the same class (pardon the pun) as Christopher Nolan's. (I'm personally also partial to the director's cut of Watchmen, but I may be blinded by my devotion to that book.)

Okay, Okay, But Is It the Best Marvel Universe Superhero Movie?
Definitely. The first Iron Man comes close, but the third act is a bit of a letdown, while First Class just builds and builds to an epic showdown that both pays off the main storyline while sowing the seeds for everything that's still to come for many of its characters. A Second Class can't start soon enough.

Find out about five big differences between X-Men comics and the new movie.

Check out why our Trailers Without Pity critics agree that not seeing First Class was never an option.

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