If there’s absolutely one thing that’s more rewarding than finding an awesome new franchise, it’s finding out that it has an even better sequel. There have been some great “number 2’s” in the history of fanboy-dom, but here’s a complete rundown of the Top 10….

GREATEST SEQUELS IN FANBOY-DOM

10.  StarCraft 2

Fans had to wait over 10 years for this sequel, but it was well worth it. Combining all the best features of the 1998 original, StarCraft 2 is easily the best RTS sequel ever made. (Go cry somewhere else Age of Empires)

9.  Superman 2

When the world was finally willing to believe that a man could fly, this sequel made us believe that same man could defeat inter-stellar villains with nothing more than saran wrap in the shape of a Superman logo.  But at least he didn’t get drunk in a bar and abuse his super powers in a whiskey-fueled brawl. Ahhh….memories.  Don’t even get me started on the epic Donner cut.

8.  Wolverine: Agent of Shield

Say what you will about Mark Millar, but he’s one hell of a comic book writer. He may take quite a few liberties with the ethos of every character he touches, but it’s alright when he makes this amazingly gory sequel to his seminal run Wolverine: Enemy of the State.

7.  Spider-Man 2

Sam Raimi’s original Spider-Man film has lost a lot of its luster over the past few years. It’s well-intention mixture of camp and realism hasn’t really weathered the onslaught of gritty comic book movies, but that’s alright. Spider-Man 2 more than makes up its predecessor’s failings, and is easily one of the best Superhero movies ever made…if you ignore that whole “Raindrops falling on my head” bit.

6.  The Dark Knight Strikes Again

Ahhh, Frank Miller. In a world filled with crazy, controversial comic book creators, you’re mixture of unique political and social philosophy takes the cake. Even though I disagree with many of the issues that make you a front page loon, I still admire how you incorporate those same issues into your DC tales of Batman, Superman, and the end of the world.

5.  The Dark Knight

I know a lot of Nolanites will be disappointed to see that TDK only achieved our #4 spot, but it’s still quite a lofty achievement. It’s certainly the best superhero sequel to date, until The Dark Knight Rises knocks it from its perch. In all seriousness, though, I think we can all agree that Christopher Nolan and his crew always make a fantastic film, and TDK is a testament to that fact.

4.  Star Wars: Battlefront 2

We may never know if Star Wars Battlefront 3 will ever arrive on consoles, but we can at least appreciate BF2. It was the highest selling Star Wars game of its time, and for my money, it’s still the finest one on the market today. Which reminds me, I need to talk trash on my old rival James Baxter…YOU SUCK!!!! I apologize for that little discursion, but that maniacal cheater needs to be put in his place. What a little Imperial Shuttle using whore!!!

3.  Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Ahh…Call of Duty. Under the guidance of Infinity Ward’s original captains, you were once the greatest innovator in the entire FPS landscape. Of course, the series has taken quite a tumble in recent years, but the original Modern Warfare is certainly one of the greatest and most game-changing sequels to ever hit consoles.

2.  Halo 2

And if you thought COD was a revolutionary title, then allow me to introduce you to a little game called Halo 2. Regenerative health, online multiplayer, and virtual smack talk…this sequel brought all of these modern gaming tropes to the forefront of the medium. And of course, we can’t forget teabagging or the infamous crouch-walk….those were the days!

1.  The Empire Strikes Back

This was the original fanboy sequel…and it’s by far the greatest. While A New Hope introduced us to George Lucas’s grand myths of Sith and Jedis, The Empire Strikes Back was the film to really take a full-fledged dive into the lore. The result is the Finest Sequel in all of Fanboy-dom.