The Darkness
Now this may be a controversial pick for an article about lackluster comic book videogames, but hear me out.  Sure The Darkness got very high scores (1UP - 9/10), but when you look at the new releases during the time period that The Darkness was first on shelves, it's questionable whether the score was indicative of the game or if it was just a case of a game drought affecting how we really felt of the title?

The story of the Darkness follows a mafia hitman named Jackie Estacado who on his 21st birthday, inherits the Darkness.  That's just about as far as the game stays true to the story.  While in the comics, Jackie loves the Darkness and is fully aware of what it can do (for the most part), the game makes it out like the Darkness is some demon hellbent on owning Jackie.  Another big problem with the story is Jackie's relationship with his adoptive Uncle Paulie.  In the comics, there's a mutual respect and even a slight family bond between the two.  You wouldn't know that if you only played the game.

Missing characters like the Magdelena and the Brotherhood of the Darkness are real shames, as they could have given the chance for some crazy boss battles and scenarios.  Plot devices like the womanizing Jackie being unable to have sex because the Darkness is transferred at conception, resulting in the father's death, could have been interesting to see at least mentioned in the game.  Even Jackie's minions, the Darklings, don't get the service they deserve, serving as the story's comic relief.

Combine all of that with a mediocre first person shooter that has boring controls, wonky targeting and hit detection and gameplay that's laughable in the face of other games in the genre and you have yourself one monster of a horrible comic video game adaptation.

Final Words
To make a good superhero game must be a tall order.  Not only do developers not have any source material other than years and years of comic books but they're also in the crosshairs of some of entertainment's most rabid fans.  With a good majority of these games being tie-ins to blockbuster movies, it puts another strike against the game in the eye of the average gamer because then it looks like a cheap money grab for the movie studios, giving the game very little room for error.

These characters that we all know and love are important to us.  Whenever there's a new way for our comic book saviors to be enjoyed by not just the niche audience but the general public at large, it will always be met with a little bit of criticism.  Maybe it's just a product of high expectations that these games are considered bad. No matter what it is, these games aren't quality adaptations - and that's damning enough.