It's not the huge open-world Arkham City experience seen on other platforms, but Batman: Arkham City Lockdown ($6.99, Universal) offers an attractive take on the Infinity Blade formula, in which you'll pit the Caped Crusader against iconic villains and no-name goons alike in one-on-one duels where timely punches and gadget use can secure victory.

Flashback time! Originally released in arcades in 1992, X-Men ($0.99, Universal) lets you play as one of six leading heroes (like Wolverine or Cyclops) in a side-scrolling beat-'em-up adventure that supports up to four players via local Wi-Fi. It was a huge favorite two decades back, and even now, the era-standard pixel graphics still hit that nostalgic sweet spot.

Spider-Man: Total Mayhem ($6.99, iPhone/iPad) offers a slick take on the web crawler's exploits, including button-tapping battles against common cronies and big bosses, as well as web-swinging segments across the city. Stellar presentation and speedy action put Total Mayhem a cut above much of the iOS competition on both iPhone and iPad.

As detailed in our full review earlier this week, Chillingo's Superman ($0.99, iPhone) is a streamlined and simplified take on the ultra-powered hero, which finds you fighting back waves of foes across 18 stages. Supes' heat vision and frost breath abilities come in handy as you burst through opponents, plus you can jet up to space as needed. Lucky guy.

Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty ($2.99, Universal) serves up a side-scrolling affair in which the star-spangled hero continuously runs, letting you jump, slide, and attack to work your way to the end of each stage. The game isn't quite as polished as Mirror's Edge, its obvious iOS inspiration, but we're glad it's not another bland beat-'em-up.

If one hero isn't enough to sate your comic-loving appetite, Marvel KAPOW! ($1.99/iPhone, $3.99/iPad) rounds up a handful of them -- including Iron Man, Spider-Man, and The Hulk -- and lets you use their powers to work through a series of mini-games and boss battles. It's pretty lightweight on the surface, but actually quite challenging at times.

While supposedly optimized for Retina displays, Gameloft's Iron Man 2 ($4.99, iPhone/iPad) film adaptation looks a bit rough -- but it's a decent take on the armored hero that lets you spin through the skies of open environments and battle enemies from both the film and comics. Plus, you can play as War Machine!

Green Lantern fans were largely disappointed by last summer's Ryan Reynolds-led film adaptation, and sadly, the iOS tie-in -- Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters ($1.99, Universal) -- isn't a much more fitting tribute. Lacking visuals and one-note shooting action make it a largely forgettable option for fans of the comics.

Released alongside the 2011 blockbuster flick, THOR: Son of Asgard ($2.99, Universal) spotlights the Norse god in a hack-and-slash brawler across several missions, featuring a comic-inspired look and numerous super powers. It's a pretty mediocre grind with spotty virtual controls, unfortunately, but at least it's cheap (and universal).

Seeking a more kid-friendly take on the Dark Knight? LEGO Batman: Gotham City Games ($0.99, iPhone) delivers a series of mini-games (like pinball and bowling) that pair a more cartoonish slant on the comic hero with elements of the popular plastic blocks. Crashes can be sadly frequent, however.