Comic book films have become the biggest thing in movies since the dawn of the 21st century. While characters like Superman, Batman and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles found films before, and even lesser-known characters likeBarb WireandThe Rocketeermade it to the big screen, the comic book genre really took shape in the 2000s. Now many of thehighest-grossing films of all timeare comic book adaptations. Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, Image, Valiant and a number of smaller publishers have found great success adapting their work. Comic book movies likeBlack Panther,Road to PerditionandPersepolishave all been nominated for Academy Awards; though people sometimes call them ‘graphic novels,’ that’s just a highbrow term for lengthy comic book.While the different heroes of the Marvel and DC pantheon are well known and dominate the big screen, other comic book titles have found their way to film. The medium ranges from the international iconTintin, more adult-skewing titles likeArt School Confidentialorthe greatGhost World, and fanboy franchise crossovers likeAliens vs. Predator, which have each found their way to the big screen. Even with all the comic book movies that have come before, and many more on the way, there are still plenty of rich stories and titles that have yet to be adapted. Here is a list of comic books that would make for great films.Related:Best Non-Marvel or DC Superhero Movies Ranked
6Love and Rockets
Not all comic book adaptations need to be action-based, and an adaptation ofLove and Rocketsis waiting to happen. The indie comic from the 1980s that is still published to this day,Love and Rocketsis an anthology series created by the Hernandez Brothers that follows two different plot threads depending on who is writing. One set, titledLocas, follows the tangled lives of a group of primarily Latina characters, from their teenage years in the early days of the Californiapunk sceneto the present day, whilePalomaris a set of magical realist stories that take place in a city of the same name where modern technology has yet to be invented. Attempts to make the comic into a film have been in development for years, and both storylines would make for incredibly captivating narratives and a great step forward in representation.
5DC’s Bombshells
DC’s Bombshellsre-imagines many of DC’stoughest female characterslike Supergirl,Zatanna, Batwoman and more alongside Wonder Woman during WW2. While the original idea was creates as a line-up of collectible figurines featuring various DC superheroes in pin-up fashion inspired by WW2 art, the concept proved popular enough to generate a long-running comic. With DC investing so heavily in a multiverse concept, the film could be a stand-alone adventure franchise where this bold fashion design for various DC heroes could break out as a mainstream hit.
4Marvel 1602
Similar to Bombshells,Marvel 1602is written by the popular Neil Gaiman (American Gods) and re-imagines the characters of theMarvel Cinematic Universeas if they were in the Elizabethan Era. Mutants are known as witch breeds, Nick Fury is an agent of Queen Elizabeth, and The Fantastic 4 are explorers who gain their powers from a vortex at sea.Marvel 1602reworks the Marvel Universe in a fascinating new way, where the audience is curious to see how famous characters will fit this old world but new situation. Gaiman has previously mentioned pitching a1602story to Marvel television, and while it was rejected and Disney only seems to want to tell stories that enhance the overall MCU, with the recent development ofWhat If…?and a whole new animation division, an animated film version ofMarvel 1602could be an entirely real possibility.
Related:Here’s How Chloe Zhao Went From Indie Director to Oscar-Winning MCU Mastermind in 6 Years
3Doc Frankenstein
Written byThe Matrixcreators The Wachowskisfrom a concept by Geof Darrow and Steve Skroce,Doc Frankensteinis a sequel to the events of Mary Shelly’s classic novel, and finds the Monster adopting the name Frankenstein and living through various points in history, including as a gunslinger in the Old West, fighting in World War 1 and being a supporter of various movements across history like Roe V. Wade and the teaching of evolution that all brings him into conflict with fundamentalist groups. It’s likeFrankensteinmeets a time-travelingForrest Gump. The comic itself is only six issues, but there is enough rich detail in it to draw out multiple films spanning different decades. With the Wachowski’s film pedigree, the concept is ripe for a movie.
2Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld
The past few years have seen a rise in high-concept fantasy adventure series aimed at young women, particularly the highly successfulShe-Ra: Princess of Power. With fantasy always being a popular genre andGame of ThronesandLord of the Ringsstill hanging over the popular culture, a comic book property that has its own fantasy world and female lead seems like something Warner Bros. should be jumping at the chance to make. Instead, they are just sitting on their own version of the concept from the pages of DC Comics in the form ofAmethyst, Princess of Gemworld. Introduced in a miniseries in 1983 and appearing sporadically over the years, it may not be a household name, but neither were theGuardians of the Galaxy.Marvel turned them into a multimedia franchise by making a space adventure, and theDCEUcould do the same withAmethystand the fantasy genre at large.
1Miracle Man
Miracle Manhas a complicated real-world backstory that involves years-long legal battles between some of the biggest names in comics. Formerly known asMarvel Man, the basic idea is that the character was created in order for British publishers to be able to still sell comics after they lost the ability to reprint oldCaptain Marvel(also known asShazam) comics from Fawcett Comics after the company ceased publication.Miracle Manwas radically reinvented by Alan Moore in 1982 as a postmodern, dark deconstruction of heroes in general, and the story was a precursor to many themes Alan Moore would implement in his greatWatchmen. With the recent popularity ofShazam! and its upcoming sequel, the time is perfect forMiracle Man,as the audience is already familiar with the established setup but can also offer a darker, bloodier and introspective superhero tale that examines the fear of living in a world with those who possess god-like powers.
