An underappreciated benefit from the ongoing superhero movie boom is that studios and networks are now looking towards comics – a medium of storytelling long overlooked and underestimated – for the next big hit. As the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to dominate the conversation, filmmakers and showrunners continue to search for a comic that could not only break the cinematic or televised mold, but one that would be a mainstream success.
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
To say that 2003 The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen adaptation is a bastardization of its source material would be an understatement. Not only did it kill Sean Connery’s passion for acting, but it completely missed the point of Alan Moore’s comics.
The comics weren’t just a team-up of literary icons, but a character drama and deconstruction of their time periods and genres. Properly adapting the books wouldn’t just redeem the title but offer a deep genre-bending experience like no other. As proven by Doom Patrol and The Umbrella Academy, there’s an audience hungry for surreal takes on the familiar.
Wanted
Wanted was a movie about an ancient fraternity of assassins who curved their bullets’ trajectories, which is something that never happened in the comics. Originally, Wanted was about a world where super-villains successfully killed all of their heroes and now rule the planet.
Bitch Planet
Taking place in an off-world women’s prison, Bitch Planet gives the “women in cages” exploitation subgenre a much needed update. Instead of being imprisoned for titillation’s sake, women are sent to the Auxiliary Compliance Outpost for not complying with the creed of a fundamentalist authoritarian regime.
The niche subgenre of modernized exploitation films that includes the likes of Hobo with a Shotgun and pretty much anything Quentin Tarantino directed can greatly benefit from a female voice, which is something Bitch Planet perfectly embodies. Also, it’s basically Orange is the New Black in space – who doesn’t want that?
The Martha Washington Series
One of the most overlooked and underrated comic heroes around is Martha Washington, a normal girl who becomes a soldier and blue-collar heroine. Created by Frank Miller before he tanked his own reputation, Martha is an old-scool action star waiting to be brought to life.
Starting out in a biting action-packed satire not unlike the original RoboCop, Martha Washington’s adventures gradually expanded from fighting in a dystopian America to embarking on space voyages. The potential that her mere existence as an African American heroine presents is something that needs to be tapped as soon as possible.
I Hate Fairyland
I Hate Fairyland is the perfect antidote for people who are sick of how saccharine children’s entertainment can get. The comics follow Gertrude’s blood soaked quest to get out of the eponymous fantasy world that she’s been stuck in for more than 40 years.
Beneath this brutal warpath and a mountain of dead cartoon creatures is an intricately mapped out world, colorful characters, and a whole lot of dark humor. This comically violent send-off to Saturday Morning Cartoons would be a fun addition to the resurgent adult-oriented animation scene.
Dr. McNinja
As his name suggests, Dr. McNinja is a doctor who is also a ninja. Preferring to practice medicine than the art of ninjitsu, Dr. McNinja usually finds himself in the craziest adventures that have him facing giant lumberjacks, dinosaurs, fast food clowns, and a sentient motorcycle just to name a few.
Should this webcomic be adapted in some way, Dr. McNinja can quickly find an audience that’s begging for its manic brand of absurdist comedy and an unexpectedly layered use of time-travel. If it helps, creator Christopher Hastings has since gone on to write Deadpool and Gwenpool comics.
Giant Days
Escapism doesn’t always have to involve superpowers and magic, because it could be as simple as relieving college life with friends. This is what Giant Days provides, as it shows the laughably and painfully familiar trials and tribulations of three girls who just started their lives in university.
Though it lacks the foreboding conspiracy of something like Riverdale, the interconnected experiences of Esteher, Susan, and Daisy is a slice of life that would fare well today – especially among nostalgic Millennials. Giant Days is also a part of a larger shared universe, giving it some plausible franchise potential.
Lumberjanes
Set in a summer camp, Lumberjanes follows five scouts – April, Jo, Mal, Molly, and Ripley – who have to defend their cabin from an onslaught of mysterious creatures that may or may not be tied to a looming paranormal apocalypse. But more importantly, they hang out and make their summer as fun as possible.
Disney reportedly canceled the forthcoming adaptation before filming even began, so it’s up to another studio to bring the girls’ adventures to life. Also, an adaptation could put the gang’s mixtapes to good use in ways the comic couldn’t.
Saga
The Sci-Fi genre needs more large-scale stories that aren’t Star Trek or Star Wars, and this is something Saga could help with. Set in a galaxy like nothing ever seen before, Saga is a space opera about the forbidden romance of Alana and Marko and their fight to give their daughter Hazel a future.
What makes Saga unique is its sexually and politically charged narrative, which provides a different and more mature look at the genre’s familiar trappings. Today’s Sci-Fi can feel derivative at times, and Saga may be the boost of creativity fans have been waiting for.
Transmetropolitan
In the cyberpunk dystopia of “The City,” Gonzo journalist Spider Jerusalem and his filthy assistants do everything they can to get The Truth to people. Doing so angers the worst people imaginable, but it’s a risk Spider’s willing to take.
The original comics may have been made as a reaction the New Millennium, but its commentary on a technologically reliant society and the importance of honest journalism are still relevant today – perhaps even more so. Some futile attempts have been made to adapt it, and now would be a great time to revisit the pitch.
