With so many comics being transformed into TV programs, we we’ve been left wondering, “What’s next?” The major deals seem involve adaptations of mainstream DC or Marvel titles (e.g., Arrow and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., the various upcoming Defendors series on Netflix, the planned Gotham), but excluding those TV powerhouses, there still isn’t a whole lot out there for the more discerning comic book fan. As such, we at AP2HYC thought we would give our top alternatives, graphic novels that we think could make a big splash on the small screen.
4. X
Starting off our recommendations is a comic book series simply called “X“. A creation of Dark Horse, it features a masked vigilante known only as “X”. He dispenses justice without mercy to the criminals who rule the decaying city of Arcadia. When muckraking blogger Leigh Ferguson snoops down the wrong alley, she gets swept into X’s bloody war with a politically powerful crime lord.
A darker choice for a TV series that might not be to everyone’s tastes, there’s nevertheless nothing currently like it currently on the box. Modern audiences have embraced shows as twisted and diverse as Hannibal and Dracula, so why not X? They might have to tone down the violence somewhat, unless HBO decided to step up to the plate, but this cross between Batman and Punisher seems to offer a more Gothic, even experimental option to the well-known choices. A show-runner could do things with the character of X that they’d never be allowed to with the Dark Knight. It’s all there just waiting to be seized upon and plenty of opportunities to get it right. As for a show-runner, why not Guy Norman Bee, a TV producer/director who has worked on the likes of Arrow and The Tomorrow People, but never been given free reign to express the dark side he hinted at in these shows. Though S.H.I.E.L.D. suggests otherwise, not every comic book film or series has to have Joss Whedon involved nor, as S.H.I.E.L.D. confirmed for some, does his involvement guarantee a success.
3. Powers
Next on the list is Powers, a police procedural comic book following two homicide detectives who investigate murders involving people with superhuman abilities, also known as ‘Powers’. Created by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Michael Avon Oeming, Powers could follow the same path as the CSI series but investigating cases of superhuman abilities. The inevitable comparisons with the once phenomenally popular CSI could potentially work in Powers favor, taking a long-established format and using it to tell a different types of story. Taking a case-of-the-week approach, the show has the potential to run and run and run – the original CSI has been going for 14 seasons – throwing the door wide open in terms of plot lines, character development, etc. With no limitations on what abilities can be used, the show-runner could be as creative as they like. There was an adaptation in the works for FX recently that got as far as filming a pilot, but ultimately it got shelved. We think it definitely has good series potential and is worth another crack.
2. Quantum and Woody
Eric and Woody Henderson are adopted brothers who, as adults, are estranged until their father is murdered, at which point the devices he was working on bond to the guys and turn them into superheroes Quantum and Woody! Without clinking bracelets every 24 hours, the devices will kill them, so this odd couple must re-learn how to get along while also figuring out how to become superheroes! There is also a goat character who is just a goat. Or is it..? Well, yes – but it’s an awesome goat!
A fun, odd-couple-type combo that could reach out to the family audience, you could definitely edit the script to fit around being shown around *pm prime time: two clean-cut brothers who acquire superpowers, the importance of family, yada, yada, yada. Equally, a more violent, adult-minded approach on two people who hate each other and are forced to stick together following the the death of their father could lead to a darker, more brutal series. The plot device of having them have to click devices every 24 hours could lead to some very interesting tales provided the script is right. If handed to, say, writer Eric Kripke who created on Supernatural, Quantum and Woody could, just maybe, recapture some of that mid-seasons brilliance, the ability to balance comedy and horror, domestic or otherwise, though given how similar the set-ups are – “Two very different brothers forced to reconnect when something bad happens to dad” – maybe someone more unexpected could prove a boon.
1. X-O Manowar
The final choice is “X-O Manowar”, the story of a 5th-Century Visigoth abducted by aliens who obtains a powerful suit of armour and become the superhero X-O Manowar. This year saw Aric defeat the alien Vine and bring his people back to his homeland of Dacia – modern day Romania – without realising 1,500 years had passed! The spacecraft carrying Aric and his people was seen as a hostile invasion by modern governments who’ve begun to fight against this strange incursion, the story of which is currently unfolding in Unity.
A futuristic hero would possibly have to take a slot on one of the more sci-fi specific channels – say, Sy-Fy – rather than your mainstream free-view. Of course, it would also have to be backed up by some epic CGI for the full story to be told and design in order to draw the viewers in. With a few complex, well-written scripts and a very cool piece of armor for our hero to rock, “X-O Manowar” could rise above its genre trappings to attract a broader audience, ala Game of Thrones, which isn’t to say that the geek buck doesn’t still wield major power in this day and age. X-O Manowar’s nemesis is a cloaked ninja – futuristic Samurai battles! – and with some beautiful and scary locations and creatures. Gave Hood, director of Ender’s Game, could be the perfect, just-about-affordable call to bring it all to life.
Well, guys, that’s our selection. If you have any thoughts on the above – good? great? brilliant?! – or ideas of your own, please feel free to comment.