As Comic Book fans, we are used to remakes happening by now. While 2008’s The Incredible Hulk was a smart move by Marvel to erase Ang Lee’s 2003, The Hulk, why does Hollywood keep one eye covered to all the amazing possibilities that Comic Books hold? Why do most of these have to end up in a theater?
Besides properties like, The Flash and Wonder Woman, which we know are getting the big screen treatment, I think the Comic Books listed below would make AMAZING television shows, allowing for full length stories that don’t have to be compromised by being shortened. The first one on the list is a show that Hollywood DID take notice of and hopefully will end up on television..
Fables: This is a series that deals with LOTS of characters who have (outside of comics) their own long and rich history. An villain going by the name of “The Adversary” has taken over their world, forcing out these “Fables”. Traveling to “our world”, the folklore and fairytale characters form a community called “Fabletown” in New York City, while the other “Fables” who can’t appear to humankind in the everyday, live in Upstate New York in a place called “The Farm”..The series alone is great but it also has a decent amount of spin offs which could be used as “events”. This show IS in development at ABC and IMDB has it listed for 2011, let’s just hope it gets off the ground and is done right!
Transmetropolitan: This is one of my all time favorite Comic Books and is perfect for and HBO..Set sometime in the 23rd Century, Spider Jerusalem is pulled out of retirement back into the perverse “City” to give his publisher the last two books in his publishing deal. Working for the “City’s” most popular newspaper, The Word, Spider shows us the world that he wanted to leave behind. There are some GENIUS ideas in this series, one of my favorite being, The Transient Movement (humans mixing their D.N.A. with Aliens). This wouldn’t work as a movie because there are WAY too many details but it also might not work as an ongoing T.V. show either. However, it would be great as a miniseries, you get all of the detail and at the same time you don’t have to make up unnecessary stories to keep it going. By the way, if you haven’t read this, pick it up today..now..no, get up and go buy it…ok? Ok good….
Hellblazer: Ok yeah, there was a movie called Constantine but come on? There were enough differences from the source material that non CBM fans might not even notice! With the look of John Constantine inspired by Sting and Keanu Reeves getting the role, the series taking place in London but the movie being set in L.A., the movie, “based” (if you can call it that) on the Dangerous Habits storyline just doesn’t do this character justice. There are shows on television right now that are set in this type of world. If a show like Supernatural, which deals with monsters and demons, can have success on a mainstream network then imagine the success that a Hellblazer done right on a network like HBO or Showtime could have? Watch an episode of True Blood or Dexter, those shows have some very well done gory stuff going on and have massive followings. A series that follows the everyday adventures of a man going up against the impossible things that threaten the safety of people that don’t know they exist….I would watch it, EVERY week, especially since John Constantine is a character that doesn’t always keep his friends safe (some haunt him as ghosts) and who doesn’t always win…
Deadman: In 2000, TNT had this show under development but eventually shelved the project. There are LOTS of possibilities for this show. In the opening scene of the show, you could see a drug kingpin on trial for murder, confessing everything about his organization. After being sentenced to life in prison, you see the drug kingpin being locked behind bars and as soon as the cell door locks, Deadman leaves the drug kingpins body. The drug kingpin shakes his head and screams, “What am I doing here”?!?! as Deadman flies off, then the opening dialog by Boston Brand, “My name is Boston Brand, I go by the name Deadman, this is my story….Something like that, it’s a good time do to a quick origin story of how Boston Brand was murdered while he was a circus trapeze artist and now lives his life as a ghost….This is such a cool character that could be done on a pay channel or network T.V.. There really isn’t anything like this on television right now and with Deadman being able to possess other peoples bodies, we could get lots of cameos by other characters. I would of course prefer this show to be on a pay channel because this would be a special effects heavy show and let’s face it, pay channels allow for more realism…
Moon Knight: This is Marvels Batman.. and for fans of Batman and Moon Knight, they should be sending in requests for this show to get made, right now….I really love the idea of this character, a heavyweight boxer turned U.S. Marine turned Mercenary. After being beaten in battle on a mission, Marc Spector is carried by Egyptians to the their temple where his heart stops in front of the statue of Khonshu, where he has a vision of the god. He returns to the states after beating the one who left him for dead and decides to become a hero, calling himself Moon Knight. With Marc Spector, now going by the name of Steven Grant to hide his mercenary past, he is financially free, thanks to investments, to take on his new identity as a crime fighter. Along with this, he also dons the guise of taxi driver, Jake Lockley. This show is perfect for an ongoing crime drama on a pay channel, showing the dirt of the city and what it takes to try and clean it up. Also, there could be an episode called “By Night” and feature a character by the name of Jack Russell…
Werewolf by Night: Jack Russell is a man whom on the three night of the full moon, transforms into a savage beast, a Werewolf. This show could take place much like the 1988 Fox show Werewolf, having Jack on the road, running from his past and running into other characters such as….Moon Knight..With a feature film that looks like will never happen and the success of True Blood, this show could easily gain a following on television.
The Boys: Once again, better as a miniseries than a movie or regular T.V. show. This series takes place in a world where superheroes exist and features a group called “The Boys” who police these super powered beings, going as far as killing them if they have to. This would HAVE to be a pay channel show which such episodes as “Herogasm” featuring all out deborturous activities….Only if “The Boys” were around after the first and only good season of Heroes, then we wouldn’t have had to sit through three more seasons of that crap….anyways, speaking of Garth Ennis….
Preacher: Poor Preacher, this show (movie) has been teased more times than Werewolf by Night. An AMAZING story by Garh Ennis with awesome interior art by Steve Dillion and gorgeously painted covers by Glenn Fabry, Preacher got so close to being filmed that it even had make up done for “Arse Face” (which IMHO looked damn dear perfect). This is a complex show, it would very well have protesters due to the angel/demon element, which would only fuel the popularity of this show. Once again, WAY too much material for a movie but I think just enough for a T.V. show without having to be a miniseries. Pay channel all the way.
Sandman: First off, this property should be left alone. IMHO there is NO way this can be done in any way that would come close to doing this pure work of art justice. The ONLY way I personally wouldn’t picket is if it was done in animated volumes and taken page for page BUT why do that when you can read it?? Also no to a motion comic. This is a rare example of a Comic Book I wouldn’t want to see in the on screen medium. The voice of Dream is your own and I wouldn’t want to hear anybody else voicing his words.
So this is Part One of the Comic Book properties that I would like to see on television and hopefully we will in the very near future….Thanks for reading and comment in the normal spot…