The latest comic book series to receive the animated treatment is Image Comics‘ Invincible, telling the story of Mark Grayson, a half-human/half-alien who uses his newly developed abilities to fight crime like his father. The animated series, streaming on Amazon Prime, is based on the Invincible comic created by writer Robert Kirkman and artist Cory Walker, which ran for 144 issues between 2003 and 2017.
The series, made for a mature audience, captures the violent yet post-modern take on the classic story of the young superhero learning the ropes in a superhero’s life. With Invincible‘s success, Image Comics has a multitude of other properties that would make entertaining animated adaptations.
10 Saga By Brian K. Vaughn & Fiona Staples Would Satisfy Fans Until A Live-Action Film Was Made
Saga by Brian Michael Vaughn and Fiona Staples is perhaps the one Image Comics series that fans have been clamoring for a live adaption of since the series began in 2012. The story follows Marko and Alana, a married couple from opposing sides of a generations-long war. When the two have a child, they find themselves run wanted by both sides.
Vaughn has addressed questions in the past as to whether a live-action adaption is in the works, to which he has said that Staples believe that at this time, comics are the only medium that can capture what they want to do with the series. An animated Saga series would be a nice compromise to hold fans until the time is right for a live-action adaptation.
9 Heads Should Roll If Head Lopper Is Not Given An Animated Series
Head Lopper began as an indie comic, self-published by creator Andrew MacLean, who is both the writer and artist for the series. Before the series was picked up by Image in 2014, the first issue launched in 2013, with the second issue successfully crowdfunded shortly afterward.
The series, published quarterly, follows the adventures of Norgal, a legendary swordsman dubbed the Head Lopper, and his traveling companion, Agatha Blue Witch, the severed head of Nogal’s conquest. The story arcs are told in the limited series format as the two travel to fulfill quests, uncover mysteries, and meet Head Lopper’s friends and enemies as they go along the way. MacLean’s sense of humor and art style make this series a prime candidate for an animated series.
8 Rob Guillory’s Farmhand Is A Fresh Series Ripe For An Animated Adaptation
Farmhand is a Lovecraftian comic book series created, written, and illustrated by Rob Guillory, launched in 2018. The series, set in Freetown, Louisiana, tells the story of farmer Jedidiah Jenkins who doesn’t grow food— instead, he produces human organs which can be used as replacement parts.
This story of science gone sinister and apocalyptic agriculture has an exciting cast of characters that make up the Jenkins family and the farmworkers. The series’ central theme follows the reconciliation efforts between Jedidiah and his son Zeke as he attempts to come to terms with his father’s work. Guillory’s highly stylized art and storytelling round out the many reasons this series would work as an animated property.
7 The Award-Winning Battlepug Would Be A Dog-Gone Great Cartoon For Adults
Battlepug is the award-winning series created by Mike Norton that began as a webcomic before Image Comics picked it up for a limited series in 2019. Battlepug follows the adventures of the Conan-inspired “The Warrior,” a barbarian and the last survivor of the Kinmundian Tribe— and his faithful steed, Battlepug.
The Warrior, the sole survivor of an attack on his village, journeys across the land in search of Catwulf, the mysterious man riding a tiger who orchestrated the attack on his home, Kinmundy. The supporting cast includes Moll, who narrates the story to her two companions’ Mingo the Pug and Colfax the French Bulldog. The adventures of Battlepug would adapt well to an animated series as there is plenty of humor and adventure in the story.
6 Ice Cream Man Would Dish Out The Horror In A Variety Of Creepily Wonderful Tales
Ice Cream Man, the Image Comics series by writer W. Maxwell Prince with art by Martín Morazzo, not only defies genres but brings the sensibility of The Twilight Zone to the comic page. The stories, told in one-shot issues of the series, feature an array of characters who find themselves in tales of horror, loss, wonder, and the supernatural, sprinkled with other story elements that make each story unique but equally horrifying.
The one constant throughout the series is the titular Ice Cream Man, who not only serves frozen treats but is the one character who can, with a snap of his fingers, change the course of the stories for the worst. Originally set to appear on the defunct streaming service Quibi, a series is still in the works, but it remains unclear if it is live-action or animated.
5 An Animated Show Starring The Rat Queens Would Be A Wild Adventure
Rat Queens, the Image Comics fantasy series created by Kurtis J. Wiebe and Roc Upchurch, would be an excellent series to adapt to the animated show format. Described by Wiebe as “Lord of the Rings meets Bridesmaids,” Rat Queens is his love letter to the many years he played Dungeons & Dragons.
The series follows the adventurers of rockabilly-inspired elven mage Hannah; Violet, a hipster dwarven warrior; an atheist human cleric Dee from a family of cultists; the hippie halfling thief Betty, whose idea of a hearty meal is a bag of drugs and candy; and Braga, a transgender Orc warrior who later joins this ragtag group. The character-driven stories mixed with humor and gore would make the animated show a must-watch.
4 An Animated Series Of Bitter Root Would Be A Bittersweet Treat
Taking place In the 1920s during the Harlem Renaissance, Bitter Root, by writers Chuck Brown and David F. Walker with art by Sanford Greene, follows the Sangerye Family, New York, and the world’s only hope for humanity against the invading supernatural forces. The Sangerye Family, torn apart by tragedies and conflicting moral codes, must put their differences aside if they are to have any hope of being the monster-fighting family they once were.
The series, already optioned for a film adaptation, would also work well as an animated series. An animated series would allow the characters and conflicts to be fleshed out while telling the overarching story.
3 I Hate Fairland Is A Mix Of Off-Beat Humor & Violence, Begging To Be Animated
For most young kids, finding themselves in a magical fairyland would be a dream come true— that is, unless one has been trapped there for 30 years. This is the premise for Skottie Young’s I Hate Fairyland, a dark comedy series that he wrote and illustrated along with colorist Jean-Francois Beaulieu.
The story follows Gertrude, a 30-year-old trapped in the body of her younger self, both literally and figuratively carves her way through Fairyland in search of a way home. Joining Gertrude on her trip is her reluctant guide and sometimes friend Larry, who attempts to serve as Gert’s consciousness through the journey. The art and dark humor of the series makes this prime for an animated adaptation for adults.
2 It Would Be Curse Words Of Joy If Wizord Magically Appeared In An Animated Series
Charles Soule and Ryan Browne teamed up to give readers the series Curse Words, a gonzo world full of fantasy and magic beginning in 2017. The story follows Wizord, a wizard who appears in New York City and makes a name and fortune for himself while promising to protect the world from magical threats.
Joining Wizord is Margaret, his talking koala sidekick, as the two are sent to Earth by their evil master Sizzajee to destroy it. After spending some time on Earth, Wizord rethinks his evil mission, though his true motivations remain somewhat ambiguous as the story progresses. Soule’s storytelling and Browne’s art would translate well to a small-screen animated show.
1 Middlewest Is A Fantasy Story Straight Out Of The American Heartland
Middlewest is an ultra-realistic, grim-and-gritty story, with a healthy dose of fantasy following the story of Abel, a boy mentally and physically abused by his father who runs away from home, joining the Hurst Family Amazing Amusements, a carnival run by a kid-genius and her robotic friend, full of talking animals, magicians, and robots.
When his father transforms into a tornado, and Abel himself undergoes a similarly strange change going on in his body, he embarks on an adventure across the land with his talking fox. Written by Skottie Young with art by Jorge Corona, the story is a modern urban fantasy worthy of being adapted for an animated series.
About The Author