When Jerry Siegal and Joe Shuster were finally able to introduce Superman to the world, not even they could have foreseen what comic books would have become.
The comic book industry is at an all time high, with the boom of the big screen comic books have reached unimaginable heights. Movies like The Avengers and Batman raking in millions of dollars worldwide has broke ground for what is to come with these once only paper bound adventures.
We all know the big names that have hit the movie screens throughout the world, The Ant-Mans of the world, Wolverine, X-Men, Batman and more. However we have not even touched the surface of fantastic storylines that MUST find their way to the big screen! Let’s count down the top five MUST hit the big screen comic books!
5- Birthright written by Joshua Williamson is published by Image Comics. Birthright is the perfect storyline for the big screen, beautiful family, father son play catch one day and a baseball gets thrown into the woods, boy chases and never returns…. turns out he stumbles upon a magical world that chose him to be their savior. Filled with unique creatures, ogres and flying warrior women this story screams big screen. A storyline filled with adventure, pain, love and tragedy this comic would undoubtedly bring folks to the theatre.
4- Batman The Cult written by Jim Starlin published by DC Comics. Yes, I understand we have seen Batman A LOT, but when Jim Starlin wrote The Cult he completely changed the game on anything we have ever read involving Batman. Starlin took Batman and crushed the mightiest detective into absolute oblivion, forcing Bruce Wayne to question everything he valued, learned and respected, he pushed his sanity and even his vow never to kill. A perfect dark and gritty setting exactly what DC loves for the big screen The Cult would make for an absolute box office hit, bringing one of comics biggest stars to the edge of destruction.
3- Magneto written by Cullen Bunn published by Marvel Comics. Cullen Bunn absolutely changed the game when it came to Magneto, the character that we all grew to know was this white-haired disgruntled AARP member, but Bunn was able to reinvent Magneto but still capsulate that anger we all knew Magneto possessed.
In Cullen Bunn’s run he brought a deeper Magneto who brought a new form of violence to the table, such as, death by paper clips or death by street signs. A stand-alone Magneto movie based on Bunn’s storyline would be perfect for today’s generation, a fast paced, deep, do-the-right-thing for my people Magneto would bring busloads of young folks to the theatre.
2- Manifest Destiny written by Chris Dingess published by Image Comics. A Louis and Clark storyline like we have NEVER seen before. The American government have appointed Louis and Clark to explore the territories, unknown to what they are about to encounter only spells movie magic for the big screen. Dingess dissects America in such a magical and magnificent way that the creatures he introduces to us within the story are believable. A CGI master’s dream Manifest Destiny would be today’s Avatar but only way more in-depth and far more adventurous. A storyline built for the big screen Louis and Clark would be re invented and brought back to relevancy to the youth of today in a very spectacular way.
1-Red Hood: The Lost Days written by Judd Winnick and published by DC Comics. The second coming of the original Red Hood character, one of DC Comics most controversial characters has a storied past. Jason Todd was the second Robin, Batman’s right-hand man, murdered at the hands of The Joker, that entire storyline is for another article and very well could have made the number one spot on this countdown, but it is the resurrection and the Lost Days that would be a perfect fit for the big screen.
A story line filled with action, death, sex and a ton of history, Red Hood: The Lost Days is exactly what the world looks for when they fork over the dough to see a movie. Not to mention this storyline has the ability to fit in an incredible back story as I mentioned before (former Robin, murdered by The Joker) this arc is the quintessential plot for the big screen, fitting in multiple major comic book characters this would surely make for an instant hit.
Comic books have come a long way since the golden and silver ages of comics but the future is bright, and with more and more creative young minds bringing ideas and thoughts to the table and bringing them to life on the pages of comic books surely the movie industry will continue to boom with comic book storylines and characters for all of us to enjoy.