In regard to movies and shows based on comics, oftentimes, the newest installment of Batman or Spider-Man comes to mind. With the ever-growing MCU and DC’s constant release of films about caped characters we all recognize, the superhero genre has taken over the name of comic book movie adaptations. However, there are a handful of comics-based movies and shows that don’t stem from Marvel or DC. The industry has frequently turned to published writing for inspiration, whether from books, the social reading platform Wattpad, its sister-site Webtoon, created specifically for graphic novels, or other printed comic books.
Update August 9, 2023: This article has been updated with even more great television shows based on comic books not published by Marvel or DC.
When it comes to comics, there are more than those about superheroes fighting off villains and saving the world. While superheroes might be the dominant genre in comic books, they are not the only ones, and the medium has been used to tell horror stories, romances, and more straightforward sci-fi concepts. There is a rich history to mine when it comes to comic books, and television provides the ideal format as it allows the episodic nature of single-issue comics to thrive. Jumping from images and speech bubbles to live-action television programs, here are the best television shows that began as comics (and aren’t Marvel or DC-related).
13 All of Us are Dead
The Netflix series All of Us are Dead began as a Webtoon story named Now at Our School by Joo Dong-geun. The Korean drama was published between 2009 and 2011, and was brought to screen in 2022. A zombie apocalypse series, the show follows students whose high school is overrun with the living dead after a failed science experiment. With no food, water, or a way to escape, the surviving kids must find a way to fend for themselves, using the only equipment they have. Given that the first season ended on a cliffhanger, fans have been eager to know what’s next to come. Until then, they can read the story in its original format or continue waiting for a season 2.
12 Paper Girls
Before being adapted into an eight-part series on Amazon Prime, Paper Girls was a comic book series written by Brian K. Vaughn and published by Image Comics. Both the show and its source material were set in the eighties and followed four young girls who, while out on their morning paper round, find themselves transported into the future. As they search for a way to get home, they encounter their future selves and become caught up in a conflict between warring groups of time travelers.
Unfortunately, the TV show was canceled after just one season, meaning it didn’t have the chance to adapt all 30 issues of the comic book series. Which is a shame because it’s a truly underrated show.
11 Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
Sabrina Spellman flew on her broomstick onto our TV screens in 1996 when Melissa Joan Hart portrayed her in a feature-length film and long-running television sitcom Sabrina the Teenage Witch, which is based on a 1971 comic book. Though the Friday night comedy was a family-friendly program, things took a turn when Netflix picked up a 2018 series based on the much darker horror comic Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.
Following the familiar Sabrina Spellman, the supernatural series starred Kiernan Shipka as the blonde-haired bruja in a coming-of-age drama that mixes in the outlandish elements of witchcraft and evil forces. It came to an end in 2020, but fans were still able to see Sabrina guest-star on an episode of Riverdale, which takes place in the same universe.
10 The End of the F***ing World
The End of the F***ing World is a British dark comedy series that ran for two seasons between 2017 and 2019. It was based on the Charles Forsman’s graphic novel of the same name and followed a teenage psychopath, James (played by Alex Lawther), who is persuaded to go on the run by his moody new classmate, Alyssa (Jessica Barden). As the show goes on, the mismatched pair travels across the country, fleeing the law, and developing romantic feelings for one another. Both the comic and the series are full of moments of black humor, with both gaining critical acclaim for their originality and writing.
9 Invincible
Though it may belong to the superhero genre, Amazon’s animated series Invincible goes out of its way to subvert expectations, much like the comic book series it’s based on. Robert Kirkman, one of the creators of the Invincible comic, is also responsible for adapting it for television, and with his touch, the TV series retains all the violence, gore, and dark themes, as well as the excellent plotting that the comics have to offer.
Set in a world where superheroes are rife, the story centers on teenager Mark, who must learn how to control his superpowers and step out of the shadow of his father, the most powerful superhero on the planet. With a second season set to be released in November, and a live-action film adaptation in development, Invincible is the comic book gift that keeps on giving.
8 Hellbound
Hellbound is another Netflix original that got its start on Webtoon. Written by Choi Gyuseok and Yeon Sangho, Hellbound reached nearly 2 million views since its release on the platform. The story follows a religious group on a mission to condemn individuals to hell if they do not live more righteously. The events of the otherworldly faces cause suspicions within the community, and people seek out to investigate.
7 Sailor Moon
The first Sailor Moon manga was published in 1991, and from there, it had a number of shows, movies, and even some stage musicals. The series follows a teenage schoolgoer named Usagi Tsukino, who transforms into the hero Sailor Moon whilst accompanied by her friends, each named after a different planet. The comics were written and illustrated by Naoko Takeuchi, and there were 60 individual chapters that were published into 18 volumes. The show hasn’t been on air in years, but it’s still a popular program to this day.
6 Sweet Home
The Webtoon original Sweet Home by Carnby Kim and Youngchan Hwang gained over 200 million views upon its 2017 release. It centers on a suicidal high school student who lost his whole family in a tragic accident. After being forced to leave his home, he must face a world where monsters are trying to wipe out humanity. Along with other apartment residents, the protagonist Hyun is trapped indoors in hopes of surviving while they can.
5 Riverdale
The first Archie comic was published in 1941, so it’s likely its then-fans aren’t tuning into The CW to watch Riverdale. The show took the premise of a ginger navigating the high school tribulation of dates and friendships and twisted it into a dark, mysterious teen drama that began as a murder mystery and, somewhere along the way, evolved into its lead characters developing superpowers.
From the randomly sparse musical episodes to the objectification of its teen characters to the absurd lines that often find themselves trending infamously on Twitter, it’s hard to not be familiar with the program, even if you’ve never seen an episode for yourself. Still, the show clearly has a fanbase and will soon wrap up its impressive seven-season run.
4 Tower of God
Webtoon’s Tower of God has gotten almost 1 billion reads on the platform, which regularly receives 72 million viewers a month. The show focuses on Rachel and Bam, who know that if they climb to the top of the Tower of God, any of their wishes will come true. Rachel, who no longer wishes to live in such a gloomy world, plans her ascent against Bam’s wishes, but he chooses to follow her anyway, even if it means dying. The series debuted on HBO Max in 2020.
3 Heartstopper
Before becoming the televisual phenomenon it is today, Netflix’s LGBTQ+ romance series Heartstopper was a little-known webcomic written and illustrated by Alice Oseman. Primarily telling the story of Charlie (played by Joe Locke) and Nick (Kit Connor), two classmates who develop feelings for one another, the show and the comic both explore what modern teen relationships look like from the perspective of several LGBTQ+ characters. With Oseman overseeing her own creation’s transition to TV, both seasons of Heartstopper have gained critical acclaim and a loyal fan base.
2 The Boys
Much like its kindred spirit, Invincible, the Amazon series The Boys is an adult superhero show that asks the question, “What if superheroes were bad?”. Also, like Invincible, The Boys is based on a popular comic book series. Taking place in a universe where superheroes work for a powerful corporation and many of them are corrupt, a gang of not-so-super vigilantes sets out to expose the so-called “heroes” for who they really are.
Developed by Supernatural creator Eric Kripke, the show has already adapted many of the comics’ best and craziest storylines. However, with three seasons on its belt and a fourth one in the works, as well as a spin-off on the way, there’s still plenty of violent superheroic nuttiness to be seen. It may not be based on a Marvel or DC property, but that hasn’t stopped The Boys from being one of the most popular superhero shows in recent years.
1 The Umbrella Academy
Dark Horse Comics released The Umbrella Academy in 2008, and its success won it an Eisner Award for Best Limited Series. It was initially intended to become a movie in 2011, but after being shelved, Netflix picked it up for a TV show in 2019. After 43 babies are born to different women, seven get adopted by a billionaire named Reginald Hargreeves, who created the academy to get these children to save the world. But after his death, the adult children must come together to solve the mystery of how he died. The series fourth season is set to be it’s final one, which will air on Netflix yet no date has been announced.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
