2. Kingdom Come
Kingdom come was one of the most groundbreaking graphic novels of the 90s and, along with novels such as Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns, gave further credibility to the graphic novel and comic book genre as legitimate pieces of literature which could tell serious stories. Kingdom Come wove together DC mythology and religious theology to tell a compelling story about humanity, courage and, above all, faith. Though Norman McKay is the central character of Kingdom Come, Mark Waid knew there would be a heavy focus on Superman's character once he drafted the storyline. Superman goes through quite an arc during Kingdom Come; disillusioned by Earth's want for a tougher breed of hero, he's rejected his Clark Kent identity and has withdrawn himself from the world for a decade. Urged to come back and stop the new generation of reckless superheroes rampaging across the globe, he has to rediscover his own humanity and place his faith back in the people he's sworn to protect. Kingdom Come is, however, a long graphic novel and it would be impossible tell it all in 75 minutes. Should DC ever decide to adapt this famous story into an animated feature I see them splitting it into two parts, much like they did with The Dark Knight Returns. What might be cut out of the film, however, is the religious aspects involving The Spectre and Norman McKay, as that may be too deep for the main children demographic, a similar problem I mentioned with For Tomorrow. That being said, however, these DC Original Animated Movies are meant for an older audience both in tone and violence, indicated by both The Dark Knight Returns and Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox. If any story should get a two part animated treatment, it should be Kingdom Come.