100 Comics That Should Be Movies
Suggested by Peter Henne
68. Hellblazer
John Constantine is the opposite of what most people imagine when they think of the word 'mage'. Instead of being wise and dignified, he's a wise ass lout whose more of a conman than a conjurer. Dipping into the dirtier side of mysticism, his endeavors usually result in disasters and his friends are often stuck cleaning up the messes left behind in his wake. The series has a great blend of urban crime noir and grisly demonic terror that would be fuel for an excellent horror movie, or even an ongoing TV series. How close it is to getting made: While there has already been a movie that was loosely based on Hellblazer (very loosely) called 'Constantine' it really doesn't do the material justice at all. Even though enough time has gone by that a new version could be easily be made without causing confusion, WB has unfortunately shown very little interest taking another go with the material. Casting Choices: A fan favorite when it comes to the role of John Constantine is Paul Bettany, who definitely has both the comedic and dramatic skills to pull off the part. Then there's John's ever present best mate Chas Chandler (who neither looks nor acts anything like Shia Lebouf by the way). Brendan Gleeson has the right height and build, and his performance in 28 Days Later shows that he's got the right dramatic skills for it. Beyond these two essential people, there's a wide canvas worth of other characters that could be brought into the story which leads to a varied range of actors that could be brought in. Suggested by Greggory Basore
67. Faker
Created by the superstar team of Mike Carey (X-Men: Legacy, Lucifer, The Unwritten) and Jock (The Losers, Detective Comics), this criminally underrated, six issue Vertigo mini-series read like a cross between a Bret Easton Ellis novel and an episode of The X Files, exploring existentialism, the death of the soul and the very nature of morality. Set in the aftermath of a drug filled college party, the series followed Jesse and her clique as they woke up to discover that no one besides them could remember their best friend Nick having ever existed, prompting a desperate investigation into what happened during their drug-infused blowout. Besides its impossible-to-guess twist, which would no doubt leave movie goers with their jaws on the floor, the brilliance of the book was that, right up until the very last panel, it remained daring and thought-provoking in a way that few stories manage. How Close Is It To Being Made?: Considering it never really found an audience, with the trade paperback collection long being out of print, its very unlikely that this will ever reach the silver screen. However, both the writer and artist are big names who, besides having lots of fans, command a lot of respect in the industry, so maybe its just a matter of time before this book gets reprinted and, if it actually sells well this time, then who knows Casting Choices: As it revolves around a group of teens/young adults, Id vote for a group of unknowns but, knowing how dumb Hollywood can be, expect the cast of teen dramas One Tree Hill or 90210 to show up. However, this wouldnt necessarily be a bad thing; The Rules of Attraction cast Dawsons Creek actor James Van Der Beek in the main role, brilliantly subverting audiences expectations, and somehow making the characters already disgusting actions seem far more shocking because, well, it was Dawson Leary doing them. Just please, for the love of God, dont cast Justin Beiber. Suggested by Dean Threadgold
66. Dawn
Joseph Michael Linsners Dawn is almost an impossible movie to make but that doesnt stop me wanting to see the red headed Goddess of birth and rebirth on our big screens. Across three graphic novels and a number of other stories, Dawn has proven to be a comic book that has more going for it than just the incredibly striking artwork of the red haired girl with the three tears running down her cheek. Joseph Michael Linsners thoughts and feeling on life, love and death are woven into his stories and offer much more than a traditional comic book heroine would on the big screen. With stories usually following a central character that is lost in their own lives. Linsers worlds are a blend of fantasy, real world and post apocalyptic depictions. On top of that we meet angels and demons and there is a real romance to his work. Adapting Dawn for our screens is going to be tough but it would provide a brave, original and rather unique cinematic experience I feel. I wish I could suggest ways to do it here but given how perfect I feel the majority of the Dawn collection is, any deviation from the original books would be a bad thing and shifting things to make an audience friendly movie can only end in failure. With that said, Dawn being included on this list is a throwing down of a gauntlet. Some great director out there should try to prove me wrong. How Close Is It To Being Made: Dawn has a fairly strong cult following. Cosplayers, musicians and collectors of Dawn memorabilia have kept her popular since her first appearance back in 1989. With that said, there are no movie plans or rumours Ive ever heard. Casting Choices: Casting a Goddess? Tough call right? Dawn is a fine mixture of strong, mean, sad, sensitive, playful, seductive and sweet and so much more and there arent many actresses out there who could pull off that sort of combination. On top of that Dawn is always beautiful and see has a fairly unique look to her. I have legitimately no clue who I would choose for this. Dawn is Dawn. She doesnt really look like any actress I can think of, so this would either have to be an unknown newcomer I feel. Suggested by Marcus Doidge
65. Fell
Brilliantly atmospheric, and so clever, Fell is a claustrophobic noir about a homicide detective who transfers from his city beat into Snowtown, a decaying urban dystopia with a thousand eyes and as many secrets. It is a feral, almost lawless city which procks Fell's procedural attention, and he sets about trying to change the city for the better. What becomes apparent very quickly is that not all city's want the help. The atmospherics and the simple episodic story-lines would translate well into a mini-series, though I fear an extended association with such a series would be enough to make even the glibbest of fellows melt into a wallowing pit of despair. But done correctly, this could be beautiful, the stories' mysteries offering sufficient hook and Fell himself enough charisma to hold the attention on the big screen. How Close Is It To Being Made? - The double Eisner award winner has never really been mentioned as a possible movie project, despite the ease with which the noir elements would translate to film (or even TV), but that might change as soon as Warren Ellis and Ben Templesmith get together to put the final touches to the series and establish Richard Fell's back-story. That's the key sort of narrative element that Hollywood might hang on to as the foundation for an adaptation, so it would apparently be about watching the skies right now. Casting: I'd love to see Ben Foster as Fell, after he proved in 30 Days of Night that he can do slightly other-worldly characters with panache. Suggested by Simon Gallagher