10 TV Show Comic Spin-Offs That Are Surprisingly Awesome
6. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
This one may be considered cheating. In 1984 Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird used money from a tax refund to self publish their comic about Turtles who know Kung Fu aimed at teens and young adults. Initially meant to parody the dark comics of the time, it was eventually adapted for a much younger audience in the form of the cartoon I'm sure we're all aware of.
From that point on, The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles became a worldwide phenomenon. As their success grew, the comics continued with their darker tone for thirty years, ending in 2014.
The comics may have come first, but with the cartoon saving the comics publishers Mirage Studios from bankruptcy, the Turtles success on screen could be considered the major reason many of the comics exist.
Since then, a new continuity of Turtles comics has been published by IDW, which reimagines the origins of the teenagers, taking the best bits of the comics and cartoons. Despite being a new start for the series, creator Kevin Eastman stays on to write the comic. Being so recent, it's the perfect jumping-on point.
Recommended Reading: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol. 1 (1984), The IDW Collection Vol. 1, TMNT/Batman #1