5. Black Hole - Charles Burns
Charles Burns' Black Hole can roughly be summed up as a coming of age horror story. The horror itself comes from a viral infection that is being passed throughout a small town by horny teens, and the ensuing changes it makes to its host's body. The grotesque mutations first happen to the most popular and attractive members of the community, thus ostracising them from their friends and former followers, and in turn the geekier and socially awkward teens transcend to higher statuses. Both a horrifying and sentimental read, Burns' love of characterisation and attention to detail in his artwork helped this book to become one of the few modern comic books that transcended the medium and was embraced by wider literary community. Translating the story to the TV medium, one thing that would certainly be make or break for its success would be finding the right cast. Its four main characters and the large peripheral cast all feel like someone that could be encountered in any suburban American high school, and its exploration of sexual awakening amongst adolescents and growth, coupled with the odd scene of body horror could make captivating viewing. Think an episode of Skins guest directed by David Cronenburg.
Is It Happening? A number of director's have been attached to direct a film version of Black Hole, most famously Alexandre Aja and Davd Fincher, before moving onto other projects. After Snow White & The Huntsman director Rupert Sanders produced a short film based on the book, talk of a TV adaptation began in late 2010, but nothing has been heard of the project since.