Great Movies That Were Comics First

road to perdition

BY TOM TORMEY men in black

Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones ruled the summer box office in 1997 and the whole world was singing along to the artist formerly known as the Fresh Prince’s electric tie-in song. Men in Black was an enormous success that spawned two direct sequels, an animated TV series, and a soft cinematic reboot starring Thor: Ragnarok’s Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson. What you might not know is that MiB is based on a 1990 comic series published by the now-defunct Aircel Comics, which in turn was purchased by Malibu Comics, which in turn was purchased by Marvel Comics. Similar to Dark Horse Comics’ The Mask going from page to celluloid, the tone of the original Men in Black comics was lightened for its big screen debut. The film franchise introduced the concept of a neutralizer that erased the memories of countless civilians who learned of the Men in Black and their alien-eliminating agenda, whereas in the comic series, the MiB harshly killed them! The Men in Black films solely focus on policing extraterrestrial threats, while the comics tackle all things paranormal, from zombies to werewolves and beyond. Will we see the MiB return to the comics or eventually make their way into the Marvel 616? Maybe they already have and we were neutralized into forgetting! Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, and Ed Harris star in A History of Violence, the 2005 cinematic adaptation of the 1997 graphic novel of the same name, published by Paradox Press/ Vertigo Comics (imprints of DC Comics) and created by John Wagner and Vincent Locke. Like thousands of adaptations before it (and after), the David Cronenberg-directed film takes certain liberties that deviate from the source material. The movie is a celebrated work that received two Academy Award nominations. The graphic novel is difficult to find despite the film’s success and praise, but it’s definitely not something you want to miss. A History of Violence also holds a unique place in history as the final movie to be released on VHS by a major studio! Another Paradox Press adaption, the 2002 Tom Hanks-led Road to Perdition is based on the 1998 graphic novel of the same name. By his own admission, writer Max Collins stated that Perdition is “an unabashed homage” to the classic Lone Wolf and Cub manga. With Hanks as the Irish Hitman Michael Sullivan and a pre-Superman and Lois Tyler Hoechlin as Michael Sullivan Jr., the film garnered great reviews for its plot and acting, which comes as no surprise considering the ensemble cast that also includes Paul Newman, Jude Law, Daniel Craig, and Stanley Tucci. Collins created a sequel series, taking place in the 1970s rather than the Great Depression, titled Return to Perdition. Will we ever see a sequel to the film as well? With Hoechlin now a grown man and established actor, now would be the best time to start filming!

a history of violence

big hero 6

Big Hero 6 has a special place on this list as it’s the only one that is animated. The Disney hit began its life as a 1998 Marvel Comics series called Sunfire and the Big Hero Six. The team largely consisted of mutants and Baymax, a hydropowered robotic synthformer programmed to serve as Hiro’s personal bodyguard, implanted with the memories of Hiro’s deceased father. The 2014 cinematic adaptation marks the first time Disney would use a Marvel property for an animated feature film— although you’d never know it. The movie does little to tie into its source material and the two brands did little to celebrate the connection, perhaps because of the darker tone of the original team or the drastic change in characterization from page to screen. If you take the time to stick around for the movie’s post-credits scene, you’ll be treated with an appearance by an animated Stan Lee, voiced by the man himself, cementing the Marvel/Disney connection. Do you want to see a movie that was such a nightmare to produce that it essentially made the legendary Scottish actor Sean Connery retire from acting? Then you need to (you might regret it) check out The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, the 2003 cinematic adaptation of the 1999 Alan Moore graphic novel of the same name, which in turn is an adaptation of the 1960 British comedy, The League of Gentlemen, which itself is based on the 1958 novel of the same name (got all that?). The film version was lackluster at best in both its critical reception and box office draw. Most blame the failure of the project on its departure from the source material. Connery characterized the production as nightmarish, citing constant clashes with director Stephen Norrington. Will we ever see another film adaptation of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen? A reboot of the series was considered, but ultimately canceled when Disney acquired 20th Century Fox.

the league of extraordinary gentlemen