The 411 Top 5 07.11.08: Week 121

Posted by Trevor Snyder on 07.11.2008

The Top 5 Comic-Based Movies We Want to See

With almost every other movie Hollywood is releasing nowadays being based on a comic book, it's not hard to imagine a time soon when audiences will tire of the trend. Then again, next week's release of The Dark Knight is set to break all sorts of box-office records, and Marvel's new "building up to The Avengers" business-plan is sure to keep the genre viable for the next few years.

Given that, we thought we'd try to lend a helping hand, with some suggestions on which comic properties the studios should look at for their next big blockbuster. And so this week, we present:

THE TOP 5 COMIC-BASED MOVIES WE WANT TO SEE



Trevor Snyder

5. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns

Next year's Watchmen will be one of the most eagerly anticipated comic films in history, thanks in large part to just what that comic meant to the medium in general. So, now that that one is out of the way, how about a big screen version of the other ‘80s comic-book that brought the form roaring into the mainstream, leaving behind the "kiddy book" stereotype it had long been associated with, and instead proving that comics could tell meaningful and intelligent tales for adults just as well as regular literature? Warner Bros. recent attempt to get a Justice League movie going shows that they are already willing to have at least one alternate Batman on the big screen at the same time as the Nolan-Bale series is in full swing, and it's it a pretty safe bet that this is the story most Bat-fans would love to see. Get the right grizzled old actor to play Bats, hire a talented, visionary director, and you might just have one of the coolest superhero flicks ever.

4. Sandman

Neil Gaiman has been set to write and direct an adaptation of his own "Death: The High Cost of Living" for some time, and while I'll be as excited as the next guy if and when that finally happens, I'd still prefer to see him tackle a big-screen version of this – his seminal work. "Sandman" is arguably the greatest piece of literature the comic world has ever seen, and it would be one hell of a tough task to bring it to life without royally screwing it up and losing the magic that made it so special in the first place. But with Gaiman in charge, I would give the benefit the benefit of the doubt.

3. Maus

Art Spiegelman's brilliant yet haunting "Maus" – based on his father's recollections of growing up during the Holocaust, and casting the Jews and mice and the Nazi's as cats – might seem like an odd choice for an animated studio film. But, as the recent Persepolis proved, there is an audience out there for this sort of smart, educational animated fare. I remember reading "Maus" for school, so this film could even be used as a teaching tool in history classes. Plus, if it did well – as I believe it would – perhaps it would pave the way for an animated take on Matthew K. Vaughn's equally moving "The Pride of Baghdad," the tale of a family of lions who escape the Baghdad zoo after a round of American bombing. Most of the comic-book movies we're getting are all about having fun…perhaps it's time to move on to the ones that actually mean something.

2. Global Frequency

This excellent Warren Ellis miniseries – which ran in 2002-2003 – concerned a covert intelligence agency known as the "Global Frequency," which consisted of 1000 members. The thing is, the identities of the 1000 members were top secret, even to one another. On top of that, even when you were a member, it didn't mean you were constantly working for the agency. Instead, you would go about your everyday life, until one day some sort of emergency – usually a result of a government experiment gone wrong – would occur in your general vicinity, and the special phone you are required to keep on you at all times would ring. Once you answer that call, you must drop everything you are doing and set off on whatever mission the Global Frequency assigns you. A pretty brilliant concept, and one that allowed for an ever-rotating cast of characters. There was already an attempt to make this into a television series for the WB, but the network decided not to pick up the series after seeing the pilot, and then effectively killed any hope for it's future after getting angry about the pilot leaking onto the Internet (check it out sometime, it's pretty awesome). Perhaps it's time for someone to give this another shot, this time on the big screen.

1. Starman

James Robinson's "Starman," a DC comic which ran from 1994 to 2001, might just be the best superhero book ever. DC gets a lot of credit for allowing Robinson to create a new superhero character for the regular DC continuity, and then actually allowing him to tell a complete story, ending the book when and how he wanted to. This meant that unlike most heroes, who are continually rebooted and never seem to age, Robinson's "Starman" actually allowed its hero, Jack Knight, to have a complete story arc, one that began when he was forced to reluctantly take over the mantle of the previous Starman…his father. Given pretty much complete freedom by DC allowed Robinson to craft an amazing epic, with a tremendous supporting cast of characters and an appealing mini-universe all its own. Although it was never hugely successful, it enjoyed a dedicated cult following, and is one of the most critically acclaimed superhero books of all time (DC will soon start printing a series of hardcover Omnibus editions, collecting the entire run – if you are at all a lover of comic books, I urge you to give them a look). Like "Global Frequency," this one was in development as a potential television series for awhile, but I don't think it ever got past the early planning stages. It's just begging for a live-action adaptation, and one can only hope that its somewhat under-the-radar status doesn't prevent that from ever happening.



Mike Gorman

5. Magik

I think if they used the original mini-series that spun out of an early 80s issue of the X-Men this could work as an X-men spin off film. Frame it with Illyana Rasputin visiting her big brother Colossus and then let it become the fantasy film-esque story of a young girl who must overcome an insurmountable evil, ie. Belasco, aided by familiar yet different characters twisted by the evil of Limbo.

4. Freddy V. Jason V. Ash
Thjs recent mini-series already felt like a well done, fun, horror film. It may seem like an overloaded concept but Freddy battling Jason with Ash in there along for the ride somehow really worked.

3. Superboy and the Legion of Superheroes

I know there are way too many legal issues going on at the moment for any character named Superboy to exist on the page or screen but if they ever did get settled this one could fly. Picture the young Clark Kent, told by his parents to hide his powers so he is not exploited; he's a bit of a loner and feels like an outcast, then all of a sudden these other teens with powers show up and tell him he has to come with them to save the future. I would get giddy just seeing a time bubble appear on the Kent farm!

2. The Walking Dead

Robert Kirkman's epic series is screaming to be placed on the screen and not just because I am a sucker for zombie movies. This book creates a very realistic world overrun by the living dead yet somehow elevates the human element in ways I don't think we have seen in a long time. Kirkman shakes you up every issue and I think if that sense of "anyone could die at any time" was recreated in the film it would become an instant success.

1. X-Factor

I would love to see the era of "X-Factor" when they were government agents brought to the screen. The comedy and gravitas of that team, ie. Havok, Polaris, Multiple Man, Wolfsbane, Strong Guy and Val Cooper. I cannot think of a better character to translate to film now than Strong Guy, especially his rapport with all of the other characters. He would anchor the story for me.



Shawn S. Lealos

5. Daredevil: Born Again

The greatest time to be a Daredevil fan was when Frank Miller returned to the title in 1986 and wrote the Born Again arc. I am a fan of the last Daredevil movie and thought it got too harsh a reception. I found nothing really that bad about the movie. I think this would be a nice sequel (although Ben Affleck would need to be replaced as Daredevil, since he is now going to focus all his energy into his promising directorial career). Born Again is another Kingpin story, this time taking Matt Murdoch and pretty much destroying him before allowing himself to reach a level of redemption at the conclusion. Murdoch's former girlfriend Karen Page (now a junkie) has sold Murdoch's secret identity for a shot of heroin. Kingpin gets this information and systematically destroys Murdoch's life piece by piece. Murdoch loses all his money and ends up homeless, is framed and loses his license to practice law, and becomes a shell of his former self. He almost dies and when he finally figures out someone is pulling the strings behind his demise, becomes increasingly paranoid and trusts no one. It is a wonderful story that would make a great film, if allowed to run its time as a character drama, not a man-in-tights adventure. It could be Batman Begins level great, but I don't think it would be handled well by the unwashed masses because of its downplaying of the adventure aspects of the superhero movie. I'd love every minute of it.

4. Death: The High Cost of Living

I know most people would put Sandman on here if they choose a Neil Gaiman work. I think Sandman would be a jumbled mess if transposed to the big screen and prefer Morpheus' sister, Death. Death is portrayed as a gothic young carefree spirit who takes her job with great joy, taking people from their deaths to their next lives. Death is considered the most powerful of the Endless (Destiny, Death, Dream (Sandman), Destruction, Despair, Desire and Delirium) and is said to be the only Endless bound by no rules. The High Cost of Living takes place during a special time in the life of Death. On day every century, Death lives and dies as a mortal, in order to understand the value of the lives she takes. This is a brilliant take on a brilliant character and in the hands of a skilled writer (Gaiman) and director (maybe Matthew Vaughn) could be a great movie. It was supposed to be in the works, but the writer's strike derailed it. I would pay to see it.

3. 100 Bullets

If there was ever a comic that could be made into a great movie and eventually make the segue into television, its 100 Bullets. Since this is about movies, I will just talk about that because my top 2 would make better television shows. 100 Bullets tells the story of a man named Agent Graves. He seeks out men and women who have had horrible things destroy their lives and hands them a briefcase. Inside this briefcase is a handgun, 100 untraceable bullets, photographs of a person, and irrefutable evidence that this is the person that caused their downfall. The story then centers on the person given the briefcase and their decision whether or not they will follow through with revenge. Some do, some choose to take the high road and never use it at all. Some are not so lucky. This would make a nice stand alone revenge flick, with Agent Graves simply a background character and the catalyst for the character to discover what made his life fall apart and his decision concerning cleaning up the mess. It would also make a great television series, with a different person each week succeeding or failing to gain revenge for their problems. A TV show would allow the character of Agent Graves to be fleshed out and his background delved into, but it is one comic that would work as a standalone feature as well.

2. The Walking Dead

The problem with most zombie movies these days is they are too interested in the zombies themselves. What I find most interesting is the survivors and what they are doing to get along in the days of the holocaust. The Walking Dead is a comic that uses zombies as the background evil, an almost MacGuffin, and the real horror is set among the survivors. The problem I see with this, and one I also talk about in my number one pick, is that it would strip the story of essential elements to limit it to a 90 minute movie. You've seen movies that have pretended to make the survivors' plights and struggles amongst each other, but in each case it is rushed along to the zombies catching them. The Walking Dead is about a law man, his pregnant wife and son, his partner and a group of stragglers they meet along the way. It picks up the tension when they take refuge in an old prison, safe from the zombies on the outside, but left to their own when it comes to surviving their own insecurities. It is a great, suspenseful story that is more about how people attempt to reconstruct their lives while the rest of the world has gone to shit. I think if they limited the story to getting to the prison and showing how things fell apart there, it might work, but I don't see this getting a satisfactory end in a movie. Maybe a television series would be better suited. I'd watch it every week and, in the right hands, could be elevated to the level of Firefly or Supernatural. There is so much promise.

1. Preacher

Let me preface this by saying, I do not want to see Preacher as a theatrical movie. That would do nothing but strip the story down to a skeletal level and suck the heart out of the tale. What I want to see is the long rumored HBO series based on the comic. It would make Deadwood and Oz pale in comparison. I would want it as a one-season story with no follow up seasons. In and out, clean and simple. Preacher was created by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon and centers around a young Texas preacher named Jesse Custer. One day when Jesse is preaching, he is possessed by a presence called The Genesis, which causes the destruction of his church, killing everyone inside, save the preacher himself. Genesis is a being created many years ago, consummated following a sexual encounter between a demon and an angel. This thing is strong as hell, so wouldn't you know? God ran away. The story follows Jesse and his companions - a hit woman named Tulip and a hard drinking Irish vampire named Cassidy - as he sets out to find God and make him stand responsible for leaving his children. Along the way we meet a pop sensation called Arseface and the scary as hell Saint of Killers, who can kill anyone or anything with his mystical guns. It is a great, if slightly sacrilegious story, but one that is well written, compelling and would make a fantastic television show if made by someone with huge cojones. Get it done, HBO.



Steve Gustafson

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Archie and the Gang - ...Ugh. Before you tie me down and beat me with a stick, give me a second to explain. I've gotten some feedback from a female (BETSY!) and her biggest complaint (among MANY OTHERS!) is that we don't have enough female perspective at these shin digs. I graciously gave one of my honorable mentions to HER. Why she picked Archie...I have no idea. I mean the whole Betty and Veronica thing is kinda cool, Jughead is funny...sorry, I got nothing. All I know is this space was originally reserved for my choice of Steve Rude's Nexus. Moving on...

Flaming Carrot - Forgot about the abomination of the movie called Mystery Men! That was made by those who had no idea of the spirit that is Bob Burden. His Flaming Carrot has potential to be America's newest surrealist superhero. For the uneducated few, Carrot wears a costume that consists of a giant carrot mask, a white shirt, red pants, and flippers on his feet, in case he has to swim. Trying to explain the appeal of Flaming Carrot and his adventures is like trying to describe to people what salt tastes like. Pick up an issue or grab a graphic novel. Ut!

Legion of Super-Heroes - I was debating between New Warriors or the Legion. Legion won. Yes, this moving would have to go a major overhaul to simplify it down to something the audience could understand, but with the right budget, this could be a fun little affair. With the right budget, and cast, this could be a franchise player. I would introduce the whole legion but break off and focus on the core group. Yes, the odds of this movie being a disaster are high, but would be totally worth it to me.

THE TOP 5

5. Bone

Why this HASN'T been made yet is beyond me. The downfall is a Bone movie would never ever capture the fun spirit of the comic. The series centers around the everyman character Fone Bone, the sneaky Phoncible P. "Phoney" Bone, and the goofy Smiley Bone. Although a high fantasy, Bone has humor and plenty of character. I know this movie has been hinted at and has been stuck in pre-production for years, but I'd still enjoy kicking back and watching the Great Cow Race on the big screen.

4. Mouse Guard

This is another give-me in terms of marketability. The story focuses on a colony of intelligent mice, who live in a medieval era, paralleling the same age in human history. If Pixar got their hands on it all the serious adult tones would be jetted, replaced by cute, fuzzy mice dancing to music. I would want a smaller company, with the right budget to stay true to the source material.

3. The Plot

If this is done right this could be an Oscar contender, if not Oscar winner. Will Eisner, in his last graphic novel, The Plot, wrote an account of the making of the anti-semitic hoax The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, and was completed shortly before his death and published in 2005. You could also argue making A Contract With God into a movie as well, but the Plot captured me early on and it a personal favorite of mine. A great piece of storytelling, a subject that could be debated for years all lend to an amazing movie.

2. Grendel
I'm speaking of Hunter Rose. A youthful genius who wrote novels by day and ran a criminal empire by night. Give this an R rating and you'll have gold...gold I say! The story begins with an extraordinarily gifted boy, his name only given as Eddie. Because victory in his endeavors came so easily to him, it all seemed meaningless. In despair, he threw a world-championship fencing match, and began a torrid affair with Jocasta Rose, a fellow fencer. When Jocasta died, Eddie left behind his former life and took on a new persona...or rather two. He became Hunter Rose, successful novelist and socialite, and Grendel, elegant costumed assassin and crime boss. He was hunted relentlessly by Argent, a several hundred year old Native American man-wolf cursed with a thirst for violence, working for the police in an effort to turn his curse to good. Hunter adopted a child, Stacy Palumbo, the daughter of a slain mobster, who was also befriended by Argent. But when Stacy discovered Hunter was Grendel she sold him out to the wolf. The two antagonists met on the roof of a Masonic temple; the battle left Argent paralyzed, and Grendel unmasked and dead. For the teaser trailer just have a black screen and very slowly have the eyes from the Grendel mask appear on screen. For years I thought Christian Bale would be great for the role, but after doing Batman that went out the door. How about Guy Pearce? This movie needs to be made and made well!

1. The Adventures Tintin

Imagine a little Steve Gustafson going into the White Oak library at a young age and finding this absolute treasure back in the day! It blew my mind! If you aren't familiar with Herge's Tintin, I IMPLORE you to find copy. The hero of the series is Tintin, a young Belgian reporter. He is aided in his adventures from the beginning by his faithful fox terrier dog Snowy. Later, popular additions to the cast included the brash, cynical and grumpy Captain Haddock, the bright but hearing-impaired Professor Calculus and other colorful supporting characters such as the incompetent detectives Thomson and Thompson. Yes, I heard that Speilberg was doing something with this, but I still had to make it my numero uno. The art, the story, the characters...everything about this book is amazing. Go with that Polar Express style of effects and you got it!



Jeremy Thomas

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Civil War (Marvel) - This would be an absolute mess to handle, but if anyone could, it would be Marvel. This could be the next step if the Avengers super-movie works out well. Get everyone involved and make what would literally be the biggest comic book movie ever. I know a lot of people hated what Civil War did to some of the characters, but I found it intensely interesting, even if I was yelling at certain parts. Most of the major cast members are already on the big screen, or have movies coming up. It could be simply amazing.

Lucifer (DC/Vertigo) - This excellent Vertigo series, written by Mike Carey, follows the events that take place in The Sandman: Season of Mists, where the Morningstar, Lucifer himself, throws all the damned souls out of Hell and locks it up. Hell is eventually handed over to two angels to administer while Lucifer runs a piano nightclub called Lux in Los Angeles. Events conspire to disturb his retirement, and he has to step out to handle situations before they get out of control. If you ask me, this is a story tailor-made for a Hollywood project. Lucifer as a protagonist? Brilliant. The moral shades of grey are nicely done, and if it converted over half as well into the big screen as it is in the comic, you'd have an amazing movie.

Hellblazer (DC/Vertigo) - Yes, I know there was already a Hellblazer movie, better known as Constantine. Believe it or not, and as vehemently skeptical as I intially was of it, I actually didn't mind the Keanu Reeves-starrer. However, it's also not the story I came to love through the work of Jamie Delano and Garth Ennis. Set it properly--with a British actor (or someone who can play a Brit like James Marsters), in London--and follow the "Original Sins" storyline arc. It would be a vast improvement over an already tolerable film that was made.

THE TOP 5

5. Serenity: Those Left Behind (Dark Horse)

I was really torn between this and the tie of Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Eight/Angel: After the Fall. As this is comic book MOVIES, and Those Left Behind is shorter and more cinematic in nature, I figured that this would be the best choice. It's no secret that I'm a Whedonite of the highest caliber, and I would kill to see the Firefly crew back on the big-screen. This limited series, set between the tv show and Serenity, answers a lot of questions as to how Book and Inara ended up off the ship. It also brings back Lawrence Dobson, the Alliance agent who was apparently killed in the pilot episode of the TV show. The Hands of Blue are covered as well, and like the rest of the show, it's got some whip-smart dialogue and great characterization. I would love to see this one on the big screen.

4. Preacher (DC/Vertigo)

This is only this low down because there's supposedly an HBO series in the works, and I think that would work better. But Preacher is a comic book property that I think would make for a great live-action product in some way or another. Garth Ennis is one of the better comic book writers out there, and in Jesse Custer and company, he made a great supernatural western sort of storyline. The Saint of Killers is one of the better villains I've ever seen in comic book print, and Cassidy makes for some great scenes as well. Custer himself evokes some of the great tortured heroes of any medium, and with the right crew behind it, it could be a very rewarding experience.

3. Kingdom Come (DC)

I don't generally like DC's works, outside of their excellent Vertigo line (see above and below). However, to deny the brilliance of Kingdom Come would be pretty damned inane. The Alex Ross-written story, of all the comic book heros of the DC universe in the future, seems perfectly-poised with the kind of cinematic elements that would make a great film. You have the well-known names like Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and more, in a new and fresh situation. You have new heroes that you can build up for potential sequels. And you have a great, multi-layered and epic story that you can craft a great script from. I'm sure the fact that DC sold the rights to their heroes to different studios is one of the things that will prevent this from ever being a movie, but still, it's one I would absolutely love to see, if they can ever pull it off...a hell of a lot more then that stupid Justice League idea that finally, mercifully seems dead.

2. Runaways (Marvel)

If any superhero comic book series were made perfectly for a feature film, this would be it. The Brian Vaughn/Adrian Alphona series, about a group of teenagers who learn their parents are super-villains and become superheroes to oppose them, is a great piece of work that Marvel Films really does need to get busy on. It's perfectly aimed at a PG-13 crowd, has a story that is instantly connectable with teens and adults, and would be a hell of a lot of fun. Vaughn tried very hard to make the series shed off some of the hokier aspects of superhero comics, such as code names and catch-phrases; hell, they don't even really have a team name (the Runaways is strictly the book title, not the group's name). So you have a potential film property that can connect with the crowds, pokes a little bit of fun at the comic book genre, and would even easily tie into the other Marvel properties in passing. A winner all around.

1. The Sandman (DC/Vertigo) - No ifs. No ands. No buts. This needs to happen, in some form. I agree with Shawn that, in the hands of a lesser writer, this would be a mess, and would have included Death: THCOL myself if that hadn't already been a film in production (with Gaiman writing & directing, no less). However, it would work if you got Gaiman himself, who has been taking a more active hand in the films based on his works, writing the script. Then choose a particular storyline arc--the introductory "Preludes and Nocturnes" would be good, or perhaps "Season of Mists"--to focus on. You would have an absolutely brilliant piece of work, and the special effects are such now that it's infinitely doable with a reasonable budget. I see it as the kind of thing Gaiman's friend Guillermo del Toro would do wonders with. Hands down, Sandman is one of the greatest comic book stories of all-time, and it needs to happen. End of story.



Bryan Kristopowitz

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Leonard Nimoy's Primortals - This was a nifty sci-fi comic that ran for two years in the mid to late 1990's, published by the now defunct Tekno Comics/Big Entertainment. It had sort of your typical "Earth's first contact with aliens" storyline, but a huge chunk of the story dealt with how regular Earthlings the world over dealt with the contact and eventual meeting/"invasion." That would make for a fine movie right there. And the aliens, as I remember it, mostly resembled Earth species past and present (it had something to do with "ancient aliens" arriving on Earth and whisking various species away to develop on another planet), so, if anything, you'd have some pretty cool action figures to look at. Imagine "X-Men" but with big ass aliens and flying dinosaurs. I'd love to see that movie.

Striker - Apparently also known as "Spriggan," which was apparently made into an animated movie back in 1998. I haven't seen it, didn't know about it, but I'm going to include it on this list anyway because I'd love to see this idea in a live action movie. A teenage, butt kicking adventurer out to stop rich and corrupt lunatics from stealing ancient relics, and it's all incredibly violent. Who wouldn't want to see that in, full on, glossy gory glory? That's the kind of movie franchise we could all get behind.

Moon Knight - I'm currently engrossed in the latest ongoing "Moon Knight" comic, and much like the comic it most currently resembles visually, "Spawn," it looks great but I have absolutely no idea what's going on. None. I'd like to see a movie rectify that and sort of streamline the Marc Spector character's backstory, make it into a kind of "Spawn"/"Batman" dark and violent comic book movie. Include all of the ancient Egyptian hooha and the other mystical overtones, but keep it grounded in a recognizable world. And keep the stark white Moon Knight costume. You don't see many white suited comic book movie heroes. That alone is reason enough to give the character a try.

THE TOP 5

5. Hazard (Image Comics)

This was a comic from around 1996 or so that ran for about seven issues and, as I remember it, featured a guy exploited by an evil scientist/corporation with nano technology. Yeah, the whole nano technology thing has been done a million times already, but with a good lead actor playing the Hazard character you'd have a decent enough sci fi action flick. I can see the movie poster right now, resembling the cover of the first issue. The Hazard character, standing sideways, a shotgun over his shoulder. Very cool stuff indeed.

4. Hagar the Horrible (comic strip)

Hagar is, of course, the fearless viking warrior who often sacks cities with his pal Lucky Eddie, but isn't much of a husband back home, often arguing with his wife Helga about taking out the garbage and working around the house. You could have a big, sprawling animated movie that features large, goofy battle scenes and small, domestic scenes back home (and you'd definitely have to have a scene where Hagar and Lucky Eddie are stranded on a small island, never explaining how they got there or how they eventually got away). Think of a more robust "Simpsons" movie with viking characters.

3. Xero

This was a comic published by DC that ran for twelve issues back in 1997. It featured a character by the name of Trane Walker, who by day was a super successful African American pro basketball player and by night was a super secret killer assassin disguised as a white guy. As I remember the book, it was all about Walker growing disillusioned with his work and growing away from the need to be an assassin. Now, I'm as tired as the next person with stories about assassins, but this story didn't glorify an assassin's work and treat it as some hip and edgy occupation. It was brutal, nasty, and sad. That's the kind of assassin story I'd like to see, one where the assassin not only hates himself, but it's obvious for everyone to see at all points during the story that being an assassin is soul killing. There's nothing righteous about killing for the sake of killing. And it'd be interesting to see how the dual identity idea would be dealt with. Would the director go with two different actors, one black, one white, or just have the black guy play the white guy, too?

2. Mike Danger

This was another great comic from Tekno Comix/Big Entertainment, created by famous crime author Mickey Spillane. It featured Mike Danger, a hard boiled 1950's private detective who ends up being accidentally cryogenically frozen (he was investigating something and he found Hitler's body frozen in a lab, which then led to Danger being frozen) and then revived in 2052 into a world he didn't know. Think of the great "fish out of water" possibilities. An "old school" PI attemtping to drive a flying car, among other great potential scenes. Yeah, Futurama and Idiocracy deal with the same sort of ideas, but they're comedies, whereas "Mike Danger" would have to be rather serious minded. There'd be plenty to laugh at, sure, but there'd be "real" consequences for Danger. I'm kind of surprised this property hasn't already been made into a movie.

1. Pearls Before Swine (comic strip)

This is one of the best comic strips going today. It's just so bizarre. A simple minded pig, a mean rat who writes nasty children's stories, a zebra, and moronic crocodiles that can't hunt down that zebra. It constantly breaks the fourth wall, is snarky, mean spirited at times (but in a good way), and is always happy to make fun of itself. The strip looks simple, and the characters aren't all that complicated design wise, so, I guess, there'd be issues adapting it, but, hey, South Park was made into a movie. If that could be made into a movie, why not Rat, Pig, and the Crocodiles?

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