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When people think of comic book movies, they usually think of superhero movies, which makes sense because they seem to be everywhere. Every year there are a few Marvel movies and a few DC Universe movies featuring characters with superpowers from their respective comics. Sometimes it can seem like there are no other comic book movies.
While I definitely enjoy my superhero movies (and am waiting for someone to adapt Squirrel Girl), I’m also happy to find comic book movies based on comics that aren’t superhero comics. Some argue that comics aren’t a genre, but a medium of expression. When you think about the sheer amount of comics that exist, from historical nonfiction to romance to science fiction and more, it’s understandable that superhero comics aren’t the only ones that make it to the big screen.
Over the past few decades, many exciting films have been created from comic books, whether graphic novels, serials or otherwise. However, when you look at the non-superhero comics that have been adapted, not many have been written by women, which is disappointing. Hollywood and the film industry in general make it very difficult for scripts written and/or directed by women to make it to the screen.
To put things in perspective, according to the University of Southern California’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, of the 481 nominees for Best Director, only 9 were women. That’s 2%. Things look a little better for original screenplays: of 1,060 nominees for original screenplays, 107 were women (10%). And that only takes gender into account, not sexual orientation, race and ethnicity, etc.
Some books I would like to see written and drawn by women on the big screen are saga by Brian Vaughn and Fiona Staples; Fun House by Alison Bechdel; Monstrous by Marjorie Liu; all by Lucy Knisley; and The Prince and the Seamstress by Jen Wang, to name a few.
Below is a list of the best non-superhero comic book movies that everyone should have on their radar.
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, directed by Marjane Satrapi, Vincent Paronnaud
Persepolis is perhaps my favorite comic adaptation after Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. In the comics and the adapted film, Satrapi tells of her childhood and adolescence in Iran in the 1970s. It is a beautiful film that brings Satrapi’s stylized black and white drawings to life. It is one of those films that manages to retain the comic style that made her famous.
Chicken with plums is another comic by Satrapi that was adapted.
Nimona by ND Stevenson Directed by Troy Quane and Nick Bruno
When I heard that Nimona when the movie was made into a film, I was so excited. Although the movie had some interruptions, I was glad it was finally released and was not disappointed. Ballister Blackheart has one goal in life: to destroy the institution. But his purpose in life is turned upside down when a girl named Nimona insists on being his sidekick. However, he soon realizes that Nimona is not what she seems. It is a wonderful story about good and evil.
American Splendor by Harvey Pekar, directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini
When I saw American Splendor in the cinema it was a revelation. Were there comics like this? It opened my eyes to the possibilities of graphic novels/nonfiction. It tells the life of Harvey Pekar based on his comic strips of the same name. He may not seem like the most interesting man in the world, but Pekar manages to show how ordinary life is worthy of comics. It is a testament to the power of the ordinary and the sublime.
The Addams Family by Charles Addams, directed by Barry Sonnefeld, screenplay by Charles Addams, Caroline Thompson and Larry Wilson
Yes, the Addams Family is actually based on a one-part comic by Charles Addams. The first Addams Family comic appeared in New Yorkers in 1938. The macabre comic family was the template for the television series of the 1960s as well as for the classic film, The Addams Family, and the popular sequel, The Addams Family in a crazy traditionand the newer TV show, WednesdayFor the children of the 90s, these films were fundamental to our attitude to life.
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind by Hayao Miyazaki, directed by Hayao Miyazaki
Nausicaä is based on the manga series from 1982-1984 and is set on a post-apocalyptic Earth where parts of the world are now habitable for humans and there are giant insects. Princess Nausicaä has discovered how to talk to the insects and realizes that there is hope for the Earth. But only if she can stop two kingdoms from going to war. It is the first film by Miyazaki, known for Princess Mononoke And Spirited Away.
Dick Tracy by Chester Gould, directed by Warren Beatty
When I think of detective comics, Dick Tracy is the first thing that comes to mind. With his trademark yellow jacket and radio watch, Dick Tracy fought organized crime in the city and faced off against classic villain Flatop and Alphonse “Big Boy” Caprice. Beatty’s film manages to bring the lurid, hard-boiled detective novel and its characters to life. And now there’s a new comic book series by Dick Tracy written by Alex Segura, Michael Moreci, Chantell Aimée Osman and illustrated by Geraldo Borges, which I highly recommend.
Edge of Tomorrow written by Hiroshi Sakurazaka, adapted as a manga by Ryosuke Takeuchi and Takeshi Obata, directed by Doug Liman
The 2014 film by Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt is based on the Japanese novel All you need is killingby Hiroshi Sakurazaka, which was then adapted into a manga series by Ryosuke Takeuchi and Takeshi Obata. In the story, Major William Cage (or Keiji Kiriya in the manga) finds himself on the battlefield, facing off against the aliens known as Mimics, who are winning the war against humanity. A freak accident causes the Major to relive the day of his death, a bit like a Groundhog Day in wartime. He soon realizes that if he does it right, he might be able to change the fate of humanity. There are rumors that there might be a sequel to the film…
laxity by Tracy Butler Directed by: Fable Siegel
It’s about cats and 1920s St. Louis. Jazz and Prohibition. It started as a webcomic, then became a print edition and then, thanks to a major Kickstarter campaign by Iron Circus, Lackadaisy, the cartoon was born. Thanks to the success of Kickstarter, there are also short films. It was Iron Circus’ first foray into animation and a welcome one at that!
Akira Screenplay and direction: Katsuhiro Otomo
This is probably the epitome of a manga turned movie. The year is 2019, 31 years after a nuclear bomb destroyed Tokyo. Now Neo-Tokyo is a city plagued by violence and terrorism. When Capsules gang leader Shōtarō Kaneda finds out that his friend Tetsuo has developed powers that could make him the next Akira, the being that destroyed Tokyo, Kaneda must try to save his friend from people who want to take advantage of him and themselves.
Gemma Bovery by Posy Simmonds Directed by Anne Fontaine
When Gemma Bovery moves to a small town with her new husband, the town baker finds the name too similar to Gustave Flaubert’s Madame Bovary to be a coincidence. He begins to observe her life and wonders if she will fall into the same traps as her literary compatriot. It is a fascinating reinterpretation of the famous book in comic and film versions.
These are ten great adaptations of comics, comic strips and manga. Want to learn more about comic book adaptations? Read this article about what makes a good comic book adaptation. Want to learn more about the history of comic book licensing for film and television? This is the article for you.
