Top ten movies you dident know where based on comics

Top Ten Movies You Didn’t Know Where Based on Comics

So it’s been awhile since I’ve done a top ten list so I’m back with the top ten movies you didn’t know where based on comics. Before we get started I need to clarify the list is movies that normal movie goers didn’t know where based on a comic book, the placement of the movies on the list has nothing to do with how good the movie was just how little people may actually know it was a comic. Disclaimer: if you are a fan of comic books you most likely know all these where based on comics. Ok now with all that out of the way let’s get started.

10. A History of Violence. The comic was written by John Wagner and published by vertigo. The movie of the same name was directed by David Cronenberg. The only reason this movie isn’t higher on the list is the fact that the DVD had a sticker on it that said “based on the graphic novel” so that kind of gives it away but there are still a ton of people out there who saw the movie and don’t know there’s a graphic novel out there it’s based on.

Both the movie and the comic are about a man who owns a diner, one night he fights off a couple of robbers and gets on the news then mobsters show up and claim they know the diner owner, the owner denies this and the next series of events throws his life into a tailspin. I’ve never read the comic but the movie is great through my research I’ve found the first half of the movie is very much like the comic while the second half takes quite a few liberties. Since I haven’t read the comic I can’t give an honest opinion but I would highly recommend the movie.

9. The Surrogates. The comic was written by Robert Venditti and published by Top Shelf, the movie with the same name but dropping the “the” was directed by Jonathan Mostow. This is a newer movie whose DVD is not out at the time of writing which is why it’s only at number 9. At the end of the preview it mentions it’s based on a comic but not sure how many people where paying attention or even bothered to follow up on it.

The plot to both the comic and the movie take place in the future although the comic and movie have different dates, 2054 and 2017 respectfully. While there are a few changes the comic and movie follow the same basic plot order and cover the same events and the overall ending is the same with one minor difference. I enjoyed both the comic and the movie and would easily recommend both.

8. Wanted. The comic was written by Mark Millar and published by Top Cow, the movie of the same name was directed by (god help me spell this right) Timur Bekmambetov. This is one even comic fans may not know because of how crazy different the movie and comic are at first it seems only the title and a few character names are the same.

The plot at its very basic core is the same a loser kid finds out his dad was killed and now he’s part of a secret society and has special abilities. But after that they are amazingly different in the movie its assassins and in the comic its supervillans and the differences don’t stop there. I won’t get into too much detail but I do recommend both the comic and the movie although they are nothing alike they are both great in their own right.

7. Swamp Thing. The comic was written by Len Wein, the movie also with the same name was directed by horror master Wes Craven. It’s an older movie with more of a cult following than anything else, there was also a cartoon series but I remember that being more like captain planet than anything else. A tiny bit of trivia for you fans not in the know about comics Wein also co-created the characters Wolverine, Storm, Nightcrawler and Colossus.

The first movie is the origin story of our hero and does a pretty good job of following the comic’s story the action is good the effects for the time look pretty good and of course the direction is good. Basically a doctor is in a lab accident and becomes the swamp thing who then fights to protect the swamp and the people inside mainly against an evil doctor who wants immortality. I haven’t read any of the comics but the movie was pretty good for its time and if you’re curious enough then it maybe fun to read the comics.

6. Aliens vs. Predator. The original comic was written by Randy Stradley and published by Dark Horse, and the first movie was directed by Paul W.S. Anderson and the second by the Strause brothers. While it’s true that the alien and predator movies where movies first the first time that the two races fought each other was in the pages of the comic. The first comic came out right before predator 2 and in predator 2 you can see an alien skull in the predator’s ship.

The plot to the first comic is very similar to the movie however in the comic the events take place in the future and on another planet while in the movie its present day earth. But they both follow the same formula where an unsuspecting planet and group of people is exposed to the predators hunting practice and eventually one of the humans joins up with a predator. Not sure if there is a comic with similar events to the second movie but it’s got more action except this time it’s a lone predator that’s higher ranked then the others. Both the comics and movies are good, the comic has a bit more plot development but the movies are fun mindless entertainment.

5. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The comic was written by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird and published under Mirage. The first movie (the only one I’m covering) was directed by Steve Barron. Now a lot and I do mean a lot of people know there is a cartoon but very few people know there’s a comic. And the first movie is based more on the comic then the cartoon. Whereas the cartoon was very kid friendly the comic was very dark and violent and the first move does a great job of combining both.

There are a few differences from the comic and the movie and I blame these on the cartoon such as April being a news reporter where as in the comic she’s a research assistant in a lab. However if they had her being a lab assistant then they would have to do the mouser story line and the special effects where not good enough back then to do it justice. If you have never read a TMNT comic before and you are a fan you owe it to yourself to find one and read it and of course the movie is a fun guilty little pleasure.

4. Mystery Men. The Flaming Carrot comics the movie is based on are written by Bob Burden and published by several different publishers currently Image. The movie Mystery Men was directed by Kinka Usher. Now the comic is officially about the Flaming Carrot however the carrot is responsible for forming the group Mystery Men. The movie is loosely based on the comics but with the exception of Captain Amazing and Invisible Boy every hero has made an appearance in the comic.

I have never read a Flaming Carrot comic but from what I can gather the movie follows the comics theme of parodying super heroes. I’ve heard great things about the comic and I know for a fact that the movie is very very funny so if you’re in the mood for something lighter and more hilarious then most comics or comic book movies check out the Flaming Carrot and Mystery Men

3. Bulletproof Monk. The comic is written by Michael Avon Oeming, and the movie was directed by Paul Hunter. So no matter how hard I tried I could not find any info on the comic. I was able to find a few pieces of cover art but that’s it I don’t know the plot and the only character name I could find was that of Chow Yun-Fat’s character the nameless monk.

I can only assume that like with a lot of comic book movies the movie is similar in ways to its source material but also a lot different in places the fight scenes in the movie are pretty good if you’re not fed up with the whole wire-fu thing other than that if you find a Bulletproof Monk comic give it a read and let me know how it is.

2. Men in Black. The comic is written by Lowell Cunningham and was originally published by Aircel comics then Malibu and lastly Marvel, the movies where directed by Barry Sonnenfeld. This is another comic book movie that simply takes the basic plot and characters of the comic and reshapes them. Zed Kay and Jay are all in the comic however the tone of the comic is more adult and grittier then the movies.

In the comic the Men in Black handle all kinds of paranormal activity besides aliens such as demons, and mutants. Also in the comic instead of memory erasure the MiB agents will just kill witnesses and the last difference is that instead of maintaining peace and balance on earth the MiB help shape the world in the way they see fit.

1. The Mask. The comic was originally written by John Arcudi and published by Dark Horse. The movie was directed by Chuck Russell. Now who would have thought that the hilarious Jim Carey movie would be based on an ultra violent comic, well not me that’s for sure. But it is and like men in black the movie substitutes violence for comedy.

In the comic the mask turns the person wearing it into an ultra violet antihero. In the movie the mask is only as violent as the person wearing it. An example is in the movie when Stanly gets revenge on the mechanics he only hurts them physically and in a comedic way but in the comic he kills them. I would very highly recommend both the comic and the movie. The movie is Jim Carey before his act became repetitive and annoying and the comic is ultra violent dark comedy goodness.

Well friends that concludes the top ten movies you didn’t know where based on comic books. I hope you enjoyed it and if you’re not a comic fan I hope this list inspired you to go pick up a graphic novel or two.

P.S. if any of the info I put about the comics is incorrect please let me know so I can correct it