36 replies to this topic

[Stephen Galvin]

This topic might have been done before, but I'll start it anyway, just to see what other people think.
I was thinking about something Craggy said in another thread about some mediums being better than others to tell certain tales, and the one that spring to my mind was Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. I have read the book, seen the series with Alec Guinness, and seen the new film with J.Hurt etc.. and I was thinking that a comic would be a better medium than a film because one could show the thoughts of Smiley. In the new film there are far too many moments where smiley just looks at the person speaking to him, and it is not always clear why he is doing that. In the books his silence is sometimes a ploy, sometimes a reflection of his inner disgust, sometimes he is unable to frame a response. It is always clear in the books why he chooses not to answer. I think it would make a great comic.
Also, to further illustrate the purpose of the thread, an example would be the difference between the short story, 'Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, and the film that came from it. The story was pretty good, but the film was great.
Or 'Do androids dream of electric sheep' and Bladerunner. The short story was again, reasonably good, but it bore little resemblance to the film, which was outstanding.
So, what book do you think would be good as a comic? I am going for 'Altered Carbon', which is a bit of a cop out as it is obviously very graphic and action packed, but it would be nice to see the action and the tech visualised, or 'The Blade Itself'. I would like to see a visualisation of the bloody nine, or glokta.
Maybe other people would think of something more cerebral like the TTSS where showing the disparity between what a character is doing or saying and what he is thinking, a place where comics are better than any other media.
Anyway, 'twould be nice to hear your thoughts.

[stuperrins]

a comic book version of 'time bandits' would get my vote.

[Chris Fenton]

Max Payne, considering it was presented in a comic book style through-out the first game.

Anything instead of that steaming pile of fertaliser that was greenlit as the movie adaptation.

[Andrew]

Max Payne, considering it was presented in a comic book style through-out the first game.

And the second, no?

I'll add the obvious Harry Potter (as someone who hasn't read the books, and only seen half the films) to the list.

Edited by Andrew, 04 February 2012 - 03:01 PM.

[Chris Fenton]

I didn't like the second game. It has faded from my memory so much that I have no idea if it used a comic book style for the story telling!

(null)

[Ulf Imwiehe]

I’d love to see a comic adaptation of the entire Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons. Preferably with Jonathan Hickman as writer and J. H. Williams III on art.

[Johnny Henning]

Yeah, Hyperion is a pretty good choice. So would his The Terror and Ilium/Olympus novels.

[Ulf Imwiehe]

Oh yes, The Terror (which I consider Simmons' finest work to date) in stark b/w art by Eddie Campbell and written by Steve Niles.

[stuperrins]

maybe, american psycho?

[Dave Wallace]

Gulliver's Travels. Surely there must have been a comics adaptation at some point.

[Ulf Imwiehe]

Gulliver's Travels. Surely there must have been a comics adaptation at some point.

Great call! I seem to remember there was an anime show and where there’s an anime there’s a comic (or manga), but I’m not quite sure…

[Robert B]

It's difficult because anything I really like, I'm happy to have it in the form it's in.

I've never read the Dexter novels, and I really like some aspects of the show, but it may be a better comic.

China Mieville is a writer whose stories I like better than his prose.

[Dave Wallace]

Great call! I seem to remember there was an anime show and where there’s an anime there’s a comic (or manga), but I’m not quite sure…

A quick search of amazon turns up a few comics adaptations, as it happens - but I'm not sure how good any of them are.

[Martin Smith]

Macbeth but only if drawn by Alex Maleev.

[Adam Balson]

I think Drive would been a decent comic mini-series. Especially (possibly only) with Sean Gordon Murphy drawing. Imagine the chapter headlines in the pink Drive font, and the same kind of colour palette as the film and it would be just as stylish looking as the film. Plus S.G.M. draws pretty 70's looking clothing all the time. the characters in Drive look like adapted S.G.M. characters. Gosling's bone structure is like Murphy's Constantine, Pearlman and Cranston look like his Wolverine etc.

[stuperrins]

'the adventures of baron munchausen'

[Ulf Imwiehe]

Starsky and Hutch by Brian Wood and Frank Quitely.

[Stephen Galvin]

Gulliver's Travels. Surely there must have been a comics adaptation at some point.

There is Gullivera, by Manara which I have, which is a semi-erotic adaptation. Beautiful lines,and not too rude, but one of those ones I bought for the art, rather than the story. Not for everyone, and not as good as the western stuff, but I am a fan so I bought it.

maybe, american psycho?

Jeez. How would you get that one past the censors? One of only two books I could not finish due to squeamishness, the other being the naked lunch.
It would certainly get GNs and comics in the headlines again. I do a lot of adult only stuff, but I would draw the line at that one, unless the violence was toned down considerably, which would emasculate it a bit.
The endless repetitions of brands etc... would be a lot more interesting from an art point of view. A kind of visual hymn to the 80s and early 90s.Which would make the comic very different from the novel. I never saw the film, in case they did the prostitute bit, but it looked poor from the bits I did catch when it was on tv and I did the kid behind the sofa thing. I would love to see Jacobs Ladder done as a comic, if horror/sycothrillers were to be nominated..

[Chris D]

I think Drive would been a decent comic mini-series. Especially (possibly only) with Sean Gordon Murphy drawing. Imagine the chapter headlines in the pink Drive font, and the same kind of colour palette as the film and it would be just as stylish looking as the film. Plus S.G.M. draws pretty 70's looking clothing all the time. the characters in Drive look like adapted S.G.M. characters. Gosling's bone structure is like Murphy's Constantine, Pearlman and Cranston look like his Wolverine etc.

To me Drive was like a story arc from Criminal.

[Stephen Galvin]

'the adventures of baron munchausen'

That I would also like to see, oversize with plenty of splash panels, and lots of tricks, like clouds made of lettering etc...cut out panels, as much old style perspective work as they could get in it. Something that would give you the same feeling as I used to get from the severe forced perspective of an early spiderman. I know it's old hat now, but when it's done well, there's nothing quite like it.