5 years ago, AMC took a chance on a long running black and white comic book about zombies. At the time, most comic loving nerds held their breath, thinking we would be lucky to get one full season of the comic come to television.
Five years later The Walking Dead is a phenomenon and the highest rated series on cable television.
But what could be the next comic series to become the latest page to television screen sensation? Below are 5 comic books that are ready for television and could become the next Walking Dead.
DMZ
DMZ is set in the near future and tells the tale of Manhattan and NYC, which is serving as a demilitarized zone following the second American Civil War. The island is stuck between United States of America and the Free States of America, which wants to secede from the United States.
The series is completed and tells the story of the DMZ from the perspective of Matty Rouse, a journalist who winds up implanted in the de-militilarized zone of Manhattan.
Click here to read our full thoughts on DMZ.
Lazarus
The comic series Lazarus is hard to define. It is focused on Forever Carlyle, a Lazarus for the Carlyle family, one of the few families that rule the world in a not-so-near, yet not-so-distant future.
The world is a place where governments have been replaced by corporations who are in turn run by these families. The world has shifted down into a darker place, where the rich are very rich and the poor are literally called serfs and trash.
Part of what makes the series interesting is that dynamic: Writer Greg Rucka has created a dystopian world that would be fascinating to discover and he has done it by not making unrealistic conjectures but by following the directions are world is headed.
Here are our full thoughts on why Lazarus would be good for television or you can read our full review of the comic by clicking here.
Preacher
Preacher is the series written by Garth Ennis and drawn by Steve Dillon. The series ran for 66 issues and ended in October 2000. The story is a bit more supernatural from the other titles we have talked about. The gist of the series is that Jesse Custard, a small town preacher who gains supernatural abilities from a demon named Genesis during an incident that flattens and kills all his congregation members. Custard then goes on a journey to literally find God and it tells the story of what happens and who he meets along the way.
Find out why Preacher would be good for TV.
Y the Last Man
Written by Brian K. Vaughan, Y the Last Man began in 2002 and ran a total of 60 issues. The premise of the book feels almost made for television. The basic idea is that something goes horribly wrong and kills every male mammal…except for an fledging escape artist names Yorick and his pet monkey Ampersand. And from there, a LOT happens. It has a robust supporting cast of characters, most notably Agent 355 who becomes Yorick’s protector as they try and discover what has happened and why is he the only one to survive.
Click here for more on why Y the Last Man could be the next Walk Dead.
Scalped
The comic series Scalped tells the story of Dashiell Bad Horse, a Native American who returns to the corrupt Indian reservation as an undercover FBI agent. Adventures ensue and in order to avoid spoilers, not much more can be said.
But this book is excellent. It’s written by Jason Aaron for the Vertigo imprint.
Click here for more about why Scalped is for sure one of the best comic books ready for television.
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