10 Comic Book Series Deserving of the Telltale Games Treatment

When Telltale Games crushed 2012 with their episodic The Walking Dead, fans of Robert Kirkman's series were universally amazed with what was done with the comic series.

The comic series has been held up for its stylized use of black and white as well its dissection of the human condition after the world has ceased to function in any recognizable way. Also, zombies. Telltale managed to convey all of these elements, minus the black and white, with their entry into The Walking Dead universe. Functioning more as interactive fiction than a 'game' in any traditional sense, The Walking Dead placed an increased value on choice, consequence, and characterization over action and it worked out brilliantly.

They've recently turned their attention to another comic book property with the release of The Wolf Among Us. Set in Bill Willingham's densely populated Fables universe, Telltale has released the first installment in another planned episodic series. If you haven't played it, you're doing yourself a massive disservice. The game is one of the most loyal translations of a comic book to any other medium we've seen and pays plenty of nods to fans of the Vertigo series.

The second season of the The Walking Dead has recently been announced and it got us thinking what other comic book series could benefit from the Telltale treatment?

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Why It Would Work: Steve Dillon's art would translate beautifully

Attempts to transpose Garth Ennis' Preacher into other mediums have always evaporated faster than Purell hand sanitizer. The problem has more to do with the series length, religious, philosophical, and sexual subject matter. A feature film would brutally neuter all of these to the point of being unrecognizable (Keanu Reeves' Constantine for a bitter reminder on that).

An interactive, episodic series, however, could handle these masterfully. Jesse Custer is one of the most well-written and realized characters in comics and his story of possession, revenge, and redemption would be amazing to finally see in another medium. Think of how amazing The Saint of Killers, Herr Starr, and Cassidy would look if they were articulated on your screen.

Why It Would Work: You don't want to play as rhino with a shotgun?

Genetically engineered hybrids bred to be a private army form the narrative spine of the Elephantmen series. Created by a geneticist, the elephantmen are bred from native African animal species and an embryo brought to term in a human female. The elephantmen are bred to be a private army of brainwashed super-soldiers only to be rescued by the U.N. The series deals with their rehabilitation and integration into society after their rescue. Racism, xenophobia, immigration, cloning, and redemption are all thematically resonant in the series, and the art is fucking flawless.

Why It Would Work: Ultra violent commentary on the post 9/11 world

In a world where superheroes not only exist, but are worshipped as celebrity gods, what's to stop one of these rogue 'supes' from just enslaving the entire planet with telepathy or heat-vision? This question forces the formation of The Boys, a C.I.A sanctioned hit squad charged with keeping 'capes' in line when they start having delusions of megalomania.

When the series was announced, writer Garth Ennis announced that he wanted to "Out Preacher The Preacher" in terms of violence and questioning the politics of a post 9/11 world. The series is inhabited by some of the most enjoyable superhero caricatures we've seen and is firmly rooted in out culture of celebrity worship and government overreach. Cartoon violence and political commentary for all.

Why It Would Work: Brian Wood's art and narrative pacing

DMZ is another series clearly influenced by the events of 9/11 and the subsequent invasion of Iraq. DMZ takes place in after a second American civil war has turned Manhattan into a demilitarized zone. The island is sandwiched between the United States of America and the secessionist Free States of America. The series explores what hardships would take shape as a citizen of the DMZ. DMZ follows a war time journalist in Manhattan and series creator Brian Woods talks about how the DMZ cam to be,

"Midwestern militia groups revolt against their local governments in protest of rampant U.S. adventurism overseas and, in the absence of the National Guard, are able to gain far more ground than they thought possible. Small insurgent groups pop up in towns and cities across the country, and a sizable force, the Free States Army, pushes toward Manhattan. The city proves too big for them to take, and also for the U.S. Army to defend. The war stalls there, a stalemate, neither side being able to shift things."

Yes to all of this becoming a game.

Why It Would Work: More human/animal hybrids in a post-apocalyptic world

Canadian writer/artist Jeff Lemire's Sweet Tooth has been described as a fairytale for the end of the world. The main character, Gus, is like most teenagers except for those deer antlers. Navigating the world after the death of his father, Gus meets cultists, other hybrids, rogue scientists, and survivors all while dealing with the challenges of adolescence. Gorgeously rendered, the series would be stunning if brought to life as a video game.

Why It Would Work: The premise that all chicken is illegal

After 23 million Americans die from a new strain of bird flu, chicken is outlawed and the FDA polices the sale, distribution, and dealing of all black market chicken. Awesome. The series focuses on Tony Chu, a vice cop that has the ability to gain psychic impressions from anything he eats. As a cibopath, Chu's mouth is his most valuable asset as a cop drafted into the FDA. Think about every burger you've eaten, not think about being able to feel exactly how the cow felt as it was being turned into your lunch. The series is ongoing, and rumored to have been optioned for a series on Showtime. Bring this game to me.

Why It Would Work: Fucking Vikings

Unsurprisingly, Brian Wood appears on this list twice. While DMZ may be one of the more cerebral entries on this list, Northlanders has gore to spare. The stories in the series are all fictional, but set against the very real world of the Viking age. Narrative flows from long to short arcs and varies between different protagonists. The series could be taken apart and any chapter would serve a Telltale title with bloody and historically accurate economy.

Why It Would Work: Zombies, giant squids, and blood covered wrenches

Eric Powell's The Goon is a work of paranormal noir that mixes pulp, the occult, and humor in a balanced cocktail of awesome. The Goon has even teamed up with Hellboy to defeat the Communist Airborne Mollusk Militia. A Goon movie was supposedly in production, but never materialized. How about a Goon video game?

Why It Would Work: Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and alternate history

Jonathon Hickman is easily one of the most talented writers working in the comic industry at the moment. He's currently helming the Marvel crossover event Infinity and also writing one of the best Image titles in a very long time. The series deftly combines science fiction and the old-west to create a hybridized America that is equally foreign and familiar. The series follows the horsemen Death as the world faces the Biblical Revelation. Death is a Clint Eastwood/Outlaw Josey Wales character and the series is sharp both visually and narratively. A dystopian, science fiction, Western that is in need of the Telltale handling.

Why It Would Work: Brian K. Vaughan is a genius

Written by Brian K. Vaughan and illustrated by Fiona Staples, Saga is currently one of the most popular comics being printed. A space opera that blend the earnestness of Romeo and Juliet with the established universe of Star Wars, every issue of Saga has been met with near universal acclaim. Star crossed lovers, the conflict between magic and technology, and Fiona Staples' consistently phenomenal visuals would are all practically begging to be coupled with voice acting and music direction in a Telltale title. If you're not reading this series, you've been sleeping on some seriously next level shit.