Grover C. Magnus 
When it comes to movies and shows based on comic books, we often think of the latest installment of Batman or Spider-Man. With the constant release of MCU and DC movies about masked characters we all recognize, the superhero genre has taken on the name of comic book movie adaptations. However, there are a handful of comic book-based movies and shows that aren’t from Marvel or DC. The industry has frequently turned to published writing for inspiration, be it books, the social reading platform Wattpad, its sister site Webtoonscreated specifically for graphic novels or other printed comics.
When it comes to comics, there’s more than just the ones about superheroes fighting bad guys and saving the world. At present, Euphoria, Abbott Elementary School and Hulu’s endless list of bingeworthy documentary miniseries is currently all the rage. Even K-dramas have exploded all over the streaming services, and among these many drama programs, including the upcoming Lore Olympus and GremoryLand, some of them have Webtoon to thank for their source material. Other stories have been around for decades and put a new spin on beloved comics, targeting them for a whole new demographic. No matter how they started, these stories all started on the pages of a graphic novel publication. Moving from pictures and bubbles to live TV shows, here are 8 TV shows that started out as comic books (and aren’t related to Marvel or DC).
8 we are all dead
The Netflix series we are all dead started as a webtoon story named Now at our school by Joo Dong-geun. The Korean drama was released between 2009 and 2011 and premiered in 2022. A zombie apocalypse series, the show follows students whose high school is overrun by the undead after a failed science experiment. With no food, water or means of escape, the surviving children must find a way to fend for themselves, using the only equipment they have. Since the first season ended on a cliffhanger, fans can’t wait to find out what’s next. Until then, they can read the story in its original format or keep waiting for a season 2.
7 Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
Sabrina Spellman flew her broomstick across our television screens in 1996 when Melissa Joan Hart portrayed her in a feature film and a long-running television sitcom. Sabrina the Teenage Witchbased on a 1971 comic. Although the Friday Night Comedy is a family program, things took a turn when Netflix picked up a 2018 series based on the much darker horror comic. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Following the familiar Sabrina Spellman, the supernatural series starred Kiernan Shipka as the blonde-haired bruja in a coming-of-age drama that mixes the outlandish elements of sorcery and the forces of evil. That ended in 2020, but fans still got to see Sabrina guest-star in an episode of Riverdalewhich takes place in the same universe.
6 Hell
Hell is another Netflix Original that debuted on webtoon. Written by Choi Gyuseok and Yeon Sangho, Hell reached nearly 2 million views since its release on the platform. The story follows a religious group on a mission to condemn individuals to hell if they don’t live more righteously. The events of the Otherworldly Faces are raising suspicion within the community and people are looking to investigate.
5 Sailor Moon
The first Sailor Moon Manga was released in 1991 and from there it has had a number of shows, movies and even musicals. The series follows a teenage girl named Usagi Tsukino who transforms into the hero Sailor Moon accompanied by her friends, each named after a different planet. The comics were written and illustrated by Naoko Takeuchi and there were 60 individual chapters which were published in 18 volumes. The show hasn’t aired for years, but it’s still a popular program to this day.
4 sweet home
The Original Webtoon sweet home by Carnby Kim and Youngchan Hwang scored over 200 million views when it was released in 2017. It centers on a suicidal high school student who lost his entire family in a tragic accident. After being forced to leave his home, he must face a world where monsters are trying to wipe out humanity. Along with other residents of the apartment, protagonist Hyun is trapped inside hoping to survive while he can.
3 Riverdale
The first Archie comic was published in 1941, so it’s likely his fans at the time wouldn’t tune in to The CW to watch. Riverdale. The show took the premise of a ginger navigating the tribulation of high school dates and friendships and turned it into a dark, mysterious teen drama that started out as a murder mystery and somewhere in the process of road evolved into its main characters develop superpowers. From the randomly sparse musical episodes to the objectification of its teenage characters to the nonsensical lines that often find themselves trending on Twitter, it’s hard not to be familiar with the show, even if you’ve never seen it. an episode by yourself. Still, the show clearly has a fan base, now in its sixth season.
2 tower of god
Webtoons tower of god got nearly a billion plays on the platform, which regularly receives 72 million viewers per month. The show focuses on Rachel and Bam, who know that if they climb to the top of the Tower of God, any of their wishes will come true. Rachel, who no longer wishes to live in such a dark world, plans her ascension against Bam’s wishes, but he chooses to follow her anyway, even if it means dying. The series debuted on HBO Max in 2020.
1 The Umbrella Academy
Dark Horse Comics is out The Umbrella Academy in 2008 and its success earned it an Eisner Award for Best Limited Series. It was originally intended to become a movie in 2011, but after it was shelved, Netflix picked it up for a TV show in 2019. After 43 babies are born from different women, seven are adopted by a billionaire named Reginald Hargreeves who created the academy to get these kids to save the world. But after he dies, the adult children must come together to solve the mystery of his death. Two seasons have been created so far, with a third series coming out this summer.
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