As most of you will come to find out, I am a massive comic book fan. In this age of endless comic book movies, I thought I’d take some time out to suggest some that I’m fond of for the big screen. Some you know, some you may not, but at the very least maybe it will inspire you to check them out.
And so, here are my personal choices for 5 comic books that would be incredible movies.
5. NEMESIS by Mark Millar
NEMESIS is a balls-to-the-wall story about the titular psychotic supervillain and the cop who he desperately wants to destroy. Told mainly from the perspective of Nemesis himself, the story is packed with everything an action movie fan loves. It’s got epic action sequences, gratuitous violence, and a truly deplorable madman. I enjoyed it immensely, though it has proven to be quite divisive among the comic book community.
Upon its initial release, many thought the story and characters lacked the depth that Millar’s earlier work, such as KICK-ASS, had. I can see their point, but really the two don’t even compare. Where KICK-ASS was meant as a heroic coming-of-age tale, NEMESIS is a purebred, hyper-stylized revenge tale of the most extreme kind. As early as last year, rumors swirled that NEMESIS was in development with Tony Scott (MAN ON FIRE) directing. Since we’ve heard nothing lately, I guess it’s safe to assume that’s no longer the case.
My Choice Director: Joe Carnahan
4. INCOGNITO by Ed Brubaker
3. IRREDEEMABLE by Mark Waid
IRREDEEMABLE takes the superhero origin story to a whole different level. We start with a renowned superhero called The Plutonian who is a force for good (as a comparison, think Superman). Then, in a different twist, the Plutonian begins a descent into villainy, responsible for the deaths of countless innocent people. The Plutonian’s former superhero collective, The Paradigm, try to do everything they can to stop him before he destroys the world.
Mark Waid handles this story well, with the Plutonian proving to be a very enigmatic character. Waid once described the story as being born out of the idea that most characters with incredible power are just assumed to become superheroes who use it to protect the innocent, and he thought it would be interesting to see what would happen when one of those characters used that power for something… different. This comic in particular is really hard to put down. It’s not as well-written as INCOGNITO, but it’s certainly as engrossing. I highly recommend it for the silver screen. As far as I know, there are no plans to make that happen any time soon.
My Choice Director: Josh Trank
2. VENOM by David Michelinie and Todd McFarlane 
I seriously do not understand how Venom hasn’t had his own movie yet. I know there had been several attempts to get it off the ground (at one point Josh Trank was trying to direct), and there may in fact be a push to do that as we speak. My whole argument is that this should get fast-tracked, like, yesterday.
Venom originally appeared as the combination of disgraced Daily Bugle photographer Eddie Brock and the alien symbiote from the SPIDER-MAN series. Since then, the character has taken on a life of its own. He now headlines his own comic as a force for good, but I like the old Venom who always made you wonder where his loyalties lay.
He’s a villain, an anti-hero, a monster, and the most interesting character in comic book history (yea I said it). Despite the fact that SPIDER-MAN 3 was atrocious, it was still cool seeing Venom on the big screen (let’s ignore the fact that Eddie Brock was horribly miscast with Topher Grace). It also had fans clamoring for a spin-off. So, do you think Venom can carry a movie? Let’s just say yes and move on. (Also, Tom Hardy as Venom. Right!?!)
My Choice Director: Nicolas Winding Refn
1. WONDER WOMAN by George Perez
Before you start yelling at your computer screen, you should hear me out on this one.
I have always been a skeptic about Wonder Woman. I thought the story was too campy. I thought the character was lame. I thought a movie would be boring. Then my wife introduced me to the WONDER WOMAN run by George Perez from the 80’s. Suddenly, I can’t put it down. Perez handles the character in such a way that the story never veers too far into trite territory and the camp is tuned down considerably. He takes us to Olympus and infuses mythology into the origin of the character, tracking her from birth to adulthood. The villains are extremely cool, and the story is exciting. The whole series has enough content to create an entire trilogy.
If done the right way, it could be a masterpiece. I was genuinely surprised at how interested I was. If you haven’t read this run, you need to go out and do that right now. I know Joss Whedon was THIS CLOSE to making a WW movie with Jessica Biel as the title character a few years back. Judging by how insanely great THE AVENGERS was, I have no doubt he could have done big things with the story. Ultimately the idea was shelved, and the project was no more. Hopefully Warner Bros. (who still retain the rights to the character) see the potential this story could have. You may think I’m crazy, but again, read the Perez run of the character. It’s awesome.
My Choice Director: Kathryn Bigelow
So, as always, these choices are just my opinion. I know a few of these comics have been through the development process, but it surprises me that they haven’t made it to theaters yet. Are there any that you can think of that would make amazing films?