7 Great Image Comics Characters That Need a Movie Franchise

While there have been some notable animated TV series based on their comics, with Invincible being the most prominent, there have not been enough movies based on Image Comics characters. No comic company really matches the success level of the Marvel Cinematic Universe when it comes to success on the big and small screen. While the DC Universe may compete with James Gunn in charge, there is still no sign of any major franchises emerging from Image Comics. The company is not as flashy as it was in the ’90s, when names like Rob Liefeld and Todd MacFarlane helped create it. The fact that it was meant to be creator-owned also makes it harder to adapt movies compared to the bigger Marvel and DC franchises.

There have been some notable movies, such as Kick-Ass in the 2010s and a disappointing Spawn movie in the 1990s, that led to a superior animated series. That said, excluding larger comics like Saga, which features a diverse range of characters, there are several solo characters from Image Comics who deserve their own movie franchise.

7) The Darkness

In 2001, Warner Bros. released a live-action TV show based on the Witchblade series from Image Comics. However, a different series spawned from those comics that could become a fantastic movie franchise. That is The Darkness, a series that follows a former mafia associate named Jackie Estacado, who acquires a supernatural power called the Darkness. The Darkness is described as the chaos that existed before God’s light rose in this universe.

This could offer some great stories, thanks to Jackie’s involvement with the mafia before he became an antihero. The Darkness portrays him as a dark antihero who could offer a series of stories that could span multiple movies or even a TV show based on the mythology. It could also bring Witchblade to the big screen, as the two characters remain intertwined.

6) Savage Dragon

Anyone of a specific age remembers the Savage Dragon cartoon from the ’90s, which ran for two seasons. However, while this was something that many fans remember fondly, one person who didn’t like the treatment of the character was its creator, Erik Larsen. It might be why Larsen hasn’t agreed to a movie version for the character, and why it isn’t likely to happen. However, a Savage Dragon movie franchise could be fantastic.

Of course, the movies would have to do what Erik Larsen envisions, which is a more gritty and mature, violent story than what was shown in the cartoon. The films would also need to remain loyal to Kurr, the character Larsen created for the comic book page, which means he would need to maintain close control over the creative aspects of the films. However, if that all came together, it could be a massive, fan-friendly movie franchise.

5) Gertrude

While this Image Comics franchise would likely need to be animated to become a movie franchise, I Hate Fairyland could be an incredible property to bring to the big screen. This series follows Gertrude, now known as Gert, who was transported to a magical world called Fairyland as a child. It has been 27 years, and Gert hasn’t aged but now hates everything about her existence in Fairyland, becoming a violent misanthrope.

While it might be better suited for a television series on a service like Prime Video, this could offer a fun movie that would be unlike anything else on the big screen. A company like DreamWorks could do wonders with the story, setting it up like a more violent version of something like Shrek, and Gert would be a massive fan favorite if she made her way to the big screen.

4) Pitt

Pitt is an Image Comics property that could be the perfect fit for someone like Dave Bautista, if it were to make its way to the big screen. Pitt is a human-alien hybrid with superhuman strength, and he becomes stronger when he gets hurt, similar to the Hulk’s most devastating power.

This character could work for a similar reason that Hulk works. However, it also offers a chance for a little more horror in the stories, especially with Pitt’s history involving an alien race known as the Creed, who created him to be a killing machine. Bringing in Pitt and Timmy will offer a good chance for a filmmaker with Guillermo Del Toro’s sensibilities to deliver something amazing.

3) Hack/Slash

Hack/Slash is a duo made for the big screen. With horror movies being one of the best-selling genres in Hollywood, this Image Comics series has a lot of potential, as it squarely lives in the realm of old-school slasher movies. Cassie Hack is a horror victim and a Final Girl who ends up taking the battle to the monsters, saving the next generation of younger beings being hunted. She has a partner named Vlad, who is a giant, disfigured man who helps her kill killers.

The monsters she kills are the Slashers, and Cassie should already be one of the biggest icons of horror movies, although it has never happened. The biggest idea here is that Hack/Slash could start as its own horror franchise and then eventually could have crossovers with movies like Friday the 13th or even Evil Dead, making for some fan-friendly event movies.

2) The Maxx

The Maxx is another Image Comics property that has already been adapted into an animated series, this one premiering in the ’90s on MTV. It has also been adapted into a video game, and rumors have circulated about a movie involving Channing Tatum. However, this hasn’t happened yet. Despite this, The Maxx deserves to get a movie made about him, and it needs to happen, although the comic left Image for IDW.

The Maxx is a character who lives in two worlds: one, the real world, and another, an alternate reality known as the Outback. He is the protector of the Leopard Queen, who is a social worker in the real world named Julie, although Julie is unaware of the Outback. This would be a fantasy series, and the CGI technology has advanced to the point where it could be perfect as a live-action/animated hybrid, with enough mythology to turn it into a franchise.

1) Criminal

Criminal isn’t about one character, but rather a group of different characters appearing in each story, which could result in a fantastic movie franchise with the right talent behind the camera. Created by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips, these comics offer a unique perspective on the crime genre while maintaining a connection to the real world. The first series was about a pockpocket named Leo who got involved in a heist that wasn’t what he envisioned. The second series followed an AWOL soldier looking for the murderer of his brother.

These would work well as crime thrillers, and the fact that each story is about a different character in the underworld could lead it in the direction that Sin City should have gone if it hadn’t gone off the rails with the second movie. In fact, Sin City demonstrates how a movie franchise could work out perfectly for Criminal. It has the chance to be the best Image Comics movie ever made. A Prime Video series is in the works, but a movie franchise would also be a great idea.

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