When TV Shows/Movies Become Comic Books

With the recent release of IDW’s True Blood comic book series that accompanies the hit television show, an interesting issue within the comic book world arises: what happens when movies and tv shows become comic books. We are all fairly familiar with what happens when comic books hit the big and small screen, but rarely do we look at the reverse.

With many comic books in existence that began as tv shows and movies, it brings up the question of why this transition (or addition) happens in the first place. There are several instances in which the creators of a tv show or movie would want to create a comic books series of the same name. Here are what I suspect are the top three reasons:

1) The show or movie is a hit. If a show or movie is a hit, producers are likely to try and capitalize on the success in any way possible, including creating a comic book series (ex. Xena Warrior Princess).

2) The show or movie is a mainstream bust, but has a cult following. Many movies, and shows especially, turn out to be a mainstream bust, but they create a cult following along the way. Shows that get cancelled or are on a small network can get a second life in the comic book world (ex. Dollhouse).

3) The show or movie is so complex that side stories enrich the show or movie itself. In some cases, the storyline of a show or movie is so complex and intense that there just isn’t enough time on-screen to fit everything in. Comic books make a nice companion to shows and movies, especially those that have a large following (ex. True Blood).

There are likely other reasons out there for creating a comic book out of a show or movie, but it all comes down to making money and satisfying fans.

So now that we've worked out the why, let's move into the what. So what exactly does the comic book series add to the existing tv or movie franchise and is it always a good move? The comic book series spin-off can take many directions. Here are a few ways in which a comic book can add to the existing franchise:

• Tell the prequel stories.
• Introduce new characters.
• Introduce new storylines.
• Continue the existing storylines.
• Tell side stories.
• Develop secondary characters further.
• Tie up loose ends.

While not all show and movie comic book adaptations are a hit (ex. Resident Evil), many of them grow into a phenomenon of their own (ex. Buffy the Vampire Slayer). Much of the press attention goes to looking at comic books that become shows and/or movies, but with so many franchises going the opposite direction, it’s worth looking into the successes and failures of the medium transition. What tv shows or movies do you think would make good comic books?

Tags: Comic Book Movies, TV Shows, True Blood, Buffy, Xena