People nowadays are generally enthralled by film adaptations of comic comics. This current trend has given us some everlasting masterpieces, but we still believe that the greatest way to recreate comic books is through animation. Not only can the plot of a cartoon adaptation of a comic book be replicated, but the artwork from the iconic comic books may also be maintained.
DC, Marvel, and Image comics, for example, offer a plethora of tales, many of which have been adapted into entertaining cartoon episodes. All of these cartoon programmes have had lively and cheerful atmospheres as well as dark and frightening storylines! In this video, we’ll take a look at a few of these overlooked animation series that faithfully retained the realism and brilliance of the comic books that came before them!
Spawn the Animated Series
Al Simmons (Keith David), a mercenary, returns to Earth five years after his death, having made a bargain with Malebolgia, one of Hell’s lords (who never appears on screen). His mind is fractured into shards with lost memories, and his form is rotting and burnt beneath his clothing as Malebolgia’s Spawn, as per the terms of his agreement.
Now Al wanders skid row tormented by the knowledge his wife is now married to his best friend, and now finds himself at the center of power struggles of Heaven, Hell, the criminal, underworld, and his former superiors.
Todd McFarlane’s brilliance is evident throughout this sophisticated cartoon series that aired on HBO late at night. For those who thought series like Gargoyles and Batman: The Animated Series were dark and dealt with adult themes, Spawn turns them into children’s cartoons! You’ll see some of the most gruesome scenes imaginable, such as bodies being torn apart and blood pouring like a river.
Even the sexual stuff is a bit raunchy, and the profound, dark concepts about Heaven and Hell are clearly intended for an older audience. The animation was remarkable, and the stunning storytelling even got Spawn two Primetime Emmy Awards. Besides the bold creation of Todd McFarlane and the fascinating journey of the protagonist that will keep you hooked, the voice-acting is the icing on the cake.
Keith David, as the protagonist, is just perfect for the role, and the production team gives it everything to make Spawn a great memory for us! You didn’t watch it when it aired? Well, there is good news for you because you can watch the episodes online on HBO even today!
Phantom 2040
The Phantom, a superhero created by Lee Falk in 1936, is one of the originals in the realm of superheroes. Phantom 2040, a mid-90s animated series, is based on this superhero, and the character designs were handled by Peter Chung, who previously worked on Aeon Flux.
The plot centered around the 24th Phantom, keeping in line with the legacy of heroes passing on the mantle from father to son for hundreds of years. The story is premised in a futuristic war-ravaged 21st century where people fight for resources, and only the wealthy manage to thrive.
This animated series was like taking a vintage Cadillac from the 1920s and outfitting it with cutting-edge technology. Phantom 2040’s futuristic makeover piqued the curiosity of new-age viewers, and writers Garfield Reeves-Stevens and Judith did an excellent job of incorporating some unexpected turns in the narrative.
Kit Walker Jr.’s character growth is interesting to witness as he takes on the role of Phantom despite his early reluctance. His battle with the nefarious company Maximum Inc. was a cliffhanger that would entice viewers to watch without hesitation! The serialized storylines helped the viewer, and in more ways than one Phantom 2040 stands out as an exceptional series that could have well been a live-action series!
The voice-acting deserves a special mention and is almost as good as in Batman: The animated series. It is unfortunate that after 2 seasons, the series didn’t get an extension, but this unsung classic deserves a bow for the stylish and tightly plotted presentation.
Cybersix
It’s rare for an Argentinian comic book that has never been published in English to gain fans in both English and Japanese! TMS and NOA collaborated on Cybersix, a unique instance in comic book history, to create an animated production that could appeal to a broad audience.
The story is about a genetically engineered superhero named Cybersix, who was a literature teacher in high school during the day and fought deadly bio-weapons at night. Her creator was an evil Nazi SS doctor with some sinister plans, and only Cybersix could be a potential threat to him.
The 13-episode run was distinguished by the substance of Cybersix, which was unlike anything else on television in the 1990s. One of the first issues the filmmakers had to deal with was the sexual content, which they had to drastically reduce.
The fantastic presentation will make you grin, and the compelling storyline will keep you glued to your seat. Most Western viewers were unfamiliar with the original stories, so they waited patiently for the protagonist’s history to be revealed. Her vendetta against her evil creator, the multi-layered mythology of this series, and her interesting vulnerabilities made the visual storytelling style all the more appealing.
Cybersix had to kill other creations of her creator in order to stay alive, and this promised some edge of the seat moments! This entry might be a tad obscure but it certainly deserves a place amongst the others on this list.
Spider-Man Unlimited (1999-2005)
On the other side of the Sun, John Jameson is on a one-man expedition to another world called Counter-Earth. Spider-Man tries to stop Venom and Carnage from boarding the space ship. When all communication with Jameson is lost, however, the media and the general public begin to blame Spider-Man.
Later, when Jameson sends a distress signal from Counter-Earth, Spider-Man borrows some high-tech gadgets and suit to help Jameson fight the evil Beastials, who are the dominant species over there.
Spider-Man Unlimited picks off where the previous Spider-Man animation left off. The high-tech boost that Spider-Man receives is one of the finest things about this series. He’s a problem for the opponent thanks to his stealth mode, an unique outfit with web-shooters, and a slew of other abilities.
There are a few tweaks to the standard Spider-Man tales that you’ll appreciate. Green Goblin, for example, is a renegade fighting the Beastials, and you’ll be left wondering when he’ll turn nice! The animation quality was quite impressive, and everything about the show suggests that it deserved a longer run than the merely 13 episodes that it got.
In fact, a second season was set to be animated, but the popularity of Pokemon and Digimon drew curtains for the project. We were left on a cliffhanger, but we must admit that this new twisted take on Spider-Man was quite exciting for us!
Fantastic Four: World’s Greatest Heroes(2006-2010)
It’s not often that a popular animated series succeeds in outperforming the film in terms of content. The animated series Fantastic Four was an unexpected exception, as it was based on the film world created by the two films released in 2005 and 2007.
This version offers its own storyline about the superheroes’ origins, and they’re back with their strange superpowers. Susan Storm is still the team’s heart, and Reed Richards is still fantastic. The Human Torch provides the much-needed comic relief, and Johnny Storm just completes the weird group.
The superheroes have some invincible villains to take down, and you will see the likes of Annihlus, Mole Man, the Skrulls, Prince Namor, the Kree, the Puppetmaster, Terminus, the Frightful Four, Von Doom, and many others putting the Fantastic Four up for a tough test.
The animation technique was revolutionary, and combining two-dimensional art with three-dimensional computer animation was a brilliant idea. The appearances of other superheroes were entertaining to see, as we saw Ant-Man, Iron Man, The Hulk, and even She-Hulk pop in here and there. We liked it when the Hulk and the Thing fought, and when Tony Stark matched Reed Richards’ arrogance and intelligence.
The writing for this series was spot-on, and they cleverly managed to blend the dangers and action with mild humor. It deserved much more than just one season and 26 episodes, and for us, it remains the best-animated version of Fantastic Four ever made!
Men in Black: The Series (1997-2001)
The Men in Black animated series followed a narrative set in a parallel universe to the Men in Black film franchise. The live-action films are arguably the most popular, and many people forget that it all started with Lowell Cunningham’s legendary comic book series.
The plot revolves around a group of specially trained agents who are in charge of all paranormal and alien activity on the planet. They had some terrifying adversaries that promised some old-fashioned fights to keep the audience on the edge of their seats.
In the animated series version, you will see Agent Jay still functioning as a rookie, contrary to the movies, and Agent Kay has not retired.
As previously stated, the series followed a different timeline from that depicted in the films, and the majority of the episodes focused on the agents’ exploits. Those who are familiar with comic books will recognise how the dark and adult version has been diluted for the movies and animated shows.
The creators intended to appeal to fans of all ages, therefore the animated series was designed to be suitable for youngsters as well! So, as you would expect, the MiB were not executing witnesses or doing anything too morbid. We see Agent Jay and Kay, keeping up their cool quotient with some cutting-edge technology.
The series promises a lot of entertainment as the heroes use the best of their powers to maintain order on Earth. The sci-fi nature of this engaging, action-packed series spanning four seasons and 53 episodes remains close to our heart even today!
The Maxx
Little did Sam Kieth realise when he initially developed The Maxx for Image Comics that the tale would gain so many fans in the future! The protagonist is a homeless vagabond who frequently sleeps in cardboard boxes in a riveting story. His misadventures in the harsh world form the crux of the tale, but things take a serious turn when it moves to the back-stories about a serial rapist named Mr. Gone.
The Maxx starts protecting one of his targets, but Mr. Gone tries to kill him. There are mysterious entities like the spirit animals, the eyeless, and a predatory Isz to grab your attention.
One of the finest aspects of the animated series was how faithful it was to the original. The eye-catching visual style, which is more of a synthesis of many animation schools, encompasses everything from live-action to more classic animation approaches.
There were only 13 episodes, and they couldn’t respect the comic book’s vast universe at times. We would have loved it better if the back-stories could be explored better, but the short runtime didn’t allow the makers such luxuries.
However, even with such shortcomings, The Maxx is one of the cult-classics that has a significant fan following. It used to air on MTV’s Liquid Television, and they had a target audience of mostly adults. As of now, you can watch it at MTV Classics, and we promise you it will be time well spent!
Savage Dragon
A weird green-skinned creature awakens in a burning field, and, as one might imagine, suffers from amnesia as a result of the stress. He now works as a cop in Chicago, fighting criminals and dangerous mutants with his partner.
The many adventures and kickass fights push the narrative further, and it was a welcome change back in the day to see a superhero work among the usual human environment with somewhat regular powers.
Savage Dragon was a huge sensation with comic book readers when it first came out in the 1980s. Erik Larsen’s fascinating universe was quickly translated for an animated series in the 1990s, with Larsen remaining in command of the artwork and scripts.
It’s a novel and original approach that appealed to viewers of the animated series. The show had a 26-episode run, and audiences liked the fast-paced plot. The production qualities shown in the visual brilliance that left even the harshest critics impressed. We also love the voice-acting talent that was associated with this project.
The likes of Jim Cummings, Jeff Bennett, Tony Jay, and the others did an amazing job of bringing fictional characters to life. If you are in the mood for an unabashed, savage series, this can be a fun watch!
Marvel Knights Animation – Black Panther
The plot tries to explain the Black Panther’s mysticism and his homeland of Wakanda. It beautifully represents most Atlantis-like civilizations, and the storyline is more concerned with themes of colonialism and African exploitation than with Wakanda’s growth and progress.
It certainly aimed to capture the fantasies of children and young minds, and the presentation was definitely planned, keeping them in mind. The makers obviously sidestepped issues like apartheid and blatant Western exploitation of Africa, but it does include minor instances of violence.
This was a fantastic job for a series that stands out so much from other superhero cartoons. We thought the art style was unique, as opposed to the normal style we see more commonly. The great storyline and positioning of Black Panther in the Marvel Universe, on the other hand, were fantastic.
The Civilization and People of Wakanda, not Black Panther, are what stand out most in this epic narrative! It honours the preservation of cultural heritage while also advancing technology.
This is the dream of many people who have been separated from their home, to have never been separated and stood strong in the midst of oncoming assaults, even if the charge is led by Captain America. The only flaw was that it had only six episodes because we would have loved a lot more from this gem of a series that literally ended on a cliff-hanger!
Wild C.A.T.s
For thousands of years, two prehistoric extraterrestrial cultures have been engaged in a terrible battle that has involved the Earth. The heroic Kherubim are on one side, while the evil Daemonites are on the other.
The Daemonites are reptilian looking aliens who can even possess their host and control their actions. The Kherubims, on the other hand, are warriors who have fought them for ages.
The amazing character designs are undoubtedly one of the highlights of Wild C.A.Ts. Jim Lee, who had previously worked on the popular X-Men series, was in charge of the project. In terms of material and style, this far surpassed the X-Men franchise.
The plot seemed to work just fine with these thirteen episodes of Wild C.A.Ts, which CBS picked up for their Action Zone block of Saturday morning cartoons. The well-developed characters suit the storyline perfectly, and the animation seems to work just fine. We were particularly in love with War Blade and Grifter.
The series contained everything from gripping fights, explosions, big thrills, and big bosoms! Sometimes the content strays from the comic book source, but we aren’t complaining. There are moments when you feel that the budgetary constraints restricted a few scenes, but overall, it is a must-watch animated series.