TOP 15 CARTOON PROPERTIES THAT SHOULD BE COMICS

Top 15 Properties That Should Be Comics


 by Frankie Rodriguez

   Hey everyone. Yes, another countdown from me. I seem to be good at it. Anyway, this time, we are gonna be going through our childhoods and seeing what out there could use a continuation or remake with a comic. There are gonna be some great surprises in this and some real no-brainers.

  Now, this is all just opinion based. Feel free to agree or disagree and make your comments known. With that out of the way, let's get to it.

15 - INHUMANOIDS

     You know what I loved about this show? It was GI Joe meets Lovecraft. A team of scientists and soldiers fighting against both corrupt organizations and demonic monsters from under our feet. The corrupt organizations freed the monsters, who were the size of Godzilla and all help broke lose. This proper could really shake things up. Cloverfield was an interesting take on this but needs to be done better. With deep characterization, good science fiction and a great dose of horror, Inhumanoids could very well grab comic readers like DC New 52s Swamp Thing and Animal Man.





14 - SHE-RA, PRINCESS OF POWER

     Basically He-Man with boobs and a more powerful sword. Seriously. Her sword could do everything her brother's sword could and transform at her command to other weapons. She had super strength but in her world . . . She was the outlaw. Etheria was ruled by the evil Horde. And while many people joined the rebellion, the majority of Etheria is ruled by the Horde. That makes her a bad guy in her eyes. So she and her Great Rebellion fought many, many Horde generals and the overlord of Etheria, Hordak. Her brother got a reboot in comics and tv, why can't she? A warrior woman with mystical power. I can deal with that. Don't tell me that a new series with She-Ra going toe to toe like her brother, with some blood but good amount of characterization and adventure wouldn't be great.
   

13 - VISIONARIES 

       Magical Warriors of Light. Yet, the twist of this . . . it was a planet, Prismos, where technology such as we have today once existed till a magical event happened which made technology inert. As a hundred years past, the world had become lost in the medieval age with glimpses of the technological present they once knew. The powers of magic, thanks to a wizard, stood unleashed between two different factions. And thus, the war with the Spectral Lights began.
   With nods to Arthurian myth, mixed with a little technology, this show is ripe for a writer to come in and give us a story of a Neo Medieval time. Where cars and planes and boats are powered by magic. With a look at this new world, that could be the most interesting journey yet in comic form.


12 - MIGHTY MAX
     
     When I first heard this from CBC staffer Hector Ramirez, I was scratching my head and thought "Are you serious?" Then I got to think about it. This kid has the powers and abilities to go through time and space using a cap and a shirt. He's got a wise old sage in the form of Virgil, this  giant . .. chicken/owl bird being and a Norse Warrior as a bruiser named simply named Norman.
     Yet, his main enemy was called Skullmaster . .. who was voice by Tim Curry. OKAY. I am sold. While comes has done the whole alternate dimensions and different worlds thing to death, this is great breeding ground to do a lot of new stuff with Max; especially as he gets older. Skullmaster can still be the main enemy but give the kid some new enemies. Plus, if Max is protecting the ENTIRE multiverse, some more friends would help.
    Yet, with a plethoria of worlds, this is Sliders meets Dr Who meets the Scoobies from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Or that is what it could be with the right writer and artists.


11 - CENTURIONS

      Wait. You haven't heard of it? Okay. Let me explain why this is kind of a gold mine to actually bring back. First, it is a story of a team of experts in different fields and get special suites that give them powers to fight the evil Doc Terror and his army, who try to take over the planet. Originally starts with 3 operatives but later joined by 2 others, they fight off Doc Terror, Amber, Hacker and legions of robots.

 Second, the show ran for a LONG time with lots of GREAT writers. A 5 episode miniseries than an extra 60 episodes on top of that. And writers who were writers on the show include Michael Reaves, Larry DiTillo and Gerry Conway to name a few.

Third, the designs are from GIL KANE & JACK KIRBY. Seriously, two of the greatest artists in comic book history are behind the designs of the show. That makes it automatically demand your love.

  With the right writer and artists updating Kirby's & Kane's designs and giving the Centurions a bigger threat   (with or without Doc Terror),  this book could be GI Joe meets Bionic Man. Kirby & Kane demand your love creators!


10 - POWERPUFF GIRLS

    Our new writer, Darryll Carter, suggested this. The Powerpuff Girls had a comic but has long since stopped. And the question is, why the Powerpuff Girls . . . well, deal with them as teenagers. They were only little girls during the course of the show. Make them teens. That creates a WHOLE new set of problems. Plus, the art of JH Williams III on this would make this Powerpuff Girls extremely different yet awesome, catching the joys of youth with the grit of being a teen and fighting evil.  You can see it, can't you?





9 -  EXTREME DINOSAURS

     Picture dinosaurs being turned into Intergalatic heroes. In the cartoon, they protected Earth. A new comic with these characters can have them facing threats all over space. That way,  it gets them a different distinction as a group of freedom fighters from space instead of another Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles clone. The characters are distinctive enough to really dive into their personalities but still have plenty of room to work with. They are likable, skilled and can be a force to be reckoned with. Come on creators. You can do sooooooo much with this.




8 -  SYMBIOTIC TITAN

     This is on the list cause I want it to continue. It was a TRAVESTY that the show was not renew or re aired with high demand of fans by Cartoon Network. Stating that there wasn't enough toys that connected (aka the toys didn't sell enough) for them to continue and just scrapped the show. The show had brilliant writing, a great collection of characters and great potential to be the greatest Genndy Tartakovsky cartoon ever (behind another contender). The story of an alien princess, her defender and a robot dealing with life on Earth and defending the galaxy. This story needs to be completed.




7- EXO SQUAD

         THIS EPIC NEEDS TO BE A COMIC. I say that cause the original cartoon that it came from was about a  war with another species . . . that humanity created as slaves. The writing on the show was strong and the conclusion was indeed satisfactory  but there was SO much more that could have been done with the show itself that a comic can really dive into. What about the humans who didn't want to make the Neo-Sapiens. What about those Neo-Sapians who did not want to fight? What would life be live on Mars & Venus after we terraformed them? What about the people in the wars being fought? What about the formation of the Exo Squad itself? These are all questions that can be examined in a reboot of this classic cartoon about war & tolerance.



6 - SKYSURFER STRIKE FORCE

     I know. I know. I am getting looks.  But deep down, this property is great staging ground for a comic to take over. And I will tell you why. You have a story of a  man who is going to jail for a terrorist act that he did not commit. Then you have a criminal genius who not only set up the man to go to jail, but actually took his brain and  put it in a body where he would essentially become immortal. He forms his group of mercenaries using cybernetics while brainwashing his own daughter to be a psycho like him. Finally, the scientist that was frame has a son who is vowing venges; using his father's works to form his own vigilante band that fly on hover boards that can become cars. TELL ME THAT IS NOT AWESOME AND I WILL CALL YOU A LIAR!
   This is a property that can very well be like IDW's GI Joe or Cobra with some new spins as well as making Psyphron, the main villain, a truly depraved super-genius. This has story potential with all the characters involve; not to mention the psychological and technological applications to crime and crime-fighting. This could be a book that could very well surprise people . ..  with some redesigns for the heroes.



5 - C.O.P.S. 

      This cartoon was a cult classic to many of the people who grew up during the 80s. And with good reason. It was good, ole fashion good versus evil . . . just with super powers. And these super powers were either a product of technology or science. You have a ruthless mob don with a cartel of enhanced humans cause all sorts of crimes from embezzling to down right theft. You can just up the stakes in a comic version and really flesh out the characters. Get into personal relationships between the characters and develop some new and impressive ways of how C.O.P.S. stop crime in a future time.
     With a strong leader, the right creative team and some slight updates to an otherwise great looking property, C.O.P.S. can inspire many fans to believe in their officers.



4 -  W.I.T.C.H. 

      Did you remember this? Does your girlfriend? I bet she did. The tale of 5 girls with elemental powers, chosen to fight the mystical enemies from another dimension in order to save both the magical dimension and their own. And while the series enjoyed a 3 season run worth of story, there is still a lot of potential with these girls.
    Jumping ahead with the girls with their powers or just a full reboot with a dramatic retelling the story of how 5 girls ended up with the powers of the elements and must combat everything from evil sorcerors to demons and must make a stand to save both the magical dimension and Earth. Let these girls really learn about their powers and grow up while fighting would be ideal for a new comic book. And with the lead characters all being women, many female readers may very well flock to it. Maybe hand it over to Gail Simone perhaps? Or Kathryn Immonen? hmm?



3 - BIONIC SIX

    Seriously, why hasn't this property been touched? It has elements of the Fantastic Four, a family with super powers and go off on adventures, with a touch of Bionic Woman, Six Million Dollar man and G.I. Joe with an evil organization called Scarab. And while Scarab isn't the only enemy of the Bionic Six, they are the main adversaries. The art was beautiful. The characters were multifaceted. Including the struggle between Professor Sharp and his brother, the vile and ruthless Dr. Scarab.
    Scarab members themselves were so different with very different motivations. Mechanic just loved to beat up things and watch cartoons. Chopper just loved destruction while Glove was the backstabbing, schemer who wanted to take over Scarab himself.
   And those are the villains. The heroes, from IQ, the sole African American member, who was adapted but the smartest and third in command of the family. Karate-1 was somewhat brash but very loyal to his heritage and his teachings. And a consistent joker. Bionic-1 is the strong father who is the patriarch of the family but loves to experiment in the kitchen.
    These characters and more are just the appeal of this property that could use a proper facelift or new beginning.



2 - SILVERHAWKS

    You knew this was gonna be on this list. You knew this was gonna be here. The Thundercats has come back to a roaring applause.  These characters are near blank slates that are ripe for writers to dive into their histories, personalities and really make the Silverhawks' war with Monstar into the epic battle that it always should have been.
  Plus, the Silverhawks could also use some more characters to its roster. Monstar's band of villains seem to be much larger than the Silverhawks. Plus, with the right writers, they can do so much with each of the Silverhawks.




1 - M.A.S.K.

       This property is in DIRE need of a reboot. So much potential. This was the love child of G.I. Joe and Transformers, with vehicles that would transform into different modes. Mobile Assault Strike Kommand fought against the evil organization known as V.E.N.O.M., who was bent on either being rich or taking over the world in their own way. During the second season of the show, V.E.N.O.M. was lead by Vanessa who wanted to actually take out members of M.A.S.K. one by one.
   Take this concept and the characters and give them a new beginning. Update the characters, the vehicles and give new missions for the operatives of M.A.S.K. and double or triple V.E.N.O.M.s operative. Writers can do everything from crime stories to thrillers to war stories to fun races to mysteries. It is all in the manner of how you take this property. The mask helmets used were all special but the origin of said helmets were never explained. That is another story that could be told. So much potential here just waiting to be used for a new audience in a comic.



And this is my list of the Top 15 properties that I believe that should be comics now. What do you think? Did you disagree and have some choices of your own? Feel free to leave your comments below. Thanks again.