PREACHER
I'l get the most obvious out of the way first. Preacher is the most respected and well-loved series of adult graphic novels ever, next to Neil Gaiman's Sandman series, and film and TV versions have long since been mooted. Jesse Custer is a preacher in a small Texan town, ends up possessing 'The Voice Of God', and accompanied by his old girlfriend and an alcoholic Irish vampire sets off on a journey to find God, who has abandoned Heaven. It's completely insane, extremely violent (The Saint Of Killers would be an instant icon), hilarious and utterly compelling. Think a mix of modern Westerns, Near Dark and The Prophecy, and throw in lots more blood.
STRANGERS IN PARADISE
A beautiful love story, hilarious comedy, action and excitement all on one title? Terry Moore's Strangers In Paradise is a unique exploration of love, loss and dealing with life. The characters are convincing and believable, and the relationship between lead characters Francine and Katchoo is one of the most poignant the industry has ever seen. The title would be superb as either a series of films or a TV show.
SUPERMARKET
A young woman, Pella, comes home to discover her parents have been murdered, and then discovers the truth about their past as the heads of a crime empire. Pella soon finds herself on the run, with two rival gangs of hitmen after her. A little futuristic, a little kitsch, and a lot of fun. Pella is a superb character, and played well could be unforgettable as she tries to deal with the emotional burden of what's going on around her as well as the constant action.
TRANSMETROPOLITAN
A bleak and gleefully anarchic cyberpunk tale following the exploits of furious journalist Spider Jerusalem (basically an insane futuristic Hunter S. Thompson) as he and his comrades do battle against governmental corruption against the backdrop of a deliciously dystopian future. Spider would make for a true lunatic hero, and any studio is set to make a fortune in replicas of his famous glasses.
WELCOME TO HOXFORD
Ben (30 Days of Night artist) Templesmith's brutal and grim tale of a prison for the very worst lunatics would probably need a new kind of certificate for a film version, such is the demented level of violence, but it's also a chillingly well-thought-out thriller. Thanks to its relentlessly bleak setting and the horrifying deeds that go on within its walls, a movie of Welcome to Hoxford could provide one of the most intelligent horror films in decades.
KILL YOUR BOYFRIEND
A perfectly formed one-shot comic, Kill Your Boyfriend has been held in high regard ever since it first hit the shelves. It's a black comedy featuring a British schoolgirl and her troublemaker boyfriend go on an anarchic rampage full of violence and breaking the fourth wall. The material 'to camera' is sublime, and Grant Morrison's script is absolutely razor-sharp. This would make a great low-budget indie film.
MISTER X
An underground 1980s comic which has seen a resurgence in recent years, Dean Motter's Mister X told the story of Radiant City, a place which was designed with the intent of keeping its inhabitants calm and happy, but instead sent them all insane. The mysterious Mister X returns to his creation in order to try and put right whatever it was which sent the place mental. Packed with art-deco style retro SF aesthetics and film noir touches, Mister X could make for a thematically and stylistically breathtaking film.
ROGUE TROOPER
The classic 2000AD character saw action as a video game property a few years ago, and has all of the essentials for a memorable action movie. Remember the Kurt Russell travesty 'Soldier'? Think that movie, but good. Rogue Trooper is, at its heart, a standard story of surviving war, but with the added layer of science fiction and space battles, it has the makings of a true epic. An epic with a badass central character and the potential to be much more than just another action movie.
HACK/SLASH
The film of this is apparently about to be lensed, and it's about damn time. HACK/SLASH has one of the most fun premises out there of late – a girl hunting down monsters with her lumbering monster sidekick – and is packed with enough film in-jokes to satisfy even the most picky of dorks like me. There are nods to horror movies old and new galore throughout the comics, and with an Evil Dead sense of humour about it, they never fail to entertain. Not the deepest or most thought-provoking franchise out there, but hey, this is entertainment, right?
Y THE LAST MAN
Here's one which has been on the cards for a long time, and it really needs to get made. Y The Last Man follows the exploited of Y, who is indeed the last man on earth apart from his pet monkey, and how he survives in a world ruled by women. It's apocalyptic, heartbreaking and funny in equal measure. With themes of identity, survival and gender dealt with head-on, it would be a very different kind of sci-fi/comic adventure.
