10 Best Comics Based On Classic TV Shows

The comic book industry has long turned to TV and film for inspiration, with iconic properties like Star Trek, Power Rangers and Space Ghost making their way into print. When it comes to shows, the industry has historically offered a way for audiences’ favorite stories to continue on, sometimes giving them a conclusion they were robbed of by network cancelation. These titles can often become bestsellers when adapted to comics, thanks to a built-in audience.

Comics based on TV shows are among the best tales in print, since they have a habit of attracting some of the most passionate writers in the business. These books can work in different ways, with some adopting a done-in-one format of their inspiration, while others opt for longer, more detailed arcs. For some franchises, they go on to have their best comic stories through crossovers and miniseries, which bring out the best of what made them great on TV.

10 The X-Files/30 Days of Night

Steve Niles, Adam Jones and Tom Mandrake

The X-Files was among the biggest TV success stories of the 1990s, following two opposite-minded FBI agents, Mulder and Scully, as they investigate a series of paranormal phenomena. In comics, their story was continued after the dissatisfying ninth season, with IDW becoming their de facto home between the ninth and tenth seasons.

The X-Files’ best comic actually didn’t come from a solo book at all, but rather their crossover with Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith’s 30 Days of Night. Though the franchise does have some great solo books from IDW, including a continuation of the original series, their vampire crossover took viewers back to what made the first season so great.

9 Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight

Joss Whedon, Georges Geanty, Jo Chen, Brian K. Vaughan, Paul Lee, Andy Owens, Dave Stewart

To say that Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Series was one of the biggest shows of the 1990s would undersell its cultural impact for the decade’s youth. Revolving around the teen monster hunter as she attends Sunnydale High School, the series follows Buffy Summers as she befriends Xander and Willow, studies under Giles and falls in love with the vampire Angel. The show concluded with the destruction of Sunnydale to defeat the First Evil — and that’s where the comics pick up.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 directly continues on from the events of the series, with Joss Whedon himself writing its stories in classic quippy yet eerie form. The series kicks off with a bang as long-time Buffy enemy Amy resurfaces, forcing a battle of magic with Willow. From there, the Scoobies continue their adventures, with fan-favorites like Faith making a comeback.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a supernatural comedy-drama series released in 1997. The show follows the exploits of Buffy, a woman born into a line of “Slayers” destined to do battle with vampires, demons, and monsters. Aided by her close group of friends and a Watcher who helps her hone her craft, the crew solves mysteries and battles the forces of evil to protect their town – and the world.

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8 Batman ’66 Meets the Man From U.N.C.L.E.

Jeff Parker and David Hahn

The 1960s were a decade full of iconic TV shows. Chief among them were Adam West’s Batman series and The Man From U.N.C.L.E., a spy series. In 2016, the two franchises crossed over in a fantastic tale that blended the campy super-heroics of Gotham with the Bond-inspired Cold War nature of U.N.C.L.E. The series follows Batman, Robin, Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin as THRUSH recruits from Gotham’s criminal underworld at the behest of Hugo Strange.

Batman ’66 Meets the Man From U.N.C.L.E. serves as a fun look at ’60s entertainment, and shows a surprising fit between the two shows. It also works as a rare title that hypes up Hugo Strange, reimagining him as a Cold War mastermind who comes close to brainwashing his enemies.

Batman 1960s

Starring Adam West as Bruce Wayne and Burt Ward as Dick Grayson a.k.a. Robin, ABC’s 1960s Batman series sees DC’s Dynamic Duo confront many of their famous villains across three seasons and 120 episodes, released from 1966 to 1968. With now iconic portrayals of comic book villains like Cesar Romero’s Joker, Burgess Meredith’s Penguin, Julie Newmar’s Catwoman, and Frank Gorshin’s Riddler, the series helped cement the Dark Knight in pop culture two decades before Tim Burton reimagined the character for the big screen.

7 Mighty Morphin Power Rangers

Kyle Higgins, Steve Orlando, Mairghread Scott, Daniel Bayliss and Corin Howell

In the 1990s, the Power Rangers became a pop culture sensation, delivering young TV viewers weekly martial arts, science fiction and creature feature stories. In the five Rangers, each sporting their own colors, audiences had a different personality that could resonate with them in their battle against villains like Rita Repulsa.

Under BOOM! Studios, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers has continued the heroes’ ongoing battle with Rita Repulsa and her minions. The comics have also added to the team dynamic, revisiting Tommy (the Green Ranger) and his turn to villainy. Now a repentant hero, he seeks to make amends and earn back the respect and trust of his friends. That’s not to mention the Power Rangers‘ fun crossovers with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers

Cast

Austin St. John , Thuy Trang , Walter Emanuel Jones , Amy Jo Johnson , David Yost , Paul Schrier , Jason Narvy , David Fielding , Jason David Frank , Johnny Yong Bosch , Karan Ashley , Steve Cardenas , Catherine Sutherland

Release Date

August 28, 1993

Seasons

3

Streaming Service(s)

Netflix , Plex

Writers

Haim Saban , Shuki Levy

Creator(s)

Haim Saban , Shuki Levy

Expand

6 The Green Hornet (2010)

Kevin Smith & Jonathan Lau

Created at the height of detective-themed comics, the Green Hornet is Britt Reid, the wealthy publisher of The Daily Sentinel. By night, he dons the green costume, with his martial arts expert sidekick, Kato, aiding him in his war on crime. He has a strong profile in comics, most famously under writer and film-maker Kevin Smith. His 2010 story arc follows the passing of the mantle to Britt Reid Jr, who continues his father’s legacy with a duo of sidekicks.

Though he technically first appeared in radio format, the Green Hornet’s 1966 series has remained the standard formula for a variety of writers, from Kevin Smith to Mark Waid. Throughout the Golden Age of Hollywood, he appeared in film serials, later making his way to comics and TV. Played by Van Williams, the hero was among the most prolific of the ’60s, and Smith’s story arc on the character is a pure love letter to the franchise. This came to full fruition when Smith penned Batman ’66 Meets Green Hornet.

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5 Firefly: The Unification War

Greg Pak and Dan McDaid

Firefly merges science fiction and Western in a series that follows the renegade crew of a ship, Serenity, in the aftermath of a civil war. Aboard the ship are nine different characters, all looking for a way to make a living on the frontiers of space, taking work as smugglers and other illicit or dangerous jobs. After being canceled during its first season, the show’s passionate fan base demanded more.

Firefly found its best home at BOOM! Studios, with Planet Hulk writer Greg Pak penning an ongoing title. The series began with “The Unification War,” a story that follows Mal and Zoe fighting to save their friends when their past comes back to haunt them, shedding light on the conflict that sparked the whole show. Pak nailed the voices of the characters, turning in a comic that feels like it was ripped from the original TV show.

Firefly

Set in the year 2517, Firefly follows the crew of the Serenity, a smuggling ship operating on the fringes of Alliance space. Captain Malcolm “Mal” Reynolds (Nathan Fillion) is a veteran of a civil war, bitter about having fought for the losing side and now making his living as an outlaw smuggler out among the distant colonies forgotten and ignored by the Alliance. However, after taking on paying passengers, Mal finds himself caught up in a conspiracy likely to bring the whole Alliance military down on him and his crew. 

4 Batman: The Adventures Continue

Paul Dini, Alan Burnett and Ty Templeton

Batman: The Animated Series took the world of the Caped Crusader and gave it a fresh exploration on TV. Borrowing from film noir, Golden Age tales and adding in some deep storytelling, the show is a fan-favorite among Batman fans. After a comic continuation in 1990s, the continuity made a comeback in 2020’s Batman: The Adventures Continue, which brought the series in line with recent DC stories.

Batman: The Adventures Continue serves as a fun alternate look at the world of Batman alongside the regular continuity. The series has revisited classic made-for-TV characters like Roxy Rocket and Harley Quinn, while exploring the likes of Deathstroke and Bane as they set their sights on bringing down The Dark Knight.

Batman: The Animated Series

Batman: The Animated Series is an award-winning adaptation of the Batman mythos. Remembered for its groundbreaking art style and orchestrated soundtrack, Batman: The Animated Series features the Caped Crusader and countless characters from his rogues’ gallery. Kevin Conroy lent his now-iconic voice to the Dark Knight, with the show also featuring the voice talents of Mark Hamill (as the Joker) Arleen Sorkin (Harley Quinn), John Glover (the Riddler), Ron Perlman (Clayface), and David Warner (Ra’s al Ghul).

3 DC Comics’ Star Trek

Peter David, James Fry, Arne Starr and Jerome Moore

Star Trek helped usher in the Golden Age of science fiction TV, alongside franchises like The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits and Doctor Who. Telling the story of the various crews of the USS Enterprise exploring deep space, the series kicked off under the leadership of Captain Kirk. Taking on monster-of-the-week creatures and persistent threats like the Klingon Empire, the franchise’s meteoric success was destined for comics.

The Star Trek comics worked best in DC, where legendary Incredible Hulk writer Peter David continued on the format of the original series. Exploring threats like shape-shifters and navigating the tensions and balance of power in the galaxy, the series delivers horror, science fiction, political thriller and space opera.

Star Trek

Star Trek is one of pop culture’s biggest multimedia franchises, spanning multiple movies, TV shows, books, comics, video games, and various other media. The franchise was created by Gene Roddenberry and started with the 1960s TV series starring William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy. Over the decades, several equally popular series have come out since as Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Discovery.

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2 Scooby-Doo Team-Up

Sholly Fisch and Dario Brizuela

First released in 1969, Scooby-Doo’s success has shaped Saturday morning cartoons for decades, blending comedy, mystery and light horror. Having since been acquired by Warner Bros., the franchise is actually one of the longest-running TV properties in comics, and has been published by Marvel, DC, Gold Key and Archie. Arguably the best title is Scooby-Doo Team-Up, a series that sends the Mystery Inc. gang on monthly adventures with DC and Hanna-Barbera characters.

Among the gang’s best team-ups in the comics were Swamp Thing, Space Ghost, the Super Friends and DC’s mystical heroes. Each story does a good job of bringing in the publisher’s heroes and villains, while also incorporating compelling mysteries for the gang and their friends to solve. The issues are each modeled clearly on both Silver Age comics and 1960s cartoons, which make for a great combination.

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! (1969)

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! is a classic animated mystery series that follows the adventures of four teenagers – Fred Jones, Daphne Blake, Velma Dinkley, and Shaggy Rogers – and their talking Great Dane, Scooby-Doo. Together, they travel around in their psychedelic van, the Mystery Machine, solving supernatural mysteries and uncovering spooky secrets.

1 Space Ghost

David Pepose and Jonathan Lau

Created by Hanna-Barbera, Space Ghost ranked among the best Saturday morning cartoons of the 1960s. A space-based hero in the style of Batman meets Green Lantern, the protagonist patrols the galaxy with his sidekicks, Jace, Jan and the monkey Blip. His 2024 series from Dynamite follows the first meeting between the characters, with the hero taking the children under his wing after the death of their father.

Pepose and Lau’s Space Ghost series is among the best superhero books in print as of 2024, surpassing the action, pacing and stories of most Marvel and DC books. For those who want to see the origins of the original series, this title offers a better beginning than DC’s 2004 Space Ghost series, perfectly incorporating the hero’s rogues’ gallery into the adventures.