Comic books have powered some of my favorite games of all time. From Spider-Man to the Batman Arkham series, comic books and video games have shared a rather fruitful partnership over the years.
But while industry icons from DC and Marvel have made a huge impact, a few of my favorite comic book-based games haven’t been based on the Big Two.
Comic books are a truly fantastic medium, and their unique visual language is one of the great art forms of our time. You can find so many of its fingerprints across the industry, even in games that aren’t specifically based on a famous one.
And within this genre, which feels like its own cottage industry at times, comic book video games have transcended well beyond the big two of Marvel and DC. These games aren’t based on any of those, but they’re all excellent just the same.
10 Comix Zone
Four Color Spectacular
While not explicitly based on a comic book, Comix Zone takes clear influence from the medium as a whole. It uses the medium’s signature aesthetic to craft its highly stylized world.
Comix Zone is a 2D beat ’em up that takes place within the confines of a comic, transitioning players from panel to panel. It is easily one of the most outstanding games of the 1990s, and an all-time Sega Genesis classic.
I played hours upon hours of it with my dad back in the day, who I owe my love of comic books to in the first place. If you’ve yet to play this absolute gem, it’s pretty easy to get today.
Comix Zone has been re-released by Sega countless times, and chances are that if you own any sort of modern hardware, it’s easy to come by.
9 Hellboy: Web Of Wyrd
Bird Is The Wyrd
Hellboy is a comic book I became drawn to during the early 2000s, thanks in large part to my dive into smaller, more independent books.
Sadly, Big Red didn’t have the greatest luck with video games. But in 2023, he finally got a pretty good video game adaptation with Hellboy: Web of Wyrd.
Hellboy creator Mike Mignola played a crucial part in the game’s development, which was much needed to capture the comic’s signature voice.
It’s a nifty little beat ’em up title, and while I generally don’t find a lot of enjoyment in procedurally generated games, Web of Wyrd is a fantastic experience for Hellboy fans.
The art direction, style, and writing are all perfectly in line with Mike Mignola’s iconic comic book series.
8 Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World: The Game
We Are Here To Make You Sad And Stuff
Watching Scott Pilgrim vs. The World was almost like a rite of passage for young adults in the early 2010s. It created an entire new generation of fans devoted to Bryan Lee O’Malley’s graphic novel series.
Along with the big-screen success, Scott Pilgrim found his way into a truly excellent 2D beat ’em up back in 2010, releasing right alongside the movie.
The animation, background design and music are all absolutely top-notch. This is one of the best 2D beat ’em up games you can find, and when you consider how many of those there are, that’s a rather high bit of praise.
If you’ve ever enjoyed the Scott Pilgrim movie or the comic books, checking this one out is an absolute no-brainer.
7 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Arcade Game
Certified Classic
I have a distinct, highly detailed memory of being in a department store in the late 1990s and waiting for my mom to get finished shopping.
During this time, I met another kid who was doing the same. We put quarters into the machine and played this game for roughly an hour or so.
That memory has remained, and despite fearing the game wouldn’t hold up today, I believe it genuinely does.
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics were far darker and more mature than what this game represented, but that didn’t matter. It’s still one of the greatest arcade beat ’em ups of all time.
The richly detailed sprite art is still incredibly impressive for 1989, and the music is among some of the best arcade game music ever made.
6 XIII
Lucky 13
XIII is based on a Belgian comic book that ran from 1984 to 2007, amassing a cult following. It was so ingrained in the small, underground comic book scene that its unique world caught the attention of Ubisoft.
I’ve never personally read the comic book that XIII is based on, but the game is one of my favorite first-person shooters of all time.
Starring David Duchovny of The X-Files fame, XIII is set in a highly stylized world that looks like a comic book come to life. Comic panels and expressive bits of text aren’t just part of the cutscenes, but also factor into the world itself during gameplay.
XIII was recently remade, but it didn’t quite match the charm of the original. Even so, XIII is still an excellent first-person shooter based on one of the indie scene’s most fascinating comics.
5 Spawn: Armageddon
Revenge Is Best Served Cold
After watching the HBO cartoon at an age that I probably shouldn’t have, I became absolutely obsessed with the character of Spawn.
Created by industry legend Todd McFarlane, Spawn is a character that I grew to love due to how dark and sinister his world is. His video game track record hasn’t been great, but he does have one pretty fun adaptation that launched way back during the early 2000s.
Spawn: Armageddon is based heavily on the first 100 issues of the comic book. It is a game clearly made by fans of the property, as it features numerous callbacks and direct adaptations from the groundbreaking comic book.
It feels like a slick mix of Devil May Cry and Legacy of Kain, prioritizing action and adventure. Sadly, this is the only genuinely good game based on the character and was actually directed by Spawn creator Todd McFarlane.
4 Turok: Dinosaur Hunter
I Am Turok!
Turok: Dinosaur Hunter was based on the Valiant Comics character of the same name. And one of my favorite aspects of the Valiant Comics brand was how diverse it was.
It wasn’t just analogues to Marvel and DC. Rather, the Valiant universe was filled with everything from cyborgs to vengeful spirits, all the way to mercenaries and Turok himself.
It has a raw, completely unhinged energy that I love. There is absolutely no context outside a few little bits of lore, and the game just drops you into its chaotic world.
Future Turok games expanded on the mythology, but I absolutely adore just how focused the original game was. The recent remaster of the N64 classic is also outstanding, and a great way to experience it today.
3 The Wolf Among Us
Once Upon A Time
Telltale found a winning formula back in the early 2010s, concocting a rich, detailed episodic adventure game based on The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman.
Although they ended up spreading themselves too thin and had to relaunch themselves after closing down, one of their most fabulous games was The Wolf Among Us.
Based on the comic book Fables by Bill Willingham, The Wolf Among Us takes place in a dark, seedy reinvention of classic folk tales.
Telltale made a lot of cool games back during this time, but The Wolf Among Us is unmatched in terms of its cinematic scope and complex, interweaving stories.
2 Judge Dredd: Dread Vs Death
I Am The Law
Judge Dredd is a fascinating character in that his media adaptations have become far more popular than the source material.
While the original comics are pretty fun, Dredd’s video game exploits have proven to be a touch more interesting. Case in point, Judge Dredd: Dredd vs Death.
Set in the sprawling urban dystopia known as Mega-City One, Dredd vs Death actually pits the futuristic lawman against his most iconic villain. Judge Death is a sadistic, highly cunning villain and one of the indie comic scene’s most striking figures.
Gunplay feels rather good for a game of this vintage, and the overall look captures the rebellious spirit of the comic books rather well. It’s also readily available on Steam and plays surprisingly well on modern hardware if you grab the GOG version.
1 The Walking Dead
Prepare To Cry
The Walking Dead wasn’t just a television show based on a comic book. It became a global phenomenon, and that cultural footprint has expanded well into video games.
This was the game that truly put Telltale Games on the map, as they tapped into exactly what made the comic book so successful.
It relied on strong characters, expressive writing and moral dilemmas as its foundation. The episodic format works so well, as it emulates the month-to-month nature of the comic.
The ongoing saga of Clementine is one of gaming’s most emotionally complicated journeys. Following her from a frightened little girl, through her growth into a young adult with her own responsibilities, is a story that you simply can’t miss.
The Walking Dead is the gold standard for how to adapt a comic book that isn’t a superhero. It focused on what makes comic books so entertaining, and crafted one of the finest games of all time in the process.
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Author: 360 Technology Group
