In regard to movies and shows based on comics, oftentimes the newest installment of Batman or Spider-Man comes to mind. With the ever-growing MCU and DC’s constant release of films about caped characters we all recognize, the superhero genre has taken over the name of comic book movie adaptations. However, there are a handful of comics-based movies and shows that don’t stem from Marvel or DC. The industry has frequently turned to published writing for inspiration, whether from books, the social reading platform Wattpad, its sister-site Webtoon, created specifically for graphic novels, or other printed comic books.

When it comes to comics, there are more than those about superheroes fighting off villains and saving the world. Right now, Euphoria, Abbott Elementary and Hulu’s endless list of bingeworthy mini docu-series are currently all the rage. Even K-dramas have been blowing up on streaming services everywhere, and of these many dramatic programs, including the forthcomingLore Olympusand GremoryLand, some of them have Webtoon to thank for their source material. Other stories have been around for decades and have put a fresh new spin on beloved comics, targeting them for a completely new demographic. No matter how they began, these stories all got their start on the pages of a graphic novel publication. Jumping from images and speech bubbles to live-action television programs, here are 8 TV shows that began as comics (and aren’t Marvel or DC-related).

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8 All of Us are Dead

     Netflix

The Netflix series All of Us are Dead began as a Webtoon story named Now at Our School by Joo Dong-geun. The Korean drama was published between 2009 and 2011, and was brought to screen in 2022. A zombie apocalypse series, the show follows students whose high school is overrun with the living dead after a failed science experiment. With no food, water, or a way to escape, the surviving kids must find a way to fend for themselves, using the only equipment they have. Given that the first season ended on a cliffhanger, fans have been eager to know what’s next to come. Until then, they can read the story in its original format or continue waiting for a season 2.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

7 Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

     Berlanti Productions

Sabrina Spellman flew on her broomstick onto our TV screens in 1996 when Melissa Joan Hart portrayed her in a feature length film and long-running television sitcom Sabrina the Teenage Witch, which is based on a 1971 comic book. Though the Friday night comedy was a family-friendly program, things took a turn when Netflix picked up a 2018 series based on the much darker horror comic Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Following the familiar Sabrina Spellman, the supernatural series starred Kiernan Shipka as the blonde-haired bruja in a coming-of-age drama that mixes in the outlandish elements of witchcraft and evil forces. It came to an end in 2020, but fans were still able to see Sabrina guest-star on an episode of Riverdale, which takes place in the same universe.

6 Hellbound

Hellbound is another Netflix original that got its start on Webtoon. Written by Choi Gyuseok and Yeon Sangho, Hellbound reached nearly 2 million views since its release on the platform. The story follows a religious group on a mission to condemn individuals to hell if they do not live more righteously. The events of the otherworldly faces cause suspicions within the community and people seek out to investigate.

5 Sailor Moon

     TV Asahi

The first Sailor Moon Manga was published in 1991 and from there, it had a number of shows, movies and even some stage musicals. The series follows a teenage schoolgoer named Usagi Tsukino who transforms into the hero Sailor Moon whilst accompanied by her friends, each named after a different planet. The comics were written and illustrated by Naoko Takeuchi and there were 60 individual chapters that were published into 18 volumes. The show hasn’t been on air in years but it’s still a popular program to this day.

4 Sweet Home

     Studio Dragon

The Webtoon original Sweet Home by Carnby Kim and Youngchan Hwang gained over 200 million views upon its 2017 release. It centers on a suicidal high school student who lost his whole family in a tragic accident. After being forced to leave his home, he must face a world where monsters are trying to wipe out humanity. Along with other apartment residents, the protagonist Hyun is trapped indoors in hopes of surviving while they can.

3 Riverdale

     Warner Bros.

The first Archie comic was published in 1941, so it’s likely its then-fans aren’t tuning into The CW to watch Riverdale. The show took the premise of a ginger navigating the high school tribulation of dates and friendships and twisted it into a dark, mysterious teen drama that began as a murder mystery and somewhere along the way evolved into its lead characters developing superpowers. From the randomly sparse musical episodes to the objectification of its teen characters to the absurd lines that often find themselves trending infamously on Twitter, it’s hard to not be familiar with the program, even if you’ve never seen an episode for yourself. Still, the show clearly has a fanbase, going on its sixth season.

2 Tower of God

     HBO Max

Webtoon’s Tower of God has gotten almost 1 billion reads on the platform, which regularly receives 72 million viewers a month. The show focuses on Rachel and Bam, who know that if they climb to the top of the Tower of God, any of their wishes will come true. Rachel, who no longer wishes to live in such a gloomy world, plans her ascent against Bam’s wishes, but he chooses to follow her anyway, even if it means dying. The series debuted on HBO Max in 2020.

1 The Umbrella Academy

Dark Horse Comics released The Umbrella Academy in 2008 and its success won it an Eisner Award for Best Limited Series. It was initially intended to become a movie in 2011, but after being shelved, Netflix picked it up for a TV show in 2019. After 43 babies are born to different women, seven get adopted by a billionaire named Reginald Hargreeves who created the academy to get these children to save the world. But after his death, the adult children must come together to solve the mystery of how he died. Two seasons have premiered thus far, with a third set to be released this summer.