This was a massive draw for Image Comics, which soon saw the likes of famous talent like Robert Kirkman and Brian K. Vaughan come to contribute. With the creative freedom granted at Image, comic writers and illustrators were able to work on whatever they were passionate about, which soon led to multiple best-selling comic runs containing a host of complex and relatable characters. A few of these would make for great video game experiences.
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Spawn
While Spawn is no stranger to the world of video games, it has been a long time since the character was centered in their own title; the last Spawn-centric game being Spawn: Armageddon in 2003. Since then, Spawn has appeared as a fighter in both the Soulcalibur series and Mortal Kombat. With a reboot film well into production, it’s about time for Spawn to get his own modern video game.
Albert Francis Simmons, a highly skilled CIA agent, is killed brutally by his partner at the will of his Director. Arriving in Hell, Francis makes a deal with the devil Malebolgia to see his wife one last time in exchange for becoming a Hellspawn. When Francis arrives back on Earth, five years have passed and his wife has moved on. Francis searches for a new purpose in life, leading him to take on the antihero role of Spawn and lead a crusade against organized crime throughout New York City.
Spawn’s relatively simple origin, alongside his vast array of spectral and necromorphic powers, makes him a perfect video game character. With a symbiotic suit that regularly undergoes “metamorphosis” in the comics, being upgraded with new powers and weapons over time, Spawn already fits naturally into the video game world. Spawn’s suit also consumes the souls of his victims and stores their energy for his powers, which sounds like a video game mechanic.
Spawn’s superhuman strength, his need to consume souls for immortality, his shapeshifting and teleportation abilities, and his martial arts skills would make him the perfect playable character. Combine this with a vibrant rogues’ gallery, and a modern Spawn video game seems like an obvious opportunity, regardless of what gameplay style it would use.
Invincible
But Invincible has a lot more to offer than a protagonist with wish-fulfilling powers. Much of the first volume of Invincible focuses on the new hero finding his feet in a world of superheroes, being taught how to control his powers by his Superman-like father Omni-Man. This is the perfect setting for the start of a video game, with the player learning the ropes in a tutorial that teaches gameplay while cementing the core relationship between Mark and his father.
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Kick-Ass
While the first Kick-Ass movie felt like a breath of fresh air at the time, the second didn’t really make much of an impact, leaving the character and series in the dark for a few years. With the news that original director Matthew Vaughn is coming back to reboot the franchise, it might be time for Kick-Ass to get his own video game.
Using the uniquely relatable, down-to-Earth tone and humor of the comic, a Kick-Ass video game could set itself apart from other superhero games easily. From a gameplay standpoint, a simple Arkham series clone could work for a Kick-Ass title, as the character mostly uses hand-to-hand and close-quarters combat. If the game wanted to be a little more ambitious, it could offer some co-op gameplay, allowing a second player to hop in as Hit-Girl or Red Mist.
Saga’s Alana and Marko
The visual, narrative, and emotive masterpiece Saga is finally returning after a long hiatus, and a narrative-driven game featuring Alana and Marko could be excellent. While there is some combat in the comics, its story is the main focus, so a third-person action game wouldn’t really fit the tone or nature of the source material.
Instead, a Saga game could take inspiration from Telltale’s series of episodic games and use point-and-click gameplay to deliver the comic’s narrative in an interactive way. The game could imitate the comic’s unique art style, giving it an immediate leg-up on other contemporary point-and-click titles. It could also go outside of Alana and Marko’s story, using the comic’s character-hopping nature to change playable characters between chapters. This would help keep the story fresh while introducing new world-building elements that are vital to Saga’s storytelling, one of the most stand-out elements in Image Comics’ library.
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