10 Forgotten Retro Comics Perfect for TV and Movie Adaptations After Spider-Noir

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Nicolas Cage’s recent success on Amazon Prime Video shows there’s a real appetite for classic superhero stories. While the Marvel and DC universes are fantastic, many viewers enjoy stepping back in time to earlier eras. Comic book history, like the Old West and the Golden Age, is rich with appealing settings that deserve to be explored more often.

What makes Spider-Noir so appealing is its clever combination of superhero action and the feel of old-time movies – it really delivers on both fronts. It’s one of the most visually striking and original comic book ideas in years, and it shows how many great stories from the past are just waiting to be rediscovered. Some of these could make fantastic TV shows, similar to those on Prime Video, while others are perfectly suited for the big screen.

Marvel enjoys revisiting its characters in different time periods, including the distant past and historical eras. The recent miniseries, 1872, by Jerry Duggan and Nik Virella, does this by reimagining classic Marvel heroes as Wild West gunslingers – building on an idea DC Comics previously explored with its Justice Riders. The story, set during the Secret Wars event, centers on the frontier town of Timely, where 19th-century versions of the Avengers battle a crooked Wilson Fisk.

While the upcoming Nicolas Cage series offers a modern noir experience, 1872 has the potential to revitalize the Western genre with a superhero twist, delivering frontier justice in a fresh way. We’ve seen superhero stories set in various time periods – from classic eras to the 1980s and today – and reimagining the Avengers as old West heroes could be just as impactful for Westerns as the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been for superhero films.

The Justice Society of America holds a special place in comic book history as the very first superhero team, debuting in 1941. Though the team has reformed and disbanded over the past eighty years, they remain a significant part of the DC Universe. Writer Jeff Lemire recently revisited their origins in his ‘All-In’ series, specifically with the ‘Year One’ storyline, which was a treat for longtime fans.

The history of the Justice Society of America has been retold in different ways, but Jeff Lemire’s recent storyline, with art by Gavin Guidry, perfectly captures what fans love about these heroes. It brings together the original JSA members to fight against both the rise of fascism and supernatural dangers, positioning them as America’s protectors in a time of great need. This story would make a fantastic TV show, reminding audiences of the team’s enduring impact and showcasing the best of classic DC comics.

In 1989, DC Comics launched its Elseworlds line with the story Batman: Gotham By Gaslight, created by Brian Augustyn and Mike Mignola. This story offered a unique take on Batman, placing him in a steampunk-inspired, late 19th-century setting where he investigates murders similar to those committed by Jack the Ripper, who had traveled to America. The line, and its creative reimagining of the DC Universe, remains popular today.

I’ve been a huge fan of Gotham By Gaslight for years – it’s always the first Elseworlds story I recommend! While the animated movie was good, it just didn’t quite capture the magic of the original graphic novel. The book had such a clever mystery, and the movie kind of threw that away for a twist that didn’t really need to be there. Honestly, a steampunk DC show inspired by this could be amazing – way better than anything like Spider-Noir. Imagine Bruce Wayne solving cases back when detective work was still new and exciting – that’s a show I’d watch!

Over the years, many DC writers have revisited the early days of DC heroes, but Dan Jurgens and Mike Perkins truly captured the spirit of that era in Batman: First Knight. The story focuses on a young, inexperienced Batman in the 1930s as he tries to solve a string of murders in Gotham City, all against a backdrop of increasing social problems and the rise of fascism worldwide. As he investigates, he gains public attention and becomes a wanted man, pursued by the police.

Fans have long wondered why DC hasn’t made a live-action Batman TV series. If they ever decided to try a new take on the character, a miniseries based on the ‘First Knight’ storyline would be perfect. It could create an even grimmer atmosphere than the recent Batman films and offer a truly unique portrayal of Bruce Wayne, similar to what we saw in Batman: The Animated Series.

In 2004, Darwyn Cooke created what many consider his masterpiece. The story revisits the end of the Golden Age of comics, focusing on key heroes like Hal Jordan and Martian Manhunter as they team up to fight a powerful, universe-threatening being. While Batman and Superman take a backseat, this tale highlights these other heroes and marks the transition to the science fiction focus that characterized the Silver Age.

Darwyn Cooke’s The New Frontier is essentially the opposite of Alan Moore’s Watchmen, offering a hopeful take on superheroes. Set in the late 1950s, the comic skillfully blends themes of Cold War anxieties with elements of cosmic horror and mystery, making it a great companion piece to Spider-Noir. While it would be ideally suited for a large-scale film, an adaptation in any format is long overdue.

First appearing in comics in the 1960s and created by Steve Ditko, The Question is a renowned detective. A recent story, 2020’s The Deaths of Vic Sage by Jeff Lemire and Denys Cowan, is considered his best since the classic run by Dennis O’Neil. The story follows this complex hero as he investigates crime and corruption in Hub City, and unexpectedly travels through time, confronting past injustices.

If DC Comics wants to create a character who rivals Spider-Noir’s dark and gritty style, Vic Sage is a perfect choice. As a mysterious, tough private detective, he operates in Hub City, a place far more dangerous and corrupt than New York. An R-rated story showcasing his adventures in the Old West and 1940s America could become a defining moment for DC Comics.

Long before Batman emerged, The Shadow was captivating audiences for three years and even served as an inspiration for the iconic hero. For 90 years, this character has appeared in various forms of media—from radio and comics to magazines and movies—and reached a high point in the story Shadow 1941: Hitler’s Astrologer by Dennis O’Neil and Michael Kaluta. This tale pits the antihero against the Nazis as the United States prepares to enter World War II.

I’m so excited to hear The Phantom might be coming back! And it got me thinking – The Shadow really needs a revival too. It would be amazing to see a darker, more noir-style take on the classic pulp hero, especially with everything happening with superhero movies. While we’re all waiting for The Phantom to return to the screen, a gritty, R-rated Shadow adventure – maybe one fighting Nazis! – would be the perfect way to remind everyone how cool these old-school heroes can be, and show us just how different superhero stories can be.

When Marvel launched its Noir comic series, they reimagined several heroes in a classic, vintage style—not just Spider-Man, but also characters like Iron Man and Luke Cage. For Luke Cage, this meant transforming him into a somewhat unwilling detective who solves crimes in Harlem after being released from prison. Still grieving the loss of a former girlfriend, his investigations quickly lead him into the heart of the city’s escalating racial conflicts.

Spider-Noir provided a fun escape for fans, something the noir genre hasn’t done much lately. However, a Luke Cage noir story could be even more impactful by focusing on relevant social and racial issues – themes that some viewers felt weren’t fully explored in his original series. While it would depend on personal preference, imagining Harlem’s hero in a classic, older setting could be quite compelling.

In 2021, DC Comics revisited its Golden Age heroes, publishing new stories featuring Alan Scott, Jay Garrick, and Wesley Dodds, also known as the Sandman. A standout series focused on Sandman’s origins as a detective, crafted by Robert Venditti and Riley Rossmo. The story, presented in a classic noir style, follows the inventor as he investigates who is stealing his ideas and the formula for his signature sleep gas.

A Sandman series done well could offer a uniquely strange and dreamlike look at the lesser-known heroes from the early days of comics. Few DC characters fit that vibe better than Dodds, who embodies classic film noir in every scene. Writer Venditti’s take on the character is ideally suited for a television show, and he’d be a great counterpart to Luke Cage’s Spider-Man. It’s time for this character to be rediscovered as a major comic book hero.

Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips created what many consider their best work together with the 2020 release of Pulp. The story is a throwback to the old, inexpensive magazines that came before comics, and centers around a former criminal who now writes stories based on his past life. When someone from his criminal past asks him to steal from a group of American Nazis, he sees a chance to use his old skills one last time.

It’s surprising that no one has adapted this story for film or TV – it’s a truly creative missed opportunity. Like the movie No Country For Old Men, this graphic novel feels perfectly suited for a modern, gritty adaptation. With similar projects gaining traction, now is the ideal time. Pulp masterfully combines crime, neo-noir, and Western elements, and has the potential to become a classic for a new generation.

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2026-06-06 14:20