Comic Game Adaptations: 3 ways that Telltale is doing it right, and what should be next

Graphic novels (or comics, if you prefer) have a hallowed place in the Mount Olympus of geekdom. Your local comic shop can take you virtually anywhere you want to go and on most any type of adventure you desire.

The art form - yes, comics are an art - boasts some of the best storytelling you will find in modern day fiction and artwork worthy of any gallery. Add animation to the mix, and you have the recipe for one helluva great videogame.

Telltale Games has proven very adept at taking comic-based intellectual properties ("IPs") and converting them into enjoyable games delivered in bite-sized sections with decent replay value. These are not your standard comic-based brawler or action games. They are generally low-key, story-heavy adventures. They are also highly entertaining.

But do they resemble their source material? Let's check them out.

 

The Wolf Among Us by Telltale Games

Comic Source: Fables, created by Bill Willingham

What's the story? Both the comics and the game are set in Fabletown, a magical neighborhood in modern-day Manhattan. The area is home to a variety of fairy tale-based "Fables," both human and animal, who have escaped from the occupied Homeland. Both the comic and game tap into familiar fairy tales for characters and origin, but these are not your child's bedtime stories. Snow White is a bureaucrat. The Big Bad Wolf is a very hairy sheriff named Bigby. Mr. Toad is a landlord. And so on. All animals or creatures that might freak out the "mundies" (aka mundanes - basically non-magical folk much like the Muggles in Harry Potter) must pay to have humanoid glamours applied by a local witch, disguising their true appearance. Failure to comply can result in being shipped off to the Farm upstate. (No, that's not a euphemism. They really do go live on a farm!)

 

Before Match.com, there was the Book of Fables

 

The comics bounce between modern-day events in Fabletown, the Farm, and the Homelands, with occasional deep dives into an individual Fable's origin tale. The game sticks to the city, but there's plenty of adventure to be had when you're a wolf in the Big Apple. Bonus points for picking up background details from the comic world and peppering them throughout the game. It adds to the atmosphere while also giving a nice shout out to fans.

 

Bigby accidentally watches Keeping Up with the Kardashians on Mundie television

 

Game, comic, or both? Depends on your taste. The comics tend to have more sex and violence. Expect the comics to be more graphic, but it's not a big difference - the game's pretty mature, too. If you can handle one, you should be able to take on the other. The comic storylines tend to bounce all over the place. If you want a straightforward cohesive story, stick with the game. That said, both are extremely well done and entertaining. Pick your medium to start, but definitely consider picking up both.

 

The Walking Dead by Telltale Games

Comic Source: The Walking Dead, created by Robert Kirkman

What's the story? Yet another zombie story, albeit one that can go an awfully long time without any zombies appearing. While the undead - or walkers, as they are known in this universe - are definitely a consideration, the bigger enemies tend to be other people. The book follows a core group of characters led by Rick Grimes, ex-cop and father to budding young psychopath Carl. Fans of the TV show will find a lot more in common with the book than the game, but there are still plenty of differences between the comics and the series. (Hint: Some of your favorite TV characters are dead in the book, and vice versa.)

 

Fear not the sword, but the chick who wields it

 

While the comic gives all-new meaning to the term "graphic," the games have been relatively tame. You still follow a core group of people that includes a kid, but this time it's a smart young girl who has been separated from her (presumably dead) parents. That's where the resemblance ends. There's no prison, Woodbury, or Hilltop in the game, and the violence is a thousand times milder. Expect to spend your time wandering around searching for clues, solving puzzles, and trying to figure out what to do next.

Important safety tip: Make sure you get Telltale's Season 1 to start and NOT the poorly regarded first-person shooter subtitled Survival Instinct.

 

This sums up my reaction to the Woodbury storyline in the comics

 

Game, comic, or both? This is one of those choices you're going to have to make for yourself.

Let's go to the decision tree:

• Option A: Unspeakable acts of violence lovingly illustrated in black and white? Bring it on! I’m dead inside anyway. You chose: Comic
• Option B: I can handle a gory scene every 10 minutes or so, as long as it's tastefully done and entirely necessary to the plot. Also, I love button mashing to avoid getting hit/attacked/eaten when I least expect it. You chose: Game
• Option C: I can handle the gore and violence, but sometimes I just want to chill and press a button periodically. It depends on my mood. You chose: Both
• Option D: You lost me at "child in the zombie wilderness." You chose: Move along, there's nothing for you here

 

Bone Complete Bundle by Telltale Games

Comic Source: Bone, created by Jeff Smith

What's the story? Bone follows the adventure of "The Bones" (including Fone Bone, Smiley Bone and Phoney Bone), a group of vaguely humanoid white creatures who roam Boneville having little adventures. Other denizens of the world include a human girl named Thorn and her Gran'ma Ben, a feisty old broad who could probably kill you with a spoon (but she won't - these are kid-friendly stories). The books focus more on relationships than actual adventures, but are completely engaging and charming. They were also oddly banned by some school districts for sensuality (Thorn and a Bone become involved in the most chaste love affair in comics history) and alcohol (Gran'ma Ben likes her some moonshine).

 

It's a Bone fashion show!

 

The games follow the same characters exploring the world beyond Boneville, but don't expect any major anachronisms. This is not "Bone in the City." They stick to the valleys and regions familiar to readers - or areas like them.

I dunno, what do you want to talk about?

 

Game, comic, or both? Adults and kids alike will dig the comics. Younger kids may not understand a lot of the subtext, but will find The Bones amusing. (Hint: There's a lot more going on in these comics than meets the eye.) The games were among Telltale's earlier forays into this style of gameplay, and it shows. It's slow, and may not keep your attention. Your kids will love it, though.

 

Books that need their own games

As I researched this story, I realized that the majority of comic-based videogames out there come from either Marvel or DC books. Superheroes, mainly. There's plenty of room out there for more subversive stories, including a few covered in Make My Game 2.0 (Mercy Sparx is still one of my favorite untapped IPs!).

I know most of those will never happen, although some have had real-world negotiations that haven't lead to anything... yet. There is one title that really needs to happen, in my mind. It has outstanding writing, a rabid fan base, and a creator with a great pedigree and talented collaborators. For your consideration:

 

Runaways, created by Brian K. Vaughn

What's the story? A group of teens discover their teenage angst bullshit has a body count, courtesy of their supervillain parents. Add in newly discovered special abilities and - oh yeah, hormones - and you have one of the best origin stories ever.

 

Say hello to my little friend

 

What's so great about it? Imaginative storytelling that always maintains a level of palpability, even when they drag stuff like time travel into it. The female characters all exhibit individual strengths, from the literal (Molly, who is like a pint-sized Thor) to the emotional (Gertrude Yorks, who controls her dinosaur companion with her mind). Everyone acts their age. Some are cool, some are curmudgeons, some are just jerks. Everyone has good and bad days. When someone dies, it guts you inside. In short, it's the comic you regret reading month-to-month, because you need to know what happens right now. I'm still waiting for them to tell me if (spoiler) lived or died in the last panel of the last book. (OK, who's the joker who canceled it on a cliffhanger?!?!)

Anything else I should know? Expect a variety of stories and art styles that change, sometimes radically, as writers and artists join or depart the book. There are a few artistic styles that are rather jarring, but you'll figure out who everyone is soon enough. Oh, and Joss Whedon wrote the second part of the second series. Amazingly, he was NOT responsible for one of the most shocking deaths in the series.

 

Have a favorite comic-sourced game or a graphic novel to recommend? Let us know in comments!