When Worlds Collide: Comics & Video Games
A Look into the History of Comics and Video Games
Comic book companies and video game developers have been merging mediums since we can all remember. Whether one of your favorite comics is turned into a game or a comic is released to expand the world of a video game, we have seen it pretty steadily since the 80’s. Some good, some we really could have done without. There is a clear draw there from two very distinct but familiar fan bases, yet difficulties persist in really merging the two groups together in a firm agreement about a property. With an abundance of source material and the advancements in video game graphics just in the last few years alone, you would think this would be an easy task. Though things are certainly turning in that favor now, it hasn’t always been the case. That doesn’t mean the two mediums haven’t influenced the hell out of each other in the meantime.
From my own experience, it was the stand-up, six-person arcade cabinet for X-Men. Released by Konami in 1992, it was the end all be all for me. My buddy had one in his garage that his dad picked up somewhere. He jacked open the quarter slot and we fed endless credits into the machine with a flat head screwdriver. Those were the days. But what made that game so impactful? Why was it so damn cool? Because I was a fan of the characters. Because I knew them and their stories. I had invested time in reading about them and then tuning in on Saturdays to watch X-Men: The Animated Series, with its sick ass intro theme. In short, I was a fan. I knew my buddy could pick Nightcrawler because he looked cool and I could easily stomp him out with Storm’s power-ups. Those two separate but familiar mediums just crashed together beautifully in a side scroll arcade game. I could manipulate the characters I loved and I could be the hero. Or kick my friend’s ass. It was an immersive experience. Through and through. Looking back, the game play was impressive but the graphics couldn’t hold up to the comics. You felt limited with 2D sidekicks. But it was what we had and we loved it. But not every property got that lucky. Quick example, Superman had an Atari 2600 game in 1979. The graphics simply were not ready for something that ambitious and it fell flat. And many considered Superman “ridiculously powerful” and that took away from the excitement. Of course, he would appear over and over again in different games, it took an understanding of his source material to make him a compelling video game character.
Understanding the source material is what is going to bring those two together nicely. Mix that with how graphics have advanced, and you can’t miss. Let’s go back to Superman. Original game flopped as well as a few other minor releases he had throughout the years and the complaints were the same; he’s just too powerful to have fun with. Where is the risk? Sure, Lex Luthor looming over your head with threats of Kryptonite can be a bit ominous, but Lex is just a man. A smart and rich man, sure, but not a living god like Superman. Then someone really took a look at the material. What can humble the god? Kryptonite, of course, but magic as well? That’s right, the Man of Steel doesn’t do magic. So, Midway puts out Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe in 2008 and all of sudden, Superman is vulnerable to the likes of Shao Kahn and Raiden. Toss some state-of-the-art graphics at it and it’s a hit. There is obviously much more to it than that, but an important lesson was learned: stick to the source material as much as you can. The work has already been done for the developer and the fan base isn’t on the odd end of their favorite characters. Speaking for myself as a fan of comics, I enjoy seeing more of that.
On the other hand, original video game characters and stories have contributed greatly to comic books over the years. As a young man, I enjoyed the Tomb Raider games. Originally released in the fall of 1996, the adventure game saw a lot of success and had release after release, everyone more popular than the last. The story was great, the triangle boobs were great. The game play was one of the first semi-free world games I had ever played. Lara Croft herself became very popular so the people wanted more. It’s tough enough trying to release a game a year, but there was another way. In 1999, the first of a fifty issue series was released. It did fairly well, the graphics on the page really amplified the action of the game and the emotion of the story. Maybe it wasn’t a huge hit with a clamoring fan base, but it was a solid merge. They took the story of the game, a quick plane crash set up, and upped the emotion and danger. Just like with game play, there are certain liberties that you can take to really sell the action. This can only serve to really bring the two worlds together. It’s not always a success. Between 1990 and 1991, Nintendo Comics System released stories based on Super Mario, Zelda and Metroid but nobody really cared. The characters were one dimensional and further story wasn’t really necessary. They were game characters, and that’s ok. Nintendo Comics System just sort of vanished after 1991 and they left the characters in game. Others attempted, to some success, the comic adaptations of Sonic the Hedgehog from Archie Comics just followed the family friendly story line of the game without much change and it was very successful. Most weren’t that lucky. The Tomb Raider comic series really was the turning point for this movement. You could expand on the character and the universe while paying respects to the game.
Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird developed and released the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic in May of 1984. If you have never seen it, I highly recommend you do. It is dark and moody, and the boys are focused on justice. It is a fantastic read. Originally developed as a parody of other comic heroes, Eastman and Laird really struck a nerve with the release and it was incredibly successful. Later that year, the licensing for action figures was sold and the universe just expanded. The cartoon released in 1987, as well as the original four-person arcade cabinet. There was a notable difference from the first issue and what we were seeing in that game and the cartoon series. The characters were brighter, a little funnier. The villains were believable, but affable. It was a huge change, and I would still love to see some sort of film or television adaptation of the original works, but what we were given was absolute gold that paid respects to its source material. The shows and games were lighter, but you knew they were mutated and trained by a rat to fight crime. It was in every intro. You’ll never forget the ooze. Commercial success and success among the fan base took the lead and liberties were taken. The success of the game changed the face of the comics. That’s pretty rare. Done correctly, it flows well. Another example of a comic successfully being turned into a game may be the forgotten Turok: Dinosaur Hunter. Released by Nintendo 64 in 1997, the lost in time land adventure game was a massive hit. I played it endlessly. I wanted to be the next generation’s time traveling warrior known as the Turok. I settled for playing the game. This game was developed from the comics originally released in 1954 by Dell Comics and followed a pre- Columbian Native American through a lost valley inhabited by dinosaurs. It was pulp literature, and maybe didn’t age so well, but it was exciting. In 1994, Acclaim, the company that released Turok, acquired the license after purchasing Valiant comics. This was an intentional effort to develop a property that tied in all mediums, comics, games and merchandise. They sort of nailed it on that one. If you ever had a Nintendo 64, you likely played Turok. It held the distinction of most popular title for months after its release.
It does somewhat baffle me that these two worlds aren’t seamlessly merging. If I like a story, if I like a character, I will hunt down every one of their appearances and just consume. I don’t care where the character came from. My brother was a huge fan and player of the 2001 classic Halo game. I never played much but I watched and heard the story and thought, damn, that’s really cool. Five years after the release of the original game, Marvel publishes The Halo Graphic Novel. And I was right, it was cool. The world those characters exist in deserved more exploration; it deserved more screen time. Now, it’s a huge universe. Multiple award-winning games, a solid run at Marvel, and now a live action series. So much unbelievable content from a game. Most of the offshoot material stays true to the source of the first game and narrative which only makes it stronger all together. Again, I didn’t even really play the game, but I want more of this universe because of the characters and because of the story. They also exist in a time and place where all of the graphics across the material is as impressive as it can be. That leads to more interest. That leads to more believability.
Clearly, a very vast history of these two entities trying to meet in the middle. There have been some outlandish successes and some properties that just faded into obscurity. These two fan bases so badly want to join hands and sing a collective praise, but certain steps must be taken. First, respect the source material. Look at the history. You cannot bait and switch to an extreme and expect to hold the audience and fan base. Which leads us to the second step; respecting the fan base itself. You may own the license, but certain properties belong to the people. If you disrespect their emotional attachments to a medium or property, they will not be loyal to you. However, if their intelligence is respected and liberties are taken to make the universe bigger or better, there is always a way. It is a very fine line. Comic nerds and video game nerds are a vociferous bunch. And we each respect each other for that.
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