Superheroes, deadly games and, of course, zombies.

Comic book adaptations are no longer just a trend, but a genre in their own right, bringing us more and more interesting projects every year.

If you were wondering what to watch while waiting for the fifth season of The Boys and the second season of Gen V, these nine projects are for you.

1. Legion, 2017-2019

The FX series tells the story of David Haller, one of the most powerful characters in Marvel Comics, played by British actor Dan Stevens. In the comics, Legion is the son of Professor Xavier and Gabrielle Haller. David suffers from several forms of mental illness that affect the manifestation of his superpowers.

Legion has no direct connection to the MCU, which has clearly worked to the show’s advantage. Its showrunner, Noah Hawley, has created his own surreal world woven from Haller’s warped perception of reality.

This is not a show where you will find a lot of action scenes – Legion is much more about the main character’s inner contradictions and his search for himself.

2. Alice in Borderland, 2020-…

The empty Tokyo and a trio of young survivors participating in a deadly game – a gripping concept to which playing cards, detective intrigue, and a combination of collective and individual tasks were added.

The post-apocalyptic setting and inventive quests add new perspectives to the already familiar formula. The visual style of Alice in Borderland is more like a graphic novel – all because the series is based on a manga series written and illustrated by Haro Aso.

3. Kingdom, 2019-2020

In 2019, Netflix released a Korean zombie series based on the webtoon The Kingdom of the Gods by Kim Eun-hee and Yang Kyung-il. The plot of Kingdom is completely different from other series about flesh-eating corpses: it is more of a complicated political drama than a typical horror in a historical setting.

Two warring clans fight for the throne and plot against each other, and zombies become less an unstoppable force of nature and more a weapon in the hands of the powerful.

Kingdom is a spectacularly staged show: as soon as the undead get in the way of the main characters, the palace intrigue fades into the background, giving way to impressive battles.

4. Watchmen, 2019

The comic book Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons is considered one of the greatest graphic novels ever written. In 2009, Zack Snyder brought the cult classic to the big screen. Ten years later, Damon Lindelof, the creator of Lost, took on the challenge of creating his own version of the famous superhero story and released the Watchmen series.

The story is set 34 years after a giant octopus fell into the center of Manhattan, an event that changed the world forever. Robert Redford has been President of the US for 27 years, and the Internet does not exist.

In Tulsa, Oklahoma, the Seventh Kavalry, an organization inspired by Rorschach’s notes, operates. Their terror has forced the police to hide their faces behind masks. As local detective Angela Abar investigates the murder of police chief Judd Crawford, she begins to realize that she has been drawn into a very dangerous situation.

5. Tales from the Crypt, 1989-1996

If you didn’t watch this show when you were a kid, you should now. And don’t let the release date fool you – Tales from the Crypt gives most modern horror series a run for their money.

Based on the comics by William Gaines and Al Feldstein, the show ran for seven seasons, with each episode telling a separate story unrelated to the previous one.

In addition, this series has perhaps one of the best openings in history. The music was written by Danny Elfman, who also wrote the music for Beetlejuice and Sam Raimi ‘s Spider-Man. At various times, Tom Hanks, Robert Zemeckis, Michael J. Fox, and even Arnold Schwarzenegger have filmed dark tales for Tales from the Crypt.

6. Doom Patrol, 2019-2023

In 1963, Marvel and DC released comic books about a team of superheroes with strange powers, led by a man in a wheelchair. The X-Men went on to become an international hit, while the Doom Patrol comic went largely unnoticed for a long time, enjoying popularity only among hardcore fans. But that all changed in 2019 with the release of the Doom Patrol series.

All members of the Doom Patrol received their powers as a result of tragic circumstances.

Cliff Steele’s brain was placed in a robotic body after a car accident, Jane is the dominant personality of a traumatized woman with dissociative disorder, Rita Farr is struggling to keep her body from turning to jelly, Larry Trainor is a pilot with negative energy in his body, and Victor Stone is a cyborg, half man, half machine.

They are brought together by the Chief, a doctor who has his own plans for the Patrol.

7. Peacemaker, 2022-…

Following the events of The Suicide Squad, Peacemaker ends up in the hospital. After completing his treatment, the doctors release him instead of returning him to prison. Almost immediately, Amanda Waller’s Special Forces team visits his trailer and recruits him again.

James Gunn took a seemingly flat character from his own The Suicide Squad and built an entire series around him. Peacekeeper combines all of Gunn’s favorite topics: the story of a charming team of losers, and problems between parents and children.

Despite the abundance of blood and crazy plot twists, Peacemaker turned out to be a surprisingly touching show.

8. Happy!, 2017-2019

The dramedy series Happy! is an adaptation of Grant Morrison’s comic book series of the same name. The plot revolves around a former police officer, a drunk and a drug addict named Nick Sax who is on the verge of another heart attack. When he wakes up in the hospital, Sax begins to see a blue-winged horse named Happy.

It turns out that Happy is an imaginary friend of his daughter, who has been kidnapped by an evil, psychopathic Santa Claus.

9. The End of the F***ing World, 2017-2019

One of the most popular projects of the late 2010s is based on the graphic novel of the same name by Charles Forsman. The plot revolves around a 17-year-old psychopath named James and his friend Alyssa with a whole collection of neuroses.

One day, they go into rebel mode: the two drop out of school, steal someone else’s car, and drive wherever they want. An unplanned trip turns into a series of adventures – sometimes dangerous, sometimes romantic.

The result is a sentimental black comedy. Each episode is full of unexpected twists, interesting visual solutions and, of course, excellent acting.