When most people hear the term “comic book,” their thoughts immediately go to the costumed crime fighters that have dominated the medium since its inception. For almost 100 years, superhero adventures have been the medium’s most popular type of stories, but contrary to popular belief, comic books aren’t, by-any-means, limited to the superhero genre.

Movies such as Superman Returns, X-men: The Last Stand, and Fantastic 4 are easily traced back to their comic book roots. But unbeknownst to many movie-goers, the past few years have seen numerous non-superhero comic book adaptations make their way to the big screen.

Comics to Film- Without The Capes

The move from page to screen has had varying degrees of success for the titles in this guide. Fortunately, all these movies benefited from high production values and filmmakers who were also fans of the original source material.

Click on the “On DVD” and “In Print” hyperlinks to read reviews of the titles below.*

Non-Superhero, Comic Book Movies Available on DVD:

Ghost World (Angst-ridden, coming-of-age comedy)

On DVD
In Print

From Hell (Suspense thriller)

On DVD
In Print*

Road to Perdition (Period-piece drama)

On DVD
In Print*

American Splendor (Biographical- comedy)

On DVD
In Print

Constantine (Horror)

On DVD
In Print*

A History of Violence (Crime-mystery, suspense)

On DVD
In Print*

Art School Confidential (Comedy)

On DVD*
In Print

Stardust (Fantasy)

In Print*

30 Days of Night (Horror, Thriller)

In Print

300 (Historical Drama)

In Print

"Is it as good as the book?"

These comic books made the crossover to film because- first and foremost- they’re good books. We’ve all heard the saying, “It’s not as good as the book.” Well... that may be true, but fortunately, the movie versions of the comic books listed above are also very well made.

If you’ve only seen the movie, without reading the comic book (or vice-versa), you’re missing part of the overall experience. Do yourself a favor, and take the time to indulge in both media. You’ll have a great time comparing the film and the printed page. And hopefully, you’ll feel inspired to check out a few more graphic novels, in anticipation of their Hollywood debut!

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*In some instances where a review did not already exist, I offered my humble opinion by submitting the first review on the book or DVD. Please take a few minutes to read my reviews and vote on its helpfulness at the end of the article.