Now more than ever, adaptations are the most in-vogue trend in entertainment. And for what it’s worth, adaptations like Fallout, Arcane, and Castlevania: Nocturne have demonstrated that the juice is worth the artistic manpower and budgeting squeeze to bring them to life.
While animation triumphs like Arcane have fans championing animation studio Fortiche to commit to their fanciful dream of bringing seminal manga series like Vagabond to the screen, some media is too sacred to fans for the studio to take a chance on it, swing, and fail. But hear us out: should any animation studio venture to adapt Image Comic’s Saga, it should be the folks behind Scavenger’s Reign and Common Side Effects.
Speaking with the utmost bias, Saga, by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples, is one of the most outstanding comic book series ever made. The series follows Marko and Alana, two folks from warring space races, on the run with their daughter, Hazel. Told from Hazel’s perspective in the future, Saga uses its alien backdrop to tell an all-too-human story of how love can survive in a world filled with hate.
Despite being an indie comic darling, Saga‘s acclaim has allowed it to drip into the mainstream through cheeky cosplays in Taco Bell commercials and receiving a whole anthem from punk rock band Copneconic. In short, Saga is so good that one would perish the thought of adapting it into a TV show to save its legacy, which is approaching its finale, from being tarnished. Considering that prior adaptations of Vaughan’s works—including The Runaways, Y: The Last Man, and Paper Girls—had their moments before being canceled, a Saga adaptation is no doubt a risky one. But if the title ever gets adapted, it shouldn’t go the live-action route like its predecessors. Instead, it should embrace the animation medium produced by Green Street Pictures, which continues to wow us at every turn.
In tow with Saga‘s space-bound aesthetic, rich political undertones and overtones, and equally batshit and mature themes, Green Street Pictures (in collaboration with Titmouse Inc. and Bandera Entertainment) have proven two-fold that its captivating way with 2D animated series makes it a first-ballot candidate to adapt Saga. As we’ve waxed poetic before, Scavenger’s Reign was probably your favorite animator’s favorite animated show of 2024.
Key among its triumphs was how the show—the basic premise: space explorers sequestered on an alien planet—succeeded in making its critters, big or small, feel truly alien. Moreover, their perceived hostility was simply them going about their business. The perils of humanity crash-landed on their planet were less than insignificant to their ecosystem. I don’t know about you, but to me that is some genuinely haunting stuff.
This was brought to life with 2D animation that could best be described as equal parts trippy and spiritual. Some say we’re still royally pissed the show was canceled on HBO and Netflix before it got a chance to wow us again with a second season.
Likewise, Common Side Effects, by Joe Bennett of Scavenger’s Reign fame and Veep‘s Steve Hely, has been a must-watch show since its premiere on Adult Swim and Max this month. The show follows two former high school lab partners who uncover a magical blue mushroom capable of healing any ailment. This, in turn, leads big pharma and other interested parties to hunt the pair down in the hopes of using it for profit—or prevent the discovery from making their own businesses obsolete.
Whereas Scavenger’s Reign matches the sci-fi vibes of Saga seen in Staples’ illustrations, Common Side Effects‘ writing nails Vaughan’s intriguing character creations, world-building, heart, and dry sense of humor. Much of the latter comes with the distinction of the show starring and being executively produced by King of the Hill‘s Mike Judge. Nonetheless, with three episodes under its belt, Common Side Effects has also proven to be a quirky show that’s as pretty on the eyes as its predecessor. Like Scavenger’s Reign, Common Side Effects is chock full of vivid background art, fluid character animation oozing emotional microexpressions, and profoundly humanistic writing conveying a range of goofiness and vulnerability at the snap of a finger.
While the answer to whether Saga should be adapted for television remains a resounding no, should the time come for Saga to transition beyond the comic and become part of the television adaptation trend, remember that we were the first to suggest the appropriate production studio to handle it with care.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
