{
  "id": 6360672,
  "title": "5 TV Shows You May Not Know Were Adapted From DC Comics",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/5-tv-shows-you-may-not-know-were-adapted-from-dc-comics",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-09T01:12:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "TVLine",
    "slug": "tvline",
    "url": "https://www.tvline.com/2251397/tv-shows-not-know-adapted-dc-comics/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Many people may not realize that several TV shows have been adapted from DC Comics under their Vertigo imprint, which is known for publishing more mature and unconventional stories. Here are five such shows that might surprise you.\n\nFirst, there's \"iZombie,\" a series that aired on The CW from 2015 to 2019. The show is based on a comic of the same name, written by Chris Roberson and illustrated by Michael Allred. The comic follows a woman with a unique condition—she is a zombie who must eat human brains to avoid turning into a mindless creature. Instead of killing people, she works as a coroner and consumes brains from her victims to gain their memories, which she uses to help solve crimes. The TV adaptation streamlined the premise and introduced a different protagonist, but the core concept remained the same. The show ended after five seasons, after exploring the idea of a zombie conspiracy theory that forced Seattle to become a hotspot for the undead.\n\nNext, \"Sweet Tooth\" is another Vertigo adaptation that premiered on Netflix in 2021. Written and illustrated by cartoonist Jeff Lemire, the comic series ran from 2009 to 2013 and follows a young boy named Gus, who is one of many human-animal hybrid children born after a pandemic wipes out most of humanity. Gus, who is half-deer, is raised in the woods by his father. After his father's death, he encounters a hunter named Jepperd who guides him through a dangerous world that fears and persecutes hybrids like himself. The Netflix adaptation, starred by Nonso Anozie as Jepperd and Christian Convery as Gus, ran for three seasons and gained acclaim for its grim yet charming narrative.\n\n\"Y: The Last Man\" is another Vertigo comic that had a brief attempt at a TV adaptation. Written by Brian K. Vaughan and illustrated by Pia Guerra, the comic series ran from 2002 to 2008 and tells the story of Yorick Brown, an amateur escape artist who is the last surviving male mammal on Earth after a mysterious event kills every male mammal. Alongside several female survivors, Yorick searches for a way to continue the human race without males. Attempts to adapt the comic began in 2007 but were unsuccessful until 2021, when FX on Hulu premiered the show. Despite having a talented cast, including Diane Lane, Olivia Thirlby, and Amber Tamblyn, the series was canceled after just one season due to low viewership and production delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The show was eventually pulled from streaming platforms in 2023.\n\nFinally, \"The DMZ\" is a Vertigo comic series written and illustrated by Brian Wood in 2005. The story is set in a near-future near-collapse of the United States, where the country is divided by a civil war, and the island of Manhattan functions as a demilitarized zone between the two factions. A reporter follows the events in the city five years after the war began. HBO initially expressed interest in adapting the comic, and production started in 2020. The pilot starred Rosario Dawson as a medic searching for her missing son amidst the chaos. However, the series was pulled from Hulu and Disney+ in 2023, making it hard to watch due to low viewership and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on production.",
  "summary": "From Netflix's Sweet Tooth to The CW's iZombie, here are five popular television shows you probably never knew were DC Comics adaptations.",
  "key_points": [
    "\"iZombie\" TV show based on DC Vertigo comic of same name",
    "\"Sweet Tooth\" follows human-animal hybrid boy Gus",
    "\"Y: The Last Man\" TV adaptation attempted but canceled"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The adaptation of DC Comics' Vertigo imprint into TV shows reveals a shift in storytelling platforms, allowing mature and unconventional narratives to reach wider audiences, with varying degrees of success.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}