These DC Properties are Perfect for the Suicide Squad Isekai Formula

Suicide Squad Isekai has been a major success for the DC property, and it showcases how malleable the group of lovable villains can be. Jumping on the bandwagon of the isekai genre being perhaps the most ubiquitous in comics, it also proves that DC can provide ample material for anime productions. While they might not necessarily all work as isekai, other DC characters and properties would be perfect for anime adaptations of their own.

These could be gritty thrillers starring street-level heroes, or cosmic political dramas featuring the willpower-wielding defenders of the universe. Said anime could be made in the same vein as other popular works in those genres. Regardless of which characters are chosen, however, there’s a lot of crossover potential between the world of anime and the DC Universe.

10 The Question Could “Objectively” Make for a Great, Gritty Anime

In the Vein of: Death Note

The Question is a hero that was once published by Charlton Comics, with his alter ego being a journalist named Vic Cage. Using a false “face” to cover his features, he investigates various crimes in his many times poverty-stricken home of Hub City. Originally written as an Objectivist inspired by Ayn Rand, The Question is one of DC’s more esoteric and conspiratorial street-level heroes.

The Question would work well in an anime that showcases this down-to-Earth tone. Potential inspirations for the anime could be the beloved Death Note or The Skull Man, with The Question looking into horrifying crimes in his city. This would capture the nature of his comics while also offering something different from how over-the-top many of today’s mainstream anime are.

9 The Weird Doom Patrol Is Perfect for an Anime

In the Vein of: FLCL

The Doom Patrol is one of DC’s weirdest teams, with the group of outcasts supposedly the inspiration for Marvel’s X-Men. Made up of oddball characters such as Elasti-Girl, Robotman and Negative Man, the team got even zanier in the Vertigo Comics run by Grant Morrison. The Doom Patrol’s sense of absurd weirdness is tailor-made for anime, especially if it recalls how ridiculous the medium can be.

Along with influences such as the strange sci-fi series FLCL, a Doom Patrol anime might even go so far as to imitate the outright insanity of Bobobo-bo-bobobo. This would namely match up with villains such as the Brotherhood of Dada, whose goal is to make things weird. Ironically, it could also further the group’s mainstream appeal after the acclaim of their live-action show.

8 The Teen Titans Were Made for Anime

In the Vein of: Persona 5: The Animation

The Teen Titans are DC’s most youthful team, and they’re already somewhat tied to anime, in a way. The 2003 Teen Titans cartoon was very much inspired by anime, from its art style to some of its action sequences. Thus, putting the team in a true anime would fit the precedent already set by that series.

Anime such as Persona 5: The Animation, My Hero Academia and similar works could inspire a Teen Titans anime. Likewise, the slice of life anime genre could be used as a model, especially since so much of The New Teen Titans was defined by the teen heroes’ interacting with each other. Thus, the show can feature epic action, high-concept adventures and low-key friendship and romance fitting for the team.

7 A Shazam! Anime Can Channel My Hero Academia Vibes

In the Vein of: My Hero Academia

Also known by his transformative word Shazam, DC’s version of Captain Marvel is both one of the oldest and youngest heroes in comics. Debuting in the Golden Age of Comics, his alter ego is actually a young boy named Billy Batson. This made him the first “young hero” who wasn’t a sidekick, though he’s been overshadowed by Superman and others since the 1950s. Thus, he needs a big push to truly shine on his own again.

This can be done through the power of anime, which is bigger than ever across the world. A Shazam! anime could be similar to modern superhero anime such as My Hero Academia or One-Punch Man, and Billy himself could be portrayed as being similar to Deku from My Hero Academia. This can make the character more relatable to younger viewers while giving him a show on the same level as one of the biggest shonen brands at the moment.

6 Green Lantern Could Explore Cosmic Political Thrills

In the Vein of: Legend of the Galactic Heroes

The Green Lantern franchise is DC’s premiere cosmic property, with the Lanterns themselves essentially being “space cops.” When combined with their creative ring constructs, it’s easy to see how a stylized anime might do wonders for this concept. Beyond just visuals, however, it should tell a serious story inspired by major anime franchises.

The best inspiration for a Green Lantern anime is Legend of the Galactic Heroes, which is known for its political commentary amid a space-based story. Likewise, the iconic Mobile Suit Gundam series is the same way, depicting feuds between Earth and various space colonies. These ideas could be parleyed to different planets or Lantern corps, giving the Green Lantern anime several factions.

5 Hellblazer Can Smoke a Magical Path Into the World of Anime

In the Vein of: Devilman

Known for being a conjuring con artist, John Constantine is far from a typical hero. An occultist trickster, he’s dealt with both the criminal and the literal underworld in his many misadventures. Betraying humans and demons alike, he’s a well-known scoundrel whose stories are usually as gritty as the cigarettes he’s fond of.

A Constantine anime similar to Devilman might capture the character’s dreadful tone, especially since there’s always a caveat to his actions. His spells and other methods can end up coming back to bite him or those around him, and there’s generally a sense of morbid foreboding. By making a show similar to the Go Nagai creation, the Hellblazer’s hellish methods can be translated into an anime.

4 A Kamandi Anime Can Go Several Ways

In the Vein of: Beastars

Created by the legendary artist Jack Kirby, Kamandi was his non-licensed answer to the Planet of the Apes franchise. Based around a young boy who’s seemingly the last human on Earth, he shares his dark future with vast hordes of humanoid animals that hunt him down. This idea could be handled in the same way in an anime, but there might be other, somewhat more creative ways to tell a similar story.

A Kamandi anime might be similar to the CGI series Beastars or BNA: Brand New Animal, with the protagonist ending up in a world ruled by talking animals. If so, the tentative Kamandi anime series would once again be a DC isekai anime, with Kamandi using his knowledge of his own world to survive. Likewise, he could comment on the striated society among the animals, all the while trying to escape their clutches.

3 Plastic Man Is Great for a Gag Anime

In the Vein of: One-Punch Man

Not all anime are gripping dramas or epic battle stories, and some are merely comedic gag stories. Crayon Shin-Chan is an example of the latter, being a sometimes absurd sitcom known for its crude art style. Similar series’ such as Nichijou are just as over-the-top, while a recent series combines this kind of comedy with superhero action.

Superhero series One-Punch Man is ironically the best model for a Plastic Man anime, with Saitama being swapped out for Plas himself. He would be portrayed as a weird and somewhat bored superhero who’s not taken seriously. Immediately upon finding a problem or enemy, he would then promptly use his stretching powers to easily take care of the issue in the most ridiculous way possible. Given that Plastic Man might appear in James Gunn’s DC Universe, pushing him now in this laughable way would actually be a good idea.

2 Martian Manhunter Has the Most Untapped Potential of Any DC Hero

In the Vein of: Akira, Parasyte

Largely overlooked despite being the heart and soul of the Justice League, the Martian Manhunter is an underrated icon in the DC Universe. With vast powers, an alien nature and the role of a detective, there are several directions that his stories can go in. The best and most rewarding might be a more psychological series that also features plenty of action.

The conspiracies of Akira and the body horror of Parasyte would mesh well for a Martian Manhunter anime, with other works such as Psycho-Pass and perhaps even the cyberpunk action of Ghost in the Shell being influences. Given that Martian Manhunter could morph to fight giant monsters or robots, threads of mecha anime such as Gundam, Evangelion or even the more “mundane” Patlabor series could also show up. Most importantly, the show would need to do justice to Martian Manhunter and showcase his rogues gallery and scant supporting cast from over the years, finally cementing them through a hit anime.

1 I, Vampire Can Become a Beautiful Shojo-Esque Horror Story

In the Vein Of: Vampire Knight

I, Vampire is one of DC’s most unknown properties, with the franchise published during the Bronze Age of Comics and during the New 52 reboot. It’s changed visually over the years to match popular fiction at the time, with the New 52 version clearly inspired by the success of Twilight. A similar idea could be used to craft a successful I, Vampire anime series.

An I, Vampire anime should combine the elegant art of Vampire Knight with the brutal horror of Pet Shop of Horrors, attracting two types of audiences. This would ensure that the “classy” nature of both comic book iterations is portrayed, all while keeping horror as a key element. It’s also the kind of property than can be completely divorced from DC’s typical superhero fare, showcasing that the publisher has more to offer, especially when it comes to anime.