National Comic Book Day is here and comic book-loving cord cutters can find plenty of adaptations across various streaming platforms. The celebration doesn’t have to end today, as later this week, Hellboy: The Crooked Man arrives in theaters nationwide on Friday, September 26.
Celebrate National Comic Day and the newest entry into the Hellboy franchise with these adaptations today.
Where to Watch the Hellboy Franchise
With three live-action films in the book, the Dark Horse Comics character returns to the big screen for the fourth time with Hellboy: The Crooked Man. Created by Mike Mignola, the Hellboy character has gone on to gross over $150 billion at the box office. You can find the first three movies across various platforms:
- Where to Stream Hellboy (2004): Philo, DIRECTV STREAM,
- Where to Stream Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008): Max, DIRECTV STREAM,
- Where to Stream Hellboy (2019): Netflix
Iron Man (2008)
Iron Man is perhaps the most important comic book movie ever, as it is credited for establishing what would become the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Before the MCU grossed over $26 billion at the box office, the 2008 film was a big risk for Marvel as it was about a character that wasn’t as popular as Spider-Man, Hulk, and others. Plus, lead actor Robert Downey Jr., who played Tony Stark, had legal troubles of his own and was seen as a risky casting. The film became a hit and was selected by the Library of Congress for reservation in the United States National Film Registry in 2022.
Watch Iron Man on Disney+ and other Marvel Studios productions on the platform to celebrate National Comics Day.
The Boys (2019-Present)
Based on the Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson comic of the same name, the Eric Kripke television adaptation has become one of the biggest hits in the streaming era. With four seasons completed and an upcoming series ending season 5 expected in 2026, The Boys has been praised as a better TV series than its comic counterpart. The satirical superhero show is highlighted by Antony Starr’s portrayal of Homelander which some have hailed as the “greatest villain performance we have seen.”
Watch The Boys on Prime Video and Freevee
Arrow & the Arrowverse
One of the most ambitious shared universes of a comic adaptation is DC’s Arrowverse. The first season of Arrow aired on The CW in 2012 and by the time the show concluded in 2020, it was part of a shared universe of five other shows: The Flash, Supergirl, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Black Lightning, and Batwoman.
With a Netflix subscription, you can watch: Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, and Black Lightning. You can find Batwoman on Max.
Batman on Max
Like Batwoman, Max has plenty of content featuring Gotham’s Caped Crusader. Before Starr’s Homelander hit streaming, Heath Ledger’s performance in The Dark Knight was widely credited as the best performance in a comic book adaptation and he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, the first for the genre.
Batman has had numerous film and TV adaptations over the years, dating back to 1943. The superhero first hit comics in 1939 and has seen many different takes on the character from live-action to animated. Now you can find many of those at your fingertips with the link below.
Watch The Batman Collection on Max here.
The Smurfs (2011)
The only comic adaptation to make our list that isn’t a superhero is The Smurfs. Created by Belgian comics artist Peyo in 1958, the Smurfs have gone on to become an important part of pop culture. It wouldn’t be until 2011 that the Smurfs would get the live-action treatment in their self-titled film. The film grossed over $560 million worldwide and spawned a sequel The Smurfs 2.
Watch The Smurfs film on Max | Watch The Smurfs animated series on Max