Top 10 Comic Book Superheroes That Would Be Awesome in Anime

I've been noticing a trend lately in the last few years of popular comic or comic book characters, being turned into anime.  As far as I know, the first comic that was adapted into an anime was Witchblade in 2006, (anyone is free to correct me if I'm wrong), then there was Batman: Gotham Knight in 2008, and now in 2010-2011 characters Wolverine and Iron Man from Marvel have there own series.  All of these have been huge hits for comic book and anime fans alike.  So I started to think, who else can be adapted and still be popular with both demographics.  So here is my list of Superheroes that would be the best for the world of anime...

Honorable Mention: Doctor Who

Even though Doctor Who is not really a comic book character, his likeness has been featured in some comic series.  The story, action, and the unique and interesting characters from the series would fit so perfectly into the anime format.  If I had to pick an art style to see it in, I would pick the way such animes like Eden of the 
East or Samurai Champloo was done, very artistic and smooth, this style would be a nice visual treat. I would also love to know how the Daleks would sound like in Japanese voice overs.

10) Empowered

Anime has a popular theme of providing something called "fan service" for a certain demographic.....me included.  What is it? Well, simply put, it shows female characters in certain outfits or situations that can be a little risqué and make you feel funny in your pants.  The series follows Elissa Megan Powers or better known as Empowered, Emp for short.  Her abilities come from the super suit she wears, giving her strength, resistance to bullets, and able to shoot lasers from her hands.  However, the suit isn't as perfect as it sounds.  Emp can't wear anything underneath the suit, like a bra or underwear, and thats a bit of an issue because it reveals a lot of her curves and at some points you'll know if she's cold, if you know what I mean *wink wink*.  If she does, the suit malfunctions and won't work.  Another issue is that the suit can be torn very, VERY, easily and if that happens, Emp loses all of her powers and she usually ends up as a hostage in some bondage scenario.  A very funny series, that will most likely be targeted to guys my age and to teenagers alike.

9) Iron Fist

The kung-fu master of Marvel, Iron Fist is a character that has skill to fight bad guys and do it in a stylish anime fashion.  Daniel Rand's origin is pretty similar to Doctor Strange's. When he was nine, Daniel's father decided to go on an expedition to discover the lost city of K'un-L'un, and with him he brought along his wife Heather and his business partner Harold Meachum.  But Daniel slips off the path, and the rope tether connected to his mother and father drags them along as well.  Meachum, who also loved Heather, forces Wendell (father) to let go and he would save Heather and Daniel.  When she refuses, she and Daniel fall onto a bridge out of nowhere and run.  However, not all is sound when wolves come.  Heather sacrifices herself to save Daniel, and then he is later found by the warriors of K'un-L'un who take him to the master Yu-Ti and he teaches him the ways of martial arts, to help Daniel get what he wants most, revenge.  If that little bio didn't get you going then I don't know what will.  This character has potential to be a really impressive in the anime world.  Twists and turns come wen he confronts Meachum and there's no telling what will happen next.

8) Doctor Strange

One of the most popular genres of anime is magic, and Doctor Strange is one of the most magical heroes of all.  Stephen Strange was one of the best surgeons around until a car accident took away his most precious tools, his hands.  Seeking a way to repair his hands, he finds himself in the Himalayas and meets the Ancient One.  When the Ancient One's life is threatened by one of his students, Baron Mordo, Strange stops him and saves the Ancient One's life.  He then teaches Strange a new way to use his hands, and he becomes a Sorcerer Supreme.  I know Doctor Strange had his owb animated movie, but it wasn't all that great.  If turned into an anime, it could be an interesting story to follow, especially when he faces Dormammu and Mordo, and any other mystical monster out there.

7) Birds of Prey

This series could be interesting to watch.  The team was originally an all female team that featured many of the ladies of the DC Universe.  Now it features some of the male heroes as well.  As it stands, the Birds of Prey consist of;  Black Canary, Dove (Dinah Lance), Hawk (Hank Hall), Huntress, and Lady Blackhawk (who I just found out existed while doing research).  Former members included Big Barda, Catwoman, and even Harley Quinn.  They are all lead but Barbara Gordon, formerly known as Batgirl and better known as Oracle.  She leads the team, similar on how the Justice League goes about, and she does so while paralyzed due to the Joker and in a wheelchair.  In my opinion this could go as either a, "harem comedy" style, a way to provide fan service, or it can be done in a tasteful and artistic style, that can provide lots of action and some interesting episodes for character's back story.

6) Green Lantern

The Green Lantern Corps is an intergalactic police force with the duty to protect the innocent from evil doers.  Their members are from all over the galaxy, and each are selected based on the strength of their willpower.  Quite of few have come from Earth.  There's Hal Jordan (the first human to become a GL), Jon Stewart, Guy Gardner, and Kyle Rayner.  There is also the original Green Lantern Alan Scott, but the origins of his powers are very different to those of the Corps.  He also had a daughter named Jade, who showed some signs of sharing the same abilities as he does, but later on she lost her own powers and joined with the GL Corps, obtaining new ones.  This series could be done in a tokusatsu style, similar to such series as Ronin Warriors or Gatchaman, aka Battle of the Planets.  The animation is dated for those shows but it would obviously revamped with sleeker and a more artistic animation, and they same premise could be used, a team of Green Lanterns (most likely Hal and Kilowog with three other GL's), fighting off those who commit crimes all over universe.  Pretty simple, but still full of action, no doubt about it.

5) Lobo

Yes, Lobo, the love able bounty hunter who killed off the rest of his planet.  A anti-hero from the Superman comics, Lobo is a binge drinking, heart breaking, ass kicking, lady killer, who would punch a grandmother to get to her grandson who just so happened to have a price on his head.  The only redeeming quality Lobo has is that he is a lover of Dolphins, and if any tries to hurt one, he will rip out you guts and have you eat it like spaghetti.  If he could be place in a anime I would have to say one similar to Outlaw Star to have him in a world filled with his kind and letting him have some fun now and then.

4) Daredevil

When Matt Murdock was younger he had an accident with some chemicals, leaving him blind.  However, the chemicals changed him and even though his sight is gone, his other senses became heightened beyond normal measures.  His father, an semi-professional boxer, refuses to throw a fight one night and the mob who made the threat kill him, leaving Matt alone in the world.  Now, he's a prosecutor and tries to clean up the streets through the legal system, but sometimes the system fails.  When that happens he dawns the persona of Daredevil and fights for justice in his own way.  If turned into an anime, I can definitely see this similar to what Batman: Gotham Knight was, seeing how Daredevil is kind of the "Batman" for the Marvel Universe.  With flashy and smooth animation it could be a huge hit for fans of such shows as Hellsing and Soul Eater.

4) Hawk and Dove

The team of Hawk and Dove has been going on for years.  First it was the Hank and Don Hall, who by chance were given the strength and stamina to fight crime, thanks to the Lords of Order and Chaos.  The pair would have difference of opinion when it came to dealing with criminals, Dove being more of a pacifist and wanting to have violence as a last resort, and Hawk who would argue that taking action now is the way to stop crime.  Later on the team would be retooled after the death of Don, making the team of Hank Hall and Dawn Granger.  It would happen again after Hank is killed, then Dawn finding her estranged sister Holly, and her becoming the new Hawk.  Then for the THIRD time, the team changed after Holly was killed during the Blackest Night event, and during the Brightest Day, Hank coming back to life and making it Dawn and Hawk as the team.  I can kind of see a bit of this anime as a comedy, as Hawk and Dove are pretty much opposites, and their bickering could make some people laugh, but at the same time, their different views can be seen as a important part of the story on how they should handle crime fighting.

3) Blade

Marvel's vampire hunter would be a successful anime in my book.  Vampire romance, vampire hunting or just plain vampires in general, is a popular subject matter in some anime.  Blade was born to a woman who was bitten by a vampire, and she died giving birth to him.  However, since his mother was infected with the vampire bite, he was born with the agility, speed, and strength of their kind.  He also inherited their blood lust and with the help of a serum, comprised of garlic and silver, he able to control his urges to feed on humans, while he hunts for his own kind.  This is probably going to be just another Hellsing knockoff, but it would a awesome one.  Awesome action blended with violent and beautiful animation, Blade would fit perfectly with anime.

2) Spider-Man

One of the most recognized heroes of all, Spider-Man is one of my favorite heroes.  Peter Parker was an average computer geek, until he was bitten by a radioactive spider, and receiving the abilities of a spider, which means he can cling to walls, shoot webs, and have amazing strength.  Spider-Man became unique as it just didn't have problems with crime but problems of the youth as well.  Spider-Man is a character people can relate to and, despite having super powers, makes him human.  If done in an anime, the same type of personal issues could be reflected on and have a huge audience of kids or teenagers. 

1) Deadpool

The "merc with the mouth", Deadpool is a character that is starting to become one of the most popular characters in Marvel Comics.  Wade Wilson, a mentally unstable gun-for-hire, was once a villain for the X-men and X-force, he soon got his own stand alone series featuring him kicking ass and talking his off, literally and figuratively.  His abilities/powers include martial arts training, skillful sword combat, and an accelerated healing factor that kind of makes him look like he can't really die.  I mean look at his picture above...his head is cut off and he's still giving me the stick eye.  Deadpool is a character that can be in different genres of anime.  He could be in the type that ultra violent like Hellsing, he could end up in the goofy style like we see in such shows like Vandread and Soul Eater, or he could be in a serious genre like Cowboy Bebop or Devil May Cry.  He can do with an anime series to help his street cred and make him even more awesome.

Well, that's my list.  If anyone has a difference of opinion, leave a comment and let me know what your picks would be.