Welcome back to We Want Comics, our regular column on the world of licensed comics. This week, we’re marking the tenth anniversary of Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games, first published September 14, 2008, by looking at what an expanded universe of comic books set in Katniss Everdeen’s dystopian world could have to offer. Spoilers after the jump:
For those who haven’t read the book trilogy or seen the four-part film version, The Hunger Games depicts a post-apocalyptic version of the US known as Panem (the Latin word for bread) divided between the decadent Capitol, and the 12 poverty-stricken Districts that it exploits. Every year, a teenage boy and a girl are selected from each district to compete in the Hunger Games, a gladiatorial event where only one child can emerge alive, to mark the quelling of the Districts’ uprising 74 years ago.
That means there have been 73 Hunger Games held before the one in the first book: that’s at least 73 stories of triumph and tragedy that can be told. Some that come to mind include:
The Dark Days: The first rebellion, which inspired the Hunger Games, was led by Panem’s weapons manufacturing District 13. Although the Capitol emerged victorious and razed District 13, they couldn’t completely destroy the heavily armed district as it would have led to mutually assured destruction, and the upstart state continued to fight in secret from their underground bases. That’s 70 years of subterfuge and guerrilla warfare that a writer could use to craft their own compelling, continually evolving cast of characters. You could conceivably introduce a character in their teens during the First Rebellion and then follow them into their nineties when the books took place.
Haymitch Abernathy’s Story: Haymitch was the survivor of the 50th Hunger Games, and Katniss and Peeta Mellark’s mentor. He is a broken, haunted shell of the man, whose losses after his victory were even worse than those he suffered in the Capitol’s arena. His relationship with the series’ protagonists would further make him the most sympathetic of the past victors, if one of their stories were to be chosen for a spin-off.
The Fall of District 12: The destruction of Katniss’s home district takes place offscreen in both the book and film versions of Catching Fire, so a comic could finally be our chance to finally see this integral moment rendered visually. It could make for a frightening and thrilling one-shot, or be woven into an adaptation of the whole book itself.
Effie Trinket, Post-War: Effie Trinket, Katniss and Peeta’s fashionable and flighty Capitol escort, had a carefree attitude that made her the most fun character in the series. It would be intriguing to follow her as she adjusts to a presumably more austere world after the Capitol’s overthrow, and to lend a little insight into her hidden depths. It could be a poignant tale about mellowing with age. There’s one caveat for this project though: Effie plays a much smaller role in the book version of Mockingjay than the films, which would have a big impact on her characterization in such a story.
The Caesar Flickerman Story: Caesar Flickerman, the Hunger Games’ host, is another fun Capitol figure, and easily one of the series’ most recognizable characters, with his garish appearance and relentless cheerful attitude. It could be a politically potent story, exploring how he internally justified working for the regime so visibly every day, whether he adjusted to life after President Snow’s downfall, and if he became a pariah or not. (Don’t be surprised if the media forgave him.)
Hypothetical Games: The road not taken is a proud tradition in comic books, and The Hunger Games has many decisive tipping points where things could’ve gone another way. The whole series rest on Katniss’s decision to volunteer as tribute instead of her younger sister Primrose, but what if she hadn’t? What if the Capitol’s Peacekeepers ignored her? Similarly, what if Katniss and Peeta didn’t emerge the victors of the Hunger Games, but Rue had instead?
Continued belowThere’s likely many millennial writers who grew up reading the books that would want to explore The Hunger Games universe themselves. For example, here’s an illustration of Rue’s burial from the first book by “Nimona” creator Noelle Stevenson (who will probably be too busy with She-Ra and the Princesses of Power to write, let alone illustrate, a comic in the foreseeable future):
We’re in two minds for who could illustrate a series instead. The artists on BOOM! Studios’ “Power Rangers” series, like Jonas Scharf (who also drew “War for the Planet of the Apes”), Daniele di Nicuolo (“Mirror’s Edge: Exordium”) or Dan Mora (“Klaus”), would be a fine choice as they’re certainly adept with dynamic action, monsters and young adult warriors, but we’re also thinking of someone much stranger, namely Emily Pearson (Black Mask’s “The Wilds”). Her haunting, sinewy art could capture the melancholic, occasionally Southern Gothic vibe of Katniss’s story.
So, now it’s your turn to volunteer as tribute: which Hunger Games storylines would you like to be depicted, and which writers and artists would you like to see on them? Who are your favorite characters? What would be necessary to distinguish a comic book adaptation from the films? Or has the series had its day? Remember, here the odds will be ever in your favor, so please tell us what you think in the comments. Until next time: have a happy Hunger Games.
