2) Spawn
Spawn seems like a strange choice to put on this list given his high reliance on VFX. Or so one would think.
Born Al Simmons, his backstory entailed him working as a special forces soldier for both the Marine Corps and later the CIA. During his time with the latter, however, Simmons is betrayed and killed, sending his soul to hell where he sells it in exchange for returning to life and fighting criminals.
Out of all the Image Comics properties, Spawn is by and large the most popular, having been solely written and drawn by creator Todd McFarlane since his debut in 1992. Due to his sudden surge in fame, the un-dead bidder of Hell managed to secure a live-action film in the late 90s that, while not very good, helped expose him to even more readers.
However, it was the simultaneous release of a cartoon of the same name on HBO that not only did Spawn justice, but also provided a great idea as to how to do the character successfully in a live-action format: hide him within the shadows.
It might appear like a cheap trick to save money, but it actually serves Spawn very well, as he works best when he’s a nightmare to behold: glowing green eyes amongst a kinetic silhouette is one of the most terrifying images one can come upon in the darkness. Combined with a story focusing on his day-to-day fighting against metropolitan criminals, gangs, and corrupt politicians, and a television show on the right network could end up being a visceral episodic experience.
That being said, we do know that a live-action film reboot is already in the works, and if that ends up getting off the ground, it’d likely kill any chance of us seeing Spawn get his own series on the small screen.