Comic book legend James Tynion IV did something bold. He left the superhero world of Marvel and DC Comics and bet on himself. It was a move that may have been scary, but something Tynion felt he needed to do. In the end, this may have been the best decision he’s made in his professional career.
Since leaving DC Comics, he has written amazing comic books like Universal Monsters: Dracula, W0rldtr33, and Something is Killing the Children. In October of 2025, it was announced that Something is Killing the Children is getting a movie adaptation and an animated series.
If you’re a fan of the comic book, you aren’t shocked that this happened. SIKTC is an Eisner Award-winning title that remains a must-read. It combines horror and comedy with intriguing lore and characters who have a lot of depth. There’s no way this wasn’t going to become something bigger than comics. It’s even less shocking that another one of James Tynion’s comic book series, Exquisite Corpses, is getting a movie.
According to Deadline, " Lyrical Media and James Tynion IV‘s Tiny Onion are teaming to develop two a pair of horror films based on works from Tynion: an adaptation of his new bestselling horror comic book series Exquisite Corpses, as well a take on his short film and one-shot comic, Room Service."
What is Exquisite Corpses?
Exquisite Corpses is about the 13 wealthiest families who control the country in secret. Every five years, on Halloween, they play a “game.” Each family (which represents a state) hires a killer to hunt the others. The surviving murderer is the winner, and the state they represent rules the United States for the next five years. That’s right. The wealthy are playing with the lives of humanity to decide who gets to be in charge.
The series is eight issues into the 13-issue run, and it’s already been grabbed for a movie. I’d like to say this is shocking, but it’s not. Besides Exquisite Corpses being a phenomenal run, TV and movie companies are grabbing comic book franchises left and right. Some may say that this will take away the allure of comic book projects, but they couldn’t be more wrong.
Comic book titles like SIKTC and Grim are unlike the Marvel and DC Comics shows and movies. They exist away from a large universe and are generally owned by the writer. That means the creator usually gets to have a bigger say in what happens in their adaptations. And, in a world where fans of comic book projects are looking for something different, titles by Image Comics and BOOM! Studios provide that.
Lastly, I can’t end this article without praising James Tynion IV. As I mentioned above, he did something that a lot of creators are scared to do, and he’s winning. There’s a chance that this wouldn’t have happened if he hadn’t believed in himself. This should become a message to creators everywhere to trust in themselves and that hard work can pay off.
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