Now if you are a Star Wars,Buffy or Star Trek fan. You know that getting invested in expanded universe properties like novels, comics or even video games is a perilous task. Sometimes they are flat out bad. You tread halfway through a book and realize it is terrible and will not get any better. Then are relieved it cannot be official canon.
Then you find a great book. Something that fits the series tone perfectly. You hope and hope it will not be directly contradicted. Then suddenly the creator makes a return and undoes it.
But you also find those gems. Those works that are so perfect you don't care if it doesn't "count". Why it might fall between the cracks so perfectly that it can't be undone.
Today I want to talk about franchises that deserve to have more of an expanded universe. Video games, TV or movies. Now some of these series might be tragically short lived and deserve to live in some form or another.
Or they might be series that lasted an incredibly long time. But oddly never got outside of their niche. Lets check out what I consider universes worthy of exploring.
1. Dragonball
Now you might think that giving an expanded universe to a franchise that has over five hundred TV episodes, 20 movies and 42 volumes of comics silly.
Well you go to hell!!!!
But really you don't know Dragonball. Akira Toriyama is an incredible creator. In his time working on Dragonball, every volume was loaded with awesome concepts that were barely explored, before he introduced things that were even cooler.
Whether it be a series following the Frieza Clan. Looking at the various conflicts of the Ginyu Force or the Saiyan trio of Vegeta, Nappa and Radditz.
Or looking at the life and times of the gods of gods the Kaioshins.
Looking at the history of the planet Namek.
The early life of Master Roshi and Crane Hermit. Or their Master Mutaito. Maybe look a little later at Roshi's first students Ox King and Goku's Grampa Gohan.
Actually a twenty minute animated short (based on a comic) following a alternate universe Bardock came out. In it he fought a Ancestor of Frieza and even hinted at a cool concept involving the Legendary Super Saiyan. So maybe some day.
2. Power Rangers
Power Rangers has been on a long time. Starting in 1999 they started doing completely new series each year. Some of these series are good, some are okay and some are terrible.
But they usually drop a few bits of history expanding the series. For as popular as the series was at one time, it never had a successful comic series. Which I found odd but I have theories for why they did not work.
There were early Sholastic paperbacks for youngsters. Pfft what do they think we are, little kids?
And there have been exactly four not terrible Power Rangers games. two on the SNES and two on the Genesis. MMPR the Movie on Genesis sorta kicks ass actually.
But not a single good game in a year with a 0 in it. Power Rangers:Super Legends should have been at least decent, but it was awful. I took it to Gamestop and got my money back even though I downloaded it.
But it would be fun seeing comics exploring how the various Evil Overlords interact or the different hells in the PR universe.
Or maybe I want to see the Dragonzord fight a fucking Q-Rex or Goldar tangling with Magna Defender.
3. Dallas
Dallas was an awesome TV show that ran for nearly fourteen years. There were a few books based on TV episodes. But nothing on the epic scale that Dallas deserved.
Dammit I want comics and books based on the pre season one years. With JR finally running Ewing Oil and a young Cliff Barnes establishing himself as a consumer advocate.
Hell go into the post TV movie years and show Christopher and John Ross joining the family business.
Maybe I'll get my wish once the revived series premieres on TNT and it is a mega hit.
4. Rocky
No no not stories about Rocky. His story was told perfectly in six movies.
But I would love to hear the stories of what happened to the characters he encountered over the course of those six films.
I mean watching Rocky 3 you can see Clubber Lang's story was not over. This was a guy on a bad path and his brief moment of glory probably destroyed him.
Ivan Drago embarrassed Mother Russia in front of the world. What happened to him?
What ended up happening to Tommy Gunn? Which no matter what, Rocky V was a good movie. I don't care what Stallone says.
Hell I would love to see a book starring Thunderlips:The Ultimate Male.
Anybody reading this, what are universes you wish were given more attention in books, comics or vidya games?
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