Supernatural needs to come back as an animated series. That’s the only way a revival could truly capture the magic of the original series’ run. Fans aren’t ready to move on from Sam and Dean yet, but only an animated show presents the opportunity to spend more time with the Winchester brothers as fans know and love them.
The new Supernatural comic series from author Greg Pak and publisher Dynamite Entertainment is set during Season One of the show.
The book’s early issues have had their moments, but they also expose the limits of adapting Supernatural to the page. Which, in turn, makes the solution that much more obvious.
Supernatural Is Back In Comic Form, But It’s Not Exactly The Return Fans Wanted
The Upsides & Downsides Of The New Supernatural Comic
Dynamite Entertainment’s new ongoing Supernatural series is designed to be a series of standalone “Monster of the Week” stories, set during the first season of the series. This is one huge benefit of continuing the franchise in the comic medium: Sam and Dean can be young again. The comic doesn’t have to be a sequel, or a reboot.
The Supernatural comic has had its exciting moments so far. Most of all, author Greg Pak has nailed the dialogue and dynamic between Sam and Dean from the start. It leans into the campier side of Supernatural, but not necessarily in a bad way. Where the comic’s initial issues have faltered has been a matter of pacing.
The Kind Of “Supernatural” Stories Its Fans Want Don’t Fit In The Comic Medium
An Animated Series Is A Different Story
As a network TV show, Supernatural episodes methodically clock in at around the 42-44 minute mark. Dynamite’s Supernatural comic is in the 22-25 page range. A comic was never going to precisely capture the pacing of the show, but the stories so far have seemed especially compressed and, at times, choppy.
Resurrecting Supernatural on television isn’t as easy as bringing Sam or Dean back from the dead…Which brings us to the one “have your cake and eat it too” scenario: an animated series.
That isn’t to say the series can’t find its footing as it continues. It does, however, highlight the fact that Supernatural stories need room to breathe. That’s one big reason the franchise thrived in the TV medium. And it’s one point in favor of the argument that Supernatural needs to be a TV franchise first and foremost.
Yet resurrecting Supernatural on television isn’t as easy as bringing Sam or Dean back from the dead. There are a lot of complicating factors when it comes to a Supernatural comeback. Which brings us to the one “have your cake and eat it too” scenario: an animated series. This would combine the best of the show with the new comic’s appeal.
A Supernatural Cartoon Could Bring Back The Show’s Stars To Voice Their Characters
The One Way Jared Padalecki And Jesen Ackles Can Reprise Young Sam & Dean
A big sticking point when it comes to a future Supernatural series is the involvement of stars Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki. Fans of the franchise aren’t thrilled with the idea of rebooting its canon and recasting its heroes. At the same time, if Ackles and Padalecki were to reprise the roles, it would have to be a sequel series.
An anime version of Supernatural was produced in Japan during the show’s run. Sam was voiced by Jarad Padalecki, but Dean was only performed by Jensen Ackles in select episodes. The series lasted just 22 episodes, but it showed the animated potential of the franchise.
Unless, of course, they returned as voice actors. An animated show could take a cue from Dynamite’s Supernatural comic and take place early in the live-action show’s run, while still maintaining Sam and Dean’s signature voices. This would satisfy fans’ desire for Ackles and Padalecki’s involvement, and the Winchesters’ return, while hewing closer to the OG show’s pacing.
Supernatural Comic Author Greg Pak Has A Knack For The Franchise, But A Cartoon Would Be A Better Fit
The Case For Supernatural Returning To The Screen In Animated Form
Even a half-hour animated TV episode would be closer to the structure of a classic Supernatural episode than Dynamite’s comic has been able to replicate. Part of what makes the show a classic is that its best moments tend to happen in between an episode’s plot beats. The pace of the Supernatural comic, so far, has been too brisk to allow this.
Author Greg Pak has quickly proven that he knows how to write Sam and Dean. Plus, Pak has a keen sense of the franchise’s fictional world. It certainly isn’t him failing Supernatural, but rather the comic medium is proving to be a less-than-perfect fit for the franchise. Pak’s vision would be better suited for the screen, in animated form.
The Future Of Supernatural Is TBD; A Cartoon Could Be The Perfect Next Chapter
The Best Way To Give Fans What They Want
The Supernatural prequel series The Winchesters only survived one season, and it remains to be determined how long Dynamite Entertainment’s comic series will run for. Supernatural is at a crossroads right now. Its dedicated fanbase isn’t going anywhere, but what the future looks like for the franchise is very uncertain.
An animated series could be the unexpected new form that breathes fresh life into the franchise. Like the comic, a cartoon could take Supernatural’s monsters and mayhem to the next level visually, in a way the live-action series couldn’t, but it could also hew closer to the recognizable style and vibe of the show.
An animated show is ultimately the only path forward for a version of Supernatural that brings back Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, and more of the show’s familiar faces, or voices, while avoiding the pitfalls of a sequel. It could be the salvation of Supernatural that diehard fans are begging for.
- Created by
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Eric Kripke
- First Episode Air Date
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September 13, 2005
- Cast
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Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, Misha Collins, Jim Beaver, Mark Sheppard, Mark Pellegrino, Alexander Calvert, Katie Cassidy, Lauren Cohan, Genevieve Padalecki, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Samantha Smith, Felicia Day, Kim Rhodes, Ruth Connell
- Spin-offs
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ghostfacers, Supernatural: The Anime Series, The Winchesters