Gaming and comic books have gone hand in hand since the virtual experiences first started making their way into families' homes. Many franchises tend to receive comic book adaptations after they reach a certain level of popularity, and first-person shooters are no exceptions to this.
The genre often includes outlandish stories and over the top characters, making them a perfect match for the comic medium. The following games listed below got adaptations which are either canon ways to expand the lore or simply fun side stories. Most of the franchises are still relevant, while a few have already past their heyday.
10 Wolfenstein
Wolfenstein became relevant again with 2014's The New Order, which was then followed up by The New Colossus. The story is more impactful than one would expect from the pulpy concept. The recent cooperative spin-off, Youngblood, was not exactly what fans wanted from the series. For more content in the universe before a third entry comes out, read the comic book series released by Titan Comics in 2017 and written by Dan Watters.
9 Modern Warfare 2
One of Modern Warfare 2's most celebrated characters is Ghost. His design managed to make him a fan favorite, which made his untimely death at the hands of General Shepherd particularly tragic. Thankfully, he became a playable character in the reboot during multiplayer and Warzone. For even more Ghost love, read the six-part comic series which showcases his exploits before becoming a part of Task-Force 141. Little did the character know, he should have denied the invitation to the elite group.
8 Doom
The first two Doom games lack any sort of comprehensible story, save for the Doom Guy's quest for vengeance on the demons after they kill his bunny. The reboot adds more lore the series, especially Doom Eternal which pulls the curtain on the character's origins and even connects the story to Doom 64. It certainly has more plot now than the sixteen-page comic book made and given away in 1996, which largely recreates the first two games in as over the top fashion as possible.
7 Borderlands
Gearbox Software got their start making Half-Life expansions like Blue Shift and Opposing Force. After several other original properties, they finally became a force to be reckoned with thanks to the Borderlands series. The cooperative shooter's art style makes it a perfect match for a comic book.
Writers and artists also have a wealth of characters and stories to choose from, and they have taken full advantage of the world with stories telling the origins of the many colorful personalities.
6 Quake Champions
Quake was out of the spotlight for almost a decade before Quake Champions launched in 2018. The PC exclusive title is a multiplayer free-to-play experience, which makes the narrative sparse. For those who want a little more context for the carnage, a comic book of several issues details the events leading up to the game. While the idea is nice, no one really comes into Quake wanting a story.
5 Killzone
Before Guerrilla Games rocked the world with Horizon Zero Dawn, they built up the Killzone universe. To promote the release of Killzone: Mercenary in Japan, a one shot Manga was produced about the lone survivor of a platoon still opting to carry out a mission alone. Despite the Vita's short life and small catalog, Mercenary makes the handheld console a worthwhile purchase.
4 Duke Nukem
Duke Nukem Forever's lackluster reception in 2011 doomed the series, though the character has shown up occasionally since then in some capacity, including a remaster of Duke Nukem 3D. The character received a 2012 comic book story called Duke Nukem: Glorious Bastard. It has all the trappings one would expect from Duke Nukem, which is either a plus or a negative. Even hardcore fans admit the humor is painfully outdated.
3 Halo
The franchise that helped the Xbox live past the first iteration has numerous expanded universe media to help flesh out the massive science fiction world. In addition to novels, Dark Horse has published tons of comic book series in the Halo universe. With Halo Infinite having been delayed until 2021, now is the perfect time to catch up on the comics, assuming one is not already playing through all the games again.
2 Resistance
Insomniac Games burst onto the PS3 with Resistance: Fall Of Man, which was followed by two sequels. In 2009, a six-issue comic book series was published following several characters who do not appear in the games.
However, they interact with some supporting members of the games' cast. It is difficult to say if Sony will ever bring the series back, especially since it was completely absent from the PS4 and Insomniac is busy with Ratchet and Clank and Spider-Man.
1 Valve Presents: The Sacrifice And Other Steam-Powered Stories
This entry is not about one particular first-person shooter, but instead a whole collection of comics based off a company's catalog of games. The anthology covers Valve games like Team Fortress 2, Portal, and Left 4 Dead. Two of these games focus more on gameplay than narrative, making the comics an interesting perspective on the worlds. Portal never leaves the first-person perspective, making a comic book story in the world also worth reading.