If you're a gamer and a comic reader, you've been burned by comic adaptations so many times. Either they come off as cheap ads, poorly executed follow-ups, or weird side universes starring Sonic and his even crappier friends. But imagine how good those comic book spin-offs could be if they were taken seriously by all involved. That's what we choose to imagine with this list.

We picked out seven games that have (basically) never had their own comic book series before and detail as best we can for potential publishers just why they'd work in the realm of word balloons. Just in time for San Diego Comic Con, we start our dream list with...

Like Cobalt 60 crossed with The Walking Dead, the radioactive deserts of the Fallout games would make for a perfect post-apocalyptic comic series. Starring a lone wanderer who’s not much for words, the series would follow the stranger's journey across the wasteland. His travels could take him from the DC setting of Fallout 3 to the West Coast of Fallout: New Vegas and the original Fallout. A story containing locales and factions across the entire series could unify the franchise’s continuity, and have a good chance of pleasing fans across the spectrum.

A stop in Megaton, a visit to Rivet City, a brush with the Brotherhood of Steel, eventually the wanderer could reach the West Coast of the first Fallout and visit the Hub, Necropolis and other locations from the original turn-based outings. While the series should be focused on a single, “man without a name” type of protagonist, it wouldn't be Fallout if he didn't have some occasional company. A rotating cast of secondary characters would give the reader a chance to meet people from all walks of post-apocalyptic life, and the rate at which they betray and dispatch each other would illustrate why the wanderer prefers to travel alone, or with just a dog.

As storytelling goes, Saints Row gave up trying to match the depth and engaging characters of the Grand Theft Auto games long ago . Last year's Saints Row: The Third was instead a an entertainingly messy break from the fabric of reality, a world that gets more absurd with each new mission. By the end plausibility had been so rejected, you were left with a world where basically anything could happen, which is the perfect starting point for a comic book.

There are so many possibilities. A four issue story arc could follow the deadly exploits of a new pro wrestling tag team's adventures at Murderbrawl XXXII, then the very next issue could show the life of a furry that's competing on Professor Genki's TV show. Giant mechs could fight flying pandas as a zombie outbreak is suppressed by hulked out clones of tiger men. Anything can happen in Steelport and the shifting reality and tone would allow for revolving door creative teams of the comic industry's best and brightest. Anything you dream can be a reality in Saints Row, it just won't be Comic Code approved.

If there’s any game with an art style and cast of characters just begging for the comic book treatment, it’s Skullgirls. This love letter to all things fighting games has a surprisingly deep backstory full of rivalries, pathos and morbid comedy. Expanding on the twisted history of Painwheel and Valentine, Filia’s first few days with the demonic hair parasite Samson, or Cerebella’s rise through the ranks of the Medici mafia all seems intriguing, especially if they’re illustrated with the same spritely style as the game.

The trick with a Skullgirls comic would be balancing the game’s multiple endings – one for every character. Also, since there’s likely going to be a sequel, or at least some DLC, the series can’t get in the way of wherever the games are going to end up. That’s why the comics should be a limited run, devoting three or four issues to each character. It would follow the fighters' backstories, their time in the tournament, their encounters with the Skull Heart and the aftermath from it. This way, all the different possible endings can remain “timelines that could have been,” just as the game puts it.

Commander Shepard’s story may have concluded with Mass Effect 3, but that doesn’t mean it has to be the last we see of the Mass Effect universe - surely there’s a whole galaxy worth of stories left to be told. Dark Horse has already done some great work expanding the back stories of characters from the games, but we’d like to see something more like the comics of the expanded Star Wars universe. Just like the graphic novels of George Lucas land, tales could be set before, during or after the events of all three games.

As an ongoing series that jumps around in the Mass Effect universe, it would give writers and artists the freedom to pick any moment in that galaxy’s history to expand on. The plots could range from world-changing events to slice of life stories. A three issue storyline on the decline of the Krogan empire could be followed by a yarn about three merchants competing for Shepard’s endorsement on the Citadel. And speaking of the commander, it should probably be an established convention that the character of Shepard may be artfully alluded to, but never shown. After all, everyone’s Shepard is different, in physical appearance and the choices they make. By avoiding his/her presence, and certain choice-heavy moments of the game’s plot, the series could maintain the illusion that this is the same world we experienced in the games, just brought into greater focus through the medium of comics. Though that shouldn't limit the creators, as some stories could expand on the multiple possible endings of the game, focusing on one potential outcome for a small, stand-alone story arc, almost like the "what if?" stories that comic authors usually resort to, only this time it's about Geth instead of Captain America.

Many JRPGs games would be worthy of their own manga series, and in reality many have been featured in their own comics. Persona, Dragon Quest, Fire Emblem and others got the Japanese graphic novel treatment, but one franchise is way overdue. Based on how publisher Square Enix seems to be finished with the Chrono series (for now), the company should pass it on to a new generation of manga artists and give them a chance to build within a world that probably meant a lot to them as kids.

Akira Toriyama's character designs and Yuji Hori's narrative are a perfect fit for black and white comic page which would house the continuing adventures of our favorite time travelers. You could see Magus' search for his sister, Crono and Marle's new life together, and other hanging plot threads that would bridge Chrono Trigger to it's somewhat convoluted sequel Chrono Cross. We'd rather have a new game, but since Square doesn't seem into it, at least meet us halfway and give us 500 pages of manga.

Throughout Red Dead Redemption, we saw Marston living with the consequences from his life of crime as a younger man. Imagine getting to see a younger, leaner, possibly meaner and certainly less upstanding Marston. This is a man who grew up as a turn of the century orphan – you know he hasn’t had it easy. We’d get to see him rustling cattle and robbing banks with the Dutch van der Linde gang, how Dutch impressed a young Marston, mentored him, then friction developed between Marston and the rest of the gang, and finally, what drove him to leave his life of crime to settle down with Abigail.

As with many Rockstar titles, Red Dead Redemption was such a compelling sandbox experience because it felt like a living, breathing world. It was all so well-drawn - the realistically rendered animals, the expansive outdoors, the run down towns, and the characters, especially Marston himself. He was consistently characterized, well-voiced and had a past that was always rearing its ugly head, making us yearn to know more. That’s why it’s as deserving as any game to get the fully fleshed-out backstory treatment. Just like its source material, Red Dead Redemption would be a turn of the century period piece, with an ear for turn of the century idioms and an eye for historical detail and brutal frontier violence.

Arrested Development, Dreamcast, Crispy M&Ms. Some things are simply too beautiful to exist for but a fleeting moment. But just because a franchise is too expensive to continue in its original form, that doesn't mean the narrative can't live on in the lower budget realm of comic books. Joss Whedon gave Buffy The Vampire Slayer an eighth season in comics, so why can't Tim Schafer give us a Psychonauts 2 graphic novel?

Psychonauts' cliffhanger ending left fans dying to see the continued adventures of Raz, Lili and the rest, so keep the story going in the comic medium that plays to almost all the game's strengths. The clever writing could shine on the page, the characters would look as good (if not better) as line art, and unlike a game, it wouldn't need to be a million-seller to be a success. Yes, there are rumors of a second Psychonauts game happening eventually, but Double Fine's fans would be better served with a comic they could read right now. That's a Kickstarter we'd give at least $20 towards.

Any other games out there you want to see? A BioShock anthology? A kids-friendly Castle Crashers book? An ethereal El Shaddai comic that finally makes sense of the story? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

If you want to learn more about comics (or comix), take a look at the best superhero games of all time and the top 7 comic book games that need to be made.