It’s no secret that comic books have had a profound influence on television with characters like Batman, The Punisher, Daredevil, Cloak & Dagger, and countless others coming to life via live-action series and/or cartoons. But, there have also been several popular TV shows that have spawned spin-offs in comic book form.

It’s an interesting way to fill in the gaps or answer big questions that were not explored during the series. What adventures do we miss when these characters are onscreen?

What happened when this show jumped forward several months or years into the future? How did this character actually survive the seemingly insurmountable circumstances they were faced with when they disappeared off-screen?

There are dozens of excellent TV shows that have made a solid transition to the comic book world, but here are five you should totally check out if you aren’t reading them already:

‘Stranger Things’ (Dark Horse Comics)

The Stranger Things comic series is answering the big question on everyone’s mind at the end of season 1 — how the hell did Will survive in the Upside Down for almost a week?

This series is only a few issues in, so now is the time to hop on-board and follow Will to figure out how he ate, where he hid, and how he was able to control the lights to communicate with Joyce.

If you love the series, you’ll enjoy writer Jody Houser’s (Orphan Black, Faith) imaginative and intense take on this series.

‘Doctor Who’ (Titan Comics)

It’s not surprising that Doctor Who has a strong foothold in the comic arena. The long running sci-fi series extends far beyond TV with novels, audio series, comics, games, and pretty much any medium of entertainment you can think of outside of recent movies.

The Doctor is hundreds of years old and has been mucking about in the TARDIS for a long time, so just imagine the unseen villains, planets, and even companions that could have been a part of this character’s journey.

The show literally doesn’t have enough time (or a big enough budget) to think of all the possibilities, but that’s where the comics can come in to do something magical. Multi-Doctor stories and epic adventures await fans who want to further explore the Whoniverse.

‘Mystery Science Theater 3000’ (Dark Horse Comics)

Nostalgia is the major wave right now with everything being revived, rebooted, and re-imagined for today’s audience. Mystery Science Theater 3000 made a triumphant return via Netflix in 2017 and it wasn’t long before a new comic series made its debut at the end of 2018.

It’s only three issues in at this point, but each one has been an absolute delight that aligns perfectly with the TV show. So, if you want to get wrapped up in even more weird adventures with Kinga Forrester, then this comic is the way to go.

‘Adventure Time’ (Boom! Studios)

Adventure Time may have wrapped up an epic 10-season run in 2018, but if you just have to have more stories outside of the reruns, then check out the comic books.

There’s a lot of material to catch up on with loads of issues available via Boom! Studios, but perhaps it will reduce the lingering sting of the series ending by taking you into an alternate timeline with familiar characters.

‘Rick & Morty’ (Oni Press)

Like Adventure Time, Rick & Morty’s comic adventures have been around for a few years, but it’s never too late to jump into more weird adventures with the mad scientist and his wide-eyed grandson.

The best part is, there are several storylines to explore, including an entire volume of previous quarterly adventures to get you on board before Volume 2 drops in March 2019.

So, what are you waiting for?! Dive deeper into your TV faves through their print adventures!