Comic Book TV Shows Pick-Ups

What a most glorious week it has been for comic fans. We knew that Arrow was renewed for a third season early in the year, but Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D joined its comic brethren in getting a renew this week as well.

Having both shows back for next season will be cool, but if that was the only news wouldn’t be worth much. Instead this past week, we got word that not 1, not 2 but 5 new shows will be joining them later this year on a variety of channels. Let’s give a brief rundown and our thoughts.

Constantine (NBC)

DC Comics character Constantine (Matt Ryan) struggles with his faith as he is haunted by the sins of his past, but he is suddenly thrust into the role of defending humanity from the gathering forces of darkness. Batman Begins‘ David Goyer will executive-produce with writer Daniel Cerone (Dexter). Harold Perrineau, Lucy Griffiths and Charles Halford also star.

Constantine

 

 

Our Thoughts: This one is most interesting in the mix of source material and channel. We feel that Constantine may be a bit neutered being on network television, but some clever writing and acting will go a long way to erase these shortcomings.

Updated Thoughts (5/11/14): NBC dropped the first trailer and clip from the show. All fears we originally held have now turned into excitement. Pure excitement. It doesn’t have all of his mannerisms, but the lead has charm and charisma (and an accent) and it looks like a decent special effects budget!

The Flash (CW)

Scientist Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) is given the power of super-speed after a freak accident that transforms him into the Fastest Man Alive. The Arrow spin-off is based on characters published by DC Comics and omes from Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg and DC Chief Geoff Johns. Jesse L. Martin, Tom Cavanagh, Candace Patton, Danielle Panabaker, Rick Cosnett, Carlos Valdes, Michelle Harrison, Patrick Sabongui and John Wesley Shipp will also star.

 

Our Thoughts: This is the easiest show on the list to look forward to due to Grant Gustin’s appearance as Barry Allen on Arrow, we already know we have a likable lead. Later on in the series, we were introduced to some of the supporting characters, and they seem to have as much chemistry. Only thing we worry about is how the Flash’s powers will be displayed on The CW budget. 

Gotham (Fox)

Based on DC Comics characters, this drama explores the origin stories of eventual Batman ally James Gordon (Benjamin McKenzie), a detective with the Gotham City Police Department, and his battle with the villains who made the city famous. David Mazouz (Touch) will play young billionaire Bruce Wayne. Mentalist creator Bruno Heller will write and executive-produce withNikita‘s Danny Cannon. Jada Pinkett Smith, Donal Logue, Sean Pertwee,Robin Lord Taylor, Cory Michael Smith, Erin Richards, Camren Bicondova, Drew Powell and Zabryna Guevara will also star.

 

 

Our Thoughts: This is the most questionable show on the list. It is the only show that kind of falls far from the source material. It could either go horribly wrong with all the wink wink, nudge nudge to Batman-lore or take off and create an even more compelling backstory to one of comic’s most famous cities and its residents. We really won’t know until it airs, but the one we have the most doubts about.

iZombie (CW)

A med student-turned-zombie (Rose McIver) takes a job in the coroner’s office to gain access to the brains she must reluctantly eat to maintain her humanity, but what happens when she starts inheriting the corpse’s memories? With the help of her medical-examiner boss (Rahul Kohli) and a police detective (Malcolm Goodwin), she solves homicide cases to quiet the disturbing voices in her head. Veronica Mars‘ Rob Thomas and Diane Ruggiero will write and executive-produce the project, based on the DC Comics series. Robert Buckley, David Anders, Nora Dunn and Alexandra Krosney will also star.

iZombie

Our Thoughts: This is the most interesting show on the list. It comes from a rather niche comic series, but has such an unique premise that the showrunners could really have some fun with it. It is also interesting in that we don’t often see zombies portrayed in a positive light in media. Some doubts creep in about it being a police procedural, but we hope to be proven wrong on that front. 

Marvel’s Agent Carter (ABC)

Captain America‘s Hayley Atwell as the titular agent as she finds herself marginalized when the men return home from fighting abroad in 1946. Working for the covert SSR (Strategic Scientific Reserve), Peggy must balance administrative work with secret missions for Howard Stark all while trying to navigate life as a single woman in America, in the wake of losing the love of her life. Resurrection‘s Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas will executive-produce with Steve McFeely, Christopher Marcus and Jeph Loeb.

AgentCarter

 Our Thoughts: The second most impressive show on the list. If you haven’t had the chance to check out the one-shot included with the Iron Man 3 Blu-Ray, we highly recommend that you do. If the series continues with its great sense of action, Peggy’s no-nonsense character and questionable morales of the 1940s we will have a hell of a show on our hand.

We’ll have more on all of these shows as information becomes available. But for now, it looks like a hell of a fall for comic book fans.

Earl Rufus

The owner of this little chunk of the internet. Enjoys having a good time and being rather snarky!

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3 Responses

  1. Mark says:

    Grant Gustin a likeable lead?

    He’s a terrible actor and didn’t look or act like Barry at all.

  2. Wooden Swan says:

    The guy playing Oliver Queen didn’t look or act anything like Ollie but Arrow has turned out pretty damn good.

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