The Idiot Box

Well, my goal of posting every week just hasn't been reached. Mitigating factors include: folios of writing for N5 and Higher; marking  S2 and S3 assessments; N4 Added Value Units; tracking,  reporting to parents and, of course, dealing with parental complaints ( never mind any actual lesson planning). Fortunately, the Easter holidays are only a week away.

However, I wanted today to look at DC and Marvel television properties today, as the Dawn of Justice movie approaches. For my money, the most iconic comics adaptations on tv historically were The Hulk, Wonder Woman and Batman. Do any of the influx of current tv shows match up?

  I haven't seen Constantine, Daredevil or Jessica Jones yet or this would be a ranked top ten. But here are comics' Superlative Seven on the telly:

7) SHIELD: Now in its third season with some charismatic characters. In addition to the Absorbing Man and versions of Mockingbird and Mr. Hyde, a shadow war with HYDRA has led to the introduction of the Inhumans. The satirical gimmick of birthing Inhumans through doctored fish oil capsules amused me more than the toxic clouds in last year's comics. However, I find it terribly slow- moving and the Inhumans, serving here as surrogate X-Men, lack Kirby's notes of alien grandeur.

6) Arrow: now in its fourth season, this Batman-wannabe series totally leeches off the Bat-mythos. We've seen the League of Assassins, the Huntress, Katana, Anarky and Nyssa Raatko. While it has also launched iterations of  the Blackhawks, Deadshot and HIVE, it's Batman-lite. I do like Felicity, now serving as Oracle and the oleaginous John Barrowman's Merlyn but the interminable island flashbacks are getting on my nerves,

5) Legends of Tomorrow: spinning off from Arrow and Flash with tv's versions of the Atom, Firestorm, Hawkman and Hawkgirl, this series has a premise and flavour terribly familiar to Doctor Who fans. Not least since Rory Pond is a rather fey, English Rip Hunter, Time Master. The "Lost in Time and trying to thwart Vandal Savage" arc is becoming a shade repetitive and the dialogue is very poor. The highlight is Wentworth Miller's camp and vicious Captain Cold. Still: Vandal Savage and the Atom. Pretty incredible.

4) Agent Carter: in its second season, the most stylish comics-inspired show on tv is a spin off for  Peggy Carter from CA: The First Avenger and Ant-Man. The tone is Steed and Mrs. Peel in 40s Hollywood. There are fewer links with the cinematic universe, although we've seen the Howlers and Arnim Zola. Iterations of Whitney Frost and Roxxon's Hugh Jones are the current villains. It would rank higher, however, if we saw Namor and Betty Dean, dammit!

3) Supergirl: with one season down, a little campy, since the real star is Calista Flockhart's uberbitch media mogul Cat Grant but with a strong message about sisterhood.  We've seen Reactron, Red Tornado and the Martian Manhunter also plus charming cameos from Dean (Clark) Cain and Helen ( Supergirl) Slater as Kara's parents. This is the least "grimdark" of the shows listed here and, despite my number one, I'm glad of it.

2) Flash: in its second season, this spin-off from Arrow is a winner because of the supporting cast's family atmosphere. Grant Gustin's Barry Allen, a goofily appealing hipster nerd, is the engaging heart of a show that has brought us the Rogues and Jay Garrick. Plus: Vibe. This show made us all love Vibe, no?

1) Gotham: a little too gruesome and bloody for my liking but I like the parental Gordon-Alfred-Bruce Wayne dynamic. The series plucks players from all eras of Batman, from a teen version of Englehart's Silver St. Cloud and the Order of St. Dumas to Grant Morrison's Flamingo . The strange feint with Jerry the ersatz Joker confused me but tragic monsters Penguin and Riddler are like an Odd Couple for the damned. Gritty but characterful.

I have to say that after Man of Steel, I'm dubious that I'll enjoy Batman V Superman. But that said, I was surprised by Deadpool, which in spite of a maudlin mid-section, was profane, silly and irreverent. It also made me realise that dullard X-Man Colossus can actually have a purpose -albeit as a straight man in comedic situations.


Coming next: more Big Finish audio reviews... but if that doesn't appeal, the Defenders will be here soon, too and the Batgirl of Burnside.

All images presumed copyright of their respective owners