Post by Torgo on Jul 24, 2008 21:07:18 GMT -5
Hello all. Torgo here. With the releases of films such as Dark Knight and Iron Man, Mitchell's movies has been overwhelmed with threads related to comic book films.
But you know what...let's talk television. After all, while massive budgets of feature films allow the impossible to be captured on screen like never before, the infinate episodic nature of television lends itself to tell more stories. As much as I enjoy a superhero movie, what I really love is a television series that works above and beyond.
I won't pretend to have seen every single superhero television program in history. For some reason popular shows like Six Million Dollar Man and Bionic Woman (both incarnations) have escaped me. Hell, I haven't even been subjected to Linda Carter's Wonder Woman yet. And shows such as Dark Angel just don't interest me.
But I have seen a fair amount. So I shall give my takes on those and give my top five, as well as my choice for the worst superhero television show in history, at the end of this thread.
Let's get it started in here...
The Adventures of Superman (1952)
Popular with the kiddies back in the 50s, the Adventures of Superman showcased George Reeves sucking in his gut (and losing his dignity, which is no doubt what he would respond if one were to ask him) and playing one of the most recognized American icons out there.
What the show suffered from was a lack of any real challenge for the hero. Earlier productions of superheroes like this were too cheap for supervillians, and spent most of their budget on the hero showcasing his superpowers. The villians were normally just typical thugs, and the plots were usually just waiting for ol' Supes to fly on the scene in the nick of time.
But most of this is redemed by the fact that Reeves himself was a pretty good actor and, while he may have looked down on the role at the time, played the Man of Steel in a very serious manor, preserving the nobility of the character. Watching Reeves prance around in the tights makes the series a worthy one. Personally, it's one I'd rather have my children watching before I exposed them to anything as epic as Richard Donner or Bryan Singer tried to attept.
Batman (1966)
Probably the goofiest of the goofy, the 60's Batman is a lot of fun to watch. Unlike the Superman of the 50's, the series showcased supervillians every week (portrayed by celebrity guest stars).
Adam West and Burt Ward portray Batman and his sidekick Robin (joined in season 3 by Yvonne Craig as Batgirl) as impossibly nobel characters, so by the book, so unwilling to break any law. The straightness of their performances is easily as funny as watching Leslie Neilson in the Naked Gun.
The show was incredibly colorful, and campy to the point that there's even little signs all around the Bat-Cave telling the audience what does what (my favorite of which is in the feature film adaptation, in which the Bat-Copter drops a ladder that's complete with the sign "Bat-Ladder"). As bad as it is, it's a series that's impossible to hate and one of my personal favorites.
Spider-Man (1967)
One of many Marvel properties to gain an animated show in the 60's, Spider-Man is probably the only one remembered nowadays due to it's catchy theme tune.
I've only been subjected to the pilot episode of the show, and personally didn't get into it. The animation is stiff and crude and the voice acting and dialogue are both terrible. Kids were probably stoked about this show way back when, but today it's obsolete.
The Amazing Spider-Man (1977)
Not a massive improvment over the 60s animated series, but a less crude one. While Amazing Spider-Man had the novelty of portraying the superhero in live action for the very first time, it suffers from a lack of supervillians, much like that of the 50s Superman. This made it more of a crime drama with a guy in tights crawling on walls. Not really that thrilling, but it has it's moments.
The Godzilla Power Hour (1978)
Yeah, I guess you wouldn't really call Godzilla a superhero, but in this Hanna-Barbera 70s acid trip he was as good as.
The series showcased a group of scientists wondering around the ocean on a ship called the Calico. Eventually they would run into a monster and the captain used a magic button on his belt to call the King of the Monsters and protect them (clip not in English). It's your typical show cashing in off a popular character, and trying to repay parents by (hopefully) teaching children good moral values.
It's a bit of a doofus really, but it has it's cheesy charms. Watch out for Godzooky, the show's attempt at a Scooby Doo type character (who looks like Denver the Last Dinosaur) that follows the characters around.
Transformers (1984)
An 80s favorite got it's second wind thanks to Michael Bay last year. How does the original show hold up?
It's basic good vs. evil stuff. The good guys are the good guys because they're good and the bad guys are the bad guys because they're bad. That's the extent of development the show leaves us with, which gives us an excuse for some car chases and robot action. The action is less polished than what we'd be used to in todays animation, but back then it was pretty thrilling for a 7 year old.
The animation style is pretty slick and fun. But this is one more fondly remembered due to nostalgia.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987)
I was born at the height of Turtles-mania, so I was definatly a fan of this series growing up. In recent years it's been critisized for being too silly, but it's humor is less groan worthy than it's given credit for. There are jokes in each episode that make me laugh, but there are a few that fall flat.
The voice acting and animation are both solid, and the theme song is a classic. The action scenes of the first few seasons hold up well, though later on it would focus more squarly on silly comedy which may or may not be to the tastes of many. It's still one that I enjoy, though.
The Flash (1990)
I recently had the pleasure of sitting through a few episodes of this live action adaptation a few days ago, and I greatly enjoyed it. Cool action, effects, and decent acting. The show had this cool "Darkman" sort of vibe to it that I dug.
Too bad it didn't hit it off, but thank god it's on DVD.
X-Men (1992)
One of the first of the more serialized, episodic television shows, X-Men had great action and great depth.
However, it is one that I grew less and less fond of over time. The show was unbearably preachy on racism and other subjects, and it's hard to get through an episode without having the morals crammed down your throat.
I guess the show still has fans that are crazy over it, so perhaps it's just me.
Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers (plus Zeo, Turbo, ect, whatever the hell they are now) (1993)
If you were 8 years old in '93, the Power Rangers were the coolest. Sexy teenagers hold up their devices in order to transform into Japanese stock footage.
Yes, it's crappy in retrospect, but I can't deny how much fun I had pretending to be the Red Ranger when I was a kid. It was a different Saturday morning television show. It was live action, had giant robots and monsters fighting, and cute chicks in spandex.
The show had decent morals of friendship and teamwork, which is probably why it still endures today. If kids are getting out of it what I did in the past, I'm glad they're having fun. The syndication package for this show in reruns must be a bitch, though.
Spider-Man (1994)
Probably the best verson of Spider-Man on television (though, I haven't checked out the Spectacular Spider-Man on the CW yet), the biggest problem with the series was it's rushed storytelling. The series moved so fast that the Peter Parker narration collided with the dialogue and it was hard telling whether he was talking or just thinking to the audience.
Swell voice cast, highlights include Ed Asner as J. Jonah Jameson, Roscoe Lee Browne as the Kingpin, and Hank Azaria as Eddie Brock/Venom. Animation is a bit dodgy, with 3D animation interacting with 2D animation. Fights are pretty good (though censorship was hard on the show, since Spidey wasn't allowed to throw a punch).
The series was story arc heavy, which was fun. I hope for some seasonal sets someday so I can watch them back to back, because the single disc releases aren't cutting it.
Superhuman Samurai: Cyber Squad (1994)
This is one I plucked from obscurity. I loved this show as a kid, but appearantly I was the only one.
In retrospect I see why.
The humor was corny, and while the Japanese stock footage action was fun the first time, a lot of it was recycled into later episodes.
A young Matthew Lawrence played a hero named (get this) Servo, who attacked virus monsters in cyberspace, threatening to take down civilization. It's a novel idea, but a silly one. He had friends that fought with him as well, and piloted vehicles by his side: a brainy girl, a thick headed jock, a spazy dweeb, and a surfer dude.
It kind of sucked, but it was impressionable enough to make the list, anyway.
Superman (1996)
Bruce Timm and company's second attmept at a DC property (the first was Batman, which will be discussed down the road) was probably a lot of fun for fans of the Man of Steel. For those, like myself, who find the character a bit to bland to follow on a regular basis, this is probably their least favorite of DC Animated Universe.
The storytelling was strong and well done, the characters just never caught my attention. The DVDs are a must own to any Superhero collector, just like anything with Bruce Timm's name on it.
Big Bad Beetleborgs (Metalix) (1996)
Big Bad is right. Here's another Saban crapfest I used to watch. This one actually had 10 year olds as the heroes, who somehow transform into adult sized robots.
The humor was overdone and lame, as they got their powers from a polterguist who looked like Jay Leno. He was joined by a group of other monsters who all tried to be funny, but always failed.
One low point in the series was when they did a multi-parter used to introduce a fourth White Beetleborg into the show, only to dump him three episodes later, leaving the viewer dumbfounded as to what the point of the arc was.
This one has fallen out of grace with me, and I'd prefer to keep it that way.
Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation (1998)
Saban farted out an abortion with this one, making it easily the worst of all their shows, and the worst adaptation of the TMNT by far.
Everything about this show screams cheapness. Everything is just so.....thrown together. No thought process was put forth at all, and they even add a female turtle (complete with shell covered boobs) for no reason whatsoever.
For the crap collector, be sure to hunt down the Power Rangers in Space episode that this incarnation of the Turtles guest starred in. That's a doozy.
Godzilla: The Series (1998)
Yes, Godzilla is back on the list. While this one is more of an anti-hero than the last animated series, the two shows are too similar to ignore.
Once again it's a group of scientists on a big boat running into monsters, and Godzilla surfaces to save their skin. This time, instead of a special button, Godzilla was more of a pet. If one were to recall at the end of the 1998 American 'Zilla film, a baby Godzilla hatched from an egg. Creative license was taken by the animated series, and it was made so that Matthew Broderick's character of Nick Tatopoplis was present at that moment. The Baby Godzilla adopted Nick as it's mother, and the two of them form a bond.
The rest of the series is monster brawls, mediocre voice acting, and decent animation. It doesn't have as much goofy charm as the last series, but it has it's moments.
Justice League (Unlimited) (2001)
I love Bruce Timms's DCAU, and at it's best, Justice League was amazing. However, the first season was massivly uneven, and the first half of the third season had some heaping doses of suck in it as well. Season two and four are excelent television, and are not to be missed.
As a whole, I'd rank it third of the four DCAU shows, just above Superman. The show was pretty good, and it was a pleasure to see all the hero's mix it up. My personal favorite being Wonder Woman's little crush on Batman, and Batman's indifference to it.
The show has enough highs for a complete series collection to be on your shelf and in your DVD player regularly.
The Tick (2001)
The live action version of the comedy superhero is a bit uneven in places, but ultimatly it's too delightful to pass up.
This sitcom-esque take on superheroes is light on action, but heavy comedy featuring superheroes dealing with everyday stuff, such as palling it up with other heroes, dealing with the justice system, breaking it to their parents about their "lifestyle," and even getting a license to fight crime.
It's probably not the best live action portrayal the Tick could have, but for now, it'll do.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003)
The most highly reguarded of the TMNT adaptations is a disappointment to me. I find the storys very strong, but the story telling very rushed and the voice acting and dialogue to be quite pathetic.
If the show took a few notes from Bruce Timm's line of television programing, then it would have probably made my top five.
Spider-Man (2003)
A tragic misfire. The animation was unique, but everything else was off.
The show was a sequel to the 2002 Spider-Man film and a spin on the Ultimate Marvel comics as well. Promising in concept, but the people behind the show never made it felt right. The show's take on the Kingpin, for example, is one of the most off portrayals ever done. The character is shown to be a fat fast food junkie, though his size is supposed to be muscle and not body fat.
The show had promise to improve, and it's almost a shame it had to be cancelled, but it's probably best that it was tossed aside so another series could take it's place.
The Batman (2004)
Like the previous incarnation of Spider-Man, this Batman series is more of an "Ultimate" spin on the hero.
Voice acting is above average, though, Rino Romano was more fitting as Spider-Man in the long forgotten series Spider-Man: Unlimited than he is as Batman. Action is pretty sweet. The storytelling is linier and character driven, which is pretty fun. This spin on the Batman works better than the MTV Spider-Man, that's for sure.
However, it just doesn't live up to Bruce Timm's take on Batman, which is pretty unfair to The Batman. But you can't shake the feeling of it being like eating a McDonald's hamburger for dinner after having a juicy steak for lunch.
Heroes (2006)
I've tried to get into this show. Several times. Each time, I haven't made it through an entire episode. The characters are boring and the stories just aren't interesting.
I have nothing else to say about it except I'm not going to bother anymore. I love heroes, but I just don't like Heroes.
And now ladies and gentlemen...
It's time to list off my top five.
A gimmick show that worked far better than it should have. I didn't get into Beyond until the Return of the Joker movie came out, which proved to me that the show was worthy of the Batman name.
Just as the time of Bruce Timm's Batman: The Animated Series portrayed was sort of a gothic past, the future of Batman Beyond is an unobtainable future, making the series quite timeless in it's own unique way.
The new Batman is more like Spider-Man than anything, a wise-ass kid with social problems instead of mommy and daddy issues. This aspect kind of facinated me with the series, because it was almost as if Batman was training Spider-Man.
It's both dark and quirky at the same time. Mark this one a winner in my book.
It's been a while since I've seen this one, but my memories are so vivid I know it's one of my favorites.
It was made at the height of Jim Carrey-mania, and was one of three shows created to cash in off his success. The other two, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and Dumb and Dumber, had far less potential and it showed.
The Mask was the natural choice, since the film itself was largely inspired by the cartoon media. Making the hero a limitless cartoon character michief-maker was just too great an opportunity to pass up.
Unfortunatly, like Ace Ventura and Dumb and Dumber, this series has faded into obscurity as well. Shame they didn't release a complete series set when Son of the Mask hit theaters, and after that flick bombed, they probably never will.
The only live action series in my top five, like similar efforts of the 50's Superman, the Incredible Hulk had no supervillians and it was just a matter of time befor the main character showed up and saved the day.
What saved the show was the portrayal of David Banner as a tortured soul desperatly searching for a cure for his condition. As he goes from town to town meeting new friends and leaving them behind, we genuinly feel for him.
It's a successful drama with a jolly green giant running around, and I love it.
SPOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!
Crazy humor and quirky original characters highlight this delightful superhero comedy. This series mocked cliche and stereotype, and even pokes fun at things you had never thought of before.
You'd really have to watch the show to know what it truly is. That's also the only way to know if it's your bag or not. I think it's a hoot, personally, and I know I'm not the only one.
Seriously...what did you expect to be number one? If you put together a list of superhero shows, and you don't rank this one the best, then there is something seriously wrong with you.
Almost everything about this show is perfect. The mood, the dialogue, the voice acting (Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill are brilliant).
The only downside is that the storytelling through the course of the show is scattershot and non-linear and the animation style is akward at first (though as soon as the story sucks you in, you don't care).
It's excelent stuff. It's one Saturday morning cartoon no adult should be ashamed to have on their shelf. Hell, it out-matures mostly everything else I own.
And now...
My pick for the worst superhero series of all time...
Stripperella (2003)
Stan Lee is either getting senile or is a horny old bastard, because I have no clue why he would have created this abomination.
The humor is flat with rediculous erotic suggestion and sex jokes abound. Without successful humor, the show really has nothing.
Maybe if you think Pamela Anderson is the hottest thing on the planet (personally I think she's uglier than hell), then you'll be willing to sit through this farce only to hear her voice as the title character. For the rest of us...run like hell.
And that is that, folks. I'm tired and am going sleep now.
But you know what...let's talk television. After all, while massive budgets of feature films allow the impossible to be captured on screen like never before, the infinate episodic nature of television lends itself to tell more stories. As much as I enjoy a superhero movie, what I really love is a television series that works above and beyond.
I won't pretend to have seen every single superhero television program in history. For some reason popular shows like Six Million Dollar Man and Bionic Woman (both incarnations) have escaped me. Hell, I haven't even been subjected to Linda Carter's Wonder Woman yet. And shows such as Dark Angel just don't interest me.
But I have seen a fair amount. So I shall give my takes on those and give my top five, as well as my choice for the worst superhero television show in history, at the end of this thread.
Let's get it started in here...
The Adventures of Superman (1952)
Popular with the kiddies back in the 50s, the Adventures of Superman showcased George Reeves sucking in his gut (and losing his dignity, which is no doubt what he would respond if one were to ask him) and playing one of the most recognized American icons out there.
What the show suffered from was a lack of any real challenge for the hero. Earlier productions of superheroes like this were too cheap for supervillians, and spent most of their budget on the hero showcasing his superpowers. The villians were normally just typical thugs, and the plots were usually just waiting for ol' Supes to fly on the scene in the nick of time.
But most of this is redemed by the fact that Reeves himself was a pretty good actor and, while he may have looked down on the role at the time, played the Man of Steel in a very serious manor, preserving the nobility of the character. Watching Reeves prance around in the tights makes the series a worthy one. Personally, it's one I'd rather have my children watching before I exposed them to anything as epic as Richard Donner or Bryan Singer tried to attept.
Batman (1966)
Probably the goofiest of the goofy, the 60's Batman is a lot of fun to watch. Unlike the Superman of the 50's, the series showcased supervillians every week (portrayed by celebrity guest stars).
Adam West and Burt Ward portray Batman and his sidekick Robin (joined in season 3 by Yvonne Craig as Batgirl) as impossibly nobel characters, so by the book, so unwilling to break any law. The straightness of their performances is easily as funny as watching Leslie Neilson in the Naked Gun.
The show was incredibly colorful, and campy to the point that there's even little signs all around the Bat-Cave telling the audience what does what (my favorite of which is in the feature film adaptation, in which the Bat-Copter drops a ladder that's complete with the sign "Bat-Ladder"). As bad as it is, it's a series that's impossible to hate and one of my personal favorites.
Spider-Man (1967)
One of many Marvel properties to gain an animated show in the 60's, Spider-Man is probably the only one remembered nowadays due to it's catchy theme tune.
I've only been subjected to the pilot episode of the show, and personally didn't get into it. The animation is stiff and crude and the voice acting and dialogue are both terrible. Kids were probably stoked about this show way back when, but today it's obsolete.
The Amazing Spider-Man (1977)
Not a massive improvment over the 60s animated series, but a less crude one. While Amazing Spider-Man had the novelty of portraying the superhero in live action for the very first time, it suffers from a lack of supervillians, much like that of the 50s Superman. This made it more of a crime drama with a guy in tights crawling on walls. Not really that thrilling, but it has it's moments.
The Godzilla Power Hour (1978)
Yeah, I guess you wouldn't really call Godzilla a superhero, but in this Hanna-Barbera 70s acid trip he was as good as.
The series showcased a group of scientists wondering around the ocean on a ship called the Calico. Eventually they would run into a monster and the captain used a magic button on his belt to call the King of the Monsters and protect them (clip not in English). It's your typical show cashing in off a popular character, and trying to repay parents by (hopefully) teaching children good moral values.
It's a bit of a doofus really, but it has it's cheesy charms. Watch out for Godzooky, the show's attempt at a Scooby Doo type character (who looks like Denver the Last Dinosaur) that follows the characters around.
Transformers (1984)
An 80s favorite got it's second wind thanks to Michael Bay last year. How does the original show hold up?
It's basic good vs. evil stuff. The good guys are the good guys because they're good and the bad guys are the bad guys because they're bad. That's the extent of development the show leaves us with, which gives us an excuse for some car chases and robot action. The action is less polished than what we'd be used to in todays animation, but back then it was pretty thrilling for a 7 year old.
The animation style is pretty slick and fun. But this is one more fondly remembered due to nostalgia.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987)
I was born at the height of Turtles-mania, so I was definatly a fan of this series growing up. In recent years it's been critisized for being too silly, but it's humor is less groan worthy than it's given credit for. There are jokes in each episode that make me laugh, but there are a few that fall flat.
The voice acting and animation are both solid, and the theme song is a classic. The action scenes of the first few seasons hold up well, though later on it would focus more squarly on silly comedy which may or may not be to the tastes of many. It's still one that I enjoy, though.
The Flash (1990)
I recently had the pleasure of sitting through a few episodes of this live action adaptation a few days ago, and I greatly enjoyed it. Cool action, effects, and decent acting. The show had this cool "Darkman" sort of vibe to it that I dug.
Too bad it didn't hit it off, but thank god it's on DVD.
X-Men (1992)
One of the first of the more serialized, episodic television shows, X-Men had great action and great depth.
However, it is one that I grew less and less fond of over time. The show was unbearably preachy on racism and other subjects, and it's hard to get through an episode without having the morals crammed down your throat.
I guess the show still has fans that are crazy over it, so perhaps it's just me.
Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers (plus Zeo, Turbo, ect, whatever the hell they are now) (1993)
If you were 8 years old in '93, the Power Rangers were the coolest. Sexy teenagers hold up their devices in order to transform into Japanese stock footage.
Yes, it's crappy in retrospect, but I can't deny how much fun I had pretending to be the Red Ranger when I was a kid. It was a different Saturday morning television show. It was live action, had giant robots and monsters fighting, and cute chicks in spandex.
The show had decent morals of friendship and teamwork, which is probably why it still endures today. If kids are getting out of it what I did in the past, I'm glad they're having fun. The syndication package for this show in reruns must be a bitch, though.
Spider-Man (1994)
Probably the best verson of Spider-Man on television (though, I haven't checked out the Spectacular Spider-Man on the CW yet), the biggest problem with the series was it's rushed storytelling. The series moved so fast that the Peter Parker narration collided with the dialogue and it was hard telling whether he was talking or just thinking to the audience.
Swell voice cast, highlights include Ed Asner as J. Jonah Jameson, Roscoe Lee Browne as the Kingpin, and Hank Azaria as Eddie Brock/Venom. Animation is a bit dodgy, with 3D animation interacting with 2D animation. Fights are pretty good (though censorship was hard on the show, since Spidey wasn't allowed to throw a punch).
The series was story arc heavy, which was fun. I hope for some seasonal sets someday so I can watch them back to back, because the single disc releases aren't cutting it.
Superhuman Samurai: Cyber Squad (1994)
This is one I plucked from obscurity. I loved this show as a kid, but appearantly I was the only one.
In retrospect I see why.
The humor was corny, and while the Japanese stock footage action was fun the first time, a lot of it was recycled into later episodes.
A young Matthew Lawrence played a hero named (get this) Servo, who attacked virus monsters in cyberspace, threatening to take down civilization. It's a novel idea, but a silly one. He had friends that fought with him as well, and piloted vehicles by his side: a brainy girl, a thick headed jock, a spazy dweeb, and a surfer dude.
It kind of sucked, but it was impressionable enough to make the list, anyway.
Superman (1996)
Bruce Timm and company's second attmept at a DC property (the first was Batman, which will be discussed down the road) was probably a lot of fun for fans of the Man of Steel. For those, like myself, who find the character a bit to bland to follow on a regular basis, this is probably their least favorite of DC Animated Universe.
The storytelling was strong and well done, the characters just never caught my attention. The DVDs are a must own to any Superhero collector, just like anything with Bruce Timm's name on it.
Big Bad Beetleborgs (Metalix) (1996)
Big Bad is right. Here's another Saban crapfest I used to watch. This one actually had 10 year olds as the heroes, who somehow transform into adult sized robots.
The humor was overdone and lame, as they got their powers from a polterguist who looked like Jay Leno. He was joined by a group of other monsters who all tried to be funny, but always failed.
One low point in the series was when they did a multi-parter used to introduce a fourth White Beetleborg into the show, only to dump him three episodes later, leaving the viewer dumbfounded as to what the point of the arc was.
This one has fallen out of grace with me, and I'd prefer to keep it that way.
Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation (1998)
Saban farted out an abortion with this one, making it easily the worst of all their shows, and the worst adaptation of the TMNT by far.
Everything about this show screams cheapness. Everything is just so.....thrown together. No thought process was put forth at all, and they even add a female turtle (complete with shell covered boobs) for no reason whatsoever.
For the crap collector, be sure to hunt down the Power Rangers in Space episode that this incarnation of the Turtles guest starred in. That's a doozy.
Godzilla: The Series (1998)
Yes, Godzilla is back on the list. While this one is more of an anti-hero than the last animated series, the two shows are too similar to ignore.
Once again it's a group of scientists on a big boat running into monsters, and Godzilla surfaces to save their skin. This time, instead of a special button, Godzilla was more of a pet. If one were to recall at the end of the 1998 American 'Zilla film, a baby Godzilla hatched from an egg. Creative license was taken by the animated series, and it was made so that Matthew Broderick's character of Nick Tatopoplis was present at that moment. The Baby Godzilla adopted Nick as it's mother, and the two of them form a bond.
The rest of the series is monster brawls, mediocre voice acting, and decent animation. It doesn't have as much goofy charm as the last series, but it has it's moments.
Justice League (Unlimited) (2001)
I love Bruce Timms's DCAU, and at it's best, Justice League was amazing. However, the first season was massivly uneven, and the first half of the third season had some heaping doses of suck in it as well. Season two and four are excelent television, and are not to be missed.
As a whole, I'd rank it third of the four DCAU shows, just above Superman. The show was pretty good, and it was a pleasure to see all the hero's mix it up. My personal favorite being Wonder Woman's little crush on Batman, and Batman's indifference to it.
The show has enough highs for a complete series collection to be on your shelf and in your DVD player regularly.
The Tick (2001)
The live action version of the comedy superhero is a bit uneven in places, but ultimatly it's too delightful to pass up.
This sitcom-esque take on superheroes is light on action, but heavy comedy featuring superheroes dealing with everyday stuff, such as palling it up with other heroes, dealing with the justice system, breaking it to their parents about their "lifestyle," and even getting a license to fight crime.
It's probably not the best live action portrayal the Tick could have, but for now, it'll do.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003)
The most highly reguarded of the TMNT adaptations is a disappointment to me. I find the storys very strong, but the story telling very rushed and the voice acting and dialogue to be quite pathetic.
If the show took a few notes from Bruce Timm's line of television programing, then it would have probably made my top five.
Spider-Man (2003)
A tragic misfire. The animation was unique, but everything else was off.
The show was a sequel to the 2002 Spider-Man film and a spin on the Ultimate Marvel comics as well. Promising in concept, but the people behind the show never made it felt right. The show's take on the Kingpin, for example, is one of the most off portrayals ever done. The character is shown to be a fat fast food junkie, though his size is supposed to be muscle and not body fat.
The show had promise to improve, and it's almost a shame it had to be cancelled, but it's probably best that it was tossed aside so another series could take it's place.
The Batman (2004)
Like the previous incarnation of Spider-Man, this Batman series is more of an "Ultimate" spin on the hero.
Voice acting is above average, though, Rino Romano was more fitting as Spider-Man in the long forgotten series Spider-Man: Unlimited than he is as Batman. Action is pretty sweet. The storytelling is linier and character driven, which is pretty fun. This spin on the Batman works better than the MTV Spider-Man, that's for sure.
However, it just doesn't live up to Bruce Timm's take on Batman, which is pretty unfair to The Batman. But you can't shake the feeling of it being like eating a McDonald's hamburger for dinner after having a juicy steak for lunch.
Heroes (2006)
I've tried to get into this show. Several times. Each time, I haven't made it through an entire episode. The characters are boring and the stories just aren't interesting.
I have nothing else to say about it except I'm not going to bother anymore. I love heroes, but I just don't like Heroes.
And now ladies and gentlemen...
It's time to list off my top five.
A gimmick show that worked far better than it should have. I didn't get into Beyond until the Return of the Joker movie came out, which proved to me that the show was worthy of the Batman name.
Just as the time of Bruce Timm's Batman: The Animated Series portrayed was sort of a gothic past, the future of Batman Beyond is an unobtainable future, making the series quite timeless in it's own unique way.
The new Batman is more like Spider-Man than anything, a wise-ass kid with social problems instead of mommy and daddy issues. This aspect kind of facinated me with the series, because it was almost as if Batman was training Spider-Man.
It's both dark and quirky at the same time. Mark this one a winner in my book.
It's been a while since I've seen this one, but my memories are so vivid I know it's one of my favorites.
It was made at the height of Jim Carrey-mania, and was one of three shows created to cash in off his success. The other two, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and Dumb and Dumber, had far less potential and it showed.
The Mask was the natural choice, since the film itself was largely inspired by the cartoon media. Making the hero a limitless cartoon character michief-maker was just too great an opportunity to pass up.
Unfortunatly, like Ace Ventura and Dumb and Dumber, this series has faded into obscurity as well. Shame they didn't release a complete series set when Son of the Mask hit theaters, and after that flick bombed, they probably never will.
The only live action series in my top five, like similar efforts of the 50's Superman, the Incredible Hulk had no supervillians and it was just a matter of time befor the main character showed up and saved the day.
What saved the show was the portrayal of David Banner as a tortured soul desperatly searching for a cure for his condition. As he goes from town to town meeting new friends and leaving them behind, we genuinly feel for him.
It's a successful drama with a jolly green giant running around, and I love it.
SPOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!
Crazy humor and quirky original characters highlight this delightful superhero comedy. This series mocked cliche and stereotype, and even pokes fun at things you had never thought of before.
You'd really have to watch the show to know what it truly is. That's also the only way to know if it's your bag or not. I think it's a hoot, personally, and I know I'm not the only one.
Seriously...what did you expect to be number one? If you put together a list of superhero shows, and you don't rank this one the best, then there is something seriously wrong with you.
Almost everything about this show is perfect. The mood, the dialogue, the voice acting (Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill are brilliant).
The only downside is that the storytelling through the course of the show is scattershot and non-linear and the animation style is akward at first (though as soon as the story sucks you in, you don't care).
It's excelent stuff. It's one Saturday morning cartoon no adult should be ashamed to have on their shelf. Hell, it out-matures mostly everything else I own.
And now...
My pick for the worst superhero series of all time...
Stripperella (2003)
Stan Lee is either getting senile or is a horny old bastard, because I have no clue why he would have created this abomination.
The humor is flat with rediculous erotic suggestion and sex jokes abound. Without successful humor, the show really has nothing.
Maybe if you think Pamela Anderson is the hottest thing on the planet (personally I think she's uglier than hell), then you'll be willing to sit through this farce only to hear her voice as the title character. For the rest of us...run like hell.
And that is that, folks. I'm tired and am going sleep now.