Holy network executives, Batman, superheroes are back on TV!
In light of the wildly successful box office runs of Marvel’s “The Avengers” and accompanying movies, as well as DC’s “Dark Knight” trilogy, the networks have once again awoken the superheroes imagined by DC and Marvel, bringing them back to the small screen. While it may not be the first time some of these heroes have made television, their contemporary iterations are a part of an effort to produce corresponding superhero fiction in a market that just can’t seem to get enough of it.
In the current lineup, Marvel’s “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” airs on ABC Tuesday nights at 9:00 p.m., DC’s “The Flash” and “Arrow” airs on the CW Tuesday and Wednesday nights, respectively, at 8:00 p.m., and DC’s “Gotham” airs of Fox Friday nights at 9:00 p.m. A look at the air times reveals that even the most intense fans won’t have to compromise one show for another. At this point, the shows don’t seem to be in direct competition with each other. This can be explained by the fact that each show tells a different story and demonstrates how loose the designation “superhero fiction” can actually be.
Spinning off from the popular Avengers movie, “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” follows the work of Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) of S.H.I.E.L.D., a type of homeland security spy force that exists to function in a world exposed to the superhero phenomenon, fighting terrorists who are as “super” as their hero counterparts. The show sets itself apart from the typical superhero fiction, as it omits inclusion of any actual superheroes. The story is more concerned with the resistance of mortal humans against the supernatural forces that elude them.
Fox premiered its new show “Gotham” last month, which features a young Detective Gordon (Ben McKenzie) as he exists in a pre-Batman Gotham City. His enemies aren’t the super villains of the Batman era, though the origins of many of Batman’s greatest nemeses are to be revealed in this series. Instead, Gordon fights corruption within his own ranks and works for justice in a city run by the Falcone crime family. The first episode takes place on the night Bruce Wayne witnesses the murder of his parents, thus beginning the secondary element of describing his development from a scared young boy to Gotham’s most vengeful protector. The show shares a similar idea to the CWs’ “Smallville,” which followed the origins of Superman.
“Arrow” was the trailblazer show of the contemporary superhero TV trend and it tested the network’s ability to produce superhero fiction that’s both exciting and serious. “Arrow” follows the story of Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell), yet another billionaire playboy turned vigilante. Queen goes out under the cover of night and uses his specialized skills in archery to stop the criminals responsible for “failing” Starling City. The constant cliffhangers and slowly unfolding plot made the first season of Arrow a serious binge-fest, with an apocalyptic ending that left viewers shocked. It’s a brilliant testament to the fallibility of heroes, showing that every creed has its flaws. While spurious corny dialogue can’t be helped, especially on the CW, it never detracted from the story, but rather served as a reminder that it was still a superhero show.
After the success of “Arrow,” the CW spun off “The Flash,” which premiered in early October. What makes “The Flash” so unique from the other shows currently available is the fact that it’s the only one of the four shows mentioned to depict an actual superhuman. Barry Allen (Grant Gustin), “The Flash,” discovers that he has the ability to move at superhuman speeds and he uses these powers to protect the citizens of Central City from meta-human tyranny. A crime scene investigator by day, Allen investigates cold cases dealing with the paranormal in order to solve the mystery of his mother’s murder.
TV is becoming increasingly more saturated with superhero content, so logically this would direct more content online. In an unprecedented deal, Netflix recently signed on for four Marvel TV series, the first of which involves reinventing “Daredevil” (the show will not have Ben Affleck reprise his 2003 role). The other three shows will chronicle lesser-known heroes Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist. Furthermore, Netflix has also signed for a Marvel miniseries called “The Defenders” which is a smaller scale equivalent to the “The Avengers.” With four shows currently airing and at least four more full shows in the works, the superhero genre is in danger of overexposing itself, especially considering all the movies that are being released. It really makes you wonder about the actual demand for all of this superhero content and if the demand will last as long as the contracts.