Trailers in Short - Speedsters, Mystics, and Detectives. Oh My!

Well if the rounds of superhero movies isn't enough, we seem to be in store for a whole range of TV series based around comic book heroes. (Okay, we often have various superhero series these days. But let's all pretend, like the media does.)

So let's see all the DC Comics and Marvel Comics offerings coming this year. (And maybe some movies. We are obliged.)

Let's start with The Flash (he always races to the front of line). He's a favorite of mine in comics. And I am always pleased when he gets some press or representation. (And maybe they'll finally finish a Flash video game. The one that almost came out before looked lovely.) And I do love a speedster.

Not much is out about the show. It will tie into the current Arrow series, as Barry Allen has appeared on it, as have two of his future opponents/allies. Iris Allen has been cast, which makes one imagine a future Wally West being added to the show (Hopefully he'll be added by the end of the first season.)

We also have seen the costume for Flash. It's different, but I think it works. It reminds me some of an Alternate Earth version I saw once.

 I am more of a Wally West fan, but as long as we get some good Flash adventures, I will watch.

I'll have more to say after they show the teaser trailer with the Arrow season finale tonight. And then when they have it online, I can put it up with more thoughts on The Flash and the show's plan.

For now though, here's the season finale trailer for Arrow, and the hint of the Flash that comes at the end.

Also, we have Constantine coming to TV...on NBC...

Okay, are we all imagining Keanu Reeves? Crucifix shotguns? A Constantinemobile?

So far this show shows no sign of these things. The actor in the lead is a reasonable facsimile of the Hellblazer character...as he's seen in the Nu52 comics. I guess I'm saying, I am not in a rush to call this doomed.

NBC is NBC. But it's also the channel that is currently showing Hannibal. It can do horrific, creepy, and disturbing. So this show has a chance. It won't be a show like we'd get via HBO or Showtime, with piles of gore, and other extreme imagery. But they have a field of opportunity to do some interesting stories.

Of course I imagine it won't tie to the other shows, being on a different network. But maybe it'll be an excuse to focus more on interesting Vertigo style characters, and magic. Maybe we can get some ties to Sandman? Maybe they can play with Dr. Fate, or other mystic good guys? Maybe they can create a springboard for a Zatanna show? "Or a Dr. Fate show," I whisper.

I am being hopeful for now, as long as he keeps up his regular jaded demeanor.


Yet another DC show is iZombie.

...Honestly, this isn't a book I am familiar with. The show... I gather that it will be about an undead woman who works in the Coroner's office. There she has access to brains to eat, and access to the memories of the dead, who's deaths she can right.

It could be good. It's being made by two people who worked on Veronica Mars.

Wish I had more to say.

The other show from DC Comics is Gotham, a prequel to Batman's career, and a start to Jim Gordon's career. We all speculated when we first heard, but now we know it will focus on a changing city, which while crime ridden, is worsening.

The Waynes are gunned down, and crime landscape is upended with power plays. Part of these issues will rise from a newer player, Fish Mooney (played by Jada Pinkett Smith).

So how will Detective Gordon react and handle it?  How will it change him?

The show is playing around with many concepts. Bullock is a mentor of sorts to Gordon. Penguin is a junior member of a gang. And it looks like we'll see, to some extent various figures that will come to fame battling Batman. Edward Nigma. Pamela Isley. Selina Kyle. Harvey Dent. And maybe more. But it will be an earlier time in their lives, when their psyches and personas are still being forged.

The cute kid who'll steal your heart, and keys,
and ID, and car, and...

We also will get to see a young Bruce Wayne coping with his loss in those early days, before it all came together. We have to wonder if he'll meet any or all of his future adversaries.

We additionally get another take on Alfred (Well it popped up in Beware the Batman and Batman: Earth One.), with Sean Pertwee in the role. Being more of a gruff military figure, maybe we'll be seeing him giving Bruce some of his early basic training, and offering him some life lessons in Gotham that establish his ethos.

I am eager to see what they will do with the rich Gotham  tapestry they have to use. As with other takes on Batman I am open to them playing with what we know.


So that takes us through the new DC Comics offerings. What about Marvel?

Agent Carter

I was surprised that I had no idea about this until it was announced by ABC. But after the short they released, it will be nice to see. Honestly, I haven't been the biggest fan of Agents of SHIELD, so this historic (so outside of movie continuity) take could be an interesting romp in old school spy games.

From descriptions, she will be working in 1946, for the SSR (pre-SHIELD). She'll be playing at being a secretary, but get sent on secret missions by Howard Stark...

I really wish we weren't playing with the fake job motif. I'd rather she just did her spy business, and focused on her adventures. (Like with James Bond.) Maybe it will be a limited backdrop.

Here's the Agent Carter short that came out last year:

Agent Carter by dake6

And the rest

Through Netflix, Marvel will be debuting FOUR shows. Daredevil. Jessica Jones. Luke Cage. Iron Fist.

Not much is known about the shows yet, they should cast by this Summer.

But after each show's 13 episode run, they are planning a miniseries. The Defenders. In it the four team up to face a greater threat. Sure it's not a team up of Dr. Strange, Silver Surfer, Namor, and Hulk. But I'll take seeing Luke Cage, and the rest teaming up for some street level adventuring. Maybe they'll lead into more seasons with Jones and Cage, and Iron Fist and Cage going on adventures.


"But is there nothing to say about movies, Jack," I mutter to myself.


X-Men: Days of Future Past

A continuation of X-Men: First Class...and, for some reason, a continuation of the first 3 X-Men films. And that means we end up centering too much on Wolverine.

Still, Peter Dinklage, Sentinels, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan. and the First Class crew. That makes it worth a chance.

Still, Quicksilver is looking rather silly. And, how is young Xavier walking again? Why is young Beast sans blue fur? Why couldn't the core of this movie be Kitty Pride? (To be fair, the X-Men comics have long had holographic tools to hide their true forms, so that could explain Beast.)

But, it could still be a fun wild adventure. Maybe they will skip a little between past and future. It'd be fun if the changes that Wolverine makes in the past affected what the team did and faced in the future. Have some fun with time travel!

Crossing my fingers that it won't be another X-Men 3.

Apparently, the next movie  they are working on will be an Age of Apocalypse movie. It will move the story to the 1980's. They are planning to use younger Storm, Cyclops, and Jean Grey's in the movie (So they will be recasting.). It will lead to the first X-Men movie...Why? Let's just let go of the first 3 X-Men movies. All the time travel should make them all invalid, instead of being some destined event.

DOFP and AOA should unmake those movies. Everyone will be totally cool going in some different directions.


The Not Quite Superman Sequel, Nor Justice League Movie

Well, I am talking about everything else, so why not this? ...Let's just see the latest news. We'll have "appearances" in the movie by Cyborg along with others now. What's that mean? Eh. We've also finally had a glimpse of the Batsuit and Batmobile.

They are in monochrome, but they look fine. The suit has many reminders of The Dark Knight Returns, but, thankfully, the car doesn't.

Still no clue how this comes together. What's the story going to be? Will Clark Kent and Metropolis get some more sound build up? Will the rest of the universe added be used well?

Let's see what they do with Wonder Woman's design, hmm?

So far, I am more positive about Gotham, but I can get more into my thoughts on this movie in another post.