Today's News: it's Marvel versus DC on the small screen too

Here's some fairly new news from MovieScene I wrote in recent times:

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/155681/logo_marvelserie_agent_carter_uitgebracht

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/155696/eerste_trailer_en_clip_nbcs_constantine

It seems DC is not letting Marvel outdo its rival on television as easily as it does on the big screen. Marvel is still a relative newcomer to the scene, currently hosting only a single show, though with great plans for the future of the medium both on telly and online. DC accordingly was all too eager to grab a corner of that reinvigorated market too (remember, DC has a much more encompassing history with television than Marvel: consider shows like Smallville and Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, but those are arguably past successes), and has been attempting to do likewise ever since Arrow debuted last year. Its slate of comic book adaptations for television isn't as ambitious and lacks the Marvel touch of coherency (shared universe and all, y'know), but it does reveal more diversity. Arrow is basically superhero light. The upcoming Gotham is more film noir/cop drama than anything else, despite its eventual penchant for masked villains and vigilantes. And as this trailer for Constantine shows, it's more of a fantasy/horror show. The original Hellblazer comics, published under DC's Vertigo imprint, never shared much ties with the regular DC-verse anyway and as all of these shows will debut on different networks, don't expect to see any Marvel type crossovers.

At the same time, 'crossover' remains the key word for Marvel. Agent Carter fits right in that strategy, building on events and characters from both Captain America movies and the running series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., yet offering a different kind of adventure. Similar to that first Marvel TV series, the main component is spy stories, but set in a period setting, allowing for historical events and characters to be intertwined. Also, the emphasis is on a single (female) character instead of a team of personalities, so the make-up of the show is different from the get-go. It's gonna be a Cold War show, not a series where superhuman characters loom around every corner. But as the logo and the released plot synopsis indicate, connection to what regular audiences know and love about the Marvel Universe will be commonplace. The eagle logo clearly establishes the link between Carter and S.H.I.E.L.D., and it's likely we'll see the foundation of that organization sometime or other in the show: the term 'origin story' will likely be appropriate somewhere down the line. The character of Howard Stark (Iron Man's dad) will also play an important part, thus directly re-establising the connection with the superhuman element and the technological wonders that form another hallmark of the Marvel brand. Nevertheless, I have a tough time picturing this as an ungoing show, it feels more like miniseries material. Blame it on the period setting, blame it on the single protagonist, but the premise feels limited. It sounds like there's only so much you can do with it before it starts getting repetitive. There's a reason the supporting character of Agent Carter never got her own continuing line of comics. I hate to be the Negative Nancy here, but even though it does sound intriguing, I doubt this show will make it for more than two seasons.

As for Constantine, the trailer doesn't make me revel in jubilation either. Even though there's good names attached to the project, judging from the trailer the result has a definite B-movie vibe to it. Of course a trailer is not an accurate reflection of the final product, but it does cause people to get either enthusiastic or pessimistic about the show-to-be. I don't think many people will be convinced of the show's qualities - and with Neil 'Blackwater' Marshall directing the pilot, there just have to be some - after this trailer, or the accompanying clip. Maybe it's the cheap looking effects, maybe it's the choppy editing meant to evoke a sense of dread, but so far the pilot doesn't appear nearly as attractive as the movie, which also wasn't a brilliant piece of gothic audiovisual entertainment. I'm willing to reserve judgment until I see the finished thing (as people should anyway), but so far I'm more stoked for Gotham. That's probably the DC comfort zone speaking, sticking to what we like most about DC, which is undeniably Batman. And Hellblazer is a far cry from the tales of the Caped Crusader. At least Constantine has something to show for it by now. But for the present, Marvel's shows take my preference.

As for Neil Marshall, we still have an 'Episode 9' by his hand in store for us on Game of Thrones. His involvement worked out quite well the last time. Hopefully it will make a difference for Constantine after all.