GUEST BLOG: 5 Non-Comic Book TV Shows That Comic Book Fans Love
By Ben Smith
Every now and
again, there's a TV series that seems to grab the hearts and minds of comic
book fans everywhere. Though they aren't specifically derived from any comic
book property, something about them attracts comic book fans like shambling
zombies to a fresh bowl of brains (I don't know why there would be a bowl full
of brains, but cut me some slack, I really wanted to have the word shambling in
here somehow). From big hits to cult classics, these projects apparently scratch
that comic itch so well, that most of the time they actually become comic books
as well. So my, dare I say, epic goal is to talk about 5 shows that comic book
fans seem to always find themselves drawn towards, like a child actor to
narcotics.
For the purposes of
this discussion, Star Wars and Star Trek are not being considered. To
say comic book fans like these is a little obvious, because everyone likes those
properties. Similarly, Doctor Who is
off the list, as it is another quintessential "geek" (calm down, I
use the word lovingly) show (plus I refuse to ever watch Doctor Who).
Also, Transformers and G.I. Joe don't count, as I'm pretty sure they both existed as comic
books before they were cartoons (and as toys before both of them, but now you're
just giving me a hard time).
Finally, Heroes and shows of that nature will be
skipped as well. Though they may not technically be based on any specific
property (unless you want to count how much Heroes
ripped off from the X-Men) they are based pretty heavily and intentionally on
the superhero genre of comic books. (Also, Heroes
sucked. I don't care how much it costs, you have to have Peter and Sylar face
off in a superpowered slugfest at least once.)
With all the
disclaimers out of the way, let's get started!
In no particular
order:
AVATAR: THE LAST
AIRBENDER
After having my first
son, Nickelodeon became a pretty standard channel to get left on all day on the
TV. With Avatar (I'm just going to call it Avatar,
and you'll just have to assume I'm not talking about the big blue monkey 3-D
monstrosity that our society can never take back, like our own version of
Germany with WWII) in heavy re-run rotation, it wasn't long before casually
watching it while doing other things, became a trip to Best Buy to purchase all
the DVDs, and a weekend long binge-watching session with myself and Mrs. Back
Issue Ben.
What we found was a
rich mythology within a fully realized world, absolutely great characters (not
a single bad apple in the bunch), and one of the most satisfying endings to any
work of fiction I have ever experienced. The finale that closes out the third season
(and the original animated series as a whole) is so perfect that it has been
known to bring tears to my eyes. (Make fun of me if you will.) It's that good. It's
that satisfying. It's that (to use a word I'm going to definitely overuse
today) epic.
As I became more
involved in online comic book communities, I was somewhat surprised to discover
how many comic book readers also absolutely adore this animated series.
Less surprisingly,
the series is currently continuing its story in comic book form (as you'll see,
this is will be a recurring trend as we continue the list).
The sequel series, Legend of Korra, is a pretty capable
follow-up as well.
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE
SLAYER
After years of
seeing references to Joss Whedon and Buffy on comic book message boards, I
happened upon a display at Wal-Mart one day, with every DVD box set season of Buffy on sale for $20 each. Acting
completely on faith (not Eliza Dushku) I purchased them all and prepared for
the daunting task of watching this series completely from beginning to end (I
had a lot more spare time back then).
After a shaky first
season, I began to wonder if maybe my faith had been misplaced. Holding out hope
that the arrival of the often mentioned Spike might turn fortunes around, he would
do that and more. From the very beginning, with his memorable entry into the
series, I was guaranteed onboard for the duration.
As I continued, my
enjoyment of the show would wax and wane depending on the involvement of Spike
(excluding season three, with the prominence of the previously mentioned
Faith). I loved how in season 5 he would make an appearance just to mock the Scoobies,
or highlight his complete disinterest in whatever their problems were before
leaving. ("Out for a walk….bitch.") All the way until season 6 and 7,
when he finally made that epic (told you I'm going to overuse that word) leap
to hero. (Spike has become one of my all-time favorite fictional characters, if
you couldn't tell.)
Of course, you can't
watch Buffy without eventually watching
Angel, and I couldn't watch Spike in
season 5 of that series without watching the first four. While I wasn't as
satisfied with Angel as a series
(even though I like the characters better in general, how does that work?) it
did have its high points (and low, Connor?). The highest point being season 5,
where Spike joins the show (shocker, I know), which is the best season ever
produced in the Buffyverse.
It's not that hard
to pinpoint why this series appeals so much to comic book fans. It was created
by a comic book fan. Whedon has been very open about Kitty Pryde's (of X-Men
fame) influence on the creation of Buffy. Also, just like Avatar, it had a rich world, a far-reaching history and mythology, and
smart and witty characters (a Whedon staple).
It's not surprising
that Buffy, Angel, and Spike have had a long history of starring in their own
comic books (including "official season" continuations of the TV
series).
(On the same note, Firefly and Serenity might be the best things Whedon has ever made, barring Avengers.)
Angel would also indirectly lead me to the next show on my
list.
SUPERNATURAL
There I was, taking
some time off before a year-long assignment in Korea, watching Angel
re-runs on TNT every morning. Eventually, I found myself casually watching the
show that followed, Supernatural (starring
that "other guy" kissing Lana Lang from season 4 of Smallville).
History repeats
itself, and so casual watching turned to powering through the seasons on DVD. Supernatural was able to do the best job
I can think of, of copying what comic books often do so well. Build a larger
on-going storyline, while also telling satisfying single installments episode
to episode. Not only that, but the two series leads, Sam and Dean Winchester,
are two of the most engaging and well-developed characters in television
history (Dean is another character on my all-time favorites list).
As the series went
on, the stakes got higher, and unlike many other shows that unveil a grander
storyline, it did not disappoint. Yet, it never made you feel like you weren't
getting enough resolution from season to season. The threads established from
the very first episode, culminated in an epic (word count = four) season 5.
With the ending of
the original planned storyline, and the original show-runners leaving, season 6
and beyond have been up-and-down while they try to find new directions, but
still very well worth watching.
Yet again, I was
surprised to learn that not only did everyone that worked at my local comic
shop at the time watch Supernatural,
many of the other customers did too. Supernatural
hasn't had as many comic books produced as the previous entries, but they've
had a few. (I have no idea if they're any good. Considering that the show
relies so much on the performances of the two lead actors, I doubt it.)
LOST
With strong comic
book ties, it wasn't a mystery why this show became a favorite of readers
everywhere. First off, the pilot premiered at San Diego Comic-Con, creating a
lot of buzz for the upcoming first season. Also, one of the show-runners, Damon
Lindelof, is an acknowledged comic fan, even writing for Marvel at one point
(it only took him eight years to finish one mini-series). Characters even read
comic books in the show itself, with hints dropped that the plot of the comics
they read, contained clues to the mystery of the show itself (I don't know if
it was true, because there was no way I was reading a Flash comic).
The show itself mirrors
the mysterious and frustrating comic book past of Wolverine, in concept. For
every reveal of the ongoing mystery, there were just as many new questions
posed, with the occasional invalidation of previous stories mixed in from time
to time as well (Wolverine's infamous implanted false memories). Like Wolverine's
eventual comic book origin, the series finale of Lost was met with mixed
reactions (to put it lightly).
But barring
disappointing mysteries, the thing that made Lost such a great show to watch was the deep characterization of
its large and mostly fascinating cast. Lindelof doesn't hesitate to admit that Watchmen was a big influence on the show's
single character flashbacks from episode to episode. Those flashbacks gave you
a unique look into the minds, motivations, and pasts of every single character
on the show, making them that much more real in the minds of the viewers (while
also providing some amazing twists).
Unlike the previous
shows on this list, there have been no comic books based on Lost that I am aware of.
THE VENTURE BROS
For this last one,
I was considering the X-Files, but
Mrs. Back Issue Ben was able to suggest this perfect capper when I pressed her
for ideas. (Duy Tano was of absolutely no help. Gargoyles?)
The Venture Bros animated series is able to
simultaneously satirize and homage many great action adventure stories. From Johnny Quest to the numerous comic book
analogs for characters like Dr. Strange, Blade, and Reed Richards, (Shore
Leave, the analog of G.I. Joe's
Shipwreck, is a personal favorite) to the subverting of superhero fiction
tropes like arch-enemies and secret organizations. The list goes on and on (the
perception of what the Superman analog does with his young adolescent sidekicks
is particularly damning).
It's a show that is
as funny as it is action packed and entertaining. For every genre staple they
make fun of, it never feels like its mean-spirited or insulting. It all comes
from a place of love for that type of fiction. That love translates through to
the viewer (unlike Big Bang Theory,
which some comic readers seem to take very personally for some reason).
Plus, it's really
hilarious.
During my previous
time as the admin for an online comic book discussion group, one of the things
we liked to do was bracket-based "best-of" voting games. One of them
was the best comic book related animated series of all time. Venture Bros won overall, shockingly
beating out such classics as Batman the
Animated Series, Justice League, Transformers, Avatar, Ducktales, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. (The
voting was a sample size of about 20 people, so take that however you like.)
There are no Venture Bros comic books that I am aware
of, but there should be.
MY FINAL BRAIN
THOUGHTS:
As you may have
noticed, many of these shows have similar characteristics, which are probably
what makes them so appealing to your average comic book fan. All of them
created an expansive and meticulously developed world. They all nurtured a
larger ongoing mythology, while also providing satisfying smaller storylines
episode to episode, or even season to season. They all had complex and interesting
characters that are easy to become invested in, and care about (and mourn when
they die). They all have mystical or sci-fi elements that take them outside the
realm of your standard police procedural.
They're all very
fun to guess, and speculate, and debate, and argue about (comic book readers do
love a good argument). Spike or Angel? What kind of "bender" would
you be? Zuko or Aang? Is Dean the hero and Sam the disappointment, or is it the
other way around? What the hell was happening on that island? Is Dr. Girlfriend
a dude or a lady?
Lastly, and
probably most importantly, they're just very entertaining, well-made television
shows. Sometimes it's not any more complicated than that.
Labels: Avatar, Ben Smith, Buffy, comics, Cubing, Guest Blog, Heroes sucks, Joss Whedon, Last Airbender, lost, Spike, Supernatural, Vampire Slayer, Venture Bros
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