Whilst Marvel appears to be dominating the superhero film industry, the second most popular comic book company, DC, seems to be making their move on the world of television. Arrow, first released in 2012, was the first of a wave of live action shows, starring characters from the DC universe, with The Flash, and Gotham soon to follow. The announcement that DC: Legends of Tomorrow, Lucifer, iZombie, and Supergirl will both soon join their fellow programs on the screen. Though I am undoubtedly biased, in favour of Marvel, I will say that the shows are certainly equal to Marvel's own television shows (Marvel's Agents of SHIELD, and Agent Carter, which has recently been renewed for Season 2 ), though I may not enjoy them as much, that may be as I am less familiar with the original comic stories. So, allow me to provide a quick synopsis of each show, and its significance in the wider DC universe.
‘Arrow’ was the first released of the ongoing DC adaptation, and follows the origin story of the superhero the Green Arrow, secret identity Oliver Queen. However, unlike the original comic books, Queen drops the colour description from his crime-fighting name, choosing instead to just been known as 'Arrow', which is obviously much cooler. The television format, specifically one focused on a single protagonist, allows a more realisitic look at the character, and the traditional trope struggles that come with taking on the role of a vigilante. Queen's journey begins after he returns from a five year isolation on a remote island, following a shipwreck. After being rescued by a mysterious man, said rescuer teaches Queen how to use a bow and arrow, his skills becoming so advanced, that when he returns to his home city, it becomes his weapon of choice against Crime. The story progresses to see the possible origin of later heros, such as the Black Canary, Queen's ex-girlfriend, and The Flash, a scientist who helps Queen.
The latter superhero, The Flash, otherwise known as Barry Allen, became a television series in it's own right, detailing the origin and later adventures of the young scientist. With occasional appearences from Arrow characters, similar to the Marvel movie stars who show up in both Agents of SHIELD and Agent Carter, it enforces the idea that whilst it is individual as a show, it is part of a bigger universe, and indeed franchise, creating the possibility of a team-up movie. This is similar to the actual team-up DC movie, soon to be released, Batman VS Superman (with appearances from other Justice League figures).
iZombie, and Gotham, whilst both incredibly interesting, do not hint at being part of a wider DC universe, although iZombie is aired on the same network as The Flash, and Arrow, meaning there is a possibility it could be. Even if they do not interlock, however, it still means that Dc has provided, and will continue to provide their eager audience with a wide range of entertainment, hopefully making up for the fact that they clearly do not dominate in the movie market.
Images: http://www.impawards.com/tv/posters/arrow_ver3_xlg.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/n6ZMHBe.jpg
0 Comment:
Be the first one to comment on this article.