Age of the Geek

The Red Capes Are Coming
     It’s official! We are living in a Supergirl world.
     Jeb Bush wasn’t the only one who excitedly tuned in for the primetime premier of CBS’s entry into the super hero television market. The first episode raked in a whopping 16 million viewers, which is pretty impressive considering the pilot episode was leaked to the Internet several months ago.
     Personally speaking, I liked the first episode well enough. It was fun and funny, but didn’t seem to mind getting down and dirty when it came time to have the super-powered aliens start punching each other. Other than some cringe worthy dialogue, generally a result of the show making sure you haven’t forgotten that Supergirl is both a super hero and a woman, as though that’s some stunning revelation, I think the show is off to a pretty good start.
     But wow, there sure are a lot of comic book based shows out there. They’re even starting to bump into each other. In an appropriate twist, particularly considering the upcoming “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” movie, CBS’s “Supergirl” is running head-to-head against Fox’s “Gotham,” in the same timeslot.
     So to celebrate yet another entry into the market, let’s do a quick rundown of what’s out there to watch.
 
Arrow
     I like “Arrow,” but last season didn’t make it easy. Still, I remain hopeful that things  will pick up again in this new season, particularly with the news that at least one episode will feature the return of Matt Ryan as Constantine after his own show was tragically ended last year.
     “Arrow’s” largest problem is that it suffers from something of an identity crisis. Originally a “realistic” adaptation of the Green Arrow, the show started out with the philosophy that the more fantastic elements of comic book characters should be toned down.
     That philosophy has been changing as the show adds super-humans, ninja assassins and now magic into the mix. However, the transition from grim and gritty to fun and fantastic has not been particularly smooth. It has a hard time reconciling the conflicting tones as its main character shifts from a murderous vigilante to a more colorful costumed crimefighter.
 
The Flash
     Racing into its second season, “The Flash” was easily one of the best new shows of last year. Spinning off from “Arrow,” the story of a young Barry Allen quickly matched and surpassed its parent show and now seems to be setting the pace for the CW’s joined DC Universe.
     The spin-off has been so successful that players from both “Arrow” and “The Flash” (including former Superman and Iowa native, Brandon Routh) will be coming together with “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow” early next year.
Gotham
     “Gotham” was something of a pleasant surprise last season. I was afraid that the show would be nothing but another police procedural with the occasional comic reference. Instead, I got a show so spectacularly over-the-top that you can’t help but be entertained.
     So far, the second season continues to impress with some great performances from actors that were apparently told to abandon the concept of restraint. That said, I worry that the “Rise of the Villains” may be relying too much on bringing in Gotham’s most famous costumed crazies, a warning sign that the show is already starting to run out of ideas.
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
     With only a single entry on network television, and a spin-off at that, Marvel doesn’t have the TV presence that DC has. Still, “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” is no slouch.
     Mixing metahuman antics with spy games, the show really hit its stride last year and continues to pick up the pace for its third season. In particular, last week’s episode, “4,722 Hours,” will probably go down as a landmark episode for the series.
     Also, special mention to “Marvel’s Agent Carter,” which will continue to serve as a mid-season filler while the show is on break. Following a successful first series, Hayley Atwell will return in 2016 for more late-’40s spy action.
Jessica Jones and Daredevil
     Not technically television, Marvel’s cinematic universe shows its darker side on Netflix. Last April we got the amazing “Daredevil” series. This year, along with a second season of “Daredevil,” we’ll get “Jessica Jones,” the story of a jaded metahuman turned private detective.
     “Jessica Jones” hits Netflix on Nov. 20 and “Daredevil” season two should be released next April.
The Walking Dead
     It’s not all capes and masks. “The Walking Dead” is shambling through its sixth season on AMC. I admit I stopped watching the show a few years ago, but I assume Rick is still making really bad decisions, Daryl is still awesome and somebody is looking for Carl.
     And I kinda doubt you-know-who is really dead.
iZombie
     Considering my love of zombie movies, it’s odd that I don’t watch “iZombie” either. Of course, “iZombie” is hardly a traditional zombie story. Instead, it features a “high-functioning” zombie that solves crimes by eating the brains, and thus gaining memories, of murder victims.
     I’ve heard nothing but good things about the show, so perhaps I’ll binge watch the first season one of these days.
Lucifer
     What if the devil got bored and decided to abandon hell, move to Los Angeles, open a piano bar and occasionally help police catch criminals?
     I guess we’ll find out later this year.
 
     That’s everything confirmed for this year, but there’s even more coming down the pipe. Rumors abound of a “Teen Titans” show on Spike TV, a “Krypton” show on Syfy and two “X-Men” based shows on FX and Fox, among many others.
     This bubble may burst some day, but it’s safe to say that comic book geeks won’t be hungry for new adaptations any time soon.
 
     Travis Fischer is a news writer for Mid-America Publishing and watches more comic book characters on TV than he reads in comic books nowadays.