#Superhero Show

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Is It Really That Bad?

Phase 4, the first post-Endgame phase of the MCU, has been a bit of a mixed bag for a lot of people, but I don’t honestly think that’s totally on the quality of the films and shows themselves. While there are some real mid films there are some genuinely great entries, ones like Shang Chi, Werewolf by Night, Wakanda Forever, and No Way Home. And even the more lackluster entries still have some genuinely good things to offer; I’m no fan of Eternals or Black Widow, but they definitely have some great aspects that justify them existing. The real issue, I feel, is how quickly Phase 4 was churned out; in nearly two years the amount of MCU entries has almost doubled, and with that much flooding us all at once cracks begin to show and people who were once more charitable towards flaws will become exhausted and stop overlooking them.

That left She-Hulk: Attorney at Law in an incredibly unenviable position, and one that only worsened as it continued to air. I mean, releasing a trailer that has effects that look unfinished at best is bad enough. But to then have to release while reports of VFX artist abuse start pouring out? This show soon became the butt of various jokes, the subject of obnoxious clickbait videos about how the MCU is woke trash, and gave people fuel to contribute to the fire that is the myth of “superhero fatigue.”

The discourse surrounding the show definitely killed my interest for a long while, but in hindsight I shouldn’t have let it do that; as we’ll get into later, the backlash to this has undertones as scummy as the ones that helped tank a certain Joel Schumacher superhero movie. With all that in mind, it’s easy to assume it’s not really that bad… so this time the question is more, “Is this show any good?”

THE GOOD

Unsurprisingly, Tatiana Maslany carries this show on her back. Jen is such a charming, awkward, likable character in her hands, and she sells her every single moment of the show. It would have been really easy to fuck this up considering the distracting CGI sometimes muffles her performance a bit, but Maslany manages to shine through even in the weaker moments.

The expansion of the Hulk mythos is welcome, especially after the characters spent the past three phases on the backburner. The big winner here thanks to this spotlight isn't even Bruce, though; no, it's Emil Blonsky, AKA Abomination, who makes a glorious return as a major character asking Jen to help him get parole. He's just a really hilarious and cheerful guy, long past his villain days, and when he gets out he seems to genuinely be a changed man. Dude even becomes a self-help guru leading a class of other villains in redeeming themselves. It also helps that when he turns into his monster form, the effect is one of the better ones in the show.

The guest star characters are all a lot of fun. Bruce's appearance is a bit of a mess (which I'll get into below), but I don't think seeing Mark Ruffalo is a bad thing even at his worst. Wong is, of course, absolutely fantastic, and even Jen lampshades how much everyone loves the guy. But best of all is when Matt Murdock shows up in the penultimate episode, and gets to crack a few jokes, kick a few asses, and bang Jen like the true Chad that he is. How they managed to make such a cute, believable romance that you can't help but root for in a single episode is absolutely astounding, and considering the shit Jen and Matt go through on a regular basis it’s just so refreshing to see.

While she sadly ends up a bit underutilized, Jameela Jamil's take on She-Hulk archnemesis Titania is a lot of fun. Here, she's imagined as an over-the-top evil influencer (redundant, I know) who just goes out of her way to be a petty bitch to Jen for no good reason. The fact we never learn any backstory about her and the fact she remains as an unrepentant asshole throughout all her appearances makes her a hell of a lot of fun as a bad guy. I wouldn't call her one of the greats like Killmonger or High Evolutionary, but she's still a very enjoyable foe for the type of show this is.

I love how this show isn’t afraid to dig deep into the well of Marvel characters to throw in some obscure faces to spice things up. I think that’s one thing the shows have done consistently well, elevating lesser-known characters into the limelight, so it’s nice to see an entire episode revolve around Leap-Frog of all characters and for the Wrecking Crew to show up and get their shit wrecked. Blonsky’s little villain therapy session is a wealth of D-listers; how many people were aware Man-Bull and Porcupine were a thing before this, let alone that Saracen is a combination of two villains with the same name (one of whom is actually a vampire)? The average person isn’t like me, trolling through wiki articles looking for obscure supervillains to obsess over, so it’s nice to see them get utilized even in a minor way. The only one I can see people bristling at a bit is Mr. Immortal, who is quite the opposite of his comic counterpart, but in my opinion he’s the Great Lake Avenger I’m least bothered that they changed; if it was Flatman, Big Bertha, or (God forbid) Squirrel Girl I’d probably be angrier. At any rate, this show is clearly not afraid to give wacky minor villains a role, so I’m half expecting season 2 to include Jen’s enemy Dr. Bob Doom, the more famous Doom’s distant relative who’s an envious evil dentist who wants to conquer the tri-state area.

The very best thing about this show, beyond cameos and weird characters and whatever else, is just the fact that it’s a very down-to-earth story about a woman who just wants a little bit of control and happiness in her life. Jen’s goals are relatable—she wants to do the job she loves, hang with her friends, and maybe find a nice guy who likes her for who she is—and a lot of the issues she faces as she tries to accomplish these are the sort of things women have to deal with on a regular basis. Obviously these things end up being filtered through a Hulk-green lens, but I’m sure a lot of women can relate to some of Jen’s struggles. Hell, the big bads of the show are incels who make revenge porn of Jen because they don’t think she’s worthy of her skills, and goad her into losing her cool so that she’ll be the one vilified and have her life ruined… It’s pretty obvious but effective, and it makes the moment where she forces the narrative to right itself to give her control in her own story a really great bit of wish-fulfillment.

THE BAD

The first episode is ROUGH. It’s a showcase of the poor special effects that made this show infamous, particularly the “She-Hulk clap” scene, though honestly her entire fight with Bruce is pretty bad. The way she gets her powers is ridiculously contrived and goofy, especially compared to her more lowkey origin in the comics (they really couldn’t have just done a blood transfusion here?). The worst moment of it all, though, is when Jen mansplains controlling your anger to Bruce. You know, the fucking Hulk?

This does end up highlighting a big issue with the Hulk, though it’s not really the show’s fault: Hulk is the major hero the MCU has dropped the ball on the most. A lot of this has to do with the issue with the film rights, as Marvel can’t use him in solo films, but the fact that after Joss Whedon’s movies all of Bruce’s character development happened offscreen between films and all his tragedy and complexity was dropped in favor of making him “big green wacky science guy” is unbelievably lame. It leads to a lot of the moments in this first episode falling flat, especially the ones where Bruce reminisces about Tony. And then there’s Bruce being surprised Jen doesn’t have a different personality as a Hulk, implying to me that Bruce’s tragic backstory and DID are written out (if he had DID he’d know Jen probably wouldn’t get it from a car accident). It’s a shame because Ruffalo is great as the character when he gets the chance to be, but it’s to the point now where I wasn’t sad that he was barely in the show. At least there’s hope for the future given the ending and upcoming movies set to feature Hulk and his supporting cast, so maybe we’ll finally be able to say someone who isn’t a massive creep really gets the Not-So-Jolly Green Giant.

Anyway... I really don't want to harp on the effects too much, but they are pretty subpar. Still, it was around the time these episodes were dropping that the stories of employee abuse and crunch time and all that were coming out, so it's not easy for me to be overly harsh considering the working conditions the VFX artists had to endure. I will say this: The jokes about how expensive the effects were in the final episode feel a little more tasteless in light of that.

Speaking of the final episode, while it's a funny use of a deus ex machina to resolve a ludicrous plotline and while I find it hilarious they lampoon how formulaic Marvel can get, She-Hulk smashing the fourth wall comes a bit out of left field because of how little they really build up her fourth wall-breaking abilities. Like yeah, she addresses the audience at the start and end of her episodes, but because of how episodes are paced it doesn't feel quite as fleshed-out as when Deadpool makes those same sorts of jokes in his movies. I wish they'd spent more time building up to that finale throughout the series, maybe have her do little things here and there beyond just talking to the viewers. It's not the biggest complaint in the world, and it wasn't a dealbreaker, but I didn't find the ending quite as satisfying as it could've been.

Ultimately though, the biggest flaw I think this show has is just that by its very nature it's not going to appeal to everyone. It's a goofy slice of life comedy, and in a franchise known for over-the-top action and adventures the story is very grounded and most of the action that shows up here sucks. It's not something that appeals to the average MCU fan, is what I'm saying, and while that doesn't make it inherently bad (we could use more variety in these films, after all) it does make this a bit of a hard sell.

THE UGLY

It is embarrassing I even have to address this, but unfortunately this was the biggest controversy the show had. You see, there is a post-credit scene where She-Hulk twerks with Megan Thee Stallion. This scene, which is maybe thirty seconds long (with only maybe ten of those being twerking) became the thing people would point at to call the show stupid and awful.

Let me be clear here: This joke is meant to be dumb and cringey. There is literally a shot of Jen’s boss walking away in embarrassment upon seeing this. And beyond that, Jen is a cringey person. That’s why she’s so likable in the first place! So it’s not even like this is out of character.

But ignoring all that, this is literally a post-credit scene, and getting mad at those is lamer than a twerking joke could ever hope to be. And if nothing else it’s still better than that shitty mid-credit scene in Multiverse of Madness.

IS IT REALLY THAT BAD?

I have no fucking clue what everyone’s problem with this show is.

Like, okay, I can’t deny this show isn’t for everyone. It has a rocky start, its special effects aren’t the best, and it is different from the rest of the MCU in that it’s just low-stakes slice of life comedy (at the insistence of the main character). The villains are mostly down-to-earth threats that happen to have powers, and the main focus is on comedy arising from the weird situations Jen gets into by being a lawyer who is also a Hulk. But with the amount of sheer vitriol this show’s existence managed to generate, you’d think this show killed someone’s grandma.

I genuinely think this has to be motivated by misogyny. Like this show is perfectly harmless, completely fine, average at worst, and yet it has the single worst score of anything in the MCU. You cannot look me in the eye and tell me this is worse than Thor 2 and 4, Iron Man 2,  or even Age of Ultron—and that’s just if we’re looking at the weaker MCU films and not the superhero genre as a whole. The fact that most (but not all) of the criticisms for this show are just really unfounded and show a lack of even the most cursory knowledge about the source material it draws from combined with the fact the final challenge of the show is overcoming a cabal of incel nerds furious at the mere existence of a female superhero (the sort of parody of real life toxicity in comic fandoms these so-called fans constantly bristle at) really just highlights how nerds won’t be beating the misogyny accusations any time soon. I guess women are only okay in Marvel properties when they’re supporting male leads or are viciously murdering scores of innocents so she can sacrifice a teenager to bring her Sims to life.

I’m not usually one to shout “Bigotry!” when something has a low score (the only time I can think of where I linked bigotry to poor reception was with Batman & Robin), but I just really can’t see any other way to comprehend this score being what it is. There is nothing this show does so poorly that it warrants a score anywhere in the 5s, and I’ve gotta believe the score is simply the result of review bombing. Then again, this superhero media dared to show things that women go through in real life via a superhero lens instead of shoehorning in Jesus imagery and having the conflict be resolved by Jen and Titania’s mommies having the same name, so I guess it can’t be that good.

But again, let me stress that disliking this show doesn’t inherently make someone misogynistic. This show has its issues, and even I feel like a lot of the story elements and effects could have been handled a lot better, so it’s not like I’m trying to convince you all this is some unsung masterpiece. If you don’t like this show for a reason that isn’t “I hate women superheroes,” that’s fine! What I’m trying to point out here is that this initial score reeks of malicious intent, and I honestly don’t feel people really gave this show a chance because of the initial low audience scores.

Realistically this show deserves something around 6.6 - 6.9. It’s a solid enough show, but there’s no denying that even in its genre it is an extremely niche entry that’s not going to have the same widespread appeal as some of the other shows. If you can get on board with the concept and can stomach a rough pilot and some weak visual effects, there’s a sweet, amusing story about a woman just trying to live her life here that’s honestly refreshing in a sea of “save the world” plots.

Of course, it could definitely improve with a second season. And the best way to do that? Make Spragg the Living Hill the big bad.

[shinigami-striker]

Travis Odinson | Thursday, 08.03.2023

Since 2012, Travis Willingham (happy birthday) voiced Thor Odinson, a major Marvel Comics superhero in other media, including a few of his roles in:

Avengers Assemble (TV series; 2013-19)

Lego Marvel Super Heroes: Maximum Overlord (2015 shorts)

Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite (2017 video game)

Marvel's Avengers (2020 video game)

[televisionpromos]

Gen V (Amazon) Teaser Trailer HD - The Boys spinoff - Set at America's only college exclusively for young-adult superheroes, Gen V is an irreverent, R-rated series that explores the lives of hormonal, competitive Supes as they put their physical, sexual, and moral boundaries to the test, competing for the best contracts in the best cities. It's part college show, part Hunger Games - with all the heart, satire, and raunch of The Boys.

[blacksapphicguide]

Peacemaker

2020s TV series | 1 season (Ongoing). Superhero show (DC based), comedy, drama.

Plot points:

Superhero universe

Familial relationships

Self identity

Tackling white supremacist ideals

Black sapphic characters:

Leota [lesbian] Danielle Brooks Keeya [lesbian] Elizabeth Faith Ludlow

Connections:

Leota x Keeya [leoya] (black sapphics)

Sex & Nudity - Severe

Crude sexual references (split second view of a vagina on a phone screen).

Sex scenes.

Full view of nude bodies.

Violence & Gore - Severe

Violence based show (gore, stabbings, gunfights, and superpower based violence).

Bodily dismembering.

Close range gun shot to the face.

Chainsaw death.

Profanity - Severe

Constant use of the f-word, s-word and frequently used, milder profanities.

Numbered presence of queer slurs.

Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking - Moderate

Consumption of alcohol.

Use of weed.

Frightening & Intense Scenes - Severe

Graphic fight scenes.

Torture.

Revealing of traumatic past.

[mad-scientist-clown]

hey does anyone remember an american(?) live-action superhero show where like,, there was five protagonists who all lived in a trailer together and wore purple jumpsuit things as their costumes. I think it was made in the early 2000s but I can’t be sure, and the show seemed pretty cheaply made.

Also there was an episode where one of the main protagonists was dating this woman but it turned out that that was just one of her three heads, and she could extend the necks of her three heads to form a sort-of hydra. I’m pretty sure she was a recurring villain.

and there was another episode where the main protagonists met a guy who could shape shift, who just wanted to be away from society because people were always asking him to become something, to which the protagonists did, asking him to turn into (quite memorably) a bucket of purple ice cubes. After that I think the shapeshifter guy either became a villain due to the stress or like,, killed himself?.? Idk

also all of this took place in like,, a desert, and was possibly post-apocalyptic??

oh and one of the protagonists had an eagle motif and could play the acoustic guitar really well and that was his power.

Edit:

The designs from what I can remember

[prokopetz]

My knowledge of superhero comics isn't deep so much as it is frustratingly eclectic. Like, I might well completely fail to recognise a character who's been a regular member of the X-Men for thirty years, but if you need somebody to explain from unprompted memory the complete plot of Spanner's Galaxy, I'm your guy.

[crismakesstuff]

cast out of paradise

[puppetmaster13u]

Prompt 163

Danny pinched the bridge of his nose, taking a deep breath, counting to ten and then letting it out. Why was this always his luck? Alright. Okay. Time to move again thanks to Dan pushing his body too far again, and ending up in his core. This was not how he was expecting to spend his days when he ghost-adopted his clone and sort-of son now actual son. Welp, he’ll throw a dart at the map to figure out where he’ll go next. 

Hm. Well, pack up Ellie! They’re moving to a place called Smallville, you always wanted a horse, right?

[one-time-i-dreamt]

There was a show about a group of superheroes who, at the time, seemed like they had compelling powers, but now that I’m awake I realize how lame they were. It included characters such as:

A woman with “deadly claws” (They were just long fingernails)

A man who couldn’t be seen as long as light wasn’t touching him (Literally just how darkness works???)

A surgeon (His power was being a surgeon)

Some kind of deer lady (No powers outside of being a deer lady, but it’s still something at least)

At some point there was this shocking episode where, on an infiltration mission, most of them died in brutally gory and tragic ways. There must have been backlash somewhere, because the next episode was a goofy comical retelling of the infiltration mission where nobody died. I woke up before learning which version was canon.

[leadjockey]

Atom Eve. But with pants.

[smoosie]

The 'We need to talk' scene

but I've made it into a wet cat short comic

(and it only gets worse for him...)

Bonus secret 5th panel :

(intrusive thoughts so strong they make his brain crash)

[machetelanding]

[sahind]

INVINCIBLE (2021 -) - 2x04: It's Been a While

[televisionpromos]

Gen V (Amazon) "This Season On" Trailer HD - The Boys spinoff - Set at America's only college exclusively for young-adult superheroes, Gen V is an irreverent, R-rated series that explores the lives of hormonal, competitive Supes as they put their physical, sexual, and moral boundaries to the test, competing for the best contracts in the best cities. It's part college show, part Hunger Games - with all the heart, satire, and raunch of The Boys.

[atomic-chronoscaph]

TGIF

[myhyperfixationisiforgot]

Young Justice was such a wild show. Like. It's based off a 90's comic by the same name. It contains exactly 1 (one) character from the source media, who they immediately change beyond recognition. It used Dick Grayson's Robin and Wally West's Kid Flash, but made Roy Harper the old jaded one. Instead of Wondergirl, they gave Martian Manhunter a niece. They invented a brand new Aqualad. A random 90's villain gets shunted into Arrowette's role, arguably gets the most compelling emotional story of the entire show, and turns out to be related to half the villains they ever meet.

They're a secret black ops team made entirely of teenagers. At one point several of them die onscreen. The martian almost murders several people. There's kind of a pseudo incest plot. There is an episode that takes place almost entirely through mandated therapy sessions.

The show does actually bring in a second character from the original Young Justice, in an episode where Artemis almost dies only to be saved by Secret, the ghost of the villain's sister (who was a member of the original comics team). In the same episode, Superboy and Miss Martian trick a classmate into thinking there's an alien invasion using a Loony Tunes character. Neither of these events are ever mentioned again.

The timeline of the show means that Dick Grayson became Nightwing at 15. They accidentally create Beast Boy because Miss Martian has been impersonating his mom. Aqualad ends up as the leader of the Justice League.

Five years go by between seasons, resulting in a completely different show. I could make the argument that Young Justice was Weisman's OC fanfiction of the comic series. Everything after season 2 is unwatchable. This is the show that got me into fandom. I adore it.