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WhoBob's recommendation of modern superhero shows you must check out


Turo

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Why is this thread a thing? Honestly, i'm mad. After the whole announcement of Wonder Man show announcement today, I just groaned like hell. Mainly because

1) I'm so sick and tired of Disney giving any Marvel character a show except queer characters. BUT BUT LOKI IS QUEER, pls one line mention isn't a representation, it's bread crumbs. Cranking up that many shows is a waste of my time, I don't feel the need to watch anything from this universe that doesn't interest me. I'd rather stick to shows that actually have something to say. 2021 had 5 fucking Marvel shows and 4 movies, you can see why overarching narrative in MCU stopped being interesting.

2) Wonder Man is such a lame character. To sum up his character in comics, he is an Avenger whose brain was used to make vision, so vision is basically his brother and you wanna know what Wonder Man does after Wanda and Vision split up, Wonder Man sleeps with Wanda and dates her. Talk about cringe. And he is a dumbass pascifist that made his own movie cuz he wants that much attention, he wants his ego stroked. He is also friends with Beast who is a war criminal now. So yeah. He SUCKSSSSSSSSSSSSS. I don't care about a loser white superhero show when I already have one and it's way way way better. I'd rather watch ten more Sony Spidey villain movies than a fucking Wonder Man show.

So yeah, I'm pissed because superhero shows CAN be good. I have seen a lot of superhero shows, old and new that challenge the viewers, have good storytelling and have something to say. Disney just loves to milk the shit out of Marvel and make these characters incredibly dull and basic, so it got the point where I said ENOUGH. So I'm just gonna highlight these shows instead.

NOTE: This list includes no MCU show whatsoever, which means no Disney+ shows you'll see here. Also this isn't a ranking list, so might as well get that out of the way.

So lets begin.

The Boys (Amazon Prime):

You can't start off a list without mentioning The Boys. Recent hit from the creator of Supernatural tackles superheroes who have fame and glory and are controlled by corporates. This is just a damn good example of how to subvert the concept of superheroes. While the comic this show is based on is very brutal, offensive and childish, this show uses best stuff from the comics and recontextualizes them. It's bloody fun with impressive violent action scenes and crude humor but the main drive for me is how characters deal with popularization of superheroes. Even superheroes who have committed really awful shit have moments where you can sympathize or feel bad for. Doesn't change who they are but those moments add content in why these superheroes are fucked up. And you'll get variety of superhero characterizations here. Our protagonists aren't goody two shoes either and as you watch the show more and more, you'll see how they'll get messy in order to achieve their goals. Guest stars such as Aya Cash and Jensen Ackles have given great amount of spotlight and their acting is tested to limits here. This isn't your mother's superhero tale. It's a gritty and devilishly humorous show that tells us why we should never meet our heroes. It's so diabolically good.

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC):

Okay, I cheated, this is technically an MCU show but given the fact that Feige ignored everything about the show, I might as well put it here. I kinda have to address the fact that this show isn't gonna win you over by the very first episode. If you aren't feeling first few eps, you don't need to waste too much time getting to the good stuff and the show is a follow up to Avengers and later on, Captain America: The Winter Soldier but if you say you are patient enough to get to where the show really kicks off, it rewards you magnificently that you'll take a look at first few eps of the show and see how simple and innocent those were. After winter soldier tie in episode (Turn, Turn, Turn), everything changes for these characters and (in an ironic way), the show gains an identity and stops being MCU callout the show. The concept is really simple. Spies doing sci-fi covert missions. And all of these spies get a lot of character development, even those who were never in a marvel comic before the show. The show resonates with MCU fandom for a reason, it's a damn good serialized show that has mature themes, kickass action, surprisingly good budget for CGI, loveable characters, actual good humor that doesn't wanna make you scream and intriguing story arcs. This is a show you don't wanna sleep on if you like MCU.

Daredevil (formerly Netflix, now Disney+):

Yeah yeah we all know the character Daredevil was put on MCU, as well as his nemesis Kingpin and honestly it doesn't change the fact that this was pretty much ignored by Feige until fan demand for these actors to return to their roles. Now there's gonna be a disney+ show and we don't know whether that is a soft-reboot or a pure reboot but I honestly don't wanna check it out due to my confidence in Disney+ shows being so low. Just watch first three seasons of this iconic show and if you wanna check out the upcoming Disney+ show, I won't get in your way. But anyway, there is a reason why this show as well as this character is so popular. Matt is a catholic blind lawyer who deals with a lot of guilt because he does vigilante work as Daredevil. He often questions whether he is doing the right thing or the wrong thing, who he can trust and him doubting his faith in God as well as himself. It's a dark and grounded (mostly) tale of a man without fear. It has an amazing supporting cast (Karen MVP), cool but tragic villains, really impressive action scenes that will make your jaw fall and complex themes. Disney+ focusing on this particular character now is only gonna make me worry on how trimmed and safe his show is gonna be and i really hope they don't screw this up but who am i kidding? They will. Also take a note that after season 2, the show leads up to defenders but don't watch defenders, it's really bad. Just read the wikipedia synopsis and skip to season 3. 

Doom Patrol (HBO Max):

Here's a show for you if you like really weird shit. Probably my favorite modern superhero show out of all here (almost). If The Boys is about a tale of corrupt superheroes, Doom Patrol is a tale of superpowered beings who all suffered tremendous trauma and just wanna lose contact with outsider world until something makes them leave their comfort zone and deal with their trauma and suffering. The show is great for many reasons. It deals with really dark problems people face everyday. Child abuse, homophobia, sexual assault, sexism, racism, parental neglect etc. Really about the underdogs who have been wronged by the world and they wanna deal with the trauma they faced and how that trauma led to them making really terrible choices along the way. The show is not just that but also embracing the weird and unusual around the world. These characters have really weird powers and they are put in situations where it goes completely off the rails and everything gets crazy. It's a really damn trippy show that will make you go WHAT THE FUCK as Robotman says. It's very experimental and mature and it'll make you lose your shit. It's a good time. and a really traumatic experience but totally worth it.

Peacemaker (HBO Max):

You want a show about a sad and pathetic white superhero? Look no further than Peacemaker. Seriously tho, this show is a complete gem. I now realize why they had confidence in the show and the character way before the release of Gunn's Suicide Squad which features the character. John Cena is a fucking gem. Going from wrestling to being a meme and lastly acting, the guy went into places. If you think John Cena cannot act and the only reason why they hire his ass for projects is because he is a famous and noticable wrestler like The Rock, oh boy you have never seen this show ever. He is fucking perfect for this show and he does so well here. Just to be clear, i think the show becomes more special if you watch Gunn's Suicide Squad. It's a really great movie but if you wanna just skip to this gem, it's alright. It's accessible and it gives you speed on what happened to Peacemaker in that movie. The show is James Gunn to the extreme, really weird cringe humor, childish characters that have a lot of baggage, awful parents, kickass soundtrack, stylized action, you name it. It's that awesome. Characters are endearing, especially Vigilante who steals the show in every scene he is put in. I'm just glad DC is giving us these creative freedom shows that have personality and are allowed to do whatever the fuck they want.

Harley Quinn: The Animated Series (HBO Max):

Did I say DC? Well damn me. Here's another cool show. And look ma, it's animated. Harley Quinn is a character DC loves to exploit. From adding her to a lot of comics to having her played by iconic Margot Robbie and soon Lady Gaga, it's a character they know people love and hate, so she gets a lot of material. This show tho? Absolutely my favorite take on Harley ever. Even surpassing her role in Batman: The Animated Series. The show is just good shitposting material and not in an out of context good way like Teen Titans Go is usually. It's actually really well-thoughtout for a shitpost. Harley just goes through different phases in life and how she deals with it. Going from Joker's girlfriend to making her own supervillain team. It's just interesting and fun. A lot of people criticize Harley's recent characterization for being too wacky and not tragic and sad but the show acknowledges how fucked up she is. She gets serious moments along the way that makes you sympathize with her and it doesn't forget some of shit she pulled is really bad. The highlight tho is the relationship between Harley and Poison Ivy. Their chemistry shines throughout the show and the development they are given is totally rewarding. I'm just gonna spoil it and say "yes, Harley and Ivy love each other romantically" because the comics tried to make Harlivy canon for so long and it was only alternate universes that actually made Harlivy a thing but the show was one step ahead of canon comics and made it real and they didn't queerbait us for it. The build up was amazing and I think mentioning this should make it less worrisome for people to watch the show. Also Ivy still gets to be her own character without relying on Harley. Humor slaps like it makes Jim Gordon into the butt of the joke with him being so pathetic and lonely. And yet he still is a damn fleshed out character and one of the best parts of the show. Any character here is amazing tho, hello King Shark. So yeah, love Harley, hate Harley, see this ASAP.

Legion (FX):

I was having issues whether I should put it here or not because I have never finished it. Well fuck it, this show is amazing. It's a really fucking incredible psychological thriller about a mutant who deals with multiple personalities and multiple superpowers and he cannot tell what is real or not because he may or may not have a parasite inside him. What's so good about the show is that while it's very weird, confusing and mindfucking, it's a very serious, dark, mysterious and messy show. How it manages to answer questions people ask while creating even more questions makes it so engaging. It just grips you tight. I have finished season 1 and I can say that it's really amazing but I have heard season 2 and 3 are pretty messy because the show loses the complexity and goes weird and confusing for no reason, so it might get harder for you to finish it, i only watched two eps of season 2 and i still have a hard time going back to it but it's an ambitious show that takes risks and whether that pays off or not, it consistently makes you interested and not bored. For all its flaws, you cannot miss it. I love it so much.

Invincible (Amazon Prime):

Last entry and gonna go out with another animated entry because animation rocks. So does this show. It's a bloody ass superhero show that takes no punches. Actually it takes a lot of punches and it's glorious. It's very gorey like holy hell. Action scenes are brutal and insane. I lose my shit whenever it goes out of control. But the story matters too right? The show is about a teenage dude whose dad is the most famous superhero and he waits so long for his powers to kick in and when he eventually gets it, he starts becoming a superhero. Yeah, it seems basic as shit but it's only the surface, you are not ready for what is hidden in the show if you aren't spoiled by now. What I love about the show is the legacy and how father-son dynamic is put to the test. Mark, the protagonist of the show, has a lot to live up to when his father can take any challenge. Mark gets his ass kicked a lot and only that way he learns a thing or two. And the show subverting cliched superhero tropes and making it look like how would superpowered indivuals be like if they were put in real life makes the show cool. It's still a superhero show that has action, humor and romance and blah blah but I really dig the story of Mark and Omni-Man. It has an all-timer cast too. Did I mention that? Steven Yeun, J.K. Simmons, Sandra Oh, Mark Hamill, Clancy Brown, Jon Hamm, Zachary Quinto, Seth Rogen, Zazie Beetz, Mahershala Ali etc. Animation may look choppy in certain aspects and I wouldn't blame you for it. With that cast, the budget will be trimmed a bit but when it comes to action, animation just goes wild. It's uncertain when the show will return but it's already renewed for two more seasons, so you know it's damn good. Go give it a try.

Honorable Mentions (only watch these at your own risk):

- Swamp Thing (More of a horror show than a superhero show, ended too soon)

- Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes (same as Swamp Thing)

- Jessica Jones season 1

- DC's Legends of Tomorrow (like S.H.I.E.L.D., It takes a while to become good but it's worth it, I didn't put it on the list tho cuz it's a lil inaccessible due to it being Arrow and Flash spin-offs and it crossing over with them in each season as well as Supergirl)

- Vixen

- The Spectacular Spider-Man (this one hurts because Disney purchasing rights for Spider-Man cartoons ended the show, sad. Best Spider-Man adaptation tho, sorry Raimi)

- Arrow season 1-2

- The Flash season 1

- Luke Cage (second half of season 1 sucks but first half is good and season 2 is amazing)

- Black Lightning season 1

Alright, that's about it, I need a break oh boy. I hope you enjoyed this list.

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