Let me start by saying… Excellent Fucking Trailer!
The Comic-Con Trailer for Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice is amazing, delivering everything you want to see and more! Things you never thought you’d see!
Watch it now before I spoil it in my excitement.
Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) running to save his staff at Wayne Tower Metropolis during the climatic battle in Man of Steel! Joker messages taunting the Batman out of retirement! Evidence of a “lost” Robin (Jason Todd?)! Lots of Batman fighting, flying the Batwing… and fighting! In multiple types of suits! The body of Zod (Michael Shannon), rumored to be used by Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) to unleash the Doomsday gene! Loads of creepy new Luthor… now with hair and Kryptonite! Alfred Pennyworth (Jeremy Irons)! Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot)! And so much more!
I may be a Marvel man, especially after the “meh” Man of Steel, and I may not trust Zack Snyder, but this movie looks awesome. More importantly, Batman looks awesome! And darker, with one of his captures literally branded with the Bat Symbol.
On the eve of what was supposed to be the IMAX premiere of the trailer for Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (though it actually hit the web on Friday. Watch it now!), director Zack Snyder has released two really cool looking posters for the film, likely a prize that will be handed out at these IMAX screenings to make sure people will come and line-up even though they can watch the trailer at home.
Without further ado, here they are. And they are glorious.
I really dig this style. The Batman symbol ripped from Superman’s face really brings a Dark Knight vibe to the marketing; reminiscent of posters of Batman’s past.
So, show up Monday at one of those IMAX screenings of the trailer… and hopefully you’ll go home with something…
I just realized I’ve been calling Batman V Superman, “Justice Begins,”not ‘Dawn of Justice” in past posts. Whoops. It’s a lame subtitle anyway…
But what’s not lame? At all? The Batman heavy trailer for Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice!
Watch it now!
I’m just gonna say it… Batman and all his wonderful toys have me so excited for this movie! Though we have no dialog in his own voice, Ben Affleck has at least nailed the haunted look of damaged Bruce Wayne. And I love, Love, LOVE the fact he is using a high tech voice modulator. He sounds scary, but not ridiculous.
I wonder if Kevin Smith is creaming his shorts… he proposed such a way to disguise Bruce Wayne’s voice before the film started shooting. Good call, Mr. Smith.
Superman is certainty vilified in this trailer, yet also held up like a God in several places.
Says Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor:
“We know better now, don’t we? Devils don’t come from Hell beneath us. No, they come from the sky.”
Alfred has some words of wisdom himself, though it sounds like it is more about Bruce than Superman, me thinks. Or even Lex Luthor.
“That’s how it starts. The fever. The rage. The feeling of powerlessness. That turns good men… cruel.”
And finally, synthesized Batman has a few words for the Man of Steel.
“Tell me, do you bleed? You will!”
The trailer draws heavily from the beloved Frank Miller graphic novel, The Dark Knight Returns, which probably offers the best showdown between the two heroes in all of comic-dom.
And there are plenty of Easter Eggs to find! I saw a classy “?” gratified somewhere in that trailer…and let’s not forget we get looks at the Batwing and Batmobile!
March 2016 can’t come fast enough! I want to see Batman somehow kick Superman’s ass!
Okay, so Trailer number two today, for Batman V Superman: Justice Begins, (check out Trailer #1, the new Star Wars trailer here!) is so quick and content-less, that I’m slightly embarrassed to be sharing it here.
But it’s the tiny bit of content that is exciting! In this most teaserly of teaser trailers for a teaser trailer, you will see one amazing thing: a shot of Batman’s new, glorious cowl!
We’ve seen it pictured before (below), but seeing the suit through the lens of a camera, even if CGI’ed… is amazing. Here’s the original peek we got months upon months ago.
I didn’t notice the stitched together look of the new suit until this “teaser trailer,” but it is evident in the picture above when examined closely.I love this stitched together look which is simpler, less-armor, more-classic Batsuit that really hearkens more to the costume of Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns than Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy.
Its even go ‘dem short ears I love! And the nose is more human than past masks that gave Batman more of a mini-beak! (In the trailer at least; the original image below is more beaky.)
Batman V Superman: Justice Begins has been generous (though not nearly as generous as Marvel of late!) with official pictures of other key characters like Superman (Henry Cavill), Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), and even Aquaman (Jason Momoa). And let’s not forget Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg)!
Let’s look at those now, shall we?
I’ll wager you can tell which is which.
Today’s teaser was meant as an invitation from director Zack Snyder to see the first full, real Teaser Trailer at IMAX on Monday… if your state gets it…
The rest of us will hopefully get the full trailer online next week as well.
Now, we have our first look at Jared Leto, not going “Full-Joker,” but sporting green hair none-the-less and recreating a Joker image that will make any comic book fan cream their jeans.
I haven’t discussed DC’s other 2016 blockbuster Suicide Squad on the site yet, but the David Ayer directed film focusing on Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn and Leto as the always iconic Joker is basically coming together as the perfect opportunity to introduce Batman’s rogue gallery while the hero is busy in his own 2016 film: Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Here’s the film’s synopsis from IMDB,; obviously based on the comic of the same title:
“A secret government agency recruits imprisoned supervillains to execute dangerous black ops missions in exchange for clemency.”
Without further ado, here is the first look at Jared Leto’s Joker from Suicide Squad!
See. He’s got the green hair! He’s doing the Killing Joke pose from the cover of the graphic novel (see below)! Otherwise… it still looks like Leto needs to go pale… full-pale. Gots to get some Joker makeup, son!
See? Just give the man some white make-up and some red lipstick and you’ve got the joker, baby! (And some gloves and a purple suit. He’ll need those too.)
Meanwhile, though the typical green color, Leto’s more modest haircut (compared to Heath Ledger’s Joker) does recall the Joker from the another beloved graphic novel: The Dark Knight Returns.
Though this picture comes from the animated film version of ‘The Dark Knight Returns,’ it is a great representation of The Joker’s least wild hairdo.
My one wish for the DC Cinematic Universe’s Joker: No Scars!
Though Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger’s Joker sported horrific scars, Joker in the comics never has any, especially not in Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns. Just give Leto some white face paint and some lipstick and we’ll be off to the races!
Suicide Squad comes out in 2016 with Batman Vs. Superman: Justice Begins. DC has been just as generous with Marvel lately so expect to see a lot more of Leto’s Joker in the coming months. Meanwhile, that first Batman Vs Superman trailer is set to appear on May 15th’s Mad Max: Fury Road.
Enjoy all these Comic Book Cinematic Universes, kiddies. Before the bubble finally bursts.
Nick and Andrew have a full plate this week, starting with trailer talk about ‘Mission Impossible – Rogue Nation,’ and the latest ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ TV Spot.
Tangents abound, our heroes hit topics like ‘Mallrats 2,’ the ‘Legend 0f Zelda’ Netflix show (or lack there of), Star Trek villain rumors, live action ‘Star Wars’ TV Show rumors, which as always, a trip down superhero lane with ‘Batman Vs. Superman: Justice Begins’ rumors.
After missing a week…. After a one week Hiatus (TV shows do it!), Nick and Andrew are back with a vengeance… and a killer theme song.
The main topic of the day is DC and NBC’s ‘Constantine,’ but before heading to spoiler territory there, our heroes talk the new ‘Avengers’ and ‘Daredevil’ trailers, breaking ‘Star Wars’ news, and the possible horrors of building too many “Cinematic Universes.”
New Breaking Geek Podcast Every Friday!
…Except for when Nick and Andrew’s work schedules get in the way.
Don’t get me wrong, I have no delusions that ‘Daredevil’ will be as good as DC’s ‘The Dark Knight,’ but the trailer still reminds me of ‘Batman Begins’ none-the-less. And that is a fantastic thing!
Unlike Marvel’s ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ and to a lesser extent, ‘Agent Carter,’ ‘Daredevil’ is the 1st MCU show that doesn’t feel nor look like TV. It plays like it has the effects and intensity of a more down and gritty Marvel movie, but with the bonus of 10 episodes instead of 2 hours (2 and 1/2 if you’re ‘Age of Ultron’).Unlike the globe-trotting/Earth saving, “Captain America and his colorful friends,”* Daredevil (played by Charlie Cox) sticks to the streets of his city, Batman style: Hell’s Kitchen in NYC.
But it doesn’t mean his struggle is any less intense then his could-be-eventual-allies’ silver screen adventures.
Watch the trailer now!
“I have to be the man this city needs.”
Hmmm, Matt Murdock/Daredevil, that sounds like something Nolan’s Batman would say…
It’s not a copy, it’s just the darkest we’ve seen the MCU get, a trend that will continue with all five planned Netflix series: ‘Daredevil,’ ‘AKA Jessica Jones,’ ‘Luke Cage,’ ‘Iron Fist,’ and then the ‘Avengers’ style team up, ‘The Defenders.’
The UK rated ‘Daredevil’ a 15 (we here in the US don’t rate Netflix programming), the closest to ‘R’ that Marvel Studios has ventured. Mike Colter, who plays the title character of his own show, claims ‘Luke Cage’ will be equally dark and gritty.
Yet, the trailer doesn’t let you forget ‘Daredevil’ is part of the MCU:
“Maybe if he had an iron suit or a magic hammer, that would explain why you keep getting your asses to you.”
Why not get the whole NY gang back together?
Maybe one day, he’ll join the Avengers. Or, even cooler, why not have ‘Daredevil’ and ‘Spider-Man’ cross paths now that the web-head is part of the MCU? They’re both dedicated to saving NYC and would make interesting allies.
Whatever ends up happening with the Daredevil character down the line, it sure looks like Marvel Studios and Netflix are off to a great start!
Marvel’s ‘Daredevil’ hits Netflix on April 10th!
* Quoted from Baron Von Strucker in the mid-credit sequence for ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier.”
Andrew runs the show! Nick still steers talk towards Spider-Man. Andrew pushes on to his own guilty pleasures and blindsides Nick with some ‘Mission: Impossible 5’ news. Pod ends with ‘Kingsman: The Secret Service’ and movie-going experiences discussion.
Marvel Studios and Netflix have assembled as a super-team to create four Marvel shows. The first is ‘Daredevil,’ set to premiere all ten episodes on April 10th.
Ben Affleck in 2003’s ‘Daredevil’ film.
(Side-note: Marvel & Netflix also plan on spinning the four heroes from their four respective shows into a fifth show featuring Marvel’s lesser knon, Earth-bound superhero team: ‘The Defenders.’)
As anyone who saw the original 2003 ‘Daredevil’ film starring Ben Affleck knows, that movie was terrible (listen to Andrew and I rant about it on this podcast). So I assumed the character was equally terrible. Worst than terrible possibly; he’s a blind man whose superpower is sight!
Similarly, over a decade ago I initially assumed Batman was an awful character after witnessing the horror that was ‘Batman & Robin.’ But Nolan’s movies completely altered my perception of the Dark Knight and now I consider myself a sort of “Batman Scholar.”
Daredevil oversees his Hell’s Kitchen; his own personal Gotham.
Now I can see that Daredevil’s true power is that he can see in the dark as he sees everything through sonar (more-or-less). The superhuman hearing that allows said sonar sight also gives him an advantage when sneaking around criminals or listening in from afar.
Daredevil can hear through walls!
If you boil Daredevil down again (especially after viewing the trailer) he is basically Batman with the “Bat-Sonar” seen in the finale of ‘The Dark Knight.’ Minus the wealth and nickname, “World’s Greatest Detective.”
This ‘Daredevil’ trailer does seem to have a lot in common with Nolan’s Batman films… which is actually a great choice for the character. In a world where lighter heroes like Superman (‘Man of Steel’) and the Fantastic Four (‘FANT4STIC’) are getting overly dark movies in a reaction to ‘The Dark Knight’s success, Daredevil is a character who deserves that grittiness.
Doesn’t this all look familiar? Hunting bad guys around shipping containers. Disappearing in the shadows. Only, NOW WITH PARKOUR!
It’s no surprise that this MCU version of ‘Daredevil’ is drawing from the source material ‘The Man Without Fear’ graphic novel by Frank Miller. Frank Miller, who also wrote the graphic novel ‘Batman: Year One’ which served as the basis for ‘Batman Begins;’ both in scenes and tone.
Further proof is in the Costume. Rather than the “Devil red” suit Ben Affleck had to wear, the MCU’s Daredevil wears a black ninja-looking-getup with his eyes covered (because he doesn’t need to see! See?). This look was established by Frank Miller in ‘The Man Without Fear.’
Daredevil does indeed have a lot in common with Batman, lamenting about his corrupt city and jumping around rooftops, taking out bad-guys from the shadows.
I’m already on-board for anything MCU (except for ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D which lost my attention in season one), but this trailer finally makes me believe that ‘Daredevil’ can (and hopefully will) be awesome…
…Because he is Marvel’s equivalent of my favorite hero of all, The Batman (let’s not get into Tony Stark territory here).
While Matt Murdock (Daredevil’s secret identity) is just a poor lawyer in Hell’s Kitchen, Bruce Wayne is Gotham’s “drunk” playboy billionaire. But you know, other than that they’re the same.
Watch the trailer now and see if you agree!
You got Charlie Cox playing Matt Murdock/Daredevil and, most importantly, Vincent D’Onofrio playing Wilson Fisk aka Kingpin. A role played by Michael Clarke Duncan previously in the film.
Vincent D’Onofrio as Wilson Fisk. The Kingpin.
There’s a lot to take in here, so we’ll cover that later. We do have 3 months until the show bows on April 10th.
Nick has to make his first edit. After an event that shall remain anonymous, Nick has to cut out part of the show… For the first time… Ever.
Nick and Andrew discuss recent ‘Daredevil’ and ‘Jurassic World’ trailers, slipping into ‘Mission: Impossible” talk and even Bradley Cooper conversation. And then there’s that edit… you’ll know when it happens, but never why.
Nick and Andrew discuss the trailer for the ‘Fantastic Four’ or… ‘FANT4STIC’ as Fox is calling it. Talk shifts to Disney’s plans for the ‘Indiana Jones’ franchise, whether or not they include Chris Pratt. And how can they not visit topics relating to other superhero films like ‘Justice League Dark’ and the future of Matt Ryan as John Constantine?
Nick and Andrew recount the horror’s of ‘Daredevil’ before jumping into Ben Affleck’s new reality as the Dark Knight. They cover the DCCU (DC Cinematic Universe) including ‘Aquaman’ casting and the troubles of ‘The Suicide Squad.’
Batfleck Vs. Superman (also known by the silly title ‘Batman V. Superman: Justice Begins’) is still over a year away with a scheduled release date of March 25th, 2016. In the meantime, I think we should all take a step back to admire the greatest comic book movie of all time; Christopher Nolan’s 2008 film ‘The Dark Knight.’
Breaking Batman
I wanted to do the top 5 scenes of the entire ‘Dark Knight Trilogy,’ but that was too limiting as there are too many fantastic scenes in my ‘The Dark Knight Trilogy’ to cover here. I couldn’t even narrow just ‘The Dark Knight’ down to 5 favorite scenes. I need 6 to do the job!
Without further ado, here are the top 6 scenes from ‘The Dark Knight’ in the order they happen in the film’s narrative.
1. The Heist
The Bank Heist is quite the little scene to open and therefore establish the tone of the 2nd movie in Nolan’s Batman Saga. Inspired heavily by the Michael Mann film ‘Heat,’ the scene twists a classic heist into the Joker’s (Heath Ledger) plot, all while setting you on complete edge using the heights of IMAX and the sharp cords of the Joker’s theme… all screaming “Chaos.”
The Joker poses as one of his own henchmen.
2. Decent Men In An Indecent Time
The Joker’s heist may kick off the movie, but it is a decision made by three men that really set events in motion.
To defeat Gotham’s biggest recognized problem, the mob, Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), Lieutenant James Gordon (Gary Oldman), and Batman (Christian Bale) make a pact that will dictate the fate of all three involved, as well as collateral damage of Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal).
Gordon warns,
“We’re going after the mob’s life savings. Things will get ugly.”
Replies Dent,
“I knew the risk when I took this job, lieutenant.”
Dent accepts the risk willingly, as do Batman and James Gordon.
It is this pact that will determine the destiny of all three men; destroying them all by the end of the film.
3. Dent’s Dark Side
‘The Dark Knight,’ specifically the scene just covered, is largely based on my favorite graphic novel ‘The Long Halloween’ by Jeph Loeb and by Tim Sale.
Nicholas D’Agosto’s Harvey Dent on ‘Gotham’ has quite the temper.
In the comic, Dent’s dark side is hinted at early in the story; long before the accident that scars him. Let’s just say he may may have done more than take a henchmen down an alley and flipped a coin to decide his life. But we’ll get to that now.
Dent spends half the movie as Gotham’s “White Knight,” the honest and law-fairing District Attorney bringing hope to Gotham. I would argue that Dent’s dark side is introduced too late in the movie; around the hour mark. Even here, the film form is not as severe as his comic version. Hell, ‘Gotham’ showed Dent’s short fuse in the first episode introducing the young assistant D.A.
Shiff Thomas wearing Rachel Dawes’ name; signaling her as Joker’s next victim.
The 1st sign something is amiss with Gotham’s White Knight is when he interrogates Joker’s henchmen Shiff Thomas; the man wearing the name tag pegging “Rachel Dawes” as the Joker’s next victim.
The Darker Side of Harvey Dent.
Thomas gets the ‘ole coin flip multiple times, gun held to his head, until Batman stops Dent. The Dark Knight warns the D.A. that if anyone saw what Dent was doing, faith in the White Knight and Gotham would fail.
Even going off the cuff, Dent left the fate of Shift Thomas to his double-sided coin. He (likely) meant Shift Thomas no terminal harm.
Still, that Dent darkness has to appear somehow.
4. Batman Interrogates The Joker
Batman’s one rule comes back to bite him in the ass. By a rabid dog chasing cars.
“You Complete Me!”
It’s really hard not to love this scene. Though Batman has the Joker in his gauntlets, Joker has all the power.
“You have NOTHING! Nothing to threaten me with. Nothing to do with your strength.”
It really is powerful to watch Batman wail on Joker to no avail. His “one rule” that prevents him from killing leads to the deaths of others in the film. This same number was over 600 by the time the pair face off for the final time in Frank Miller’s ‘The Dark Knight Returns.’
In this case, his one rule kills Rachel and blows Dent halfway to hell. But it is this rule that separates Batman from the masked villains. Even though he may lose to the Joker this scheme, I think he may get him in the end…
5. An Unmovable Object and An Unstoppable Force
Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin dies the old fashioned way.
‘The Dark Knight’ breaks the superhero’s genre one rule, established in classic films like 1989’s ‘Batman’ and carried on to nearly-modern day ‘Spider-Man’ (2002) and ‘Batman Begins’ (2005): kill off your villain so the end is nice and tidy.
The Caped Crusader does toss the Clown Prince of Crime off the Pruitt building… only to catch him with his grappling hook, much to the Joker’s disappointment.
“Oh, you. You just couldn’t let me go, could you? This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. You truly are incorruptible, aren’t you? You won’t kill me out of some misplaced sense of self-righteousness. And I won’t kill you because you’re just too much fun. I think you and I are destined to do this forever.”
Boom! That’s comics in a nutshell.
Spider-Man doesn’t kill the Green Goblin in the comics (well he does, several, but some come back… and, you know, crazy Marvel stuff); they clash again and again and again. And there are very few foes that have been clashing longer in the comics than Batman and the Joker.
6. The White Knight Vs. The Dark Knight
The real finale. The one we were promised when Gordon, Dent, and Batman meet on that rooftop in the first act.
Things got dirty. And all three of these decent men in an indecent time were torn to shreds by the joker, but none more than tragic Harvey Dent.
“What happened to Rachel wasn’t chance. We decided to act! We three!”
Batman knows what’s up! Cause he’s the world’s greatest detective.
But Harvey Dent is the apparent loser in the room, having lost his fiance (and scared his face), with no knowledge that Bruce carried similar feelings for Rachel.
In the comics, Bruce Wayne blames himself for not revealing to Harvey Dent who he was. For not showing Dent who fought alongside him for the soul of Gotham. For remaining anonymous and letting Gordon and Dent take the brunt of mob vengeance.
In the movie, even in this immense time of crisis, Batman is able to vocalize the importance of Harvey Dent to Gotham; why he was chosen.
“Because you were the best of us! He wanted to prove that even someone as good as you could fall.”
So rests the soul of Gotham in these three-warriors-torn-asunder’s final moments together. Harvey “Two-Face” Dent deciding each of their fates with a flip of the coin.
This scene completes the movie. Three young men with rose-color glasses are wrung through the shredder as a promise they made destroyed their partnership and their lives. Classic Nolan/Batman tragedy.
Nick and Andrew honeypot/honeydick you into the world of Breaking Geek. They discuss the excellent film, ‘Blue Ruin,’ and come back around to ‘The Interview’ before launching into comic book movies and TV shows including Marvel’s teasers for Netflix’s ‘Daredevil’ and ‘Ant-Man.’ Also, an update on the DC Cinematic Universe (DCCU) and ‘Amazing Spider-Man’ franchises.
Come back every Friday @ 1pm Mountain Time for new episodes of ‘Breaking Geek: The Podcast!
Nick and Andrew watched ‘Fantastic Four: Rise of The Silver Surfer’ so you don’t have to! They also watched ‘The Interview’ so that you can avoid attention from North Korea and/or Sony. Unregulated Superhero discussion commences as usual.
Come back every Friday for a new episode of The Breaking Geek Podcast!
‘Constantine’ is my favorite network show of the fall 2014 TV season.
I’m not a big network TV fan. I’ve loved and lost: ‘Arrested Development.’ I’ve grown tired of aging shows: ‘The Simpsons.’ Many others just lived their TV shelf life: ’24,’ ’30 Rock,’ ‘Parks & Rec,’ and ‘Community.’
But this season, I’m up to my all-time high with ‘Blacklist,’ ‘Gotham,’ ‘Brooklyn 99,’ and, of course, ‘Constantine.’
The most miraculous feat of all (aside from the apparent “miracles” that can come up on the show)? The fact that I like any network TV show more than one about Batman (sorry, ‘Gotham.’)!
Here’s 5 things you are missing out on by skipping ‘Constantine.’
1. The Opening Credit Sequence Makes Your Skin Crawl
Is the opening credit sequence of a show really that important?
G.O.B.s favorite bar, “And Jeremy Piven”
If you ask the late, not-so-great, ‘Entourage,’ then yes, the opening credit roll is a big deal. Often mocked among friends, the “Ya! Oh, yeah!” stroll down the Sunset strip, walking past the great L.A. bar “With Jeremy Piven” is horribly long.
And annoying.
‘Constantine’ has a perfect length, incredibly unique opening credit sequence.
There’s not even actor or creator credits given, just the image of souls burning in hell.
Watch it now! Then we move on!
2. Matt Ryan is incredibly likable as John Constantine.
Matt Ryan as John Constantine
Here’s your first clue that there’s a big difference between NBC’s ‘Constantine’ and the 2005 movie starring Keanu Reeves; Matt Ryan’s John Constantine is charming and funny in a way Keanu will never understand.
Ryan brings humor and sarcasm in large doses, playing the self proclaimed “Master of the Dark Arts.” (Constantine gets shit almost every episode for having that last title on his business card.)
And yet, John is also a man haunted.
Astra, accidentally damned to Hell by a young John Constantine.
Haunted by what happened to Astra, the daughter of a friend whom Constantine accidentally damned to hell during a failed exorcism. That’s some dark shit to deal with.
Similar to the sins of his past, Constantine makes some very ambiguous moral choices that could lump him in shared company with ‘Breaking Bad’s Walter White. In one episode he literally has to trap a demon in the body of a friend; inviting the demon in and then trapping him in the body by carving demon locking symbols into his friend’s face with a special blessed blade.
A Demon mocks Constantine by taking his form in the ‘Pilot.’
Constantine has his demons, both literally and figuratively. Yet, the show never gets silly when he recites incantations and draws demonic symbols. The show carries just the right tone for it all to work.
Spells and Incantations from the “Master of the Dark Arts.”
And Constantine has quite a bit of evil to combat as there is a “rising darkness” that is pushing more monsters to the surface and resulting in stronger than average demons.
With all the good, the bad, and his torment/mission, as a man, I still want to be John Constantine. Rock that white shirt and that loose-ass tie… TV’s John Constantine is one cool anti-hero.
3. It’s a horror show at heart.
I have a knack for missing when something is in the horror genre, unless it’s a shitty torture-porn film like ‘Saw’ or ‘The Hills Have Eyes.’ I didn’t realize the new ‘Fright Night’ (2011) was horror until my friends pointed it out; I thought it was a dark comedy.
I had the same inclination with ‘Constantine,’ enjoying the darkness and comedy of the show, completely missing that it is, indeed, a horror show. Not only that, it’s a damn good one, with gruesome bloody scenes and scary demons that rival cable’s ‘The Walking Dead.’
We’re talking possessed children, fallen Angels, and a vinyl holding the voice of “the fallen” (the devil, of course).
One of ‘Constantine’s many literal demons.
2. It has its own, unique format unlike anything on network TV.
I like to call ‘Constantine’ my favorite cable show on Network TV since ‘Arrested Development.’
Let’s face it, most the good shows on television live on cable networks willing to take risks like AMC, FX, and HBO. Most of what we see on Network TV (by which I mean CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX, and The CW) is very formulaic, with nearly all dramas following the criminal or medical procedural format. Even a show like ‘Gotham’ (which I also adore) boils down to a police procedural that happens to have quirky DC characters. ‘The Blacklist’ is brilliant, but it also doesn’t escape the classic format of a Network TV Drama.
Constantine and Zed hunt demons.
‘Constantine’ marches by the beat of its own drum. It does have a formula; establish demon/evil entity, Constantine tracks it with the aide of Zed (Angelica Celaya) and/or Chas Chandler (Charles Halford), if it’s a demon he may chase it from body to body, finally vanquishing it in the final act, depending what “it” is.
That is where the show flaunts its format: the “Rising Darkness.” The evil in the show takes many forms, from the aforementioned demons, to possessed inanimate objects, and even Angels that work for “the fallen.”
No two episodes are alike and non mirror what you would see on a Network Procedural.
1. It has great side characters and is rich with DC universe lore.
Manny the Angel, John Constantine, Zed Martin, and Chas Chandler
John Constantine’s tortured soul is only the tip of NBC’s iceberg.
My favorite character – aside from Constantine who I obviously have a man-crush on – is Manny the Angel (Harold Perrineau). Manny appears to Constantine, not to help, as he can never give information or physically help in any way that will alter the lives of mortals like John.
Manny the AngelManny mocks Constantine by appearing to him as a bartender.
While Manny appears to visit Constantine for moral support, really he spends most of his time gloating and mocking Constantine. The back and forth between these characters is my favorite part of the show. Whenever Manny shows up, I crack a smile.
Zed and Chas are also great characters, both with their separate supernatural gifts and their relationships with the “master of the dark arts.”
These characters are from the comics (not Manny, he was added to turn the comic’s inner-monologues into dialog between two characters) as are many of the demons and items we see throughout the show. I wish I read the New 52’s ‘Constantine’ (formally ‘Hellblazer’) as there are A LOT of DC ‘Easter Eggs’ to uncover.
All-in-all, it boils down to my earlier statement. To quote myself:
‘Constantine’ is my favorite cable show on Network TV since ‘Arrested Development.’
Boom. I just self-quoted.
There you have it, 5 reasons to check out ‘Constantine’ on Hulu and NBC. If you’re game for unique TV containing fascinating characters and scary demons – with a DC Comics flair – then join me and John on our mission against the “Rising Darkness.”
Just one more great image of the demon that mocks John in the ‘Pilot.’And I’m out!
Nick and Andrew watched 2004’s ‘Catwoman’ starring the right place, wrong time actress Halle Berry. They discuss. On a more accurate Batman related note, they also discuss TV’s ‘Gotham.’ Somehow the Avengers also come into play… somehow.
all the good, the bad, and his torment/mission, as a man, I still want to be John Constantine. Rock that white shirt and that loose-ass tie… TV’s John Constantine is one cool anti-hero.
BREAKING GEEK Radio: The Podcast 
