It seems like every streaming service has
a show about superheroes these days, from
the mainstream to the obscure, and some of
the best superhero TV embraces a departure
from the heroic do-gooders of the big
screen.
A superhero series will usually present us
with flawed-but lovable characters just trying
to do their best—or in some cases, their
worst.
TV gives these characters more room to grow,
so it’s usually where we can explore backstories
and personal trauma that shaped them into
the caped crusaders they are.
Today I’m going to talk about three great
superhero shows that give us tons of character
development and interesting storytelling.
Two of these are shows you know and love and
one is a show you probably haven’t seen,
but that’s definitely worth a watch.
So let’s get into it.
We’ll kick off today with Amazon’s The
Boys, the winner of a recent Facebook poll
where I asked people which superhero show
had the best first season.
Based on the graphic novel of the same name,
The Boys is a total subversion of the superhero
genre.
It’s like a twisted version of The Justice
League or The Avengers, so instead of Aquaman
we get The Deep, who aside from being an idiot
is also a sexual predator.
We don’t have Wonder Woman, we have Queen
Maeve, a broken alcoholic who’s in too deep
at this point to do anything actually heroic.
And of course, instead of Superman or Captain
America, we get Homelander who is without
a doubt far more terrifying than any supervillain.
Homelander presents us with a question that
other superhero films or shows have tackled
less successfully: what if Superman was evil—but
what makes Homelander unique is that everyone
still thinks he’s a hero.
And that’s the really strength of The Boys.
It’s not as much about superheroes as it
is about capitalism and corporate media manipulation.
Yeah, Homelander is a terrifying villain,
but the corporation that controls him and
spins lies to protect his image is the truly
terrifying aspect.
The whole giant, evil cooperation thing is
extra interesting considering the show
comes from Amazon.
If The Boys is an angry, cynical look at seemingly
unstoppable corporate power, The Umbrella
Academy is a more introspective look at personal
trauma and family issues.
The Boys is throwing up a middle finger to
authority while Umbrella Academy is listening
to Morrissey in its room.
The show, based on the comic created by Gerard
Way of My Chemical Romance, is about seven
superpower kids who were adopted by an eccentric
billionaire with the express purpose of someday
saving the world.
But rather than focus on the super heroics,
Umbrella Academy is really a story about a
fractured family and a bunch of adults who
are still dealing with a very unconventional
and painful childhood.
Character growth is key and we get to know the whole gang and start picking
out favorites—Klaus and Number Five for
me.
It’s beautifully shot with style to spare
and an abundance of really creative musical
montages.
And then there’s Doom Patrol.
Look, you haven’t seen this show.
It aired on a small streaming service that
mostly appealed to hardcore DC fans, then
it moved to HBO Max, which is stuffed full
of so much content that it got pretty buried.
You open that app and you’re going to get
bombarded with all the HBO flagships and every
other hit in the Time Warner library before
you get to Doom Patrol.
And you might see the cover with a robot and
a goth girl and Timothy Dalton in a wheelchair
and think “what in the X-Men knockoffs is
this?”
But I’m telling you, take a chance on this
show.
Even though most people haven’t watched
it, Doom Patrol has arguably the most star
power right out of the gate with Matt Bomer,
Brendan Fraser and Alan Tudky in the mix.
But it also has some of the strongest storytelling
with great characters, entertaining plots
and cool visuals.
Best of all, it really leans into its weirdness.
"I'm gonna get real weird with it."
The show gets so bizarre that there’s an
early joke about how the remaining episodes
are for the people who are still on board
after what they’ve witnessed so far.
Like Umbrella Academy, which was originally
inspired by the Doom Patrol comics, it’s
also about family, but it has a level of self-awareness
that makes it such a fun watch.
The first season even has some extremely funny
fourth-wall-breaks that make it feel so different
from what we might see in mainstream superhero
shows.
Even thought it’s probably the best comic
book show you’ve never seen and it’s sad
how underrated it is, maybe being on a more
obscure streamer gave it more freedom to be
batshit crazy.
The Boys has to appeal to the same subscribers
who watch The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
The Umbrella Academy has to appeal to people
who watch Stranger Things and To All the Boys
I've Loved Before.
But Doom Patrol just has to appeal to people
who are already on board for weird comic book
shit, which lets it do its own thing.
I really enjoy all three of these shows, but
that first season of Doom Patrol was such
a unique experience that it made me fall completely
in love with this isle of misfit toys just
trying to make it.
So, Doom Patrol versus The Umbrella Academy
versus The Boys.
Who's the real winner?
I'd say the real winner is us, the viewers
who get to watch all these great shows.
But seriously, check out Doom Patrol, it's
awesome.
Thanks so much for watching and stay tuned
for the next one.
