In 2015, Comics will make the best TV
Comics are literally leaping off the page as popular properties are snatched up for television and film. It seems like there’s a new franchise launching every few minutes and that’s not an entirely bad thing. Comic books have recently been adapted into some very cool programming and the coming year looks like it will hold even more gems for comic fans. Let’s look at some of the big titles we can’t wait to see in 2015:
Marvel really knocked it out of the park with their second season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. so we’re pretty excited to see what they produce next. By the time you read this Marvel’s Agent Carter will have hit the air, but fans are still anticipating Marvel’s most ambitious television project to date. The first of The Defenders will have their own series debuting on Netflix later this year; Luke Cage and AKA Jessica Jones have titillated us with their recent casting news and we have eagerly been analyzing every production still from Daredevil. The only Defender not reported on is Iron Fist, but his series will reportedly air in 2015 as well. Bringing a fully recognized team together in television, and filming it all in Hell’s Kitchen is a big undertaking, but after Marvel proved that they know how to keep it “all connected” we can’t wait to see The Defenders hit the streets of New York.
Powers is a comic set in a world of superheroes that follows detectives assigned to cover cases involving “powers” or people with special abilities. The title is published by Icon, an imprint of Marvel comics and will be adapted to air late in the year on the PlayStation Network. This will be the PSN’s first ever scripted TV series. The show has been caught in production hell for such a long time that it looked like Powers would never be adapted, but Sony saved the day since they were looking to bring a new dimension to their PlayStation Network and picked up production with the comic’s writer, Brian Michael Bendis acting as executive producer. The show will feature names like Sharlto Copely (you may know him from District 9 and Elysium) and Noah Taylor (you’d recognize him from numerous roles like Almost Famous) and is rumoured to have a budget that almost matches that of network show. How exciting is that?
AMC made a big impression with their adaptation of Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead for television, now they are taking on another comic with a similar cult status. Preacher is a comic written by Grant Ennis and follows the protagonist Jesse Cluster after he is possessed and begins to travel around the U.S. in search of the God he believes has abandoned heaven. The comic is violent, and likely to offend anyone who keeps faith of any denomination. It is entirely possible that the show will deviate from the comic and get toned down for the screen to allow for a wider audience, but we hope not. It’s the over-the-top shock value that makes Preacher what it is; trimming out the shocking parts would be a shame.
Never one to be left out, DC is binging some big titles to the small screen as well. It looks like the year for all-things Superman as the rumor mill is swirling around the production of Supergirl and Krypton. CBS will be bringing Kara Zor-El’s story to primetime but focusing on her life as a twenty-something posing as human when she decides to use her powers and become a warrior. Don’t expect any repeats of Smallville here; Superman’s cousin is going to get her own, more mature treatment keeping in tone with superhero shows like The Flash or Arrow as the story of Krypton’s other survivor is told. Speaking of, Krypton will be developed by Sy-Fy and will follow Jor-El’s father (Superman’s grandfather) as he works to restore his family name during a time when his home planet is in strife. He will rebuild Krypton into the planet that ultimately gives birth to Kal-El. David S. Goyer, Ian Goldberg sit on board as executive producers. Whether this premise will work, or fall flat, it will certainly be interesting to watch.
