Suvudu Universe

If you like watching comic-inspired series on TV, you’ve got a lot of shows coming up.

According to ICv2, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has been renewed for a second season. Although ABC/Disney demonstrated faith in it early on, giving the show an early full-season pickup, the storytelling and ratings have both been disappointing. With the recent tie-in to new blockbuster Captain America: The Winter Soldier, though, the show seems to have gained new energy and tighter execution.

ABC will also have a second Marvel series coming next year with the debut of Marvel’s Agent Carter, starring Hayley Atwell. The spunky 1940s dame appeared in the first Captain America movie as well as an original video short on Iron Man 3 that established her struggles as a secret agent not taken seriously by her co-workers. The show is set in 1946 and described as the “adventures of a post-WW2 era super-spy who has to hide her activities from everyone she knows, including her superiors.” Hopefully, they keep Bradley Whitford in it as the boss.

On the DC side, Heidi has the news that there are three series launching. The CW will add the Arrow spin-off The Flash to its schedule. I thought Grant Gustin did an excellent job when he appeared as Barry Allen on the parent show, so I’m looking forward to this one.

The team behind the much-missed Veronica Mars, Rob Thomas and Diane Ruggiero, will shepherd iZombie (changed from the comic series somewhat) also for that network. It stars Rose McIver as the title character, now a former medical student working in the Coroner’s office. She eats brains and with the corpse’s memories, solves homicide cases.

NBC has picked up Constantine starring Matt Ryan, Lucy Griffiths, Harold Perrineau, and Charles Halford. Nothing to do with the movie version, I hope, since otherwise I’d feel like I have to finally see the film.

That’s not all from DC, as the Gotham show released a trailer, shown below.

With all the famous Batman characters kids and teens in this approach, the show focuses on Detective James Gordon (Ben McKenzie) fighting his way through corruption. They’re calling it a prequel; I call it “Baby Batman”. It’s got a retro feel to it that reminds me of Boardwalk Empire, emphasizing the dark and gritty approach that’s been a hallmark of the media character since the success of the Nolan movies.

The cast is good, with Donal Logue as Harvey Bullock, Jada Pinkett Smith as mob boss Fish Mooney (Fish? really?), Sean Pertwee as Alfred Pennyworth, and David Mazouz as young Bruce Wayne. Gotham will air on Fox this fall.

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