The Four Color Media Monitor

The AP Wire reported there's a new TV show in the works based on some of Marvel's vigilante-style heroes. But, there's at least one inaccuracy and one questionable story element turning up. For example:

NEW YORK (AP) - New York will become home to the "flawed heroes of Hell's Kitchen," as four of Marvel's characters will come to life in a live-action series that will be filmed principally in the state and streamed on Netflix.

The announcement was made Wednesday by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, The Walt Disney Co. (DIS), Marvel and Netflix Inc. The project, scheduled to start filming in the summer, will feature the characters Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist.

It's the largest film or television production project commitment in New York's history and is expected to bring up to 400 full-time jobs, Cuomo said.

"The Defenders are classic New York characters; smart, resourceful and tough enough to always stand up for what's right," said Ted Sarandos, Netflix's chief content officer. "We're delighted they're coming to life on their home turf thanks to Gov. Cuomo and his team."

Why does he reference this group as the Defenders? That was a far different team often led by Doctor Strange, with heroes whose powers could be more elaborate (Silver Surfer, Hulk), or, they were some of the odder members of the MCU (Daimon Hellstrom, Valkyrie). Power Man and Iron Fist (the name of their co-starring series when they were merged in 1977) were better known as Heroes for Hire, most certainly the former, and in 1998, there was a short lived series by that title, reuniting Luke Cage and Iron Fist with a few other vigilantes; that's why I reference them as the Heroes for Hire. And their powers, while formidable, weren't as complex as Dr. Strange and company's.

Marvel and Netflix had announced a deal in November for the programming, which is slated to take the form of four series - each with 13 one-hour episodes - and a miniseries. They're slated to start streaming next year.

No details were available about how long the productions would last or what the story lines would look like. Daredevil is first up, followed by the others.

In the Marvel world, Daredevil is the superhero identity of Matt Murdock, who is blind but whose other senses are extra-human. Jessica Jones is a former superhero now working as a private detective. Luke Cage was wrongly imprisoned and gained his powers unexpectedly in an experiment. Iron Fist is the superhero identity of Daniel Rand, who has amazing martial arts abilities.

In making the announcement, Cuomo offered up his own very personal idea for a new superhero. "I can see it: boy from Queens goes to Albany to fight the evil empire and bring justice to the people of the state," he said.

Why must they choose the character and premise Brian Bendis used in his MAX series from 2001? Anything that could be based on his story drafts makes me feel dismayed, because after all the sleazy storytelling and disrespect he has for the audience, I don't think he's a writer who deserves any favors. If they need a femme vigilante without overly complex superpowers, what's wrong with Misty Knight and Colleen Wing, the real Heroines for Hire? Misty had a bionic arm, making her near as effective as Luke, while Colleen practiced swashbuckling. They could've been a cinch for a comics-based series with a down-to-earth setting, yet it looks like Bendis's creation gets priority.

And if one book by Bendis was selected as source material for a TV show, they could use his stories from Daredevil too. In that case, I don't see these new projects being very appealing.

Labels: Daredevil, dreadful writers, marvel comics, msm propaganda, women of marvel