What did Jim Steranko, the man who helped develop a lot of S.H.I.E.L.D. lore (along with Jack Kirby and others) think of the first episode of
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.? Not much! "The pilot assumes the audience is cognizant of the Marvel Universe as it regales viewers with a salvo of references established previously in big-screen efforts. Granted, Avengers may be the third-highest-grossing flick of all time, but recalling the details of last year's favorite may be too much to expect above the fanboy level." It remains to be seen whether that is indeed true as the show achieved the highest number of views for a new pilot since 2009. The telling point will come in the second and third weeks, where a viewership trend will begin to be established. Will ratings hold steady, decline or increase?
Here's a larger chunk from Steranko's review where he gets into the specifics on why the S.H.I.E.L.D. pilot didn't live up to his expectations:
In its comic book and cinematic incarnations, S.H.I.E.L.D. is staffed by skilled personnel, but helmed by the ultra-charismatic -- and ultra-dangerous -- Nick Fury, and for good reason. The game is one of epic heroes and villains, of larger-than-life characters who compete with outrageous, godlike force -- not to mention Kirby Krackle! Although Fury, like Batman and Bond, has no superpowers, he is clearly suprahuman: irresistible, indomitable, invincible. And Agent Coulson, with his Rudy Giuliani aplomb, is no Fury. (Actually, he could take a few attitude lessons from Samuel L. Jackson.)
And speaking of Jackson, the SHIELD opener would have benefited immensely from a 15-second cameo or even a damn phone call from Jackson's Fury. (Hell, I would have bought everybody drinks for a quickie Paste-Pot Pete appearance or even a walk-on by Stan Lee!) Even more disappointing was that the show had no menace, no tension. A month or so ago, during a conversation with Loeb, he categorized the series as "S.H.I.E.L.D. meets The X-Files." Great premise, but barely in evidence. SHIELD needs to be much tougher, much stranger, much edgier to reach its potential!
To read his full review, head over to
The Hollywood Reporter.
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'MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.' Premieres Sept. 24
Running Time: 60 min
Release Date: September 24, 2013
MPAA Rating: Tv PG-13
Starring: Clark Gregg, Ming-Na Wen, Elizabeth Henstridge, Iain De Caestecker, Brett Dalton
Directed by: Joss Whedon (pilot)
Written by: Maurissa Tancharoen (story/writer), Jed Whedon(story/writer),Jeffrey Bell (executive producer), Jeph Loeb (executive producer)
"Clark Gregg reprises his role of Agent Phil Coulson from Marvel’s feature films, as he assembles a small, highly select group of Agents from the worldwide law-enforcement organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D. Together they investigate the new, the strange, and the unknown across the globe, protecting the ordinary from the extraordinary. Coulson's team consists of Agent Grant Ward (Brett Dalton), highly trained in combat and espionage; Agent Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen), expert pilot and martial artist; Agent Leo Fitz (Iain De Caestecker), brilliant engineer; and Agent Jemma Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge), genius bio-chemist. Joining them on their journey into mystery is new recruit and computer hacker, Skye (Chloe Bennet).
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Marvel’s first television series, is from executive producers Joss Whedon (Marvel's The Avengers, Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Jed Whedon & Maurissa Tancharoen, who co-wrote the pilot (Dollhouse, Dr.Horrible's Sing-Along Blog). Jeffrey Bell (Angel, Alias) and Jeph Loeb (Smallville, Lost, Heroes) also serve as executive producers. Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is produced by ABC Studios and Marvel Television." |