Honorable Mention: STEVEN UNIVERSE (2013)

• animated TV series
• created by Rebecca Sugar (former artist/writer on Adventure Time)
• debuted on Cartoon Network 11/4/2013 (yet IMDB lists 7/27/2013 - so I'm going with that official date)

CAST (boldface denotes character directly lifted from comic or source material)

Steven Universe  (Zach Callison)

Garnet  (Estelle)

Amethyst  (Michaela Dietz)

Pearl  (Deedee Magno)

My impressions:

Well, to be honest, while this looks adorable and, if it's anything like Adventure Time, it's probably funny and surreal as well, but I don't know if I'll ever get around to seeing this.  Why include it? Thoroughness. Here's the description from Wikipedia:

"In Steven Universe, the world is protected from evil threats by the Crystal Gems, a group of intergalactic female warriors who use the power of special gem stones embedded on their bodies to summon magical weapons. Joining the cool-headed Garnet, the laid back Amethyst, and the gentle Pearl, all teenage girls, is the unlikely fourth member of the team; the eponymous Steven, a young boy who inherited a gem stone from his mother, a Crystal Gem named Rose Quartz. As Steven tries to figure out the secrets to using his gem, he spends his days in Beach City doing activities with the other Crystal Gems, whether it's helping them save the universe or just hanging out."

Honorable Mention: SON OF TARZAN (1920)

• film serial (silent)
• released 05/?/1920
• directed by Arthur J. Flaven and Harry Revier
• based on the Burroughs novel of the same name, the main character is actually Korak, Tarzan's son, though the old man does show up
• a National Film Producing Corporation production

CAST (boldface denotes characters directly lifted from the comic or source material)

Korak, Son of Tarzan  (Kamuela C. Searle)

Lord Greystoke / Tarzan  (P. Dempsey Tabler)

Meriem  (Manilla Martan)

Lady Greystoke / Jane  (Karla Schramm)

Ivan Paulovich  (Eugene Burr)

Sheik Amor Ben Khatour  (Frank Morrell)

My impressions:

Haven't seen it and, so the web tells me, the only version available is an indecipherable mess, chopped-down from the serial length to a short feature.

HULK AND THE AGENTS OF S.M.A.S.H. (2013)

• half-hour animated series
• debuted 8/11/2013
• airs on Disney XD channel
• a Film Roman/Marvel Animation production
• guest-starring characters portrayed from the comics: The Leader, Devil Dinosaur, J. Jonah Jameson, Annihilus, The Thing, Absorbing Man, Spider-Man, Iron Man, Thor, Ego the Living Planet, Mole Man, Wendigo, The Collector, Laufey, Titania, Doc Samson, Galactus, Terrax

CAST (boldface denotes a character directly lifted from the comic or source material)

Hulk  (Fred Tatasciore)

Red Hulk  (Clancy Brown)

A-Bomb/Rick Jones  (Seth Green)

Skaar  (Ben Diskin)

She-Hulk  (Eliza Dushku)

My impressions:

Haven't caught this yet, but there are good names behind it (Paul Dini is listed as a series writer). It seems aimed at a younger crowd (which is a good thing), but you gotta love the cartoons for not worrying about budgets or costumes! And it's readily apparent they are dipping deeply into the Marvel Universe's pool of characters. I approve. 

Honorable Mention: THE REVENGE OF TARZAN (1920)

• feature film (silent)
• released 5/30/1920
• NOT a sequel to the previous Elmo Lincoln Tarzan films
• directed by Harry Revier and George M. Merrick
• produced by the Great Western Film Producing Company

CAST (boldface denotes character directly lifted from comic or source material)

Tarzan  (Gene Pollar)

Jane  (Karla Schramm)

Countess de Coude  (Estelle Taylor)

Nikolas Rokoff  (Armand Cortes)

Paul D'Arnot  (Franklin B. Coates)

Count de Coude  (George Romain)

My impressions:

Another lost silent film. All I can tell you is what I've found on the web, that this was based on the Burroughs novel The Return of Tarzan and that this go 'round Tarzan was portrayed by Gene Pollar.

KICK-ASS 2 (2013)

• feature film
• rated R
• released 8/16/2013
• sequel to 2010's Kick-Ass
• directed by Jeff Wadlow
• produced by Universal Pictures

CAST (boldface denotes a character directly lifted from comic or source material)

Dave Lizewski/Kick-Ass  (Aaron Taylor-Johnson)

Mindy Macready / Hit-Girl  (Chloë Moretz)

Colonel Stars and Stripes  (Jim Carrey)

Chris D'Amico / The Motherfucker  (Christopher Mintz-Plasse)

Marty / Battle Guy  (Clark Duke)

Todd / Ass Kicker  (Augustus Prew)

Detective Marcus Williams  (Morris Chestnut)

Mrs. D'Amico  (Yancy Butler)

Javier  (John Leguizamo)

Dr. Gravity  (Donald Faison)

The Tumor  (Andy Nyman)

Genghis Carnage  (Tom Wu)

Mother Russia  (Olga Kurkulina)

My impressions:

Haven't seen it (yet). I know, I know, I've let you down once again. While I really enjoyed the original (both the comic series by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr and the film based on it), I just couldn't work up the desire to check this one out. The reviews were fairly damning as well, suggesting that the fine line of outrageousness-for-outrageousness's sake that the first film walked so well was definitely crossed here. Co-star Jim Carrey himself made waves after the fact for refusing to support this film due to its excessive violence and lack of social conscience. Interesting.

Hopefully I'll update this later once I've had a chance to see the film. 

Honorable Mention: THE ROMANCE OF TARZAN (1918)

• feature film (silent)
• released 10/13/18
• sequel to Tarzan Of The Apes
• a National Film Corporation of America production

CAST (boldface denotes a character directly lifted from the comic or source material)

Tarzan  (Elmo Lincoln)

Jane  (Enid Markey)

Professor Porter  (Thomas Jefferson)

My impressions:

I have none, having never seen this. But I'm in good company as this film appears to have been lost. Outside of some production art (like the above poster) and synopses, there is no way to view this, the first superhero sequel.

MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013)

• hour-long TV drama
• debuted 9/24/2013 - ongoing
• spin-off of Marvel's cinematic universe
• executive produced by Joss Whedon
• a Marvel Studios production for ABC
• characters portrayed from the comics: Nick Fury (cameo), Maria Hill (cameo), Victoria Hand, Dr. Franklin Hall a.k.a. Graviton

CAST (boldface denotes a character directly lifted from the comic or source material)

Phil Coulson  (Clark Gregg)

Melinda May  (Ming-Na Wen)

Grant Ward  (Brett Dalton)

Skye  (Chloe Bennet)

Leo Fitz  (Iain De Caestecker)

Jemma Simmons  (Elizabeth Henstridge)


My impressions:

Sadly, this is the first weak effort (in my opinion) from Marvel Studios. I wish that were not the case.

Directly spinning out of the background of Marvel Studio's first spate of films (beginning with Samuel L. Jackson's cameo as S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury in 2008's Iron Man), this show brings Marvel Comics' premiere super-spy organization to the small screen. Or at least one tiny unit of it under the command of Special Agent Phil Coulson (played by the always great Clark Gregg), whom we saw killed during the events of 2012's The Avengers.

As a lifelong comics fan, I find the show very disappointing in comparison with the four-color version. A high-octane action series featuring crazy, hi-tech gear (Helicarrier! Life Model Decoys!) and great bad guys (Baron Von Strucker! Viper and HYDRA!) has been watered down into a listless TV show with what should be a foolproof pedigree (i.e. Whedon at the wheel).

And, yes, I understand that compromises must be made for a TV budget and the (slightly) more grounded superhero universe Marvel Studios has introduced in its films, but even those who come to the show without a fan's expectations are echoing my disappointment with a weak X-Files clone peopled by young and adorable, gratingly quippy, and seemingly incompetent special agents facing non-super non-threats.

So far, this series seems a waste of Marvel's wondrous real estate.

Honorable Mention: TARZAN OF THE APES (1918)

• feature film (silent)
• released 1/27/1918
• first Tarzan film
• directed by Scott Sidney
• a National Film Corporation of America production

CAST (boldface denotes a character directly lifted from the comic or source material)

Tarzan  (Elmo Lincoln)

Jane  (Enid Markey)

Professor Porter  (Thomas Jefferson)

John Clayton - Lord Greystoke  (True Boardman)

Alice Clayton - Lady Greystoke  (Kathleen Kirkham)


My impressions:

First, I admit that I have never seen this film in full, only clips. Elmo Lincoln is one burly, swarthy-looking Lord of the Jungle in a bad wig, but he does earn the distinction of being the screen's first Tarzan as well as - according to this list - the first actor to embody a superhero on film.

And here's where we discuss why Tarzan is on this list. This character (1912) and his immediate predecessor John Carter of Mars (1911), created in the pulp magazines by author Edgar Rice Burroughs, have often been posited as the grandfathers of the superhero. And rightfully so. Tarzan's tragic origin, exotic locations, amazing physical attributes and abilities (he can speak to and command the animals of the jungle!) are all elements that will seed the colorfully costumed heroes to come.

He more than deserves a place among his descendants.

THOR: THE DARK WORLD (2013)

• feature film
• rated PG-13
• released 11/4/2013
• sequel to 2011's Thor
• directed by Alan Taylor
• a Marvel Studios production
• cameos from the comics: Captain America (kind-of) and *spoiler The Collector

CAST (boldface denotes a character directly lifted from comic or source material)

Thor  (Chris Hemsworth)

Jane Foster  (Natalie Portman)

Loki  (Tom Hiddleston)

Odin  (Anthony Hopkins)

Malekith  (Christopher Eccleston)

Sif  (Jaimie Alexander)

Fandral  (Zachary Levi)

Volstagg  (Ray Stevenson)

Hogun  (Tadanobu Asano)

Heimdall  (Idris Elba)

Frigga  (Rene Russo)

Algrim / Kurse  (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje)

Darcy Lewis  (Kat Dennings)

Erik Selvig  (Stellan Skarsgård)

My impressions:

What can I say? I dug it. Marvel Studios continues (as of this writing) to be the ideal stewards of their characters in any medium. Hemsworth continues to personify a hearty yet thoughtful hero and Hiddleston steals the show once more (with help, no doubt, from the dialogue doctoring of Joss Whedon).

My only complaints are small (which is saying something, as I'm a notorious fanboy nitpicker - working on it, though!). Though the villain, Malekith, is a welcome inclusion from the comics, and is played here by the excellent Christopher Eccleston, he isn't very well developed and not given much to do other than glower and shout. His motivation? Essentially, he's a Dark Elf and he wants to make everything dark. Yup.

And, sadly, our favorite Thunder God is denied his helmet once again.

So, here are the parameters. (In before: "What? No way does *fill -in-the-blank* count as a superhero?!")

Tights 'N' Flights is a resource wherein I'll list every appearance in "living portrayal" (yes, I include animation in this, due to the actor's voice work) of superheroes. And, as you'll see, I've cast my net wide. These will not just be adaptations of existing comic book icons, but also "original" characters clearly inspired by (or ripped off from) those recognizable heroes and heroines.

To me, superheroes are usually defined by:

- a costumed or code-named identity

- superhuman or exemplary abilities

- an ongoing crusade to help others and/or punish the guilty

Yet you will see I find plenty of wiggle-room within these parameters. Just hang with me and trust me to explain the inclusion of each.

You'll also see that I stretch out to include tangential entries (my "Honorable Mentions") that I feel warrant it. There are many characters from popular literature, the pulps, and the world of genre TV and cartoons that are "close enough" to be included.

Besides, it's my list and I can do what I want. Nyah.

I'll be uploading entries to the blog here in a back-to-front, front-to-back schedule, beginning with the most current entry on the list (Thor: The Dark World, 11/8/2013) and followed by the oldest (Tarzan of the Apes, 1918), working my way to the middle.

Join me, it'll be fun!

"As a distant planet was destroyed by old age..."

"...a scientist placed his infant son within a hastily devised space-ship, launching it toward Earth!"

So began the very first Superman story in the June 1938 issue of National Periodical's Action Comics (#1), and those words. written by a teenager from Cleveland, Ohio, would launch a new popular mythology built around the exploits of something powerful and primal, yet naive and outright ludicrous: the superhero.

From earliest Man, our species has thrilled to tales of heroic figures, adventurers imbued with larger than life abilities, attributes, morality and motivations. When Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster cobbled together a fresh kind of character for a new comic strip, they weren't creating out of whole cloth, instead, they were performing alchemy that combined (consciously or not) elements from Judeo-Christian mythology and their favorite science fiction pulps. Superman didn't spring fully formed from their brows, but he was the first of his breed and every superhero that tumbled after in his staggering success owes their existence to him.

As with any new trend that grabs hold of the public zeitgeist, many were anxious to hop on the bandwagon and exploit it for all its worth. Once it was apparent that this "superhero" thing was hot, soon came the merchandise. Toys, games, puzzles, lunchboxes, cereals - anything that might go in or on a kid was suddenly emblazoned with colorful, square-jawed crusaders for justice. There was money to be made. A lot of money.

And, never very far behind, Hollywood sat up and took notice.