I feel like the Cape is almost there. Like if it had a year it would get all its characters and its story to a place fans would like. Like the Cape would have a better costume instead of a cape and stitched together fabric, a better Batcave instead of an old computer and news clippings taped to the walls, a better rogues gallery full of fun enemies (maybe they should look at Batman's and Spider-man's rogues more), fun stories, a better supporting cast, its almost there but not just yet.
It feels like Heroes watered down, or Dark Knight watered down. Its missing something major, and if they added that in it might be good. But I agree. I don't really like the main characters. I enjoy the side characters more, like the Crime Circus. Maybe the Crime Circus can join him in fighting crime more. I'd love to see Keith David team up with him and fight crime.
Speaking of fighting, his training might have been shorter because they hinted at him being both a cop and a former soldier who had to do terrible things. Like the Punisher, he was a trained soldier who became an honest cop. But instead of becoming the Punisher he became a Batman type. I sort of liked that they gave him more of a background in combat. Maybe they can incorporate that more into his character.
I also thought it was funny how they did comic book stuff without really trying to fix it for reality or explain it away, like the super high tech holographic computer stuff, or the super comic booky science explanations of things. Or like when they introduced the French assassin and the "League of Assassins," it reminded me of a comic's introducing an idea like a secret league of assassins. Stuff that in a comic would seem normal, but in the real world or live action TV seems a little "wha?"
There were also moments where I paused the show, it was DVRd, and said "What?"
He is fighting Scales, and stops to go with the blogger woman? What happened to stopping Scales?
Or how he was continually stapped even though he was wearing a vest that was supposed to make him unkillable, or how he loaded the knives into the automatic shooting machine. There were a few moments like that where me and my brother looked at each other and said, wait did that really just happen?
I almost think, what could help the show, is tying the real Cape to his comic. Maybe the comic creators get involved somehow, get questioned, begin reporting what the real Cape is doing in their comic, maybe he
leaves his comic at the scene (like when he was talking to the Mayor or whoever it was, like how the Crow left a Crow symbol in the movies.) Imagine when he takes down a bad guy, someone asks "who are you?" and he slaps down a Cape comic. The look at it and read "The Cape." They look back at him and in a puff of smoke he vanishes. That would be good right? Or maybe cops show up and find a bad guy tied up and taped to him is a Cape comic. Maybe the rogues gallery targets the comic company, I don't know. Just maybe the idea that he is basing himself on a real comic out there should play into the story. Like if someone started dressing like Hawkeye or something. Maybe a bad guy should do the same and base himself on a comic character from the Cape comics. Or maybe bring comics in general into the show more, like comic book stores or the Cape reading comics to get ideas or something.
What might make the show more fun is if the rogues had costumes like he does.
Maybe if they gave the show a year, tweaked it a bit, and brought in more fun, then maybe it might get better. They could even introduce some far out there comic ideas like genetic mutations and experiments leading to super powered characters.
How about do a "Heroes" thing and add more comic art, like in switching scenes or cutting to commercial show the scene as a drawing by a real comic artist like Heroes did with Tim Sale.
Or maybe ask some comic artists to work on things like his costume design, or story boards, or character designs, like how Watchmen did (asked comic artists like John Cassaday or David Finch to design the main characters). They should somehow, or in several ways, incorporate comics into the show. Because he is a vigilante who took his alter ego from a "real" comic.
And in my personal opinion, like all of this is really, I think the tones of the show show make it too muted. They need to add some color, just a little. So its not all grays, browns, blacks, and muted muddy tones. Maybe add some more color like reds and blues, yellows, greens, or something. Not much, just enough to add some variety.
It just seems like it has potential that is almost there.
Maybe in a year the internet blogger Orwell can use her riches to secretly fund the "Cape." He gets a better layer, with more high tech equipment given to him by Orwell, his costume becomes better thanks to the Circus people, and everything doesn't seem like its stitched together or covered in a layer of dust. Plus in a year more will be revealed about everyone and everything, people's pasts will be shown like the Cap's or Orwell's, or even Keith David's Circus character's.
