The Awesomes

It seems that many reviews have been throwing around show titles such as Family Guy, The Simpsons, American Dad, and more. If these are what you are comparing the show to, then yes, you will in fact be disappointed, because it is nothing like those shows, and that is exactly why I love it. I have never liked Family Guy or American Dad, and The Simpsons have their best days behind them. This show how ever picks up where it left off almost every single episode, and that is what I crave. I don't just look for a stream of quick laughs, but rather a compelling story line that isn't afraid to put the time and effort in to earn my laughs. Sorry, but watching a guy hold his knee and go "Ahhh" for two minutes straight just doesn't cut it for me. I need character development, and situational humor, which is exactly what The Awesomes offers. I certainly hope this show lasts a very long time.

The more superhero stories pervade our TVs and movie screens, the more room there is for superhero parodies.

The latest one is created by SNL head writer and comic book geek Seth Meyers who created this show along with his Saturday Night Live cohorts and populated with a cast of mostly SNL talent along with his brother Josh (Mad TV).

The hero, Prock, is a mild-mannered guy who ranks towards the bottom of the barrel of all the world's superheroes (this is a world overwrought with superpowered-humans who are all organized in a full-on bureaucracy that's part of the satire) but has a lot of smarts and when his dad announces his retirement, he goes on to lead a ragtag group of misfits. It's the kind of plot you've seen in all kinds of stuff from "Sky High" to "Mystery Men" to the "Misfits" to a comic book that Taran Killam just wrote.

The show is really clever in the way that I'd expect from an SNL head writer and gets its satirical jabs in where it can get them.

The problem is generally that many of the characters are weak and uninteresting and, well, those characters take up a lot of the screen time. Taran Killam plays a one-note redneck speedster, Keenan Thompson plays a mama's boy who sounds like Kenan Thompson always does, Bobby Lee plays a boy who turns into sumo wrestler. His character being the kid on the team seems like it has some potential to be any sort of character dynamic but it's quickly dropped.

Ike Barinholtz is moderately potential-filled as the sidekick, and a lot of the more interesting characters come from outside the superhero team: Bill Hader as supervillain Malocchio and Josh Meyers as rival Prock.

Interestingly enough, a couple of SNL's writers Emily Spivey and Paula Pell voice characters here. Pell's character is equally one-note with a moderately gross angle about an old woman being sexy and Spivey's character, a super-secretary of sorts with a charming Southern accent named concierge is the kind of character who feels like she belongs in a more well-rounded cast.

I created an IMDb account for the sole reason of voicing my opinion about this show. To be blunt, this series is only 3 episodes in, and I'm loving it. As the only other review so far on IMDb points out, this isn't Family Guy, The Simpsons, or American Dad w/ super powers... and that's a good thing. Here's why.

I enjoy shows like the ones I just mentioned, but very rarely do you find a show like this, with the courage to propose continuity without taking itself too seriously. This show isn't cynical of it's world or it's audience, and it's frankly refreshing to find a superhero comedy that isn't willing to sacrifice it's characters just for the quickest low-brow guhawf.

The Awesomes is very earnest in it's desire to present an new Super Hero comedy that isn't dark or gritty, but also isn't an acidic parody of the genre. So far it surprises with it's general lack of foulness, and isn't willing to compromise it's vision by catering to the lowest common denominator. I say give it a watch and here's hoping this show will get the audience it deserves, as well as keep away from compromising creator vision, which would be awesome!

The Awesomes is a fun, offbeat take on the superhero genre with a mix of irreverent humor, quirky characters, and engaging storylines. Created by Seth Meyers and Mike Shoemaker, the show balances satire with genuine character development, making it more than just a parody. The voice cast, featuring Meyers, Ike Barinholtz, and Kenan Thompson, brings a lot of charm and energy to the series.

While the animation style is simple and might not appeal to everyone, the writing makes up for it with witty dialogue and creative superhero antics. Some jokes land better than others, and the show takes a little time to find its footing, but overall, it's an enjoyable watch for fans of comedic superhero stories. Not groundbreaking, but definitely a solid and underrated animated series.

I liked that this show is trying to be it's own thing, It's edgy but does not overdue it, like The Simpsons, Family Guy, South Park,American Dad to name a few. Most certainly not for kids, even though it's not overly vulgar, the show is for adults. basically spoofing Justice League, The Avengers, and X-Men. The humor mostly on the superhero foul ups, and the funny issues of the characters. I'm surprised that this is not on Adult Swim, it's a very funny show, and enjoyable. It's proof you don't have to count on gross out gags to be funny. That's what animated shows started to depend on lately. The animation is pretty descent, not high art. I really hope this will be on a while.