Netflix just released a new superhero series called The Guardians of Justice. We’re big fans of the superhero genre at AtHomeDaily, so you better believe we wanted to check out this new show. So, check out our initial reaction to episode 1!
Well… That’s Different
So, The Guardians of the Justice (GOJ) is a decidedly different take on the superhero story. Very different. Episode 1 feels a lot like an old web show Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog. Not exactly, but in the sense of its oddness and inexpensive sets. But, GOJ takes it even further, mixing in animation, claymation, and odd archival footage to create this utterly strange viewing experience.
What’s it About?
The initial premise is very familiar to superhero and comic book fans. In this alternate earth history, an alien with amazing powers comes to earth during World War 3, where a cyborg Hitler is trying to take over the world. The alien, known as Marvelous Man, quickly destroys the Nazis and ends the war in a day. The story then jumps forward 40 years, to 1987, where we see a modern world that has grown with superheroes in its midst. After Marvelous Man, it appears that other superheroes have arisen, some with godlike powers and others more ‘street level’.
Marvelous Man is an obvious stand-in for Superham, while Knight Hawk (a vigilante detective) is an alternate Batman. There is also a version of Aquaman (King Tsunami), and Wonder Woman (Golden Goddess), making this aligned with the DC comic book universe more than Marvel.
In the first episode, we get the backstory and then tune it to see Marvelous Man deliver his annual address to humanity. This time, Marvelous Man seems to be in a deep depression. He speaks about the pressure he feels to keep humanity safe and ends the video by apparently committing suicide, shooting himself with a special bullet made from the only substance that can hurt him (an alternate Kryptonite).
The world is shocked and the rest of the superhero team (the Guardians of Justice) meet to figure out how to fill Marvelous Man’s shoes. Knight Hawk takes charge (like Batman), while also beginning his own investigation into MM’s death. Both MM’s widow and Knight Hawk believe the apparent suicide may be something more. Perhaps murder. Was he mind-controlled? Did someone else somehow pull the trigger? Did we spot a sinister figure in one scene showing the aftermath of MM’s suicide? Who knows.
The episodes are shockingly short (episode 1 is just 21 minutes and the rest of the 7 episodes come in just over or under 30 minutes), so there isn’t a lot of time to dig into the details.
Watch it or Not?
After the first episode, we’ll put this one on the tentative ‘Watch It’ list. It’s a weird, somewhat subversive take on the superhero story. Not as violent (at least not yet) as Amazon’s The Boys, but it still has an odd grittiness to the story. So, we’ll plan on checking out additional episodes and come back with a more thorough series review soon.
