The CW currently has four Arrowverse
shows (Arrow, The Flash, Legends of
Tomorrow, and Supergirl. The new Black Lightning series, as implied by
the “Suit Up” trailer, will eventually cross over with these shows, but until then, it’s not officially a fifth
Arrowverse show). But, unbeknownst to
some, the Arrowverse is actually not limited to live-action TV shows. Over at CW Seed – The CW’s Internet
production arm – there are also animated web series set in the Arrowverse. First, there’s Vixen, which has had two seasons as of 2016; and then, last year, Freedom Fighters: The Ray – a prequel to
the epic Crisis on Earth-X – debuted.
However, I’ve never really cared
much for these. I don’t like the
five-minute-per-episode format. And the
narratives aren’t noteworthy. They are
unremarkable on their own, and they don’t really add anything of value to the
Arrowverse.
But the latest Arrowverse
animated series, Constantine: City of Demons,
actually thrilled me. In it, Chas asks
the help of Constantine to save his daughter who has been possessed by an evil
entity. And by the way the story unfolds, it actually
feels like a proper series worth watching.
It is everything what a Constantine story should be – dark, fascinating, and riveting.
I was a fan of NBC’s Constantine series, and I was bummed when
it was cancelled after just a season.
Matt Ryan is an excellent John Constantine. Thus, I was glad when he reprised his role
over at Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow (he’s going to be a
regular Legend next season – YES!).
Still, I would have loved a season two, and City of Demons is the closest thing to one.
However, City of Demons is fundamentally different from the established lore
of the Constantine show, so it is
technically impossible be treated as a season two. This means: a.) it isn’t really an Arrowverse
show, but a stand-alone thing; or b.) it is an Arrowverse show, so it means that
the events of the Constantine series
was not set in the Arrowverse, or at least, not on “Earth One”; or c.) considering
the animation style, it’s in the same universe as the DC Universe Animated
Original Movie (DCUAOM) Justice League Dark (i.e. the DC Animated Movie Universe).
Of the three choices, I like letter C. In fact, I would have
preferred if City of Demons had been
a direct-to-video, feature-length DCUAOM production instead.
This has no business of being cut into bite-sized episodes. Again, I’m not a fan of the
five-minute-per-episode format. And by
just having five episodes with its season one – with the story still not
resolved – it leaves a more unsatisfying feeling than Castlevania season one.
Nevertheless, as an Arrowverse
(?) animated web series, it’s far superior to its predecessors. And regardless of its connections, it is
really good on its own merits. Its only
pitfall is that, just as you are getting much invested on it, it abruptly ends.
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