Marvel’s The Defenders – Comics and Crime TV

I just finished streaming the series:
Marvel’s The Defenders – Daredevil, the Punisher, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist.

I hadn’t read the comics, so this was a new story for me. And I was really impressed with it. Marvel came up with a new way of looking at the usual TV tropes in organized crime. Gangs, drugs, guns and prostitutes +. And took it beyond that.

Their characters were heroes yes, but they were also quite messed up people. Was it that that made them able to see into the psyche of the people they were dealing with? See who was salvageable and who was just evil? Without being sucked down into the pits?

Then there was the layer that took it beyond a crime story like ‘Criminal Minds’ or ‘Castle’ and more into a story like ‘Supernatural’ where you have a mystical plot line of good and evil adversaries bent on destroying New York City to have eternal life.

And these characters went from dealing with petty criminals and gangs to saving the city and maybe the larger world. They were alert to the evil and understood it, and yet couldn’t be turned by their antagonists. Not by seduction or bribery. Not by promises of earthly or quasi-divine powers.

And when they worked together, things really stepped up. Of course in the world of comics, good must win, but it wasn’t that easy a task. There were layers of complexity and each character had their own struggle. Were they heroes if their lives outside the larger struggle were still messed up when that was resolved? Did they misuse their extra-human powers for their own gain? Did they make missteps and end up on the wrong path? Were they redeemable if they did?

Worth a watch, if you like this kind of thing. A good mix of fantasy, sci fi, mystery and comic, with some cute romantic stories too. Which make it fun to watch. If they lived up to the comics or not? I have no idea. Maybe you were a fan and can tell me if you watch them.