M.A.N.T.I.S.

Scientist Dr. Miles Hawkins is shot in the spine by a police sniper during a riot and dedicates himself to vigilante vengeance by creating and donning an exoskeleton suit that not only allows him to walk again, but fight crime. Created by the duo Sam Raimi and Sam Hamm, this was one of Raimi's first superhero flick (unless you count the unreleased Darkman) long before Spider-man and Dr. Strange got their turns. An absolutely terrible (read "terrific"?) series, M. A. N. T. I. S. starts with a feature length pilot film with an attempt at a very grounded, gritty, realistic super hero serial but over the course of its only 22 episodes quickly divulges into Raimi and Hamm's means to spin their own takes on super hero / sci-fi tropes of the time: time travel, other dimensions, the men-in-black, x-men, aliens, etc. The episodes get more and more bizarre of its run (and frankly more enjoyable to watch), but in the end its really a mess of a show that makes total sense why it was cancelled so quickly. Unfortunately this is a series hard to come by, both physically and online, which isn't an issue for most, but I would recommend as an ideal candidate for a fun drinking game or thing to watch while very not sober. I laughed more during this than most comedies, and for that alone I would recommend.

After watching the first ep of Black Lightning on the CW I checked out it IMDB page and it lead me to this show that I never heard of. I tracked it down and watched it and who for a show so old it blow Black Lightning out of the water, this is the hero we need on the CW. This show was so much stronger, the actors were better and even for a cheesy superhero show from the 90's made some of the newer shows look like crap. If you like Black Lightning you will love this, and if you don't you still might as the show is put together so much better.

This is somewhat compared to Batman. Only thing Miles Hawkins(Carl Lumbly) is crippled, and the only way he can walk, when he puts on the exoskeleton. And when puts it on he has great powers. He is called the superhero named M.A.N.T.I.S. An enjoyable show that tried to be up there Lois and Clark,The New Adventures of Superman, and The Incredible Hulk, but it died trying. Although Carl Lumbly held it together has long has he could. But he just could not save the show from bad writing, and bad acting. But I'll give it credit for not being campy like some of the superhero shows where. Most of the episodes in the beginning did pretty well, My personal favorite episode was Gloves Off, but the worst was Solder of Fortune. It could have lasted more seasons if it could have had better written episode. But it was enjoyable most of the time.

Now I have for the longest time had trouble understanding some people who have watched shows like this and come a way with a bad taste in their mouth. I just don't understand them. Carl Lumberly played the part excellently, and the storyline had an almost perfect premise, with almost unlimited possibilities for advancement. Like the Batman and The Shadow, MANTIS would have been a show you could count on for awesome gadgets, super heroics and knockout action, all with complicated and interesting story lines to boot. But, sadly, the show was cancelled, and some people say it was a good thing. I say, "You're crazy!" this show could have been great. Just like so many others, it was shut down before it had a chance. GO MANTIS GO

Sam Hamm and Sam Raimi are super heroes of Hollywood, propagating ideals of tolerance and hope through the super hero genre in prime time TV. This show isn't extra sexy like Gossip Girl, or extra morbid like CSI, or drowning in its larger than life production values like Smallville (which may or may not be sponsored by Highlighter markers, ease off on the lighting gels guys!) It's an understated super hero drama that definitely paved the way for a more realistic approach to heroes, like we see now in Iron Man and The Dark Knight. The ep, "Gloves Off," is a real turning point for the Mantis and one worth checking out on Hulu, if you've never seen one. I'd love to see this show revisited, now that we see that shows like Buffy, Smallville, and Fringe can be incredibly popular. Plus, CG has come a long way since then. Thanks guys and thanks for making it available on Hulu. Much love, from a viewer who was left changed for the better.