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

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.

I don't know what they were thinking when they completely shifted the focus, tone, purpose and even the opening credit from eps 1&2 being compelling and interesting to... whatever the rest of the show was. Talk about a fail. I remember liking it as a kid but never finishing the season. Now I know why, because the rest was awful and boring. Glad I rewatched the first 2 eps though. It'd be cool to see netflix give this the daredevil treatment and actually do a good job with it start to finish. With marvel in a tailspin at the moment (for years now?) and DC flip flopping between masterpiecea and trash it'd be cool to get some lesser known, grounded heros in the mix. Mantis, static shock, maybe try again with iron fist and the punisher. Anyway, if you don't mind the whole 90s vibe, poor special effects etc. Try the first 2 episodes of M. A. N. T. I. S. even adult me enjoyed those ones.

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

I was a fan of M.A.N.T.I.S. for it's short run on Fox. Was it a great show? Was it life altering? Was it a deep and thorough examination of the human condition? No! I liked it more for what it was not rather than what it was. I got to see it because of its time slot just before the X-Files. Like the X-Files this was a show out of the ordinary. It wasn't about a bunch of gritty cops on the verge of divorce, nor was it about a bunch or evil back stabbing/wonderful gifted doctors/lawyers (take your pick). I don't even care about the sub text of the once brawny man overcoming his disability through the use of his mind. I just wanted something fun to watch on a Friday night waiting for the X-Files and this show filled the gap. I hope it comes out as a complete DVD Box like Firefly. Shows like this could help get a new section going at the store for failed TV shows with huge fan bases.

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.