105Streaming now
T
he first live-action series for
DC Universe – DC Comics’
(currently) US-only streaming
service – has made its way to
the UK courtesy of Netflix.
With a second season and spin-off show
Doom Patrol in the works, it seems the
Titans-verse has a bright future.
This season has its teething troubles.
It’s based primarily on the ’80s Teen
Titans comics, in which the sidekicks of
Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman,
and The Flash start their own Justice
League. Best known for the Comic-Con
trailer in which Robin brutalises a gang
before declaring “F*** Batman”, it’s the
TV equivalent of a ’90s Nu-Metal album,
so embarrassingly ‘edgy’ at times that
you yearn for Marvel’s self-aware
humour. And it is frustratingly unfocused,
with deviations for standalone episodes
and backdoor pilots.
However, there’s much to like, such
as a cohesive DC universe which ismuch more convincing
than Arrow and The
Flash’s. Particularly
great is a “what if?”
Batman episode where
the Caped Crusader
breaks his moral code
and starts murdering
Gotham’s supervillains.
Committed to portraying
the damage done to
individuals who put their
health on the line for
vigilante justice, this sits
a little awkwardly with an
otherworldly plot arc
that eventually becomes
too big for its own good,
so don’t expect closure
from these 11 episodes.
But there’s enough here
to make the missteps
worth powering through.
Jordan FarleyTitans
DC’sfirststreaming-onlyseries
STAR TREK DISCOVERY SEASON 2
FORMAT NETFLIX PRICE £7.99 A MONTH
The second season of the Star Trek prequel series
brings Spock back to the screen for flashbacks, and
original Enterprise Captain Christopher Pike. A large
part of season two will revolve around Section 31,
which Star Trek fans will remember from DS9.POLAR
FORMAT NETFLIX PRICE £7.99 A MONTH
Death Stranding baddie Mads Mikkelsen stars in this
adaptation of a graphic novel. Duncan Vizla is the
world’s top assassin, but when retires his employer
deems him a liability and sends a squad of assassins
to take him out. You can bet Kojima will watch it.BLACK MIRROR:
BANDERSNATCH
FORMAT NETFLIX
PRICE £7.99 A MONTH
This interactive Black Mirror
movie was inspired by the
choose-your-own-adventure
books of the ’80s, but the
mechanics are pure Telltale.
The meta story of a game
developer who spirals into
madness after realising he’s
not in control of his life, the
format couldn’t be a better fit
for the subject and the tech
powering it is impressive.2019 preview special
FORMAT NETFLIX PRICE £7.99 A MONTHTitans co-creator Akiva
Goldsman also wrote
Batman And Robin (but
don’t let that put you off).THE PUNISHER
SEASON 2
FORMAT NETFLIX
PRICE £7.99 A MONTH
Frank Castle returns for
more bone-crunching
vigilante justice, this time
hitting the road with a
young woman targeted
by a shadowy criminal
organisation. Jon Bernthal
remains the definitive
screen Punisher, but
this is a less thematically
compelling season.