Season One, Hell Yeah!

There are various characters that absolutely should headline their own shows. Obviously any main character that has been carrying their own comic book, television series, or movie franchise (SupermanThe first big superhero from DC Comics, Superman has survived any number of pretenders to the throne, besting not only other comic titans but even Wolrd War II to remain one of only three comics to continue publishing since the 1940s., SpidermanSure, DC Comics has Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, but among the most popular superheroes stands a guy from Marvel Comics, a younger hero dressed in red and blue who shoots webs and sticks to walls. Introduced in the 1960s, Spider-Man has been a constant presence in comics and more, featured in movies regularly since his big screen debut in 2002., John WickStarted as a tale of redemption and then revenge (in that order), the John Wick series has grown to be a adynamic, reliable action series that doesn't skimp on the hard hits and gun-toting thrills, elevating Keanu Reeves as one of the greatest action stars ever.) can carry any further properties since they’re a proven quantity. Certain side characters have gotten enough fan goodwill that, clearly, they’re ready to carry their own torch (such as Harley QuinnCreated to serve as "Joker's Girlfriend" as well as his primary minion for Batman: The Animated Series, Harley Quinn quickly grew to be one of the most popular characters of that show, eventually finding a solid life beyond the cartoon in comics, movies, and media.). But then there are the side characters to the side characters that are spun off because corporate suits think there might be ratings (and money) to squeeze out of the characters and it doesn’t hurt to give it a try. Think, in this category, Joanie Loves Chachi or The Ropers. These characters were cast into the wind and, after short stints elsewhere that no one asked for and even less wanted, the shows were canceled, never to be spoken of again (except on sites like this one).

At first glance, it would seem like Kite Man, a Batman villain that’s little more than a joke (like Crazy-Quilt or Condiment King), couldn’t possibly headline his own animated series. While he became a beloved character on the Harley Quinn show, acting as a love interest for Poison Ivy before she left him to go be with Harley, it still feels like a bit of a stretch to think that this character has enough going on with him to actually be able to headline his own series. This guy, the doofus wearing a kite, is expected to be the lead protagonist on a TV series?

Actually, yes. While Kite Man is a big old goofus on his own, there is a loveable quality to him that makes the character more than just a joke (even if the series does understand he’s also kind of a joke). Plus, the series sets him up with a colorful cast of characters – some that originated over on Harley Quinn while others are new additions for this show – allowing for more depth of storytelling than some kind expect from a series titled Kite Man: Hell Yeah! The show is, frankly, quite watchable and a lot of fun, well worth the time of any fan of the character and/or his parent series.

After getting fired from the Legion of Doom (due to failing repeatedly at any task assigned to him), Chuck Brown / Kite Man (Matt Oberg) is forced to stake out on his own. Thankfully he has his patient and supportive girlfriend, Lisa Snart / Golden Glider (Stephanie Hsu, taking over the role from Cathy Ang) to get him through this tough patch. They head to their favorite bar, Noonan's, to try and figure out what’s next, only to learn that this one last land of respite is about to be taken from them. Lex Luthor (Lance Reddick for the first eight episodes, Amuche Chukudebelu for the final two), who secretly hid a case holding the Anti-Life Equation in the deep freeze at Noonan’s, wants to buy the place and has made an offer that the owner, Sean Noonan (Jonathan Banks), can’t resist. Chuck and Lisa convince Sean to sell to them instead, matching the offer even though it will put them massively in debt… plus they have no clue how to run a bar.

Thankfully, even after selling the place, Sean sticks around to help. They also get assistance in the form of Bane (James Adomian), the eternally put-upon second-string villain, and Malice Vundabar (Natasia Demetriou), the dark sorceress with ties to Darkseid (Keith David). Together they form a unit that can take on any danger the bar has coming, such as Lex, and Darkseid, and villainous corporate tycoon Helen Villigan (Judith Light). Each of them want control of the Anti-Life Equation, and many of them know that controlling the bar will get them that power. But they have to get through the clueless Kite Man to get what they want, which is surprisingly hard to do despite how ineffective Chuck usually is at, well, anything.

Despite coming from Harley Quinn, which is a very mature and over-the-top series, Kite Man: Hell Yeah! is a surprisingly sweet show. It does have its gross out gore and over-the-top violence at times, just like its parent show, but it also managed to be nicer, kinder, and even a little gentler than Harley Quinn. That’s because, at his core, Kite Man is a different kind of villain than Harley. In fact, as the show clearly illustrates over the course of its first season, he’s really barely a villain at all. He’s much more heroic, having a big heart and an open mind. That leads to a different kind of series than you’d expect from a Harley Quinn spin-off.

It actually affects much of the balance of the show. While there are tough characters in the series – Noonan, Malice, Queen of Fables (Janelle James) – many of the characters are just goofy enough or dumb enough that you don’t truly find them evil. Bane has always been a favorite of mine, being one of the many characters imported over from Harley Quinn, and here the show cements his growth away from being a truly villain into more of a sweet but stupid anti-hero. Gus the Goon (Rory Scovel) is a kindergarten teacher and low-grade villain, but he has an oddly nice side to his personality even as he plots violence and mayhem. Hell, everyone on the show (maybe other than Queen of Fables) essentially finds a nicer side to their life just being around Chuck.

And then there’s Golden Glider. Another import from Harley Quinn, Lisa sees the good in Chuck and helps him to move past his villainous phase towards being something more. She has her own baggage to deal with as well, such as the fact that she might have accidentally killed her mom and dad when she was a little girl, when her golden powers came in, but she tries to be better, to control her powers, to find her own inner light. She’s balanced as much by Chuck as she ends up balancing him, and the two form a warm center for the show to hang around. If the series were just Chuck on his own it wouldn’t work nearly as well.

I think, honestly, the most impressive part of the show, though, is that it makes the Anti-Life Equation into something actually formidable and not just something that sounds truly stupid. It’s one of those DC Comics technobabble bits of lore, created by Jack Kirby back when just about any set of words could be strung together and comic readers wouldn’t question it (aka, the 1970s). It’s one of those things that villains in various DC adaptations talk about, needing to find it so they can control all sentient life in the universe, but it also sounds so stupid when it’s said aloud that you have to wonder how a show or movie could actually depict it and make it work.

Well, Kite Man: Hell Yeah! does, and the show does it by leaning into how silly it all is. Yes, it can control minds, and yes it can make anyone into an all-powerful god if they control it, but the show also leans into how silly and strange the whole idea is, finding a way to make it both totally evil and totally stupid. The show is able to find humor from all the silliness of the DC Universe, similarly to how Harley Quinn is capable of the same feat, allowing some of DC’s biggest villain plots to play out while still mining hilarity from it all. This is something that shouldn’t work, really couldn’t work, but Kite Man: Hell Yeah! pulls it off with style.

Credit, thus, is due to the creative team of Patrick Schumacker, Justin Halpern, and Dean Lorey, who also created the Harley Quinn show, as they pulled off a feat with this series. They took Kite Man and made him into a character that could lead his own series. They populated it with a bunch of C-list villains and made them watchable. They grabbed some of the strangest DC concepts and managed to twist them around so they were both impressive and stupid. And they did it all with the right tongue-in-cheek attitude that kept the show light and watchable.

If you ever thought Kite Man was too silly to headline his own series, well, prepare to have to take that back. Silly is the superpower of the show, and heart is what Kite Man brings to the table. Kite Man: Hell Yeah! Is the exact kind of series that shows that once in a great while a side character really can lead off their own series. And here’s hoping that, should the show get a second season, it’s able to carry this magical feat even further.