Webseries Review: Gavin Lance

By Melissa Voelker

Transferring print media to TV or film can be a tricky business, especially if the source material is a comic book or graphic novel. In some cases it works out well, such as with “Sin City” and “The Dark Knight.” In other cases it doesn’t work out so well (that is being generous really), such as with “The Spirit” and “Fantastic Four.” What all of these great and not so great adaptations have in common is that they come from stories that already existed in one form and were being changed into another. And that is not an easy task (which explains why some of these adaptations are total stinkers.) But what if you were taking an original story that was developed to be a live-action comic? Would you have a winner on your hands if you wrote a show or movie specifically to look like a comic that had somehow sprung to life?

That seems to be the idea behind “Gavin Lance,” a webseries released in ‘issues’ instead of episodes. It gives us a city mired in corruption and darkness, throws in an everyman hero working for the greater good, and presents it in neat little picture panels. It is an interesting idea that I can’t figure out why no one has ever really tried before. Especially because it is obvious from watching the first ‘issue’ of this series that the concept can work (as long as it was created by a comic book fanboy who knows what they are doing).

Gavin Lance is not your average superhero. He has no mystical powers, no super senses, and his costume is basically just a leather jacket and half of a mask. But he still wishes to fight against the crime and corruption running rampant in his city. So at night he goes out and follows drug dealers, mysterious clues, and dirty bums with black boxes, all in the hopes of making a better world.

Currently there is only one ‘issue’ of this webseries, so I’m having to base my opinion on only around 13 minutes of show. Still, I think I got a lot from watching those 13 minutes. This is a well-designed series and a lot of time and effort was obviously put into making it look as slick as possible. The panels really do look like those found in a comic book, and each scene was carefully constructed to look like what you would see if you were reading the story instead of watching it. Even the voice-over that permeated most of the story wasn’t too annoying (I’m not a big voice-over fan) because it seemed natural to the setting of the series. I have read comics that look and feel like “Gavin Lance” does. I have seen them in the stores and heard about them from other fans.

And that is where one of the problems for this series begins. I have SEEN this story before. It feels old and familiar and that isn’t necessarily a good thing. Gavin may not be as rich and creative as Batman, or as immortal and trendy as the Spirit, but he still feels like a mix of the two. At one point he gets in a fight with a giant thug and whips out his trusty flash grenades and throwing knives, which felt like a scene right out of a Batman adventure. And the way he talks about his City in such reverent and sad tones was a page directly from the Spirit’s handbook of voice-overs. I have seen the obsessed heroes who are driven to give their lives in pursuit of the greater good; I would like to see something new and different once and a while.

It was interesting to see that the hero of this comic was married and didn’t hide his secret identity from his wife. You don’t get to see that too often in this kind of story. Usually these kinds of heroes are too depressing and paranoid to ever let a relationship into their lives (which could ruin all of their sexy broodiness). So its pleasant to see that here we have a hero who wants to maintain a normal life as well as his vigilant/justice seeker life. But unfortunately the scenes between Gavin and his wife were not the best of the show. They felt a little forced and uncomfortable, with less than stellar sound quality and a noticeable lack of chemistry between this couple who supposedly couldn’t live without each other. I’m not sure ending the ‘issue’ on their bland chatter in their tiny kitchen was the best idea either.

There are a lot of good elements to build from here, however. The creators of this show seem to know what they are doing and it looks like they have a plan (if the list of future ‘issues’ is any indication). The actors aren’t total amateurs and for the most part manage to get all of their scenes done perfectly. I’m sure as the story progresses everything will fall into place and this will end up looking like a really professional show. I just hope that the story takes some original and unique twists and turns in the future, so it continues to be worthwhile to tune in.

“Gavin Lance” can be viewed here.

Never miss an update. Subscribe to Pink Raygun by Email or subscribe via RSS

About Melissa: By day a mild-mannered tv station receptionist, by night a fighter of crime and corruption in the dirty streets of Spokane, WA . . . or maybe not so much. More like a hyperactive, anal-retentive daytime receptionist and a melodramatic, hyperactive nighttime fangirl who only wishes she could be a fighter of crime and champion of justice (except that would lead to getting my super costume all dirty and I hate doing laundry.) Though my intent has always been to write bestselling novels and live a life of wealth and luxury, putting my talents for snarkiness and word doodling together while letting my geek flag fly suits me just fine – for now.

Related articles by Zemanta

• EXCLUSIVE: ‘Fraggle Rock’ To Be First (Of Many) Jim Henson Company Comics With Archaia Press (splashpage.mtv.com)
• Where are the Comic Books? (dethmama.blogspot.com)

Related Stuff: