By Jonathan Klotz
| Published
Before the Arrowverse, before anyone knew what a cinematic universe was, DC quietly had a run of shows ranging from the iconic Batman: The Animated Series, to the underrated Lois and Clark and The Flash, and even after Iron Man hit theaters, the Distinguished Competition went deep into its roster and in 2010, brought The Human Target back to television. A remake of the short-lived 1992 series, this time around, the show lasted two seasons and brought an old-school comic book feel to modern audiences.
There’s More To DC Than Superheroes
The Human Target is about Christopher Chance, played the second time around by Mark Valley, a man who you’ll recognize from many doomed shows, including Swingtown and Body of Proof, finally given his chance to shine as a series lead. Chance is a bodyguard for hire who, in the comics, would use advanced Mission: Impossible style makeup to become his client, but here, he simply sticks close, relying on his wits, hand-to-hand combat skills, and a bevy of special gear to get the job done. It’s pure old-school pulp comic fun that hits every trope in the book.
Supporting Chance are former police detective Winston (Chi McBride), tech expert Guerrero (Jackie Earle Haley), and in Season 2, the wealthy widow Ilsa (Indira Varma) and cat burglar Ames (Janet Montgomery). In every episode, there’s a new target, new villains, and typically, a gorgeous woman who would complicate each assignment, including Battlestar Galactica’s Grace Park and Falling Skies’ Moon Bloodgood, except, at least in Season 1, Chance tends to show little interest in romance. It counts as a twist that The Human Target Season 1 finale explains Chance’s backstory, from his name to his lost love, and it effectively lays out how a former bad guy became one of the ultimate good guys.
A Weekly Action Movie
In the comics, Christopher Chance has crossed paths with the superheroes of the DC Universe, including Batman, but The Human Target was kept to itself, with no tights, killer clowns, or Lexcorp logos anywhere. Not every comic book is about superheroes, but they are, in some way, escapism, and that’s what the show nails from beginning to end. Even in its darkest moments, the show is bathed in light and bright colors, it looks like a comic book, and there’s never any doubt that the good guys will ultimately win (well, except for that one time).
It’s amazing the stunt work that The Human Target brought to network television, with a few episodes outshining action movies, but throughout the show’s entire run, it struggled in the ratings. Season 1 was pure escapism fun but as you might have noticed, the main cast was small and entirely men, which is why in Season 2, the show added two women to the ensemble, and thanks to the work of everyone involved, it improved ratings and the studio let it play out the entire second season. Studio tinkering worked this time, sort of, but Fox was never a network known for its patience, and it was only a brief stay of execution.
The Human Target is not as beloved as DC’s other attempts at a network hit, but compared to fellow short-lived shows Constantine and Swamp Thing, it’s a blast of pure adrenaline that turbocharges the procedural formula by combining it with an action movie. Warner Bros later attempts at bringing its deep roster of characters to life succeed beyond anyone’s wildest dreams with the expansive and successful Arrowverse, but even the company’s misfires are better than, say, Echo. If you want a different take on comic books that’s pure escapism in a 44-minute dose, few shows can come close to the adventures of Christopher Chance.
Best of all, The Human Target is streaming for free on Tubi, and if you love what you see, you should pick up the 2021 series by writer Tom King, one of the coolest DC comics this decade.
