The Awesomes Awesome Review

The Awesomes is a superhero-themed cartoon mixed with humor and drama. Though passed by Syfy and MTV back in 2007 and 2009, the official first season premiered in August as a Hulu exclusive with 10 episodes.
The Awesomes are a new group of superheroes created by Jeremy "Prock" Awesome, the son of Mr. Awesome and leader of the original Awesomes (that's a lot of awesome). Prock, though the son of a legend, is a typical skinny kid. He is considered a disappointment and, save for his ability to pause time, which he keeps secret, has no special attributes. The newer members, like Prock, fall short of anything you may expect from a group of superheroes ironically called "Awesome." It's an interesting angle on the prominence of the power held by the underdog. Each member has their strengths, but also their weaknesses. This dynamic of almost "powerless" superheroes keeps the narrative and its characters interesting.

The animation reminds me of Drawn Together, though the comparison in regards to the comedy is far from one another. The humor isn't over-the-top, relying on racist or toilet jokes. Rather, the humor is subtle, somewhat witty and often dropping only small cues of inappropriate comedy. Then again, there were some moments during the season involving interspecies relations.

Half of The Awesome's first season was used to build the characters through the course of its ten episode stretch. In doing so, this first season lacked a certain amount of action that can be associated with superheroes and their adventures.The plot is straight forward and a bit predictable. It isn't too difficult to figure out, however the finale's cliffhanger will make you crave more.

The Awesome's cast boasts many familiar names, including Saturday Night Live veterans Seth Meyers and Kenan Thompson, as Prock and Impresario respectively, Parks and Rec's star, and my favorite, Rashida Jones as Hotwire, and Ike Barinholtz as Muscleman, a lifelong best friend of Prock and also a 2nd generation hero. Not to mention, Bill Hader voices arch-villain Dr. Giuseppe Malocchio, who bears a slight resemblance to Dr. Strange (Marvel and DC references are littered throughout the show).Overall The Awesomes is a simple show, driven with positive attitude. In doing so, it's geared toward younger audiences, but is still relevant for wider audiences and fun for fans of comics and superheroes. The Awesomes have come a long way since it was passed back in 2007 and 2009, but Hulu gave it a chance. I enjoyed it and think it's a good idea the series has been renewed for a second season.

Stay tuned for Subculture and check out the The Awesomes here!