Human Target the Complete First Season

Home Theatre
Human Target the Complete First Season
By Chris Zimmerman
October 11, 2010 - 12:20

ISBN: 1-4198-9908-2
$39.99 US
Starring: Mark Valley, Chi McBride, Jackie Earle Haley
Directed by: Simon West, Steve Boyum
Produced by: Jonathan E. Steinberg, Simon West, McG
Running Time: 522 minutes
Release Date: September 21, 2010
Distributors: Warner Home Video

Comic books have been a major source from which media companies have been known to dig through when searching for the next big payday in ratings. The quality of these series have been somewhat polarizing over the years. Smallville is just one example of the long term success these adaptations can have when properly overseen. However, for every Smallville there is a Birds of Prey, leaving fans skeptical as to whether their favorite properties can actually translate favorably in television.

Human Target is one of the more recent comics-to-screen adaptations in Warner Bros. continually expanding interest in their catalogue of DC properties. Created by celebrated comic veterans Len Wein and Carmine Infantino, the Human Target first made his appearance in a back-up story in Action Comics in 1972 before being repackaged several years later as part of DC’s mature line, Vertigo. The character went through a rebirth of sorts, given he wasn’t all that popular to begin with, and enjoyed a limited series as well as an ongoing series later on. Apparently someone thought he would make for entertaining television and so was given another outlet from which fans could follow him.

The series follows the character from which it shares its name, the Human Target. As an assassin turned bodyguard, the character staves off nefarious villains while trading witty quips all in the name of a earning a buck. Given the premise it should come as no surprise that the series is a non-stop thrill ride, hopping from one action sequence to the next. To keep fans of the character glued to the television, the series makes sure not to skimp on the character’s development, sprinkling in hints of what made them who they are before giving viewers a glimpse into the Human Target’s psyche during the season finale.

The series arrives on DVD, carrying a healthy dose of bonus features along with it. Two featurretes make up the bulk of theses extras, explaining the series’ translation from comic book to screen and how a good chunk of the original 1970’s character found his way into the show. There is also a look at the stunning stunt sequences that looked incredible. As expected, a lot of work went into making these scenes happen and watching them from conception to actually being pulled off earns the coordinators a new found respect. Some deleted scenes and audio commentaries fill out the discs.

The fact that Human Target was as good as it was will certainly be a surprise to some who might have had trepidations about how the character would translate into a different medium. Given the success of series similar in concept, Human Target made for a perfect match, combining smart dialogue with eye popping action sequences. Fans of the character or just good television owe it to themselves to set their sights on the Human Target.

B+