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NewTeeVee.com – Superhero Series Triumph with The Sanctum and Captain Alpha Male
Article by Liz Shannon Miller
7-16-2009
"Every time I think superheroes are done as a genre, someone else comes up with a fresh, genuinely entertaining take. And that’s not exclusive to the worlds of film and television (though the British series No Heroics is delightful if you’re looking for recommendations). Recently, two indie web series have launched with dramatically different spins on the concept of humans with extraordinary powers.
The Sanctum, written and produced by Megan J. Wilson, is a gritty look at heroes who need some help themselves – specifically with substance abuse. Framed around a weekly Narcotics Anonymous meeting, each installment focuses on a specific character’s story. It’s a low-budget approach to the genre that plays well on an episodic level, and has the potential to allow for real character development and drama. (What happens to a superhero child that flies too far his first time in the skies? Nothing good, is The Sanctum’s answer.) While it’s too early to say whether the series will have much of a through line beyond the basic premise, the first episode’s sharp dialogue, solid cinematography and genuinely heartbreaking story is enough to warrant a look at the second."
www.newteevee.com/2009/07/16/superhero-series-triumph-with-the-sanctum-and-captain-alpha-male/
BAM! KAPOW!
Article by Cleric Costes
7-14-2009
"Superheroes have issues too. We've had the idea pounded into our head to an obnoxious degree by the publishers as they attempt to humanize characters that, by nature, are more than human. And in doing so they either create some fantastic stories (Iron Man's Demon in a Bottle storyline) or drop the ball entirely (pretty much every Superman story since Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow...) or created wholly unlikeable characters (Jason Todd and his teen angst).
While there have been some great stories using the themes of addiction, Iron Man's Demon in a Bottle being the most recognizable, very few comics have had the galls to show the long and hard road to recovery that one must take to fully conquer those demons. Enter The Sanctum, a series of webisodes centralized on the idea that there is a Superheroes-Only Narcotics Anonymous meeting.
The first episode was released a few days ago - and I'm intrigued to see where the show is heading..."
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