The Big Picture

The raunchy humor in
Kite Man: Hell Yeah
is definitely reminiscent of the main series
Harley Quinn
.
Kite Man, Golden Glider, and Bane in particular get exceptional characterization.
Fun cameos and character inclusions tie
Kite Man: Hell Yeah
to its predecessor, earning it a place in the franchise despite some plot stumbles.

DC and Marvel, two companies that have long stood above the rest, have long been in a battle of superhero content, with each becoming the clear victor in certain arenas. Marvel, for example, has had the live-action advantage ever since their cinematic universe kicked off circa 2008. Comics have been more of a mixed bag, depending mostly on the reader, as both powerhouses employ the best of the best in that respective industry. Where DC has the clear and obvious victory, though, is in its exceptional animation, stunning audiences with projects like Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox — and, yes, even The LEGO Batman Movie.

In 2019, DC took a risk by releasing a rowdy, comical, and mature version of Harley Quinn, aptly titled Harley Quinn. The animated series sees Harley (played by Kaley Cuoco) emancipate herself from her harmful relationship with the Joker, spread her wings as a solo villain, and fully embrace her relationship with another infamous villain, Poison Ivy (Lake Bell). It was the series’ raunchiness and distinct tone that initially set it apart, but it was also the shocking deconstruction of such familiar characters — executed to perfection — that led to the series’ (going on) five seasons. Now, the franchise returns with a new spin-off, Kite Man: Hell Yeah, centered around Poison Ivy’s ex-boyfriend, Kite Man (Matt Oberg), and his efforts at running a Cheers-like supervillain bar with his new partner, Golden Glider (Stephanie Hsu).

Kite Man: Hell Yeah! Release Date 2024-00-00 Seasons 1

‘Kite Man: Hell Yeah’ Captures the Same Essence of ‘Harley Quinn’
Kite Man’s inability to supervillain correctly always made him a funny match for Ivy, a villain heavily courted to join the Legion of Doom by villains like Lex Luthor (Giancarlo Esposito in Harley Quinn, Lance Reddick in Kite Man). But his adorable wit and Golden Retriever charm were enough not to question it for the time being. It came down to a simple factor, really: Kite Man was funny enough to hang with the crowd, whether with the occasional zinger or his profound capacity for failure. Kite Man: Hell Yeahearns its admission to the party at least with its humor alone. Yes, the series pulls in characters from Harley Quinn, but that doesn’t ensure Kite Man will be a similar product. Rest assured, however, if you are a fan of the humorous, suggestive vibe of DC’s Harley Quinn, you won’t be disappointed by the new spin-off.

Is that to say the series is as good as its predecessor? I wouldn’t venture that far, and certainly not this short into the series’ lifespan. If we’re splitting hairs here, it doesn’t even rival Harley Quinn’s freshman season. But it’s certainly a worthy enough attempt to buy entry into the franchise, and it’s wholly worth your time. The first episode kicks off the series on a high note, forging its stakes through familiar characters and concepts in the DC Universe. Where Kite Man: Hell Yeah falters is in taking a bit too long to establish and characterize its main players, leaving the story dragging a bit in the middle. It spends a good amount of time justifying its existence by using stakes that almost feel too big for the series.

The series introduces a new villain, Helen Villigan (played by Judith Light), who can and does manage to make Luthor look like a fool on several occasions. This begs the question of what she has been doing for four seasons of Harley Quinn, especially when the original series places such an emphasis on members leaving and joining the Legion of Doom. As shown by the series’ trailer, Kite Man: Hell Yeah also features the likes of DC big bad Darkseid (Keith David). While Darkseid does feature briefly in both Harley Quinn, he’s strangely used more in the spin-off, albeit not by a large margin. The inconsistencies of stakes between the DC animated properties is reminiscent of series like The Boys and Gen V, which recently crossed over but couldn’t stick the landing.

This left the impression that the first season of Gen V was used to advance the plot of the most recent season of The Boys; given the recent update on Harley Quinn Season 5, it’s hard not to connect those same dots and come to a similar conclusion, but again, only time will tell. For now, while the story elements can feel disjointed, the laughs are ever-present and the out-of-the-box characterization remains strong. And while we’re referencing and comparing it to other properties, Kite Man: Hell Yeah takes a cue from Invincible and doesn’t hold back on the animated violence and gore, so if you’re not into that sort of thing, here’s your warning.

Some Performances Loom Larger in ‘Kite Man: Hell Yeah’

Kite Man: Hell Yeah is filled with some pretty stellar voice performances across the board. It would be wrong to not immediately shout out how suited to the Kite Man role Matt Oberg is. He perfectly encapsulates the loveable, idiotic energy of Kite Man. At the same token, Stephanie Hsu completely falls into her role as Golden Glider, who, I just have to point out, is incredibly badass — like unreal levels of badass; it almost makes you wonder how Kite Man is consistently able to date women who are so clearly on different levels than him! The pair have such a great rapport, sparked by Oberg and Hsu’s chemistry.

Another standout is Harley Quinn regular Bane (James Adomian). Similarly to the original property, Bane features heavily; he’s arguably the most important character behind Kite Man and Glider, used as a connection between the Legion of Doom and the pair’s bar, Noonan’s. Noonan’s is filled with deplorable characters, but the kind that are easy to love. While some of these performances stand out (Michael Imperioli is particularly excellent as Moe and Joe Dublez), it’s much harder to separate others from their actual voices, which can slightly break the immersion at some opints

I would be remiss not to point out Lance Reddick’s prowess. In what will likely be Reddick’s final performance put to screen, he manages to seamlessly integrate with Esposito’s Luthor from Harley Quinn. While the spin-off takes the character in a somewhat different direction than its predecessor, it’s increasingly difficult to tell the difference between the two performances, a true testament to Reddick’s commanding ability, which will continue to be missed.

‘Kite Man: Hell Yeah’ Pulls Everything Together for a Satisfying First Season

Despite a couple of bumps in the road that are easy to overlook when you’re erupting in laughter, Kite Man: Hell Yeah manages to conclude its story in a poignant manner, sending its several main characters on thoughtful journeys of growth and packing the story with laughs to earn its bid in the franchise. It’s a little disappointing that Kite Man’s journey is easily the weakest of the main characters, but it also serves as evidence that such a simple story (one that’s been seen time and time again) can still hold weight when it’s executed properly.

The only things a spin-off of Harley Quinn needs to succeed are humor and heart. Harley Quinn’s balls-to-the-wall, risk it all comedy is what initially put it on the map and captured viewers — not to mention flipping almost a century’s worth of established DC characters on their heads, playing into pop culture moments regarding its subject matter to perfection. Luckily, Kite Man: Hell Yeah has enough of these ingredients to warrant its continuation in the same universe.

Kite Man: Hell Yeah! Kite Man: Hell Yeah falters a bit, but earns admission into the Harley Quinn franchise on humor alone.ProsThe raunchy humor reminiscent of the main series is present.Kite Man, Golden Glider, and Bane get exceptional characterization.Fun cameos and character inclusions tie the series to Harley Quinn. ConsThe story suffers under the weight of its stakes, making you wonder how much is a setup for Harley Quinn Season 5.The strength of some voice performance casts a negative light on others.

The first two episodes of Kite Man: Hell Yeah stream on Max in the U.S. starting July 18.

Watch on Max