Peacemaker

This new season is as emotionally investing as it is silly and violent, and that's what makes it so dang special.

Its violence is still nuts, its humor still juvenile, but beneath this second season of Peacemaker beats a wiser, more chastened heart.

The gags and gore remain plentiful, but they’re not the dominant takeaways this time. Gunn even finds emotional resonance in the multiverse concept — something Marvel, for all its efforts in that dimension, has so far failed to locate.

Some of the gags go on a little too long, and the tonal shifts between goofy humor and gritty drama are occasionally a little jarring, but Peacemaker continues to be a joy to watch in its long-awaited second season.

There is still a lot of Gunn’s trademark over-the-top punching and gouging, but beyond the gore and gun smoke, Peacemaker is a superhero ramp with a heart, soul and a seam of ennui wider than a crime fighter’s cape.

Peacemaker continues to be a funny but emotional superhero drama, with a surprisingly effective performance by Cena at its center, with a fun-to-watch ensemble around him.

Despite the lack of shared scenes between the 11th Street Kids, “Peacemaker” remains a standout in superhero television.

This is just what fans of the first season have been looking forward to: an irreverent, over-the-top, adults-only good time with enough heart beneath the crudity to give it a real impact.

From the opening dance number (which I'm sworn to secrecy about), it's an enormous amount of fun that carefully balances its surreal pleasures with impactful character-led moments – and plenty of unexpected twists.

Anchored by great work from John Cena, Peacemaker’s second season raises its already high bar with a well-judged blend of heart, madness, and an ass-kicking eagle.

While this season might not throw your hair back the way Season 1 did, these characters are still a blast to be around, even if it is more of the same. And unless something bizarre happens with the final chapters of Season 2, Peacemaker is shaping up to be another very successful entry in Gunn’s new DCU.

“Peacemaker” Season 2 may be a little out of step when it comes to balancing its earnest emotional journey and its brazen blend of action and comedy, but the ambition, imagination, and resonance makes this dance too dynamic to ignore.

Some of the bits don’t fly, such as a character being afflicted with “bird blindness,” a joke that makes a big thud. But getting to hang out with these bad boys and girls as well as one of our favorite sidekicks, the American eagle, Eagly — who faces his own threat — makes you forget about the dents here and there.

As good as it is, Peacemaker is still going through growing pains. It's messy and scattershot and occasionally overindulgent at turns, but as we saw with Superman, that's all part and parcel with the new (improved?) Gunn. We can't expect a perfect product when he's left to his own devices — but also, do we really need one?

Yet it all works well enough to prove that Gunn is capable of operating within somewhat different tones, even within the same universe. And no matter what the angle, he’s prioritizing comic book fun. Which, after years of dreary muted tones and moody heroes, is a true relief.

The cast still has good chemistry. But there’s definitely a tone shift. And it remains to be seen in the concluding episodes whether Peacemaker is fully built to get more serious, or if Gunn would have been better off leaving the series primarily as an outlet for the kind of humor he can’t really put into movies about Superman or Batman.