Tripwire Finds Some Hidden Gems On The UK’s Newest Streaming Service HBO Max

The Buried Treasure Behind The Home Page

Very few in the UK can have failed to notice the launch of the new streaming service HBO Max. Whilst this service has been available in America and other countries for some time, it only became available in the UK on Thursday 26th March.

Much has been made of the fact the service includes HBO productions such as The Pitt, Game of Thrones or classic sitcoms like Friends or even TNT Sports. Also, many will have noticed the inclusion of numerous big budget DC movies, or access to Oscar triumphs Sinners or One Battle After Another.

Tripwire’s contributing writer Paul N Neal decided to dig a little deeper beneath the surface and see what else HBO Max might have to offer genre fans. Here is what he found…

TRIPWIRE NOTE:  HBO Max much like any other streaming service are likely to delete or add back catalogue content with very little fanfare. All the details provided are correct at the time of writing and apply to HBO Max in the UK.

Spawn

Spawn: The Animated Series (or Todd McFarlane’s Spawn) aired on HBO in the late 1990s and consisted of eighteen episodes over three seasons.

The series is a reasonably accurate retelling of the early issues of McFarlane’s comic of the same name and is generally considered to be a superior adaption compared to 1997’s live action movie.

SEE ALSO: Mr Pickles, Spicy City, Robot Chicken

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Primal

Primal is a blood-soaked and almost wordless series and is the brainchild of animation veteran Genndy Tartakovsky, that was originally produced by The Cartoon Network’s late night programming block Adult Swim.

Set in a wildly inaccurate prehistoric landscape Primal tells the story of an unlikely bond between a Neanderthal man named Spear and Fang, a female T-Rex.

SEE ALSO: Samurai Jack, Clone High

DMZ

DMZ is a dystopian four-part miniseries that originally premiered on HBO in 2022, that is based on the popular DC Comics (but published under the Vertigo banner) created by Brian Wood and Riccardo Burchielli.

Set after the second American civil war the series tells the story of medic, Alma Ortega, as she navigates life in the demilitarised zone of Manhattan Island.

SEE ALSO:  Doom Patrol, Pennyworth, Watchmen (The TV Series.)

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Creature Commandos

Creature Commandos is another animated superhero series that is based on the slightly niche DC Comics title about a black ops team of monsters.

The first season consisted of 7 episodes and has been renewed for a second. It is of particular note for being the first property James Gunn wrote and developed after Warner Brothers decision in 2022 to appointed Gunn and Peter Safran to head up the future of DC Studios.

It is included here because despite it being a recent and high-profile DC project it received remarkably little, if any, mention in the run-up to the launch of HBO in UK.

SEE ALSO: Harley Quinn, The Penguin, Zack Snyder’s Justice League

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American Splendor

Dating back to 2003 American Splendor is a comedy drama that adapts the autobiographical comics of Harvey Pekar.

It stars a young Paul Giamatti as the underground comic book writer and is worth watching for a window into the life of a comic creator that is the polar opposite of countless four colour superheroes crossovers, the MCU or the headline grabbing hubbub of Comic-Con that can often dominate the comic industry.

SEE ALSO: The Notorious Betty Page, The Wizard of Lies, Magnolia

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Scavengers Reign

Scavengers Reign is another animated series that follows the various survivors of the crash-landed deep space cargo ship Demeter 227 who find themselves on the strange and dangerous alien planet, Vesta.

The sheer number of positive reviews and critical acclaim for the atmosphere and tone of Scavengers Reign, that even went so far as to compare the series visual style to that of Jean Moebius Giraud, is reason enough to give the series a chance.

SEE ALSO: Fired on Mars, FLCL, Metalocalypse.

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Superpowered The DC Story

From 2023, this eye-opening three-part documentary series, that is narrated by Roasario Dawson, features a wealth of interviews both new and old and looks at the origins, evolution and legacy of DC Comics.

It is fascinating to hear the behind-the-scenes thoughts from DC alumni such as JM DeMatteis, Phil Jimenez, Grant Morrison and many more.

SEE ALSO: 100 Years of Warner Brothers

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Recount

The 2008 political film Recount told the dramatised behind-the-scenes story of Florida’s vote recount during the 2000 United States presidential election. HBO excel with one off dramas like this, but Recount stands head and shoulders above most of the pack.

It boasts an all-star cast and interestingly was written by Danny Strong who was previously best known for playing Jonathan on Buffy The Vampire Slayer.

SEE ALSO: White House Plumbers, Confirmation, We Own This City

The Number on Great-Grandpa’s Arm

From 2018, this is a short, animated documentary that also includes historical footage, that endeavours to provide an educational introduction for all ages to the Jewish experience leading up to and indeed during the Holocaust.

This carefully crafted production is one of a handful of similar superbly animated offerings hidden away on HBO Max.

SEE ALSO: Animals, The Shivering Truth

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THX1138

THX 1138 is George Lucas’ 1971 directorial debut. Whilst the storyline of living in a state-controlled society complete with an android police force and all the Big Brother apparatus of a shadowy Orwellian regime may not be one percent original it is a fascinating curiosity for film fans.

Most Star Wars fans will be familiar with its existence but given how many times these same fans may have likely ventured back time and again to rewatch the Skywalker saga it may also be worth revisiting this classic to see a little of where it all began.

SEE ALSO: Excalibur, Purple Rain, Deadwood: The Movie