Its mid-season replacement time again, folks. Though I'm usually not too excited about replacement shows, when I heard Human Target was based on a DC comic character, my interest was peaked. I was lucky enough to get to see this show before its premiere on January 17th, and I have to say I'm a big fan already.

Christopher Chance (Mark Valley, Boston Legal) provides a unique service. If you believe someone wants you dead, Chance will integrate himself into your life, blend into the background, and flush out the culprit. This process involves him putting his life in danger time after time in order to keep his client alive (hence Human Target). Assisting him in these jobs is his handler Winston (Chi McBride, Pushing Daisies) and a devious intelligence gatherer Guerrero (Jackie Earle Haley, Watchmen). Together these men can foil any hit for the right price.

The pilot is bookended by the climax of two different jobs, but the body of the episode centers around a woman responsible for the Monterey Rail, an bullet train that runs between San Francisco and Los Angeles. After a repairman finds an explosive in her car, she hires Chance to deal with the threat. Chance believes the next attempt on this woman's life will take place on the train's maiden voyage. The assassin has a three hour window to make the hit, but Chance doesn't plan on letting that happen.

In the Human Target comic, Christopher Chance actually takes on the identity of his clients in order to become the target himself. This works in comic form, but on the screen it would look gimmicky to have Valley pulling a different mask off every episode (which may be why the earlier incarnation of this show staring Rick Springfield failed). The altered premise is well thought out and translates perfectly to the small screen. The action sequences are well choreographed and the setup surrounding the final reveal is clear and just as fun to watch as the exploits of Valley himself.

Mark Valley does a phenomenal job as Christopher Chance. The character has a terrific balance of immature humor and serious intelligence which Valley delivers perfectly. He is a joy to watch in action or dialog scenes and keeps you hooked until the very end. The biggest surprise for me was Jackie Earle Haley. I loved him in Watchmen and he his even better in Human Target. His character is not very physically imposing, but through dialog, body language, and his ability to show up anywhere, he becomes this mysterious force that is both frightening and lovable. Valley and Earle Haley make a terrific pair and should keep audiences coming back for more.

I'm always skeptical when a comic book is translated to the big or small screen. It's very hard to keep comic fans happy and still make the translation accessible to the masses. Human Target does a great job of accomplishing both of these tasks to create an exciting and funny series that I hope will be around for a long time. Human Target premieres Sunday, January 17th at 8pm with a sneak preview at 7pm. If you happen to miss the pilot, it will be airing again on Wednesday, January 20th at 9pm. The series will then assume its regular time slot on Wednesday, January 27th at 8pm.