'Dexter' cartoons are not quite up to snuff

My latest TV obsession: Showtime's Dexter. I blew through the first two seasons on Netflix.com and have been mail-ordering season three. For those of you unfamiliar with the show, Dexter is equal parts CSI: and Silence of the Lambs, following a serial killer (played by Michael C. Hall) who kills other serial killers. To counteract the bleak subject matter, the series is wrought with smart, witty writing that's true to other Showtime series such as Weeds. Not to mention that Hall is a vet of one of my all-time favorite series, HBO's Six Feet Under. Recently, Showtime launched a series of cartoon Webisodes called "Dexter: Early Cuts", as a prequel to the series. I caught the first two installments of the story line, and though it's interesting to see a comic-book-like rendering of Dexter in action, it didn't spark the fanboy fire in me. Live action will always be the best way to experience this show. The Dexter character is voiced by Hall, which is true to form, but the cartoon feels like a sorry attempt at hooking younger viewers. I might circle back when more Webisode chapters drop, but I'm not going to make it a weekly practice.

—Posted by Will Levith