Stories centered on cops are nothing new in the television landscape. Everything from Law & Order to The Wire has brought their own unique perspectives to the genre. So, can one show reinvent the police drama wheel?

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Marvel's The Punisher: The 16 Coolest Easter Eggs and Comic Book References 17 IMAGES

Well, SyFy’s new series Happy!, which is based on legendary comic book writer Grant Morrison’s graphic novel from Image Comics, tries to do just that. Happy! is about ex-cop turned hitman Nick Sax, who is determined to kill himself by consuming large amounts of alcohol and drugs.Christopher Meloni (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit) is the ideal choice for the role. He’s already played a cop for over a decade, but since his departure from Law & Order back in 2011, the veteran actor has been stretching his wings in the comic book and video game arenas. Meloni was even Hal Jordan in the 2009 DC animated movie, Green Lantern: First Flight.This may not be Meloni’s first foray in the comic book world, but it is his most memorable. Meloni’s portrayal of Sax is first-rate. There’s an effortlessness to his humor that is surprising. His character is a mixture of Batman, The Punisher, and Snake Plissken.Sax isn’t the most likable character, but Meloni somehow finds a way to pull a little bit of humanity out of the trainwreck that is his character's life. Meloni is great on his own, but when you mix in Patton Oswalt (Agents of SHIELD), the series is elevated to a whole new level of goodness.Oswalt’s character is Happy . Yes, his name is Happy and his personality is always positive. He’s also a computer-generated blue unicorn that flies through the air. Happy is the perfect counterpart to Sax melancholy attitude. Even though Oswalt’s face remains hidden in a recording studio, his chemistry with Meloni is fun to watch. The scenes where the two of them are forced to work together are terrific. Mostly due to the fact that Sax is usually on some form of prescription medication.The action scenes throughout are handled expertly. SyFy uses its TV-MA rating to the fullest, with plenty of blood and gore to go around, but it fits in well with Morrison’s story. Sax fight choreography is reminiscent of Marvel’s The Punisher. Like Frank Castle, Sax is an effective killer. He doesn’t do a lot of flips and kicks, but he gets the job done.The prevalent use of graphic violence does differentiate Happy! from a show like The Punisher. Instead of showing the repercussions that violence has on the human psyche (e.g. Frank Castle), Happy offsets most of the blood splatter with comedy. It’s a style that’s effectively used in shows like Ash vs. Evil Dead and South Park. While Happy! does have its serious moments, I found myself laughing most of the time.In terms of the larger story, Happy reveals just enough to keep the story interesting. On the surface, some of the villains may seem formulaic, with kidnappers and mafia goons lurking around every corner, but the writers do a great job of bringing these miscreants to life. With names like Smoothie, Le Dic, and Very Bad Santa, there are bound to be some good stories capable of sustaining a long run of episodes. Happy premieres on SyFy on December 6.