by Dana Branham, editor-in-chief

Beginning with the iconic Marvel comic book montage, the pilot episode of Marvel’s “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” gave off a certain feeling of familiarity.

And that makes perfect sense, because it’s supposed to.

“Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” follows the day-to-day operations of five agents at S.H.I.E.L.D., a secret government agency whose job it is to keep the superheroes of the world safe and in control.

Though the show is meant to be a spinoff from the movie, it is not meant to be unaccessable to those who aren’t Marvel superfans. Had you not seen “The Avengers,” “Iron Man” and “Captain America,” among others, you certainly wouldn’t be lost, but you’d miss out on some of the subtleties in the characters’ conversations that detract from the mostly cheesy dialogue.

Unfortunately, the similarities stop there. The show just lacks the gripping storyline for which Marvel’s movies are known.

Simply put, the show’s not a knockout. Sure, it’s got the Marvel name, the combat scenes, the flirtatious yet intelligent female characters, even a not-too-shabby musical score that echoes some of its box office counterparts’–but “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” lacks the clever, compelling characters that the movies are known for.

In brief: The show lacks luster (and ratings) in comparison to Marvel’s acclaimed superhero movies, but it’s good for some corny jokes, an explosion or two and some dorky turns of phrase from Agent Phil Coulson.

The show airs Tuesday nights on ABC, and episodes one through three are available on the Marvel’s “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”  website.

Still curious? Check out this trailer for “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”