It's been quite the summer for live-action DC, what with James Gunn's Superman soaring to critical and cultural heights, and James Gunn's Peacemaker returning this week for a stellar second season. Come to think of it, maybe it's just been a super summer for James Gunn, who's coming out of the gate strong with his new DCU?
You can read our spoiler-free review of Peacemaker's second season here.
But let's still take this opportunity to look back -- a whopping 70 years even -- at every live-action DC TV series we've ever had, going back to 1952's The Adventures of Superman and ranking all the shows through Peacemaker. There have been almost 40 live-action DC series, and we had our editors do their own rankings, averaging out their preferences to deliver unto y'all these official rankings.
You'll of course find Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman on here, along with the modern miracle that was the Arrowverse, but there also might be some short-lived surprises for you, like Shazam, Isis, Superboy, and more. Let's rank the DC live-action shows, worst to best!
37. Human Target (1992)
2010's adaptation of Human Target on Fox is already obscure enough, but did you know that was the second attempt to bring Human Target to the TV? The first was in 1992, and it starred rocker/actor Rick Springfield (TikTokers will know his song "Jessie's Girl") as Christopher Chance, a do-gooder for hire who assumes the identities of clients targeted by assassins and other dangerous criminals. It ran for seven episodes on ABC as a midseason replacement, ultimately getting dumped due to poor ratings and bad reviews.
36. Swamp Thing (1990)
"The swamp is my world. It is who I am. It is what I am. I was once a man. I know the evil men do. Do not bring your evil here, I warn you. Beware the wrath of Swamp Thing."
The original Swamp Thing series had a decent 72-episode run over the course of three seasons on the early days of the USA Network (and reruns on what was then branded "Sci Fi Channel"). Many forget that Swamp Thing was out there, swamping around in two live-action '80s movies -- 1982's Swamp Thing and 1989's (campier) The Return of Swamp Thing -- leading up to this series, and that Dick Durock played Swamp Thing in every iteration. This was DC's go-to grotesque for an entire decade. It's a decent early '90s show that was on when you just needed something to be on.
35. Gotham Knights (2022)
Gotham Knights hit the scene with two minor strikes against it. Firstly, it wasn't part of the established, long-running Arrowverse; second, it came during the last gasp/dying embers of The CW itself. The fact that it was also a big critical misfire more or less sealed its fate, and the story of Bruce Wayne's adopted son Turner (a character created for the show) being framed for murder by Harvey Dent -- along with a version of Batgirl, a version of Robin, Bluebird, her brother, and the daughter of the Joker -- went the way of the dodo.
34. Powerless (2017)
Vanessa Hudgens, Danny Pudi, Ron Funches. and Alan Tudyk starred in this canceled-quickly comedy series set in the DC Universe, about employees at the R&D division of Wayne Security in Charm City who try to help protect people from becoming collateral damage in destructive superhero battles. It was definitely seen at the time as a tongue-in-cheek response to the thousands who died in 2013's Man of Steel, despite Powerless not officially being a part of the DCEU. Powerless gained ground critically as it progressed but it never gained viewership, so it got axed after a few months.
33. Superboy (1988)
The final super-property that controversial father-son duo Alexander and Ilya Salkind produced under their license with Warner Bros. was four syndicated seasons (and 100 episodes!) of Superboy, which ran from 1988 to 1992. A decade before Smallville would explore Clark Kent's teenage/college-age years with first love Lana Lang, Superboy was paving the way, marking the first live-action appearances of villains like Metallo, Bizarro, Mister Mxyzptlk, and Yellow Peri. Heck, even former Bond George Lazenby appeared as Jor-El! Whatever your opinion of this lighter-fare Superboy series, it was at least better than the previous three Superman/Supergirl movies. Also, it's rare that a show finds success after recasting the lead but Superboy did, continuing on after getting both a new Superboy and Lex Luthor after Season 1.
32. Human Target (2010)
Almost two decades after the first ABC series, Fox tried to mine gold from the Human Target comic, recognizing Christopher Chance as a character who could have those all-important mission-of-the-week episodes. With Mark Valley cast as Chance -- this time as a merc-for-hire who protects his clients by completely integrating himself into their lives instead of taking their place -- Fox went big with the pilot, getting Simon West to direct, and delivering what at the time was considered to be action movie-worthy excitement on the small screen. Jonathan E. Steinberg (Jericho, Black Sails, Percy Jackson & the Olympians) created this newer series, which was canceled due to low ratings after two seasons.
31. Krypton (2018)
Developed by Man of Steel and The Dark Knight's David Goyer for Syfy, Krypton was a prequel series about Superman's family, the House of El, and his grandfather Seg's (Cameron Cuffe) attempts to redeem his shamed lineage. Why are the Els the black sheep of Krypton, you might ask? Because Seg's grandfather, Val-El, was executed for treason a hundred years earlier. Krypton, like Pennyworth, came at a time when Warner Bros. was grasping at any super-thread they could find while also looking for something resembling the shocking, soapy politics of a Game of Thrones. Krypton was fine, ultimately -- even bringing versions of Adam Strange, Brainiac, and Lobo to the screen -- but it was very much indicative of the era when they were feeding us a lot of "If you love this superhero, then you'll definitely want to watch a show about their cousin or butler or whatever" content.
30. Batwoman (2019)
Despite a troubled production filled with on-set injuries and allegations of co-star abuse levied by its initial lead, Ruby Rose, Batwoman lasted three seasons. Rose was fired after the first season and a new character, Ryan Wilder, would be created (played by Javicia Leslie) to take over the Batwoman mantle from Rose's Kate Kane. It just felt like the writing was on the wall; Batwoman's messiness never allowed it to fully take flight, though it also came about during the third act of the Arrowverse, when the pillars of this particular TV super-realm were already crumbling. In "keeping things in the DC TV family" news, though, Rachel Skarsten, who played Black Canary on Birds of Prey (see number 28), was Beth Kane -- Kate's evil Alice in Wonderland-themed twin sister -- on this series.
29. Dead Boy Detectives (2024)
This one stings a bit, as Dead Boy Detectives was a lot of fun. The short-lived show fell victim to the Netflix one-and-done dump that the streamer's become synonymous with over the past six years (remember, back at the start, when they never canceled anything?). Also, being a spinoff of The Sandman and existing as a part of Neil Gaiman's comicverse did the show no favors, as the first and only season landed just a few months before the sexual assault allegations against Gaiman. Regardless, the series followed two ghosts -- Charles and Edwin -- as they solved crimes on Earth while evading the afterlife's watchdog Lost and Found Department. It was unique and whimsical while also being macabre.
28. Birds of Prey (2002)
Frequent James Cameron collaborator Laeta Kalogridis developed this DC series for Fox that was originally supposed to exist in the same Batman world as the Tim Burton films. Starring Ashley Scott as Huntress, Dina Meyer as Oracle, and Rachel Skarsten as Black Canary, Birds of Prey was the first show to take a stab at a Batman-less Gotham. It only ran for 13 episodes, but let it be known that it had the first ever live-action Harley Quinn, played by Mia Sara (Ferris Bueller's Day Off, The Life of Chuck). Oh, and Mark Hamill voiced the Joker on the series, during a Killing Joke-style moment when he shoots and paralyzes Barbara/Oracle.
For you trivia buffs out there, the first person to play Harley Quinn was actually Sherilyn Fenn, in a version of the Birds of Prey pilot that went unaired.
27. Pennyworth (2019)
Developed as an Alfred Pennyworth origin story that's specifically connected to the Alfred on Gotham played by Sean Pertwee, Pennyworth -- which was comically renamed to Pennyworth: The Origin of Batman's Butler when it moved from Epic to HBO Max for its third and final season -- came during the glut of superhero content, right when the high-water mark of Endgame was about to roll back. It overly-complicates and muddles Batman lore for the sake of "we must make more things connected to the already popular things." It's also, at the same time, a loose prequel to V for Vendetta (whaaaa?), because it sets up a fascist regime in England in the '60s that could connect to the famed Alan Moore work. Why? Why not? It was on Epix, the epitome of also-ran Peak TV.
26. Naomi (2022)
Another late bloomer at The CW that was also separate from the Arrowverse, Naomi ran for one season before getting put out to pasture. Focusing on a comic book-loving teen (Kaci Walfall) who discovers she has powers (think DC's Kamala Khan), Naomi flew under the super-radar for the most part, notable mostly for having acclaimed director/writer Ava DuVernay as a co-creator. The reception for Naomi was actually good, but it was very much a wrong time/wrong place situation, as The CW was already in the midst of reorganization ahead of a total format change.
25. The Secrets of Isis (1975)
Isis actually predated the Wonder Woman TV series by a full year, though it obviously was nowhere close to being as impactful. Still, it was the true first live-action female-led series in the DC oeuvre, a companion series for the live-action Shazam! that aired at the same time (they had crossovers and everything). Joanna Cameron played a teacher who, thanks to an ancient amulet, gets powers bestowed upon her by the goddess Isis. Let's be clear though: Isis was not based on a DC character, but she soon joined the comic book ranks. The TV series provided a creative catalyst for bringing Isis into DC, first with her own title in the '70s, The Mighty Isis, and then decades later in a bigger way as part of 52. If Dwayne Johnson had been successful at shifting the paradigm of power in the DCEU, then Sarah Shahi, who played Adrianna Tomaz in Black Adam, would have probably become Isis.
24. Black Lightning (2018)
The most successful of the late-to-the-party Arrowverse shows was Black Lightning, which ran for four seasons and eventually got to take part in crossover events during its back half. In it, Cress Williams played the titular role as a dormant hero who comes out of retirement to resume his old electric vigilante mantle. Critics enjoyed it, calling it a compelling adventure nicely punctuated with humor and social commentary. While it was a part of the Arrowverse, it also felt more like its own thing, in a good way, than many of the other shows. Solid action, great effects, and the first Black lesbian superhero on TV (Nafessa Williams as Thunder) helped Black Lightning stand out and stand tall.
23 Shazam! (1974)
Filmation's first attempt at a non-animated series was the '70s Shazam! series, which followed teenager Billy Batson around the country as he searched for wrongs to right, transforming into a superhero by exclaiming the word "Shazam!" This was still at a time when there were trademark disputes with Marvel over the name Captain Marvel, so in the '70s, the Shazam name was used for the character's official reintroduction to pop culture. The series ran for three seasons and, for part of that time, was paired with The Secrets of Isis (see number 25) as part of the branded Shazam!/Isis Hour. On the show, Billy is driven around in an RV by "The Mentor" (Les Tremayne), which the comics would awkwardly retcon into an actual relative, his Uncle Dudley.
22. Stargirl (2020)
One of the better-received shows here in the back half of this list is Stargirl, a series created for flash-in-the-pan streaming service DC Universe that matriculated over to The CW for its second and third seasons. On Stargirl, which was very mildly a part of the Arrowverse (it was an alternate Earth), Brec Bassinger played LA teen Courtney Whitmore, who finds Starman's (Joel McHale) Cosmic Staff and becomes a hero, forming the second incarnation of the Justice Society of America along with new versions of Doctor Mid-Nite, Wildcat, and Hourman. Clever writing and exciting action made Stargirl a delightful watch.
21. Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
If we're talking about a live-action Superman in the '90s, we're basically talking about Lois & Clark, and Dean Cain as the Man of Steel in a series that focused primarily on the relationship between Clark and Teri Hatcher's Lois Lane. Look, it's all there in the name, aside from it also being a play on explorers Lewis & Clark. The show had a very successful run over six seasons and kept Superman very much in pop culture during a time when Batman reigned supreme in the multiplexes. It's hard to separate the show now from Dean Cain's recent, real life reprehensible opinions and behavior, but Lois & Clark was still a very important entry in super-lore, keeping the Daily Planet crew and Lex Luthor (John Shea) in the hearts and minds of fans, even delivering its own spins on Mr. Mxyzptlk, Lord Nor, Deathstroke, and Toyman.
20. Swamp Thing (2019)
As a part of the DC Universe streaming service, which folded up quickly when HBO Max hit the scene, it's not exactly a surprise that the new Swamp Thing lasted only one season. But man, to be canceled after airing just one episode? After it already had its episode count reduced from 13 to 10? That's rough. Sure, the full season aired, but it was a blow to everyone involved, and fans actually really dug the grim and grimy horror elements this new Thing brought to the table. It was a creepy crawly good time, and 1982 Swamp Thing film star Adrienne Barbeau even got a guest spot.
19. Titans (2018)
DC Universe's first scripted series was Titans, a violent, brooding live-action take on Teen Titans featuring Dick Grayson (Brenton Thwaites), Raven (Teagan Croft), Starfire (Anna Diop), and Beast Boy (Ryan Potter). It was a strong, satisfying super-series that anchored DC Universe prior to its absorption by HBO Max (where the show's third and fourth season would air). It garnered a lot of attention for a moment in the pilot when Dick says "Fuck Batman!" signaling that this would be an edgier Batman-free Gotham series than the others. Titans is credited for thriving under the dark, sullen tone that the initial DCEU movies attempted to utilize unsuccessfully. Another fun fact about Titans is that it would make way for not just the best DC Universe show, but one of the best live-action DC shows ever. But more on that later...
18. The Flash (1990)
This wonderful live-action Flash sped into television following the massive success of 1989's Batman; it even had a fantastic Danny Elfman score to go along with it. Sadly, on Thursday nights, it was pitted against The Cosby Show on NBC and The Simpsons on Fox, which made CBS constantly move The Flash's time slot around so much that it got lost in the shuffle and axed after one season. But not only would star John Wesley Shipp find new life in The CW's Arrowverse, playing both Henry Allen and Earth-3's Flash, Jay Garrick (and even his original Barry Allen from this show), but fans would get their first taste of Mark Hamill's Joker voice when Hamill appeared twice as The Trickster (he'd also get brought back in the Arrowverse, by the way).
17. Lucifer (2016)
A mismatched partners case-of-the-week take on Neil Gaiman's Lucifer Morningstar, Lucifer followed our titular character (Tom Ellis) as a Hell-rejecting nightclub owner who consults with the LAPD on mysterious demon-related crimes, while also engaging in a fun Will They?/Won't They? romance with Detective Chloe Decker (Lauren German). Originally canceled after one season on Fox, Lucifer was rescued on Netflix where it thrived for three more seasons. Fans loved Ellis' suave, cheeky portrayal of Lucifer and also appreciated the character being used for procedural TV after the streaming landscape prioritized ruthless serialization. In an interesting twist, Ellis' Lucifer appeared in the Arrowverse's Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event, confirming his multiversal inclusion.
16. The Sandman (2022)
It took forevvvvverrrr to get a live-action Sandman adaptation in front of our faces; they'd been at it, in one way or another, since 1991. Ultimately, it was worth the wait, because the series was exactly what fans wanted. It perfectly captured what was once thought to be uncapturable about Morpheus (Tom Sturridge), the Endless, and the other immortal beings and demons that populate Neil Gaiman's comic world. The show was emotionally moving, beautifully rendered, and darkly sinister. Season 2, the show's final season, wasn't met with the same critical fanfare as the first, but it also came under a cloud of controversy from the sexual assault and misconduct allegations against Gaiman, making for a very quiet Season 2 debut and a quiet, but also expected, cancellation.
15. Adventures of Superman (1952)
After a decade of radio dramas, movie theater serials, and the superb Fleischer cartoons, Superman made it to television with a landmark series that would become America's first superhero obsession. George Reeves' barrel-chested Kryptonian do-gooder would be THE Superman for decades until Christopher Reeve starred in the movies. Reeves' untimely death in 1959 put an end to the series, understandably, but the six seasons of The Adventures of Superman (a few in black and white but most in color) still leap tall buildings in a single bound, having given us all a legendary look at this stalwart invulnerable crusader.
14. Superman & Lois (2021)
The end of Superman & Lois, for most everyone, marked the true and final end of The CW's run, not just with the Arrowverse but also with scripted genre programming. While stars Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch had already appeared in the Arrowverse as these same characters, Superman & Lois was not a part of that reality. It's weird, we know, but it was just a separate thing. The COVID outbreak basically put a halt to initial crossover plans, but Superman & Lois was still also very good. While the '90s Lois & Clark focused on their relationship, Superman & Lois did that but also honed in on their roles as parents, also featuring sons John and Jordan Kent. Superman & Lois recaptured some of the Smallville vibes that fans missed while also forging its own clear path.
13. Constantine (2014)
Developed by Daniel Cerone and David Goyer, and featuring a snarky exorcist character who first appeared in Alan Moore's Swamp Thing run, Constantine was a crafty, cool, canceled-too-soon NBC series based on the character's Hellblazer comic. Star Matt Ryan was so perfect in this role that he was brought back to play John Constantine in the Arrowverse, which thus retroactively made this NBC show part of that entire world. Constantine's demise was either a case of "it's ahead of its time" or "it's on the wrong network"...or both.
12. Legends of Tomorrow (2016)
Featuring a parade of characters first introduced on Arrow and The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow found its true footing after its first season, when it stopped trying to emulate the tone of the other Arrowverse shows and started getting phenomenally loopy. It became lighter, funnier, and more pointed with its meta-humor. In the end, after seven seasons, the time-hopping adventures of White Canary (Caity Lotz), Atom (Brandon Routh), Heat Wave (Dominic Purcell), Citizen Steel (Nick Zano), and more became the most enjoyable, whimsical romp in the entire super-slate of CW shows. It was a tried-and-true ragtag team of misfits, and that allowed for a bit more creative freedom on the storytelling front.
11. Arrow (2012)
The show that launched an entire shared DC universe -- which most found wayyy better than any attempts at a shared DC movie landscape at the time -- Arrow was the anchor for the largest crossover TV playground in history, acting as the vengeful, driven Batman for a DC world that wasn't allowed to use Batman. Stephen Amell's Oliver Queen would go from carefree rich guy to a psychotically obsessed killing machine thanks to being marooned for five years on an island filled with assassins. It was a tremendous hook, with flashbacks to the traumatic island events spooled out over five seasons while Oliver battled to save Star City by murdering his way through the corrupt and criminal. Arrow lasted eight seasons and ushered in a wave of great DC TV, including six ensemble crossover events.
10. Gotham (2014)
Getting this out of the way, Gotham is a ridiculous show; we know this. But at a certain point in its five season run, it embraced its lunacy, shedding any notions it may have had originally about it being a traditional, recognizable Batman origin story. Once it embraced the idea that every Batman villain would exist in Gotham before Batman (yes, even "Joker," even though they couldn't officially use Joker), Gotham was free as a bird of prey, basically becoming "What if Jim Gordan (Ben McKenzie) was the guy who battled Batman's rogues gallery while Bruce Wayne was a teenager?" It shirked the elements nurtured by Christopher Nolan about how Batman inspired the escalation of costumed lunatics and invited their challenge. Here, Batman is an eventual (after five seasons) response to Gotham being overrun with super-criminals. It gave us brand new, fun interpretations of Penguin, Riddler, Hugo Strange, Victor Zsasz, Mad Hatter, and many more; it even gave us a psycho Barbara Kean. Oh, and Cameron Monaghan killed it as "Not Joker."
9. Supergirl (2015)
There was a bit of strain between the Arrowverse and the DCEU for a while, one which usually resulted in the TV world having to capitulate to the movies. Like, remember when the Arrowverse had to kill off its Suicide Squad to make way for the movie, since Warner Bros. didn't want the two existing simultaneously? Well, that sort of one way street affected Superman aspects of the Arrowverse too. Firstly, though, fitting Superman into the mix was just flat out hard to do. Arrow started everything, but how could they then, retroactively, account for Superman existing? Well, that's where the multiverse comes in handy (the MCU just did this with Fantastic Four); the Supers did exist, just not on Oliver Queen's Earth. This is a long way of saying that Supergirl debuted on CBS first and was then brought into the Arrowverse in its second season when the series moved to The CW, tethering everything together. Superman was not allowed to be part of TV shenanigans when Supergirl started (he'd only get mentioned), but then at the top of Season 2, we got Tyler Hoechlin as Supes.
Melissa Benoist was the third actress to play Supergirl, and she brought with her a plucky warm relatability that gave Supergirl a spirit all its own. It lasted for six seasons and flies high as one of the best live-action DC offerings ever, and not just because it cast Jon Cryer as Lex Luthor, allowing the actor a bit of Superman IV redemption.
8. Smallville (2001)
Smallville, which ran for 10 seasons, spanning both the WB and CW networks, was a cultural phenomenon. Initially focused on Clark Kent's high school life, with girlfriend Lana and best friend Lex (yup!), Smallville was a coming-of-age YA adventure with a strict "no tights, no flights" edict from its creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, allowing the show to attract viewers from all metrics because it wasn't a "comic book" series per se. As the series went on (for 217 episodes!) it eventually brought in versions of Zod, Braniac, Doomsday, Supergirl, Oliver Queen, Aquaman, and more. Smallville also benefitted from the fledgling first steps of social media and fan sites and TV show forums that connected viewers from all over, allowing for weekly discourse, discussion, and recaps. Though he didn't don the costume until the final shot of the series finale (yes, it took that long), star Tom Welling IS Superman for an entire generation.
7. Wonder Woman (1976)
Wonder Woman was the most successful DC series following Superman in the '50s and Batman in the '60s. The '70s absolutely belonged to Lynda Carter's Amazonian warrior, and this particular portrayal of Diana Prince still remains absolutely iconic. The series only lasted three seasons, and only two of those seasons took place in modern ('70s) times. The first, on ABC, was set during World War II and featured Steve Trevor as a love interest. When the show moved to CBS, it was moved into the '70s to save costs and became a more standard adventure show. There were attempts to get Carter to reprise her role in both the Arrowverse and 2023's Flash movie, but they never worked out. You can, however, catch Carter playing non-Wonder Woman roles in Smallville, Supergirl, Wonder Woman 1984, and Sky High - a testament to her Wondrous legacy.
6. Peacemaker (2022)
A spinoff of James Gunn's The Suicide Squad -- which was excellent, and damn you all for its paltry box office -- Peacemaker is a raunchy, raucous John Cena celebration, a full embracing of just how talented Cena is as a wry comedic performer. For years, they tried to make Cena a strait-laced action star, but a decade ago, Amy Schumer's Trainwreck proved he was hilarious and that forcing Cena to just be a plain shoot-'em-up meathead was a waste of cinematic celluloid. Peacemaker provides the true hero arc, as the terminally zealous and violent Christopher Smith finds true friendship through teamwork while also reconciling with his traumatic past...and this is all while saving the world from aliens, mind you. Peacemaker also shines as an example of Gunn's blueprint for giving each hero project its own tone, allowing things like Peacemaker and The Suicide Squad to be bawdy and nihilistic while Superman can be a beacon of kindness and vulnerability.
5. The Flash (2014)
The Flash was the best Arrowverse series, just nailing the formula. Not as dark as Arrow or as kooky as Legends of Tomorrow, Flash just gave us a perfectly balanced superhero series filled with twists, turns, time travel catastrophes, and other obstacles that speedster Barry Allen just couldn't outrun on his own. It had a killer ensemble and enough juice to power through nine seasons, making it the longest-running Arrowverse series. Grant Gustin's Barry Allen was an all-time rootable, investable, flawed hero, and S.T.A.R. Labs' rotating Team Flash lineup were brilliant back-up buddies. It also had some killer baddies in the form of Reverse-Flash, Zoom, Gorilla Grodd, Red Death, and more. The Flash embodied the emotional highs and lows of reading a comic series, knowing that superheroes must suffer tragedy and betrayal to truly persevere.
4. The Penguin (2024)
Not that we weren't excited to hear about a Penguin series from Matt Reeves' Batmanverse, featuring Colin Farrell reprising his role as Oswald "Oz" Cobb (lepot) from 2022's The Batman, but some were wary considering all the blunders Sony was committing with their movies featuring Spider-Man's villains as good guys. Would The Penguin just become another anti-hero? The answer? Hell no! The Penguin was marvelous, and while you understood Oz and wanted to follow his intriguing exploits as he tried to take over Gotham's underworld, the miniseries never ever entertained the notion that he's a good man. In fact, it made a point to end everything with a shockingly monstrous act. The Penguin also featured a blistering performance by Cristin Milioti as Sofia Falcone, complete with a tragic backstory that reshaped both The Long Halloween and Batman: Dark Victory. The Penguin is one of two "prestige" DC projects here, both from HBO, and it towers above most other shows for a reason. It's an incredible achievement and a tremendous watch.
3. Doom Patrol (2019)
This Titans spinoff is not just the best of DC Universe, it’s just one of the most wickedly fun DC shows ever made. The entertainingly dysfunctional family of Jane (Diane Guerrero), Elasti-Woman (April Bowlby), Negative Man (Matt Bomer), Robotman (Brendan Fraser), Cyborg (Joivan Wade), Madame Rouge (Michelle Gomez), and The Chief (Timothy Dalton) experience the absurd and bizarre in an endearing series full of broken people whose powers feel more like a curse, the result of respective personal tragedies. It's quirky, unconventional, perverse, and altogether fantastic. It ran for four seasons, most of which was on HBO Max, and very much was the most James Gunn-feeling (complimentary) of the non-James Gunn DC projects that preceded the new DCU.
2. Batman (1966)
Given Batman's dark gothic turn in '80s comics, and then the way he's been portrayed in about 90% of the Batman movies since then, it might be hard for some to believe that at one point, as part of a huge pop culture phenomenon, Batman was camp. Adam West's quasi-satirical portrayal of Bruce Wayne/Batman was an entire generation's Batman, so much so that director Joel Schumacher tried to bring back that campiness, specifically from his childhood Batman, for 1997's lousy Batman & Robin. The '60s Batman series was a blast, though, turning the Dynamic Duo into household names and giving the world its first taste of Batman's righteous rogues gallery of villains like Joker, Penguin, Riddler, Catwoman, and more. It even paved the way for a feature film featuring the full TV cast. It all seems silly and passé now, but this was a milestone in the world of live-action superheroes. Kids loved it, merch sales soared, and a new dance craze was born (we're not joking).
1. Watchmen (2019)
There have been several "impossible" projects that have come to pass over the last few decades to the delight of nerds everywhere. An adaptation of The Sandman was one; an excellent Dune movie is another. The "white whale" for a while was a big screen adaptation of Watchmen, and then it happened in 2009 and it was good. Why go further? Why tamper with the fragile success that Zack Snyder eked out? Why would one, especially, come up with a wholly original sequel to Watchmen? Well, that's exactly what Damon Lindelof did on HBO, following up his magnificent series The Leftovers with a Watchmen miniseries set decades later that continued the story from the comic (specifically the comic, since Snyder's movie didn't use the "alien squid" at the end).
Holy crap, was this a miracle. It was so incredible, giving us a look at Laurie Blake, Adrian Veidt, Doctor Manhattan, and the masked vigilante landscape of alternate America 34 years later. There was a new mystery, new intrigue, new adversaries, and a new masked heroine in the form of Regina King's Sister Night. Most importantly, it felt like Watchmen; it felt like it could have been a comic, drawn in the same style, told with the same crispness and confidence.
Matt Fowler is a freelance entertainment writer/critic, covering TV news, reviews, interviews and features on IGN for 17 years.
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