20 best superhero TV shows of 2018, ranked

Freedom Fighters: The Ray — Image Number: FFR_003.jpg — Photo Courtesy of Blue Ribbon Content and Warner Bros. Animation.

20. Freedom Fighters: The Ray

The CW may be renowned for producing some of the most beloved live-action superhero TV shows, but that hasn’t stopped them from venturing into animation either. Following in the footsteps of the popular Vixen, Freedom Fighters: The Ray is a web series that airs exclusively on The CW’s streaming service, CW Seed. Like its predecessor, it too is set in the Arrowverse and follows the life of Ray Terrill, who is confronted by his Earth-X doppelgänger and eventually becomes the hero known as The Ray.

In many ways, the first season was a companion for last year’s “Crisis On Earth-X” crossover between Arrow, The Flash, Legends Of Tomorrow and Supergirl, giving us the chance to familiarize ourselves with The Ray. However, when it returned for its second season earlier this year, the show broadened its horizon, allowing us to get up close and personal with the grim world of Earth-X, while introducing heroes like Green Arrow, The Flash, Vixen and Mr. Terrific.

It allowed us to see how the once-normal Ray adapted to becoming a superhero and the craziness of parallel dimensions, all while trying to make things work with his doppelgänger’s teammates.

As an Arrowverse companion series, there are still some issues (particularly in the continuity department), but as a standalone series, it functions incredibly well and tells a really intriguing story about one man’s journey from zero to hero – and it continues to expand upon stories that the live-action Arrowverse shows never got the chance to do. Furthermore, it also deserves recognition for placing the spotlight on one of DC’s most interesting gay characters.

It really is a shame that the episodes weren’t longer.