20 best superhero TV shows of 2018, ranked

13. Constantine: City Of Demons

Matt Ryan’s acclaimed turn as John Constantine in NBC’s short-lived Constantine TV series enhanced his already-impressive career in a major way. After the show was abruptly cancelled, the actor reprised his role in Arrow and eventually became a series regular on spinoff DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. He also got to lend his voice to CW Seed’s animated series, Constantine: City of Demons earlier this year.

The series follows John Constantine, who is struggling with his own demons (pun very much intended), as he sets out to help his old friend Chas retrieve the soul of his daughter Trish. The journey takes him from London to Los Angeles where he soon realises that the city is full of its very own demons and that he must take them down in order to save Trish. Interestingly, the five-episode miniseries ends here, just as the story is beginning. However, soon afterwards, it was re-released as a 90-minute film that completes the story.

As a whole, Constantine: City Of Demons is much darker than any of The CW’s live-action superhero shows and it’s also much more graphic. However, given the demonic themes and motifs that the show explores, it doesn’t necessarily feel gratuitous (for the most part). Furthermore, being an animated series allows it explore bigger, wider and crazier concepts than the TV show would have been able to allow, so it does have a bigger scale feel to it.

It’s compelling and strong, highlighting why the John Constantine character is one of DC’s most interesting and, although it never reaches the heights of the live-action series, it certainly does its best attempt to come close. Finally, just hearing his voice is enough to prove that Matt Ryan is and always will be the definitive John Constantine.