Photo Credit: Marvel’s Daredevil/Netflix Image Acquired from Netflix Media Center
2018 has been full of superhero TV shows, new and old, but which ones of them stood out in the crowded landscape?
2018 is almost at its end and with that, it gives us a much-needed chance to reflect on some of the great television that the year has provided us with. With so many great shows arriving this year to accompany those that made their long-awaited returns, the TV landscape looks incredibly different to how it looked at the beginning of the year – this is especially true when it comes to superhero TV shows.
It’s hard to deny that it has been a great year for the superheroes of TV. While juggernauts like all four of The CW’s Arrowverse shows returned from holiday hiatuses and Netflix released new seasons from all four of its Marvel shows in the one year, we also saw the long-awaited debuts of plenty of newcomers. From Cloak & Dagger to Krypton to Black Lightning, there have been countless new additions to the already-crowded superhero landscape.
But it wasn’t just in live-action either, with shows like Constantine: City Of Demons joining the likes Teen Titans GO! in the animation bracket.
With so much heroic goodness, it’s almost impossible to pick a favourite, but that certainly won’t stop us from trying. With that in mind, get ready to reflect on some of the best superheroics that this year had to offer, as we take a look at the 20 greatest superhero TV shows to grace our screens this year.
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.
Credit: FreeForm and Marvel Television for Marvel’s Cloak and Dagger — Aubrey Joseph as Tyrone Johnson/Cloak and Olivia Holt as Tandy Bowen/Dagger
19. Cloak & Dagger
After much anticipation, Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger arrived on the scene with its premiere season back in June, kick-starting what looks to be an incredibly interesting story. Set within Marvel’s Cinematic Universe, the show centers on teenagers Tandy Bowen and Tyrone Johnson, who both shared a tragedy during their childhoods – with Tandy losing her father the same night that Tyrone’s brother was killed.
The tragic event linked them together and, when they’re both older, one unplanned interaction awakens powers within them. Tandy can suddenly summon light daggers while Tyrone is suddenly able to disappear into thin air, transporting himself to another location by channelling the powers of the Darkforce dimension. However, they soon learn that their powers aren’t the only things they should be fearing.
Although it may air on network television, Cloak & Dagger possesses a rather mature tone (not all that different from Marvel’s Netflix shows) that it undoubtedly benefits from. The characters are more cynical than you’d expect and, considering it takes place in the MCU, it is steeped in realism, highlighting everyday issues like homelessness and racism. But it wouldn’t be what it is without the two leads – and both Olivia Holt and Aubrey Joseph do a stellar job conveying the drama, conflict and humour in this compelling series.
It still feels like it’s only getting off the ground and thus, there is always room for improvement, but it’s hard to deny that it hasn’t been a great start and, after an exciting first season, it looks like all good things are set to continue for the series when it returns for its second season next year.
Credit: Teen Titans GO!/Warner Bros. Television
18. Teen Titans Go!
It’s safe to say that 2018 has been a major year for DC’s Teen Titans characters. Not only did they get their very own live-action series (more on that later), they also starred in their very first big-screen adventure Teen Titans Go! To The Movies. The latter was, of course, a spin-off of the comedy animated series Teen Titans Go! which also happened to return to Cartoon Network for its fifth season in the summer of this year – just in time for the film’s release.
The show has always been a bit divisive in terms of quality. Being a spin-off itself (from 2003’s critically acclaimed Teen Titans series), it constantly finds itself on the wrong end of criticism due to its significantly different and often ridiculous tone. But while it continues to be a departure from its predecessor, it would be wrong to suggest that it doesn’t work – because it does.
This season’s adventures are as ludicrous as you could imagine, with Starfire attempting to befriend inanimate objects like an ice cream scoop and the Titans competing in a contest to figure out the world’s second-best superhero. Given its sitcom-like format, you wouldn’t think that it would worry about continuity, however this season deserves some major credit for taking place around the events of Teen Titans Go! To The Movies and incorporating them into the episodic plots.
Teen Titans Go!‘s appeal doesn’t lie in the fact that it’s good, because that’s debatable, it knows how “bad” it can be and it embraces that, going out of its way to live up to that reputation over and over again. It may not be characterized by its greatness, but it does have a certain level of genius to it that simply must be applauded. Go Titans, or as Robin would say, “Titans Go”!
THE GIFTED: L-R: Guest star Jermaine Rivers, Sean Teale, Natalie Alyn Lind, Amy Acker and Stephen Moyer in the second part of the ÒeXtraction/X-roadsÓ two-hour season finale of THE GIFTED airing Monday, Jan. 15 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2017 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Eliza Morse/FOX
17. The Gifted
After a very brief run in 2018 that saw its first season conclude, The Gifted only recently returned to screens for its second season. The show is linked to the X-Men movie franchise and is set in an alternate timeline where the X-Men themselves have seemingly vanished. As a result, mutants aren’t as accepted as they once were and this ultimately makes them a target for enemies, particularly the government.
The first season focused on district attorney Reed Strucker and his wife, Caitlin, who discover that their own children possess mutant abilities. With the pressure from the anti-mutant government all around them, they decide to go on the run in order to protect them. What was incredibly engaging about the story was that, in a show surrounded by super-powered mutants, we were completely invested in these two human parents – who would stop at absolutely nothing to keep their kids safe.
However, Season 2 tackles a different type of story, highlighting all of the different approaches in the fight for mutant rights. As a result, conflict arises between contrasting groups, the Mutant Underground and the Inner Circle of the Hellfire Club.
As good as the first season was, the second outing is shaping up to be superior. With all of the warring factions, there is a thrilling sense of urgency this year that really adds a much bigger feel to it. The stakes are heightened and the threats feel bigger. With so much juicy conflict, The Gifted continues improve as it approaches the end of its second season. Let’s just hope it gets the chance to continue to do that into a third.
Photo Credit: Supergirl/The CW Image Acquired from CWTVPR
16. Supergirl
Supergirl kick-started the year with the mid-season premiere of its third season. Since then, it has aired the remainder of Season 3 as well as the beginning of its fourth season, all of which has made 2018 a very interesting year for Girl of Steel.
Like the majority of The CW’s superhero shows, Supergirl suffered a slight decline in standard during its third season. While not monumental enough of a decline to make it bad per say, it wasn’t as enjoyable as it once was. The introduction of Reign and the other Worldkillers made for an incredibly engaging, and surprisingly grim, storyline, but after a very promising start, the writers weren’t able to fully follow through.
Having said that, they did get a lot right. From Sam’s internal struggles with her demonic alter-ego to Mon-El’s commendable character development (not to mention the introduction of the Legion of Super-Heroes), it did get a lot right. While the skipping of major plot points and unnecessary storyline dragging held it back, it didn’t completely take away from the great storyline.
Season 4, however, has brought the show back into the light – in more ways than one. With the grim vibe of Reign in the past, the show has chosen to tackle more political issues this season (such as the integration of aliens into society and the resistance that they face from humanity), making each weekly adventure a microcosm of a real-world problem, and it has managed to do so incredibly effectively. The writing is stronger and the storylines have much more gravity – simply put, the characters are no longer going through the motions – they’re feeling everything that is happening and, as a result, so are we.
Overall, Supergirl had a relatively strong, but flawed, year. However, thanks to Season 4’s impressive new direction, things are looking up (up and away) for Kara Zor-El next year.
Photo Credit: Marvel’s Luke Cage/Netflix Image Acquired from Netflix Media Center
15. Luke Cage
On paper, 2018 was, without a doubt, a very bad year for Luke Cage, as Netflix abruptly cancelled the show – ending the story of one of the four foundations of the streaming service’s Marvel universe. However, if you actually watch the show’s offering this year, you’ll realize that it was also a pretty good year for it as well.
The superhero series returned to Netflix, following the protagonist’s prior adventure in The Defenders, when its second season debuted back in the summer of this year – and it ultimately proved to be a pleasant surprise. With the titular character now considered somewhat of a celebrity in Harlem (due to his heroics and invulnerability to pain), it doesn’t take long for him to become a target as the season’s new threat, Black Mariah emerges – looking to become Harlem’s new “queen.” Of course, Luke doesn’t back down from anything and not even the discovery of his own weaknesses stop him from protecting his turf.
With plenty of action, strong character development and a well-characterized villain, there is more than enough in there to keep you enthralled throughout Season 2, and Mike Colter once again holds our attention every single time he is on screen. However, he is equally matched due to the screen presence of the incomparable Alfre Woodard who delivers a powerhouse performance as Mariah Dillard (Black Mariah).
We know Luke Cage isn’t the best that Netflix’s Marvel universe has to offer, and it does continue to suffer from pacing issues, but its second outing is in a completely different league than its predecessor, and it’s a darn shame that the show has been robbed of the opportunity to improve again in another season.
Photo Credit: Marvel’s Jessica Jones/ Marvel Netflix Image Acquired from Netflix Media Center
14. Jessica Jones
Much like its fellow Netflix/Marvel shows, Jessica Jones also returned for its second season earlier this year. Debuting on the streaming platform back in March, Season 2 marked its comeback after a near-three year absence and followed the character’s appearance in spin-off show The Defenders.
Following the demise of her archenemy Kilgrave, the troubled protagonist takes on a new case which, of course, brings with it a horde of new issues. But now that she has her own reputation as a gifted (in more ways than one) vigilante, she is even more formidable than she was last season. However, she wouldn’t be such a rich character without her own issues and throughout the season, she is forced to confront her own past, due to the return of her own mother. This undoubtedly made for another compelling story that was easy to get completely invested in – even if it fell slightly short of our expectations.
This one is an unfortunate case of just having too much to live up to. Jessica Jones‘ second season is far from bad – it is, without a doubt, incredibly competent and highly enjoyable. However, as the first season was nothing short of a noir masterpiece, this failed to reach the highs (and dramatic lows) of its predecessor. It, like its fellow Netflix shows, also suffered from the seemingly recurring issue of producing too many episodes and thus, things are unnecessarily prolonged for the sake of it and, as a result, the pacing drags at times.
Overall, Jessica Jones Season 2 proved to be another gripping adventure that will undoubtedly keep you hooked right to the very end, and Krysten Ritter is nothing short of radiant on screen, but it never quite matches the near-perfect level of Season 1.
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.
MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. – “The Force of Gravity” – Daisy’s future as the destroyer of worlds could take a critical change, on “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” FRIDAY, MAY 11 (9:01-10:01 p.m. EDT), on The ABC Television Network. (ABC/Mitch Haaseth)
CLARK GREGG, MING-NA WEN
12. Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. really is the definition of the little show that could. Despite facing cancellation every single year since its inception, the show has managed to overcome the odds (and its declining viewing figures) to consistently make an epic comeback – and this year, it was no different.
The show, that follows Agent Phil Coulson and his merry band of S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives, started off 2018 with the sixth episode of its fifth season, following its return to TV screens during December of last year.
There was a lot to love about Season 5, particularly the format, which changed things up dramatically. The first half saw the agents transported through time to the future where they discover that the Earth has been destroyed. After spending 10 episodes of hell there, some of them manage to return to the present, allowing the second half of the season to focus on the members of S.H.I.E.L.D. as they do their best to try and prevent that future from ever coming to pass.
When a show is on the air for so long, it often struggles to keep producing situations that involve real stakes, but that wasn’t a problem here, as this season’s reinvention breathed new life into the show. Furthermore, there was little to no filler as the S.H.I.E.L.D. team spent a good long time in this barbaric future, allowing that to be the show’s sole focus. It wasn’t perfect but, for the most part, it was gripping, refreshing and completely engaging.
After producing another strong outing, it’s really no surprise that Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.LD. has once again overcome the odds, receiving a seventh season renewal ahead of its return in summer 2019 for its sixth season. Keep doing the impossible, S.H.I.E.L.D.
The Flash — “Nora” — Image Number: FLA501b_0031b.jpg — Pictured: Grant Gustin as The Flash — Photo: Katie Yu/The CW — © 2018 The CW Network, LLC. All rights reserved
11. The Flash
While The Flash has the potential to be the best superhero show on television (and has been in the past), it unfortunately didn’t have the best run in the first half of this year. Kicking things off with the second half of its fourth season, the show was dragged down by a villain that was too far outside its comfort zone and, for lack of a better term, too powerful.
Clifford “The Thinker” DeVoe’s plot to enlighten people was far too complicated and, because of this, the writers had to come up with various convoluted ways of dragging things out for the remaining 14 episodes. Moreover, the fact that he required multiple metahumans for his plot resulted in a slew of uninteresting villain-of-the-week episodes that offered nothing of importance to the show. Despite that, there was some good in there, especially standout episode “Enter Flashtime” (which may just be one the show’s finest episodes ever) and the satisfying season finale.
Thankfully, things got much better in the second half of the year, with the debut of its fifth season. Season 5 brought a host of new problems, storylines and villains for Team Flash, but nothing was more important that the full-time arrival of Barry and Iris’ daughter, Nora West-Allen. The fact that, even the rise of Cicada now stems from Nora’s arrival, has returned that beloved familial vibe that the show once thrived on. In addition, the supporting cast is getting their fair share of screen time, and everything feels like it’s coming together much more naturally.
After pulling the once-acclaimed TV series back into acclaimed territory, hopefully Season 5 can continue that momentum into 2019 and return The Flash to where it needs to be. It has certainly reminded it how to produce high quality television, that’s for sure.
KRYPTON — “The Phantom Zone” Episode 110 — Pictured: (l-r) Cameron Cuffe as Seg-El, Ian McElhinney as Val-El — (Photo by: Steffan Hill/Syfy)
10. Krypton
Kicking off our Top 10 superhero TV shows is one of DC’s new arrivals this season, Syfy’s Krypton. The show had a lot to prove before it even debuted, given that previous Superman prequel Smallville is a beloved cult classic that hasn’t even been off the air for a decade yet. However, it did manage to prove itself, offering us something a little bit different from your modern-day superhero show, as the series is set on the Man of Steel’s home planet 200 years before its eventual destruction and follows the journey of his grandfather Seg-El.
What’s most interesting about the show is its ability to innovate continually, and it absolutely gets away with it because this is history that hasn’t been written yet. Much like DC’s Batman prequel, Gotham, the writers of Krypton have the freedom to rewrite Superman’s history because it’s set long before the superhero rises.
Focusing on Seg-El, the show tells the story of how the House of El were once outcast from Kryptonian society – a far cry from the royalty they are portrayed as in other adaptations. However, things change dramatically when a stranger from the future arrives and informs Seg about many of the significant House of El moments yet to come, particularly the explosion of Krypton and Seg’s own grandson’s modern-day antics as Superman. Thus, the protagonist finds himself torn between saving his people or altering his grandson’s heroic destiny.
With a refreshing look at an iconic mythos, and a compelling performance from Cameron Cuffe, Krypton has been a real delight this season and it has only scratched the surface of what it will hopefully achieve next year.
Photo Credit: Linda Kallerus/Netflix from Iron Fist
9. Iron Fist
Undoubtedly the most underrated of Marvel’s Netflix shows, Iron Fist received quite a lot of negative feedback when its premiere season debuted last year. Whether fans had an issue with the storyline, the universe’s consistent reliance on the same recurring villain or the pacing issues, they quickly saw the newcomer as the weakest link.
However, after appearing in The Defenders, Danny Rand made a triumphant return in the second season of Iron Fist in September of this year, where he proved that he was no weak link. The season saw him fully embrace his supernatural powers as he becomes the hero he was always destined to be, protecting New York City from all types of crime. Unfortunately for him, an old friend (Davos), grows jealous of Danny’s role as the Iron Fist and that jealousy ultimately leads him down a dark path.
While it does struggles with issues of its own, Iron Fist‘s second season is a vast improvement over the first. With a more personal storyline, actor Finn Jones is given much juicier material to work with while Jessica Henwick continues to prove why she is the show’s MVP with another strong turn as Colleen Wing. Furthermore, Season 2 doesn’t suffer quite as much from pacing issues – thanks in no small part to the reduced episode count.
Unfortunately, the fact that the show had finally found it footing makes its abrupt cancellation all the more upsetting. The show itself may not have gotten off to the strongest start, but Season 2 was undoubtedly one of Marvel’s best Netflix outings in recent memory.
Photo Credit: The Tick/Amazon Studios
8. The Tick
There is no more appropriate way to sum up The Tick than with the age old “it’s so bad, it’s good.” However, the beauty about this show is that it’s fully self-aware of its own ridiculousness and, as a result, it uses that to its advantage.
Created exclusively for Amazon video, the show debuted six episodes during the summer of 2017 before returning to air the second half of its premiere season at the beginning of this year. It centers on the titular character – a mysteriously nigh invulnerable superhero with no recollection of who or what he was before becoming a superhero. Whether or not the show intends to explain his origins remain to be seen but, if it continues to produce such out there offerings, it could easily get away without doing so.
With tongue-in-cheek characters, witty dialogue, purposely questionable CGI and a villain known simply as “The Terror,” The Tick is, in many ways, like one of the corny superhero TV shows from the late ’90s that kept you hooked throughout each episode – the only difference is that this show knows exactly what it is doing and thus, it knows how to continually subvert our expectations. It’s intentionally bad and, in being so, it’s incredibly clever.
As the character himself originated as a superhero spoof, it’s no surprise that the show adopts such a boisterous and satirical approach. Given that The Tick’s creator was also behind the TV series, it’s exactly what it should be, and so much more.
The second part of Season 1 is every bit as whacky as its predecessor and it has only left us more ready from the show’s eventual second season.
Black Lightning — “Equinox: The Book of Fate” — Image BLK107b_0378b.jpg — Pictured: Cress Williams as Black Lightning — Photo: Mark Hill/The CW — © 2018 The CW Network, LLC. All rights reserved.
7. Black Lightning
The CW’s newest superhero show made a huge impression on fans and critics when its electrifying first season arrived at the beginning of the year and received universal acclaim.
The series centers on retired superhero Jefferson Pierce, who now devotes his time to helping the young people of Freeland as the principal of Garfield High School. However, when the level of crime accelerates at an alarming rate (due to the rise of The 100 gang), Jefferson is forced to take a stand and protect his family, his community and his city from the violence. As a result, he breaks a promise that he made to his wife almost a decade prior and once again becomes Black Lightning.
With the ability to harness electricity, the veteran hero makes a shocking impression on the evildoers, attracting the attention of media outlets, the police and even his old nemesis Tobias Whale.
Renowned for its gritty realism, Black Lightning is a far cry to some of The CW’s other superhero shows and, although it is produced by Arrowverse mastermind, Greg Berlanti, it is set in a completely separate universe, allowing it to have complete freedom in regards to the events that take place. Furthermore, this lends itself nicely to the more realistic tone, as the series has tackled many important real-life issues, including racism.
With a strong hero that is equally matched by a strong villain, and an underlying feud that eventually brings them together, Black Lightning is a revelation that only gets better as it goes on.
In case you hadn’t heard, “Black Lightning’s back!”.
LEGION — “Chapter 18” – Season 2, Episode 10 (Airs Tuesday, June 5, 10:00 pm/ep) — Pictured: Dan Stevens as David Haller. CR: Suzanne Tenner/FX
6. Legion
There are few shows that manage to seduce us with their writing in the way that Legion does. On the surface, it’s a superhero show about mutants (that is linked to the X-Men movie franchise), but underneath all that, it’s an intellectual enigma that manages to subvert our expectations with ease – intricately plotting out the narrative with such extreme detail that plotholes are impossible to find.
Following on from its acclaimed first season, Season 2 reintroduces us to protagonist, David Haller – who makes his long-awaited return after spending the whole year in an orb (yes, it’s as bizarre as it sounds). He soon realizes that his allies have joined forces with the antagonistic Division 3 in an attempt to stop the real villain, Amahl Farouk – the Shadow King. With that, we are immediately thrown into another enthralling adventure that, as expected, takes a lot of jarring twists.
The writers are once again able to rely on Haller’s questionable perception to highlight his unreliability as a narrator and thus, we often end up forming thoughts and feelings about something, only to discover later that things didn’t exactly work out as he explained them – that is a testament to the rich character that they have created and to Dan Stevens’ award-worthy performance.
Despite having slightly more episodes than Season 1, the pacing with this show is never off. It may not reach the incredible highs of its predecessor, but it comes very close as the writers delivered another engaging, edge-of-seat thriller that kept us guessing the whole way throughout.
Titans — Ep. 105 — Photo Credit: Christos Kalohoridis / 2018 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
5. Titans
It’s safe to say that when the first trailer for Titans dropped back at Comic-Con, not many people were particularly excited for it. In fact, a lot of our dreams had been crushed by the preview. After all, we had waited the guts of four years to see it come to life and now, instead of getting loyal versions of these characters, we had an intentionally moody show that was trying too hard to be cutting-edge with violence and bad language. Thankfully, the show itself turned out to be much better than expected.
Based on DC’s Teen Titans, the show features four of their most iconic heroes, Robin, Raven, Starfire and Beast Boy. Centering on the origins of the mysterious Rachel Roth, the show follows Detective Dick Grayson as he attempts to locate the missing girl – a decision that eventually unites the beloved foursome.
While the initial few episodes did suffer from some of the issues that were apparent in the trailer, with too much gratuitous violence, the show has single-handedly managed to improve with every single episode and, right now, it may just be DC’s best show. Intentionally slow-moving, the plot is compelling and the characters are interesting – each one haunted by their own demons that they are forced to face at some point or another. And this all comes to life thanks to its magnificent cast, especially Brenton Thwaites who does a great job as Robin.
With everything working against it, Titans managed to defy expectations in a huge way and it is still overcoming those odds on a weekly basis. It started good, became great and is currently on its way to being brilliant. As dark as the show may be, the future is bright for Titans.
GOTHAM: L-R: Guest star Cameron Monaghan and David Mazouz in the ÒA Dark Knight: No ManÕs LandÓ season finale episode of GOTHAM airing Thursday, May 17 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2018 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Giovanni Rufino / FOX
4. Gotham
DC’s Batman prequel may be getting ready to come to an end with its fifth and final season next year, but its impending conclusion didn’t stop the show from going all out this year. In fact, Gotham only aired 11 episodes in the year and still managed to make an unforgettable impact. Yes, it was that good.
Much like they had been doing since the show premiered, the writers continued to rewrite Batman’s origin story, employing various recognisable characters to run roughshod over the city throughout the year. The rise of Ra’s al Ghul changed things up significantly while Lee’s new role as Queen of the Narrows saw her clash with Carmine Falcone’s formidable (and unhinged) daughter, Sofia Falcone.
However, the most game-changing storyline saw the return of the man we thought was destined to become The Joker, Jerome Valeska, in a storyline that shockingly revealed he had an equally disturbed twin brother, Jeremiah – who, in a matter of episodes, went on to become the greatest Big Bad that the show had ever produced.
With all this going on, and the on-again off-again turf war between fan favourites Ed and Oswald, it’s safe to say that Jim Gordon, Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth and Selina Kyle had an unforgettable year. And the consecutive final few episodes set up what is going to be an incredibly interesting final season.
Gotham has now reached a stage where it has nothing left to lose, and this has proven to beneficial as it isn’t afraid to rewrite history, change direction and tackle the craziest adventures you’ll ever see a young Batman face. It’s every bit as grim, gritty and great that you could hope for, proving why it truly is one of DC’s finest TV properties.
Photo Credit: Arrow/The CW Image Acquired from CWTVPR
3. Arrow
Arrow‘s offering this year has consisted of the second half of its sixth season and the first half of its seventh. Like The Flash, it didn’t really get off to the best of starts as it was hampered by a convoluted civil war between the original members of Oliver’s team and the newbies. However, the good thing about starting so low was that it could only get it better, and it successfully turned things around in a surprisingly short amount of time, kick-starting a run of success that has yet to wear off.
Focusing on both the rise of Big Bad, Ricardo Diaz and the redemption of Earth-2’s Laurel Lance, Black Siren, the season hurtled towards a gritty conclusion that produced one of the strongest set of consecutive episodes in the show’s history. And the events of the game-changing finale set up an even more promising season.
Season 7 changed the show’s dynamic completely, dealing with Oliver Queen’s imprisonment at Slabside Maximum Security Prison as he attempts to live out his conviction alongside many of the men he put behind bars as the Green Arrow – all while his family and friends are doing their utmost to survive in a world without him.
After years of lackluster storytelling and dodgy writing, Arrow has found its groove again. It’s dark, it’s gritty and it isn’t afraid to be violent whenever it needs to be. This right here, this is the Arrow we all fell in love with back during its first season. Let’s just hope that it can maintain that success all the way through 2019 as well.
Photo Credit: Show/The CW Image Acquired from CWTVPR
2. DC’s Legends Of Tomorrow
If you take a moment to think about the most absurd, off-the-wall, bizarre adventure you could possibly come up with, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow has probably already beaten you to it. The show is renowned for throwing anything and everything at the wall just to see what sticks, and usually, it’s a work of bizarre genius.
Like the rest of the Arrowverse shows, Legends provided us with two half-seasons throughout 2018. However, unlike those other shows, it managed to maintain the high standard the whole way throughout – and that is a feat that deserves a lot of credit.
The second half of Season 3 saw the time-traveling misfits go up against an ancient time demon. Still hurting from losing two of their own, the mourning superheroes were forced to take down the demon while also dealing with the threat of former Big Bad, Damien Darhk and his possessed daughter, Nora. The history, connections and developments here allowed the writers to explore some dark and personal territory that the show had never touched upon, and it really added a unique layer of seriousness to the otherwise comedic series. Then it went and concluded with a battle between horned demon and a stuffed toy, because why the heck not, right?
However, that memorable adventure only led to an even crazier fourth season, as more mythical beasts made their presence felt across time. From a bloodthirsty unicorn to a giant octopus, you name it and Legends tackled it. And from what we’ve seen so far, that’s only scratching the surface of what’s to come.
Legends of Tomorrow is that guilty pleasure of a show that makes you laugh uncontrollably, smile wholeheartedly and just stare at the television in confusion. And it’s the one that you shudder at the thought of ever having to explain to your friends – because words just couldn’t do it justice.
From the introduction of Beebo to the return of John Constantine, there was so much to love about Legends of Tomorrow this year and if its 2019 offerings are even remotely as ludicrous as what it gave us this year, then we’re in for one heck of a ride. To the Waverider!
Photo Credit: Daredevil/Nicole Rivelli Image Acquired from Netflix Media Center
1. Daredevil
Daredevil‘s first season was the stuff of legend, delivering an intricately plotted story that never once veered too far off-track, naturally placing corrupt obstacle after corrupt obstacle in the way of The Devil Of Hell’s Kitchen in an attempt to stop him from cleansing the city of its sin. The second season started out even better, with four outstanding episodes focusing on The Punisher before it unfortunately hit a midseason lull that it only recovered from at the very end.
Thankfully, Season 3 has brought Daredevil back to where it needs to be. After the shocking events of The Defenders, Matt Murdock eventually makes his return to Hell’s Kitchen, following the release of archenemy Wilson Fisk. However, as you can imagine, he’s not the same man he once was. But his physical limitations aren’t the only thing bothering him as he struggles with a lot of internal conflict, especially when it comes to returning to his life as Daredevil.
With a compelling storyline that could very well match its first season, excellent leading performance from Charlie Cox and the return of one of Marvel’s all-time greatest villains (not to mention the heavily anticipated rise of Bullseye), Daredevil Season 3 is a return to form for the show and it just highlights why it may always be the best that Netflix/Marvel has to offer.
With Gothic imagery and beautifully choreographed fight scenes, it’s a visual masterpiece. But this isn’t a case of style over substance because there is so much below that wonderfully Gothic surface. It’s dark, it’s thrilling and it’s the epitome of everything that a gritty superhero show should be. There is little to critique here: the Devil’s of Hell’s Kitchen has returned with a vengeance, and he’s back where he belongs – at the top of the superhero TV landscape.
Which of 2018’s superhero TV shows did you think was the best? Are you excited for what 2019 has to offer? Let us know in the comments below!