Every DC Universe original show ranked from worst to best

4. Doom Patrol

Titans may have had its beginner’s issues, but it concluded with such a strong selection of episodes that it set the bar rather high for anything that came next. And yet Doom Patrol didn’t need to worry about matching those heights, because it didn’t set the bar – it obliterated the bar.

The Titans spin-off was such an eclectic blend of humor, maturity, emotional trauma and wackiness, that it was either going to be a huge hit or a colossal failure – simply put: There was no in-between. Thankfully, it was the former and, as a result, DC Universe (and subsequently HBO Max) produced something that can only be described as comic book TV’s most unexpectedly pleasant surprise.

An ensemble piece that highlights the struggles of Cliff Steele – a NASCAR racer who only survived a car accident because his brain was transplanted into a robotic body – the show uses his newfound residency at the house of Dr. Niles Caulder (a.k.a. “Chief”) to showcase how he isn’t the only one struggling with a past trauma. And it is through his friendships with unique characters like Larry Trainor (Negative Man), Rita Farr, “Crazy Jane” and Victor Stone (Cyborg) that this “Robotman” realizes that he isn’t alone – something that ultimately spurs the group to become the world’s second-most unlikely team of superheroes.

DC Universe’s answer to Legends of Tomorrow, the show is a loud and in-your-face mixture of elements that just shouldn’t go together. It’s crude, emotional, mature and light-hearted all at once. It is, quite simply, ingenious.

When its final episodes air on Max in October, it will be the end of an era, but we have no doubt that Doom Patrol will go out in its own bonkers style.