3. Swamp Thing
It’s hard to talk about Swamp Thing without getting unnecessarily emotional over its senseless cancellation after just one season, but that shouldn’t stop of us from recalling just how good the, well, horrific show was.
Focusing on the returning Abby Arcane, the 10-episode show detailed the mysteries that surrounded a swamp in Louisiana and, more specifically the swamp-borne virus that seemed to have developed from it and killed a number of people.
Naturally, all of this swamp-based imagery lent itself nicely to the show, which adopted more of a harrowing tone. And that right there is what set it apart from other modern superhero shows.
Sure, thanks in no small part of the DC Universe itself, there are plenty of mature comic book shows on screens today, but the thing that made Swamp Thing stand out was how it took its cues from the horror genre and, in turn, produced an at-times terrifying show.
Swamp Thing could have fallen on its own sword and become one of the many campy colorful images associated with the character – after all, the concept is somewhat far-fetched. However, it didn’t do any of that. Instead it provided viewers with a thrilling tale that focused solely on the well-developed characters and leaned on horror when it came to the supernatural aspects – a stroke of genius that produced a horrifying work of art.
We’ll miss you, Swamp Thing.