10 Great Superhero Series
(In Order of Preference)
Chosen by Jennifer AJ
The superheroes on our list not only save the world but also save viewers from bad writing and boring cliches. Here are 10 of the best superhero TV series ever to fly on the screen!
#10 Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013-2020)
Revolves around the adventures of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division) agents on the ground, led by Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) – who’s not dead after all following the events of 2012’s The Avengers. Long before Disney Plus, the ABC series was the first TV entry in the MCU. We follow these agents as they deal with the aftermath of the movies, from simple clean-up jobs to dispatching unfinished threats.
#9 Heroes (2006-2010)
Follows a group of strangers who discover that they possess various superpowers. Soon, they must band together to stop a psychopathic supervillain from destroying the world. The latter seasons never lived up to the excellent first season, but the NBC series leaves such an indelible impact with its taut storytelling, exciting plot twists and kinetic comic-book-style visuals.
#8 Peacemaker (2022-present)
First introduced in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, the John Cena character quickly becomes a fan favourite. The Max series retains the irreverent tone of Gunn’s superhero shenanigans. It sees the newly-recovered Peacemaker joining A.R.G.U.S. special task force “Project Butterfly” on a mission to stamp out parasitic butterfly-shaped aliens infecting human hosts all over the world.
#7 The Flash (2014-2023)
The just-ended DC series chronicles the adventures of Barry Allen (Grant Gustin), a forensic investigator who gains superhuman speed after being hit by lightning. The Scarlet Speedster uses his newfound power to fight crimes and battle other meta-humans out to wreak havoc.
#6 Arrow (2012-2020)
A DC comic adaptation revolving around billionaire turned vigilante Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell). Years after being presumed dead in an accident, Oliver returns to his hometown Starling City only to find it wrecked by criminals. He begins adopting the Green Arrow mantle to clean up the city, kickstarting what is now known as the Arrow-verse – a league of same-universe DC comic TV shows that also includes The Flash, Supergirl, and Legends of Tomorrow.
#5 Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995)
Though there are a million stories about the caped crusader, this animated series stands out thanks to its intricate writing, thematic richness, noirish art direction and stellar voice acting by Kevin Conroy as Batman and Mark Hamill as arc-nemesis Joker.
#4 Daredevil (2015-2018, 2024)
Vigilante by night, attorney by day. The acclaimed fan-favorite series’ trajectory hit a major skid when its original home Netflix parted ways with Marvel in 2018. However, we haven’t seen the last of Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) just yet; the blind crime fighter is set to return with Daredevil: Born Again, coming 2024.
#3 Loki (2021-present)
Started out as a nefarious trickster and ended up MCU’s most beloved antihero. In his multiple lives, Loki has been through it all. Even after his final-seeming death in Avengers: Infinity War, Loki gets a new leash in his MCU life: thanks to the Avengers’ time-travelling hijinks, he’s now stuck with the Time Variance Authority (TVA), a secret organisation monitoring the world’s timeline. Soon, he ends up in more time-hopping shenanigans with alternate versions of himself.
#2 WandaVision (2021)
In this cleverly experimental show-within-a-show, Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) somehow end up as a suburban couple straight out of a vintage sitcom. But all is not what it seems and soon, we find out the devastating secret behind their idyllic domestic haven.
#1 The Boys (2019-present)
Superheroes are narcissistic, rowdy celebrities managed by the same global corporation in this explosive (and expletive) ridden show. Unlike the other benevolent heroes on our list, this show offers a bleak take where these heroes do more damage to society than protect it. Now, it’s up to our eponymous band of vigilantes to take them down. Smart and subversive, this comic adaptation offers a scathing commentary on our superpower-crazed culture.
Published on September 4th, 2023. Written by Jennifer Ariesta for Television Heaven.
