IT’S BEEN A BUSY TIME FOR THE WORLD OF SUPERHEROES, with the release of Avengers: Endgame, the continuation of the CW’s Arrowverse, and the debut of DC’s official streaming service, DC Universe. There are tons of different shows, movies, and games to experience for fans of superheroes and a good portion of them are worth the time. I myself watch at least a dozen such TV programs, enjoying them for the most part, and I have decided to rank the top 10 best superhero shows of 2019 for you. Now, this list will not include shows I havn’t watched (like Black Lightning and the brand-new Swamp Thing show), but everything else is fair game. Without further ado, I give you my list.
10. Arrow (Season 7)
Following hot on the heels of its worst season thus far, Arrow had an interesting concept coming into this year. Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) was in prison for his crimes, and a mysterious new figure had taken up the mantle of Green Arrow. Unfortunately, it completely failed to capitalize on its potential and floundered for another year. The unwelcome continuation of villain Ricardo Diaz (Kirk Acevedo) and the introduction of Emiko (Sea Shimooka) did nothing to improve the show. By the end of the season, Emiko and her villainous organization, the Ninth Circle, felt completely undeveloped and boring. On top of that, a bleak, confusing, and tedious look into the future of Star City did nothing to fix things for the flagship CW superhero show.
9. The Flash (Season 5)
More so than the last entry on this list, the Flash really did seem like it had a fantastic opportunity to be great in 2019. The introduction of Nora Allen (Jessica Parker-Kennedy), the daughter of Barry (Grant Gustin) and Iris (Candice Patton) from the future, was intriguing, and the return of Eobard Thawne (Tom Cavanaugh) was a welcome one. However, season five of the Scarlet Speedster’s show tripped over its own feet by extending the fight against Cicada, a meta-human serial killer, across an entire year. Chris Klein’s acting was terrible, and the storyline was painfully repetitive. Despite this, the finale was a solid hour of television, and that episode redeemed some of what came before it. I remain cautiously optimistic for season six.
8. DC’s Legends of Tomorrow (Season 4)
Every other show on this list, from here on, is genuinely good. Sadly, Legends was just not quite good enough for me to rank it higher. Focusing on a mission to find and capture displaced magical creatures across time, the Legends came back from hiatus as strong as the ended. For a while, this was probably the show on this list I was enjoying the most. Constantine (Matt Ryan) and Nora Darhk (Courtney Ford) made perfect additions to the cast, and the premise allowed for many wacky situations. Unfortunately, the introduction of Mona (Ramona Young) dragged the entire ship down. She was annoying, childish, and poorly developed. In the latter half of the season, the increased focus on a bad character hurt Legends of Tomorrow greatly. It was still good, but it was not as good as it could have been.
7. The Punisher (Season 2)
The final run of Marvel’s “Punisher” on Netflix was better than the first season. Featuring two storylines, one involving the hunt for a young girl under Frank Castle’s protection (Jon Bernthal) and the other seeing the return of Billy Russo (Ben Barnes), it was a well-paced and engaging show throughout. The only real downside I had while watching was that the two storylines do not overlap in any way, leaving a strange disconnect within the plot. The highlight of the season is Billy and Frank’s ongoing battle and quest to understand each other, and both actors are phenomenal in their roles.
6. Supergirl (Season 4)
I’ll be the first to say that I completely underestimated this show. Up until this season, I have not really loved Supergirl. It was alright, with fun plotlines and interesting characters, but nothing great. This year, it became the best of the CW Arrowverse. Featuring Ben Lockwood (Sam Witwer) and Lex Luthor (Jon Cryer), season four saw Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) do battle with an anti-alien group as well as a darker, confused version of herself. Some elements were mishandled, including the continued insistence that James Olsen (Mechad Brookes) should be on the show, but it was a great year. It was the same show, but it felt more focused and well-plotted. It was easily the best of the CW shows this year.
5. Doom Patrol (Season 1)
Arriving after the conclusion of the inferior “Titans”, DC Universe’s second original series proved an incredibly enjoyable show. It’s weird, it’s full of character, and there’s a sense of introspection in all the character arcs. Unlike some shows which prioritize action and bloodshed, Doom Patrol is a superhero show which spent more time on relationships and overcoming the horrid lives which its main characters had led. Many of the actors are very talented, and I can’t wait to see what they do with a second season should they get one. It is well deserved.
4. Agents of Shield (Season 6)
A constant dark horse candidate for best TV show currently on air, Agents of Shield is the only one on this list which is still on. Ever since its fourth season, this show has been firing on all cylinders, and though it has yet to finish, I believe in it enough to go ahead and rank it fourth place here. I love Agents of Shield, and it is a consistently surprising, emotional, and endearing show which has proven time and again how great TV should be.
3. The Umbrella Academy (Season 1)
I watched ten episodes of Netflix’s original in one sitting. I have no regrets. It is a very enjoyable and well-written saga about a nearing apocalypse, and the characters are very well-rounded. Even the people who I started out hating ended up being interesting. Some have said the pacing is a bit wonky, and they may be right, but that isn’t a huge problem. There has not been a show that surprised me quite so much as this one, and I eagerly await the sophomore run.
2. Young Justice (Season 3)
Also known as “Outsiders”, the third season of animated superhero show Young Justice saw its return after around eight years. This was the reason I downloaded the DC Universe app, and it was worth it. Young Justice has not missed a beat since its cancelation, bringing back its amazing characters and incredibly complex plotlines. This is not a show which you can just casually start watching in the new season, but for those of us who have seen it all, it remains amazing. Only half of the season has aired thus far, and it returns in July.
1. Cloak and Dagger (Season 2)
Costarring Olivia Holt and Aubrey Joseph as the titular superheroes, this Freeform series has been simply phenomenal for two years in a row. After the first season, I had high hopes going into this year, and I was not let down. The show has great acting, musical cues, visuals, and so much more going for it that I can barely express it with a simple paragraph. Season 2 of Cloak and Dagger sees Tandy and Tyrone encountering Mayhem (Emma Lahanna), the hate-filled doppelganger of Brigid O’Reilly, while simultaneously having to deal with kidnapped girls from the streets of New Orleans. This season has more power usage than the first, especially for Tyrone, and the mystical is more prominent. All of these factors benefit a show which, at its peak, is easily one of the best things on TV. Cloak and Dagger is an underrated series that has yet to get renewed, but no show on this list is more deserving of another season.
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