Every DC Comics TV Show Currently On Air Ranked From Worst To Best

We've ranked Marvel's current crop of TV shows, but due to popular demand, here you will find a breakdown of Warner Bros.' DC and Vertigo Comics adaptations. The order may surprise you...

By JoshWilding - Oct 13, 2016 08:10 AM EST

Filed Under: DC

Earlier this week, I ranked each of the Marvel TV shows which have been released since the creation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Warner Bros. obviously has a much longer history on the small screen when it comes to their superheroes, but there are a total of eight currently on the air which are based either on DC Comics properties or titles released through the company's Vertigo imprint.

It's a varied and diverse list of titles, but regardless of whether they're on AMC, Fox, or The CW, not all of them are winners. Some are in fact pretty bad, but others have managed to soar to heights that not even the studio's big screen adaptations have managed to reach so far. With a long list of other comic book TV shows in development from Warner Bros. though, they're all going to need to up their games.

What you'll find here is a ranking of all the DC/Verigo shows currently on the air from worst to best.

8. Lucifer

We cover a lot of different properties here on CBM, but there's a good reason you rarely see anything Lucifer related. Nobody cares! It was clear from the start that this wouldn't be a particularly faithful adaptation of the Neil Gaiman penned comic book series, but you have to give the show at least some credit for managing to score a second season. Most just assumed it would be cancelled after a few episodes, but like a lot of Fox dramas, it seems to have found the right mixture of mainstream and middlebrow.

Lucifer isn't particularly original and is basically just a procedural, but it still seems to bring enough fresh (well, half stale) ideas to the table to keep people coming back each week. It's just a shame that it's never lived up to what it could have been because that would have been something worth getting excited about. As things stand, it continues to fly under the radar not making much of an impact on anyone.

Gotham had the potential to be a compelling crime drama revolving around the early years of characters like Jim Gordon and The Penguin, and while those two have often been the focal point, neither of their stories have played out in a satisfying manner. The same could be said for everyone in the show of course, whether it's Bruce Wayne's tedious investigation into the murder of his parents or Poison Ivy's sudden transformation from little girl to femme fatale.

Gotham has alienated fans thanks to a showrunner who seemingly has disdain for the source material and the decision to introduce many of Batman's greatest enemies years before Bruce dons the cape and cowl. This series should have been Gotham Central, but instead it's a horribly cheesy and silly knock off of the Tim Burton movies and feels both outdated and ridiculous as a result. Honestly, the fact it's been around for three years is mind-blowing.

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6. iZombie

iZombie doesn't seem to get anywhere near as much press as the other DC Comics shows on The CW, but you know what, it's pretty good. Entertaining and very charming, I almost feel bad about not placing it higher (especially as it's a million times better than both Lucifer and Gotham), but there's a good chance it often flies under the radar because...well, it's just a tad too generic.

The procedural element of the series definitely works for it, but episodes frequently seem to blur into one and the quality of the cases Liv sets out to solve often vary massively. Season two was an improvement in terms of the overarching storyline which ran throughout to be fair, and it set up a lot of pretty exciting things for the series when it returns to The CW early next year. If you haven't given iZombie a watch yet, it's well worth checking out, though I wouldn't say to prioritise it over the many others shows on your to-do lists.

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5. Legends of Tomorrow

I liked Legends of Tomorrow more than most, but there's no denying that there's a lot of room for improvement. Based on what we've seen of Albert Einstein in the season two premiere, the show still has some way to go before it finds the right tone, but you have to admit that it had a lot of great moments during the first year. It's to the show's credit that it took two villains like Captain Cold and Heat Wave and made them extremely likeable, while the dynamic between the various team members has also been a lot of fun to watch.

It sometimes feels like it's a little ambitious for a series on The CW, but if you didn't get a kick out of gigantic Atom battling a massive robot regardless of the CGI quality, what's wrong with you? Legends of Tomorrow is by no means perfect, but season two is shaping up to be pretty exciting, and the show is a lot of fun even if it perhaps hasn't lived up to its full potential.

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4. Arrow

Arrow stumbled out of the gate but later found its feet and delivered an incredible second season which saw Oliver Queen go to war with Deathstroke. Unfortunately, the show has never been able to top what came before, and both Ra's al Ghul and Damien Darhk proved to be major disappointments. Some baffling creative decisions like "Olicity" and the death of Black Canary have really hurt the series since then, and while it's still had some great moments, it feels clear now that some serious changes need to be made.

Thankfully, that's exactly what season five has delivered so far with a fresh new team of vigilantes and a Green Arrow who has resorted to his more brutal methods of crimefighting. With only a year left of those tedious flashbacks left, things for Arrow could be about to turn around, but before writing this one off, it's important to note that it still often does a lot more right than wrong.

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3. Supergirl

The first season of Supergirl was very hit and miss, especially with some lousy big bads like Kara's aunt and Maxwell Lord. Based on what we've seen from season two so far, CADMUS will be a much better foe for the Girl of Steel, and between that, the debut of Superman, and Kara's new role as a reporter, the show's future potential has played a big role in why it's place so highly here.

Of course, it's also important to note that the first year had some great moments. The action scenes in particular were excellent, while Melissa Benoist as Supergirl is arguably one of the best casting decisions made by a live-action comic book adaptation in quite some time (even if some fans wanted a pornstar lookalike in the role). Martian Manhunter was also a hit, while scenes like the one which saw the hero delivering an inspirational message to the citizens of National City went a long way in proving this show has the potential to soar.

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2. Preacher

I went in to Preacher knowing very little about the comic book series it's based on, but regardless of whether you're a longtime fan or newcomer to the property, it's fair to say the first season delivered. It was by no means perfect to be fair as the slow pace caused the first few episodes in particular to really drag, but when it got going and found its feet, Preacher definitely delivered in a big way. That motel room fight scene was a thing of beauty, while Jesse Custer coming to terms with his abilities made for compelling viewing.

The cast was also terrific, and while the first season was in many ways just a prequel to the story which plays out in the source material, it did a solid job of establishing both this world and those who inhabit it. Whether or not Preacher will maintain a position as high as this during its second year remains to be seen, but it has the potential to be something truly special. The next Breaking Bad? Maybe.

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1. The Flash

What else? The Flash isn't always perfect, but when the show delivers, it does so in a big way. The Reverse-Flash remains one of the best villains to ever grace a comic book adaptation, while the way the series has handled both time travel and alternate realities has been great fun to watch (even if it does sometimes get a little confusing). While it's true that The Flash sometimes gets a little melodramatic or soap opera-ish, it has a ton of heart, and I find it hard to believe that even the hardest hearted comic book fan hasn't had a tear in their eye at some point while watching the show!

When The Flash was first announced, many worried if a TV budget could do the Scarlet Speedster justice, but that's an area it frequently excels in; just look at the likes of Grodd and King Shark! With a slightly altered reality in place for season three, it looks like we can expect to see The Flash continue to deliver fast-paced greatness.

Do you agree with this ranking of DC and Vertigo's TV shows or do you have your own take? As always, be sure to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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116 Comments

1 2 3

LordHarryLatts - 10/13/2016, 9:05 AM

After I read you say nobody cares about Lucifer....which is obviously not true....I just yelled the usual "Eff you and you next articles, a-hole".

SimplyAz - 10/13/2016, 9:20 AM

@LordHarryLatts -

As if the next articles were not bad enough, he has to put his horrible and obnoxious points of view in them.

JoshWilding - 10/13/2016, 10:09 AM

@SimplyAz - That's the point of an opinion piece, genius.

SimplyAz - 10/13/2016, 10:18 AM

@JoshWilding -

"....We cover a lot of different properties here on CBM, but there's a good reason you rarely see anything Lucifer related. Nobody cares!........"

Sensationalism is quite apparent in this articles, but you are the pantomime villain of this site.

"....He's behind you......."

blackandyellow - 10/13/2016, 9:08 AM

1. iZombie
2. Gotham
3. Flash

Nitric - 10/13/2016, 9:09 AM

Honestly never read the lucider comic but I gotta say I find the show very entertaining. More so than preacher another show fhat I've never read the comic. Although don't get me wrong I like it. If anyone can tell me the name of the Lucifer comic I'd check It out.

SimplyAz - 10/13/2016, 9:14 AM

@Nitric -

He was a supporting character in Sandman and has a ongoing comic series named Lucifer.

Kevwebsz - 10/13/2016, 9:11 AM

Just finished the most recent flash. More timeline talk and speeches about family. The Flash and Arrow and becoming stale.

Nitric - 10/13/2016, 9:12 AM

Also side note. Sometimes I'll see an article I'd like to read and then see it's by Josh and I won't bother clicking. Every time I do it's straight clickbate. Title will say one thing and the article itself is a bunch of bull barely justifying if at all the title. Might wanna work on that dude.

tb86 - 10/13/2016, 9:12 AM

1) The Flash
2) Arrow
3) Legends of Tomorrow
4) Supergirl
Haven't seen the other shows and only saw a few episodes of Gotham. I prefer the DC Universe rather than anything DC that isn't existing in the same universe as Batman, Superman or Justice League though I did like the movie Watchmen.

blackandyellow - 10/13/2016, 9:19 AM

I finished season 2 last night. Barry needs to quit crying so much just because his dad got murdered in front of him. Princess Leia's whole planet got blown up in front of her and she never cried or even mentioned it.

2013venjix - 10/13/2016, 9:21 AM

THE FLASH FTW!!

1 2 3

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Every DC Comics TV Show Currently On Air Ranked From Worst To Best

We've ranked Marvel's current crop of TV shows, but due to popular demand, here you will find a breakdown of Warner Bros.' DC and Vertigo Comics adaptations. The order may surprise you...

8. Lucifer

7. Gotham

6. iZombie

5. Legends of Tomorrow

4. Arrow

3. Supergirl

2. Preacher

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