You can't shoot an arrow on TV these days without hitting a series that was adapted from a comic book, with the majority of the fare falling somewhere beneath the overarching banner of "superhero drama." From Marvel's Daredevil to The CW's Arrow to Fox's Gotham, almost every network has a superhero series, and if they don't, they will soon enough. But how do the different series stack up against each other? We love ranking things on the internet, and so in honor of National Superhero Day (it's a thing, I swear), I've gathered TV's biggest, boldest, and brightest super-powered shows and ranked them from least good to absolute best. Do you agree or disagree? And did I miss a current series that you think should fall under this umbrella?







6. Gotham (Fox)

Gotham is a superhero show in the sense that it exists within the DC Universe and features characters present in the comic books, but there's no dodging the fact the Fox drama is the weakest addition to this list. Ben McKenzie's Jim Gordon was a compelling jumping off point for Gotham, but the Fox drama is populated with too many lifeless characters who take themselves far too seriously for a series that also employs the use of Baby Batman and Baby Catwoman. The Penguin's arc has kept Gotham from being labeled a total trainwreck, but then you remember that Fish Mooney also exists, and so here we are in dead last.



5. Arrow (The CW)

A year ago, Arrow likely would have taken the lead spot on this list, but the battle for Oliver Queen's humanity that has consumed Season 3 is a step down from the wild ride the series presented in Season 2, thanks to the commanding presence of Manu Bennett's Slade Wilson. Ra's al Ghul has failed to live up to the hype in a storyline that's supported by the flimsiest of foundations, while characters like Felicity have been dragged through the mud to service Oliver's ongoing struggle with identity. The lone highlight to this underwhelming season is Oliver's bond with Thea, but that can't carry a series that doesn't seem to care about everything that once made it great.



4. Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC)

After a strong finish to its freshman season, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has been consistently entertaining and largely on-point in terms of quality in Season 2. By introducing fun new characters like Bobbi Morse and Lance Hunter, the series has expanded its core cast, while still allowing room for original agents to grow. But as fun as Season 2 has been, the series is still far from perfect. The character responsible for Season 1's exciting end (Brett Dalton's Grant Ward) was largely sidelined, while the introduction of the Inhumans and a second version of S.H.I.E.L.D. led to several episodes of exposition that slowed momentum. Still, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. remains a fun exercise in making a superhero series about the little guys who are super.





3. Marvel's Agent Carter (ABC)

If you're asking why Marvel's Agent Carter is on this list, then you probably didn't watch Marvel's Agents Carter and that's a damn shame. Tight writing, intriguing villains, and a vibrant and self-confident heroine made Agent Carter one of the most exciting series this year. Hayley Atwell's titular character was a unicorn in the 1940s as the lone female agent in the Strategic Scientific Reserve, and Agent Carter stands alone again as the only series on this list to be headlined by a woman. When Peggy wasn't busy kicking ass and solving problems like it was no big deal, she was staring down the sexism of the era and putting her colleagues in their place. In the end, Peggy didn't even need credit for saving the world, which is how you know she was a true superhero.





2. The Flash (The CW)

The difference between the two series at the top of this list probably comes down to a matter of personal taste, because they're equally impressive. The Flash embraces its comic-book origins and uses them to its advantage to showcase a young man who willingly and excitedly throws himself into the role of being a superhero. Barry Allen and The Flash stand out, especially when compared to the tortured existence of say, Arrow's Oliver Queen, by offering a thrilling, lighter look at the genre. The series has also found a way to successfully mesh a compelling overarching plot with episodic elements, like the metahumans of the week, which allows for plenty of fun cameos.





1. Marvel's Daredevil (Netflix)

In contrast to The Flash, the darkness that surrounds Marvel's Daredevil is gripping and often suffocating, but it's also one of the series' greatest strengths. Existing outside the limits of broadcast television not only allows Daredevil to take risks in terms of its stylized violence, but also in its pulpy storytelling. The care that's given to the rise of Charlie Cox's Daredevil is also given to Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin, which creates a well-rounded world for the series to play in, and it's one that isn't often explored in a superhero series. An excellent supporting cast, incredible action sequences, and the know-how to successfully incorporate flashbacks, all combine to make Daredevil the best superhero drama on TV.





Okay, now it's your turn. What's the best superhero show on TV right now? And let's see your rankings in the comments.





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