Worst to First: Ranking the "Arrowverse" Superhero TV Shows

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https://lebeauleblog.com/2017/11/10/...o-tv-shows/11/

4. Legends of Tomorrow

Ran from: January 21, 2016 – present

Channel: The CW

Heroes: Firestorm, the Atom, White Canary, Hawkman and Hawkgirl, Heatwave, Vixen, Citizen Steel

Villains: Vandal Savage and the Legion of Doom

Notable Guest Stars: Characters culled from the other CW shows

What’s Good: Of all the superhero shows out there, Legends of Tomorrow has the craziest premise. The show started by assembling some of the more memorable guest stars from Arrow and The Flash and then putting them all on a time machine. The line-up has changed as characters have been written out and new characters have replaced them. Over time, the tone of the show has gotten goofier and that’s a good thing. From week to week, you never know what to expect from Legends. But after an uneven first season, the show has been consistently entertaining.

What’s Bad: While not as straight-up silly as the sixties Batman, Legends mixes a lot of humor in to its superheroes. The team creates most of its own problems. The time-travel premise creates massive plot holes that you can either choose to ignore or let them ruin your enjoyment of the show.

Verdict: Not for everyone, but Legends can be a fun deep dive into the DC Universe.

3. Arrow

Ran from: October 10, 2012 – present

Channel: The CW

Heroes: Green Arrow, Arsenal, Speedy, several Black Canaries, Mister Terrific, Wild Dog

Villains: Malcom Merlyn, Deathstroke, Damien Darhk, Ra’s al Ghul, Prometheus

Notable Guest Stars: Most of the actors on the other Arrowverse shows started as guest stars here

What’s Good: Ever since Adam West, there have been attempts to make a Batman show without actually showing Batman. In a lot of ways, Arrow is the closest thing there is a to a serious Batman show. Olliver Queen is basically Bruce Wayne with a Robin Hood fixation. Over the show’s many seasons, it had learned to embrace the character’s comic book roots introducing villains like Deathstroke and heroes like the Atom.

Bonus Points for creating the Arrowverse.

What’s Bad: Arrow started off too dark for my tastes. During the first season, Arrow tried a bit too hard to be taken seriously. Oliver went by the “Arrow” moniker (no “green”) and killed pretty much anyone who got in his way. As the show has gone on, the lead character has become more heroic. But he’s still a pretty huge jerk a lot of the time and he still hasn’t taken killing his enemies completely off the table.

Verdict: As this list will show, I’m a pretty big fan of the Arrowverse. Of the four shows, Arrow is the most grounded. So if you like street-level superheroes, this is the show for you.

2. The Flash

Ran from: October 7, 2014 – present

Channel: The CW

Heroes: The Flash, Kid Flash, Vibe

Villains: Reverse Flash, Zoom, Savitar, Grodd

Notable Guest Stars: Amanda Pays and Mark Hamill reprised their roles from the 90’s Flash show and John Wesley Shipp has played both Barry’s father and the original Flash. The show has introduced heroes like Jesse Quick, Gypsy and even Elongated Man and villains like Captain Cold, Heatwave and the Weather Wizard

What’s Good: The Flash has always been one of the most hopeful of the heroes in the DC Universe. Barry Allen is anything but dark and gritty. The show gets the tone right. Yes, this is a CW show which means it has an impossibly good looking, young and ethnically diverse cast and the characters get involved in romantic subplots that wouldn’t feel out of place on a show like Gossip Girl. But considering the TV budget (a CW budget no less) The Flash packs in a lot of superhero goodness. The CGI effects wouldn’t cut it on the big screen, but in your living room it’s thrilling to see the Flash go toe to toe with an enemy like Gorilla Grodd. That’s not something the nineties show could have ever pulled off.

What’s Bad: If the CWness bothers you, you’re not likely to buy into any of the Arrowverse shows. Like Legends of Tomorrow, The Flash can get silly which may put off some viewers. And no matter what your tastes, there is no denying that after three season, the show has played out the evil speedster angle at least one time too many. The fourth season so far feels like a welcome course correction after a few missteps in season three.

Verdict: If you like DC Comics, you should be watching The Flash.

1. Supergirl

Ran from: October 26, 2015 – present

Channel: CBS (season 1) The CW (season 2-present)

Heroes: Supergirl, Martian Manhunter, Guardian, Mone-El

Villains: Non, Silver Banshee, Live Wire, Cyborg Superman, Lillian Luthor, Mister Mxyzptlk, Parasite, Metallo

Notable Guest Stars: Kara’s adoptive parents are played by former Superman Dean Cain and former Supergirl Helen Slater. The villain Indigo was played by Smallville’s Supergirl, Laura Vandervoort. Terri Hatcher and Kevin Sorbo played Mon-El’s parents and Lynda Carter plays the president. Calista Flockhart was a regular during the show’s first season on CBS but became a guest star when the show moved to Vancouver with the other CW shows. Tyler Hoechlin started playing Superman in the shows second season.

What’s Good: Television has struggled to do right by the Man of Steel. Modern special effects allow Supergirl to have adventures George Reeves never dreamed of. While the movies struggle with getting Superman right, Supergirl understands that its protagonists greatest superpower is her ability to inspire. As an added bonus, Supergirl gives under-served little girls a heroine they can look up to which is kind of a big deal.

What’s Bad: This is a CW/Arrowverse show with all that entails.

Verdict: I could easily swap Supergirl and The Flash as they both provide the kind of comic book adventures I am looking for. I am giving the Maid of Might a slight edge because pop culture needs more superheroines.