When people think of superhero shows, they often think of the DC Animated Universe, the CW’s Arrowverse, Spider-Man: The Animated Series, or X-Men: The Animated Series. While those franchises helped establish many superhero icons, there are plenty of superhero shows that the average person doesn’t know exist. A quick cancelation is often one of the biggest reasons, but sometimes it simply comes down to people not being familiar with the IP.

Sticking to only Batman and Spider-Man is a sure way to overlook a wealth of great content. Even within popular franchises, there are series that many people don’t know exist. With over ten Spider-Man shows alone, there are bound to be quality superhero series that have been forgotten or never discovered.

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10

DC Super Hero Girls Served as one of the Most Relatable Superhero Shows for Girls

Superheroes, coming-of-age plots, and a demographic geared toward girls—one might think this is the formula for a CW superhero show, but DC Super Hero Girls nailed this niche. Compared to most shows on Cartoon Network, DC Super Hero Girls impressively juggles a large roster, giving each major character their own continuous story arc. Subplots such as Supergirl’s insecurity about her power, Batgirl and Harley Quinn’s secret friendship, and Wonder Woman’s dilemma over whether to leave her friends behind to join the more prestigious Justice League are all ongoing storylines.

Unfortunately, the DC Super Hero Girls demographic leans more toward the episodic, fast-paced humor of Teen Titans Go! Rather than teenage melodrama. As a result, to give DC Super Hero Girls a proper finale movie, DC had to make it a crossover with Teen Titans Go!

DC Super Hero Girls

Release Date

2015 – 2017

Network

YouTube

• 

  Mae Whitman

  Batgirl / Barbara Gordon (voice)

• 

  Tara Strong

  Harley Quinn / Poison Ivy (voice)

• 

  Yvette Nicole Brown

  Amanda Waller (voice)

• 

  Anais Fairweather

  Supergirl (Voice)

9

Doom Patrol is Hauntingly Graphic at Times

Superhero teams made up of unlikely heroes (or villains) are becoming the norm. Most people are familiar with The Suicide Squad, but Doom Patrol executed a similar concept better. Like Peacemaker, Doom Patrol is zany and goofy but has more duality in that it takes its plot points seriously. Most members of the Doom Patrol are misfits, outcasts, or deemed freaks, and their stories often take a serious and tragic turn.

Doom Patrol is rated R, so it doesn’t pull punches when it comes to sex, violence, and mature topics. The show benefits from excellent creative freedom, allowing for characters with strange powers or disfigurements, such as Mr. Nobody, who can alter reality by becoming a TV narrator. Doom Patrol loses momentum later in the series, but its first two seasons are highly creative.

8

Green Lantern: The Animated Series Would Have Been a Hit in the 90s

A real treat for fans of Geoff Johns, Green Lantern: The Animated Series managed to capture both the scope and heart of the Green Lantern comics. Perhaps due to the lingering stigma of the Green Lantern movie, the series never took off commercially and is rarely mentioned among other DC canon classics.

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The show’s art style isn’t for everyone, as the animation can sometimes appear slow and clumsy, but it does a wonderful job depicting the differences between alien planets and their civilizations. Overlooked characters like Razer are dynamic in their actions and decisions throughout the short-lived series. Green Lantern: The Animated Series differed from many earlier DC classics by featuring an overarching narrative, but unfortunately, it was canceled before it could fully develop its story.

7

The Tick (2016) is the Best Rendition of the Gigantic Superhero

The funny thing about The Tick is that it has had three different adaptations, and all three were good yet relatively underrated. The best adaptation so far—and a highlight of Amazon Prime’s growing library—was The Tick (2016). This version had the highest production values, incredible-looking suits, and somehow managed to capture the slapstick movements of the comics accurately in live action.

The leads in The Tick are so ridiculous that it’s hard not to be entertained by their shenanigans. Arthur is hilariously mundane and unskilled, yet he is valued almost as an equal by a legitimately powerful superhero. Meanwhile, The Tick himself has the intelligence of a 9-year-old but is so larger-than-life in both actions and stature that his presence dominates every scene he’s in.​​​​​​​

The Tick

Release Date

2016 – 2018

Network

Amazon Prime Video

Showrunner

Ben Edlund

Directors

Barry Sonnenfeld

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6

Legion Likely Has Tons of Fans That Don’t Know It’s a Superhero Show

One of the reasons Legion is such an underrated superhero show is simply that people forget it’s based on a superhero. Legion, the son of Professor X, is a niche and relatively obscure X-Men character, and FX took many liberties with its adaptation. Legion is a psychedelic experience, featuring bizarre scenes that push the boundaries of imagination, combined with highly artistic cinematography and editing. The show explores schizophrenia, making a central theme the struggle to distinguish reality from delusion.

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The main issue with Legion is that it sometimes becomes too artistic for its own good. Some scenes veer into pretentious territory, but the show’s artistic merit remains unparalleled in the superhero genre. Legion is worth watching just to see how diverse comic book adaptations can be when writers take creative risks.​​​​​​​

Legion

Release Date

2017 – 2018

Network

FX

Showrunner

Noah Hawley

Directors

Noah Hawley

5

The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes Might be the Best Superhero Show Period

A couple of years before Joss Whedon redefined what people think of when they hear The Avengers, The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes delivered an incredible take on the legendary superhero team. Each episode was a long-term investment in character development and plot, building up to stunning battles. The first few episodes are a bit slow, as they focus on the origin stories of key Avengers like Captain America and Iron Man. However, once the team comes together—starting with Hulk’s explosive fight against Graviton—the series never takes its foot off the gas.

In Season 2, The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes juggles its growing roster, including Black Panther, with more ease than the MCU. The series also doesn’t shy away from portraying Hank Pym as Ant-Man, exploring some of the psychological struggles that define his character.

4

Wolverine and The X-Men had Some of the Best Characterization of any X-Men Series or Movie

The late 2000s were a dark age for superhero animated series, but not due to a lack of quality. Many excellent shows were produced during this time, but the lack of a viable platform for monetization led to several being canceled prematurely. While a few shows of that era like The Spectacular Spider-Man generally receive well-deserved praise from superhero fans, Wolverine and the X-Men still lingers in the shadow of X-Men: The Animated Series and X-Men: Evolution.

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Characterization is the strongest aspect of Wolverine and the X-Men. Nearly every character, whether an obscure X-Men member or part of the Brotherhood of Mutants, has a well-developed personality, clear motivations, and authentic interactions with others. Wolverine and the X-Men isn’t as convoluted as X-Men: The Animated Series, nor does it rush through its story arcs like X-Men ‘97.

Wolverine and the X-Men

Release Date

2009 – 2008

Network

Nicktoons

Directors

Nicholas Filippi, Steven E. Gordon, Doug Murphy, Boyd Kirkland

Writers

Craig Kyle, greg johnson

• 

3

Silver Surfer was a Space Opera That Could Have Been the Next Big Thing for Marvel

In the golden age of 90s superhero cartoons, Silver Surfer was overshadowed by more popular shows like Spider-Man: The Animated Series, X-Men: The Animated Series, and Batman: The Animated Series. However, Silver Surfer was by far the most mature Marvel Saturday morning cartoon. In its short 13-episode run, the series explored various civilizations and tackled social issues such as slavery, genocide, imperialism, and environmentalism.

Aesthetically, Silver Surfer was ambitious, using cel-shading to create a futuristic look while staying true to Jack Kirby’s original illustrations. The series’ main antagonist, Thanos, had dialogue that was wonderfully adapted from the comics. Unfortunately, Silver Surfer never received a second season due to a legal dispute between Marvel and Saban—otherwise, it might have been more widely remembered among superhero fans.​​​​​​​

2

Superman (1941) is Wonderfully Vibrant and Gorgeously Animated

Hardly anyone alive today was around when the Fleischer Superman cartoons were released in the 1940s. This collection of short, episodic adventures (in Technicolor, of course) remains a stunning achievement in animation. It is one of the best examples of how incredible animation was decades ago, with remarkable detail and movement that flows much more smoothly than many popular animated series today.

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Superman was revolutionary in shaping how we perceive the character. Before this series, Superman merely leaped from place to place, but the Fleischer cartoons introduced his ability to fly. His movements are lifelike, yet the vibrant colors splash across the screen like a painting. Over the years, Superman has lost much of its mainstream popularity, and few people today would seek out a Superman cartoon—especially one this old—but it stands as an impressive piece of animated history.​​​​​​​

Superman

Created by

Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster

First TV Show

Superman

1

Batman the Brave and the Bold Rivals Any Other Batman Series

An even greater love letter to Batman than Batman: The Animated Series, Batman: The Brave and the Bold embraces everything about the Golden and Silver Ages of comics. This show features unpredictable, fun plots reminiscent of the 1950s but balances them with strong fundamental storytelling.

Most people associate Batman with being dark and brooding, so while Batman: The Brave and the Bold wasn’t a total flop upon release, many superhero fans overlooked it as too silly. However, the series excels at telling all kinds of stories—action-packed, comedic, and even tragic. The animation and fight sequences are incredible, capturing the dynamic energy of classic comics. If superhero comics in the 1950s hadn’t been restricted by strict censorship, Batman: The Brave and the Bold is what they might have looked like.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold

Release Date

2008 – 2010

Network

Cartoon Network

Directors

Ben Jones, Michael Chang, Michael Goguen

Writers

Todd Casey, Steven Melching, J. M. DeMatteis, Joseph Kuhr, Paul Dini, James Krieg, Adam Beechen, Paul Giacoppo, Dean Stefan, Matt Wayne, Michael Jelenic, Marsha Griffin, Alan Burnett, Gail Simone, Dani Michaeli, Alexx Van Dyne