With the DC Universe streaming service no longer providing original programming after 2021, it felt appropriate to rank DC Universe’s original scripted shows.
6. Titans (2018): Based on the comic book team the Teen Titans created by Bob Haney and Bruno Premiani, Titans left a bad first impression for fans when its first trailer premiered. Many people who saw the trailer called it edgy for the sake of being edgy. Despite this, the first season of Titans received generally positive reviews, with praise being given to the actors, characters and story. However, the tone within Titans still received criticism. However, critics were a lot less warm to the second season, criticizing its story and character choices especially in the second half. Hopefully Titans will be able to balance its tone and story during the third season when it airs. That being said, this show was very much a pleasant surprise. Brenton Thwaites shines as Dick Grayson, with the character’s resentment of Batman providing a very interesting story for Robin. The antagonists within the show are also very entertaining, with Esai Morales playing a despicable yet also very sympathetic version of the villain Deathstroke.
5. Swamp Thing (2019): Based on the comic character created by Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson, Swamp Thing focuses on a CDC doctor named Abby Arcane (Crystal Reed), as she investigates a swampy area in Louisiana after her once thought deceased friend (Andy Bean) is now apparently alive and in the form of the Swamp Thing (Derek Mears). The show provides an incredible eery atmosphere as it blends horror and comic book elements together wonderfully, with an amazing performance from Reed holding it all together. Unfortunately, Swamp Thing was cancelled immediately after its series premiere, leaving any cliffhangers that were set up at the end of the season to be unresolved.
4. Young Justice (2019): After it was canceled before it could really take off on Cartoon Network in 2013, DC Universe picked up Young Justice for a third season in 2019, with it being titled Young Justice: Outsiders. Taking place two years after the second season, the main characters of the show go up against meta-human traffickers and the corrupt companies that partake in it. The series provides a great sense of camaraderie with the characters, as you feel like you are right along with them as they interact. It is a relief that Young Justice was brought back, as it proved to be even better than its previous two seasons.
3. Stargirl (2020): While most of the shows on DC Universe were adult-oriented, Stargirl allowed the whole family to watch and enjoy the character. Created by Geoff Johns, Stargirl focuses on Courtney Whitmore (Brec Bassinger), a kind-hearted yet very confrontational teenager who is forced to move from her hometown after her mother (Amy Smart) remarries. When she arrives in her new hometown of Blue Valley, Courtney discovers that her step-father Pat (Luke Wilson) is actually a superhero, while her biological father was allegedly Starman (Joel McHale), a legendary superhero whom Pat was a sidekick for who was killed by Icicle (Neil Jackson) and the Injustice Society of America. When Courtney decides to become a superhero and help Pat in defeating the Injustice Society of America before they can take over the country. The show provides a beautiful retro atmosphere with great character development and a heartfelt message about family.
2. Harley Quinn (2019): The character of Harley Quinn has gone through something of her own renaissance, with several numerous comic book, tv show and film appearances as of recently. It was no surprise that it was announced that she was getting her own animated series. We follow Harley Quinn (Kaley Cuoco) as she is finally able to break up with The Joker (Alan Tudyk) and strike out on her own. With the help of her best friend Poison Ivy (Lake Bell), Harley goes through a wild, hilarious and action-packed experience in which she learns the difficulties of trying to be a supervillain and the benefits of being away from the abusive Joker. The series is amazing, with side-splitting humor being presented almost all the time. Cuoco makes her performance as Harley stand out amongst the previous actresses who have voiced her to great success. While it is definitely not for kids, Harley Quinn is absolutely worth watching.
1. Doom Patrol (2019): Before this show aired, the characters from the Doom Patrol comics were practically unknown to normal audiences. Interestingly enough, this show uses that fact to its advantage. Primarily inspired by Grant Morrison’s comic book run in the 1980s, Doom Patrol brings all of the weird and wacky comic book aspects to life with its deep character studies and hilarious dialogue. During the first season, the Doom Patrol consisting of Robot Man (Brendan Fraser), Negative Man (Matt Bomer), Elasti-Woman (April Bowlby), Crazy Jane (Diane Guerrero) and Cyborg (Joivan Wade) must work together and resolve their own personal issues to find the Chief (Timothy Dalton) and rescue him from the fourth-wall breaking supervillain Mr. Nobody (Alan Tudyk). Not only is Doom Patrol extremely entertaining. It is incredibly heartbreaking with some of the stories that it tells and definitely worth checking out for anyone who is a fan of DC.
