12 superhero TV shows for your bingeing pleasure

Doom Patrol: Taking a leaf off the pages of Grant Morrison and Richard Case’s genre-defying work on the Doom Patrol IP, the live-action adaptation by DC Universe is a thing of beauty. Featuring a motley crew of superhero castaways, Doom Patrol is at once entertaining and endearing because of its increasingly weird and surreal adventures, interspersed with emotionally-resonant moments. Trust us when we say, you’ve never seen a superhero show like this before. Streaming on: StarzPlay (Season two is currently underway.)

The Tick: If you’re in the mood for lighthearted laughs and feel-good vibes, The Tick is tailor-made to suit your needs. The Tick is an invulnerable superhero in a blue tick suit who arrives in the city to help combat crime and uncover the mysterious figure behind the city’s underworld. He befriends a nervous and mild-mannered young man named Arthur who becomes his sidekick. Streaming on: Amazon Prime Video

Swamp Thing: Truly embracing nature in all its horrific glory, Swamp Thing is a one-season wonder that deserved a longer run. The story follows Dr Abby Arcane as she returns home to Marais, Louisiana to investigate a deadly swamp-borne virus, only to discover the dark, terrifying mysteries of the swamp. Streaming on: StarzPlay

Marvel’s Agents of Shield: Agents of Shield follows Phil Coulson as he leads a team of highly skilled agents to form the global peacekeeping and law-enforcement organisation known as S.H.I.E.L.D. We’re currently in the middle of the seventh and final season of the show, and Agents of Shield will mostly be remembered for bringing together a diverse array of characters, and holding its own against the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Streaming on: OSN and StarzPlay

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow: Featuring a fun team-up of various characters of the DC Universe — Atom, White Canary, Firestorm, Hawkgirl, Hawkman, Captain Cold and Heatwave, to name a few — DC’s Legends of Tomorrow is the fourth series in CW’s Arrowverse, after Arrow, The Flash and Supergirl. While it took its time to come into its own, DC’s Legends is easily considered one of the best still-running superhero shows for its inventive and creative storyline and its lighter, more comedic moments. Streaming on: StarzPlay and OSN

Daredevil: Lawyer-by-day Matt Murdock uses his heightened senses from being blinded to fight crime at night on the streets of Hell’s Kitchen as Daredevil. If there ever was a show to be so loyal to its source material, its Marvel’s Daredevil. The top-notch action sequences, cinematic production quality and superlative performances from its lead characters make Daredevil one of the best superhero shows in television history. Streaming on: Netflix

The Punisher: Thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, we’re still a ways away from Marvel-Disney’s much-anticipated slate of TV shows. In the meantime, we’ll have to entertain ourselves with the brilliant but now-cancelled set of Marvel-Netflix shows. The Punisher, following the origin story of charismatic, gun-toting vigilante Frank Castle, reaches new heights in the action-thriller genre while bucking stereotypical story beats. While season two was definitely underwhelming, watch season one for an entertaining and gripping time. Streaming on: Netflix

The Flash: If you’re the ‘glass half full’ kind of person, The Flash is your jam. The CW show — following the adventures of speedster Barry Allen and his team of trusty sidekicks — completed its sixth season this year and is set to return for a seventh January 2021. Watch The Flash for its unending optimism, time travel storylines and enough drama to give trashy reality TV a run for its money. Streaming on: StarzPlay

The Boys: A perfect antidote to superhero fatigue, The Boys follows a group of fledgling vigilantes who are trying to take down corrupt superheroes who abuse their powers on innocent civilians. A show about accountability and taking a stand, ‘The Boys’ also defies the family-friendly genre-trappings of superhero shows with its gratuitous violence and wildly dark plot twists. Season two drops in September this year. Streaming on: Amazon Prime Video

Umbrella Academy: The live-action adaptation of the Eisner Award-winning graphic novel series can best be described as a total joyride. The story follows a family of former child heroes who reunite after the death of their adoptive father to once again save the day. The Umbrella Academy gently manages to hit the sweet spot between fun and frolics and sombre and tense, and makes bold stylistic choices with its visceral visuals and imposing soundtrack. Streaming on: Netflix

Titans: Created for streaming platform DC Universe as its first scripted programme, Titans started off as a run-of-the-mill gritty take on a beloved group of superheroes but surprised audiences when the show managed to find much-needed levity and depth. Featuring strong performances from its ensemble cast, Titans is a must-watch for a fresh and wholly-original look at some of your favourite heroes — Nightwing, Raven, Beast Boy and Starfire. Streaming on: Netflix

Legion: Created by Noah Hawley for FX, Legion is a mind-bending trip through the life and times of David Haller, a powerful psychic mutant with a very famous father from the X-Men universe. Having last year concluded after three seasons, watch this show if you’re looking for an intelligent show that doesn’t talk down to its audience and are ready to have the rug pulled out from under you at every turn. Streaming on: Netflix and StarzPlay