Marvel and DC's comics based TV Shows

You've probably seen most of Marvel's and DC Films, but what about the TV shows? If you are a fan of both comic books and television, you may right now be living in a state of bliss. The popularity of comic book adaptations appears to be continuously on the rise.

Between Marvel and DC, there are frankly too many ongoing series to count -with several more on the way over the next few years. The two comic giants are doing things a bit differently with their television properties. For Marvel, essentially every live-action television show exists within its cinematic universe. DC has simplified things by having its television series exist separate from its ongoing cinematic universe.

DC

By separating the television and film properties, DC has allowed itself a bit more flexibility with its characters. This also enables the company to have television versions of the Flash, Superman and Bruce Wayne (among others) exist alongside those same characters in film. So here are some of the TV shows based on DC Comics you might actually watch.

                                                    The Flash

Though the CW's Arrowverse began with Arrow  it is The Flash that has run to the head of the pack. The Flash mixes just the right amount of humor, action and comic book campiness to give fans of all genres something to enjoy. And while the drama can sometimes fall into soapy territory, for the most part this never takes away from the series' enjoyment — for some it may even add to it.

                                                      Preacher

Casual fans of comic books may not even be aware that there is a Preacher television series, and if they are, may not realize that it is based on a the character of the same name from DC's Vertigo imprint. But a Preacher series does exist, and it is actually really good.

                                                     Supergirl

Now in its second season, Supergirl has really begun to hit its stride. Though the series had its moments during its freshman run on CBS, the move to the CW has worked out well for the Girl of Steel. Supergirl has been one of the more progressive shows on network television

                                         Legends of Tomorrow

The time travel series had a rough time in its first season proving that it deserved to even exist. But Legends of Tomorrow dramatically improved in season two, partly due to the introduction of a compelling set of villains in the Legion of Doom.

While Legends of Tomorrow still features a ridiculously convoluted plot, with more holes than Swiss cheese, the chemistry between the Legends and the addition of a strong set of villains has more than made up for that flaw.

                                                         Arrow

the series has very much improved after its very lackluster fourth season. Unfortunately, the series still lags behind its Arrowverse counterparts — though the gap is closing.

                                                      Gotham

Among fans of comics, Gotham is likely a bit of an acquired taste. The series has had the difficult task of succeeding in the Batman universe, without actually featuring the Dark Knight himself. Instead, Gotham primarily focuses on a much less weathered Jim Gordon, and the emerging villains who will one day take on the Caped Crusader.

Of course, while Batman does not appear in Gotham, Bruce Wayne does. The bottom line with Gotham is if you make peace with the fact that it plays fast and loose with the Batman canon, it is actually quite an enjoyable show.

                                                    iZombie

iZombie is another series that fans may not realize is based on a property owned by DC Comics. But like Preacher, it comes from DC's Vertigo imprint.  iZombie is actually quite a good show, but it does have a hard time separating itself from the pack of crime-based procedurals. Still, it is definitely worth a watch, especially if you are looking to further satisfy your appetite for comic-book-based television series.

                                                      Powerless

Unlike every other live action series on this list, Powerless is not a drama. Rather, the NBC series is the first sitcom set within the DC universe. This fact alone makes it an intriguing watch. But Powerless has had some trouble attracting a committed audience. Still, for what it is, it can be quite a funny series.

                                                      Lucifer

Lucifer is yet another series on the air that is based on a comic from DC's Vertigo imprint. But saying Lucifer is based on the comic book series of the same name is fairly misleading. The fact is that Lucifer is not very much at all like the comic series from which it derives its name.

MARVEL

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) television series are American superhero television shows based on characters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics. The shows have been in production since 2013, and in that time Marvel Television and ABC Studios, along with its production division ABC Signature Studios, have premiered 11 series, with at least three more in various stages of development, across broadcast, streaming, and cable television on ABC, Netflix and Hulu, and Freeform, respectively. So here the list of MCU TV Series.

                                                    The Inhumans

Marvel's Inhumans is an American eight-episode live-action television series, based on the Royal Family of the Inhumans.

                                                      Iron Fist

Billionaire Danny Rand (Finn Jones) returns to New York City after being missing for years, trying to reconnect with his past and his family legacy. He fights against the criminal element corrupting New York City with his kung-fu mastery and ability to summon the awesome power of the fiery Iron Fist.

                                                     The Gifted

FOX’s The Gifted is still relatively new, but refreshingly dedicated to exploring moods and nuances of the X-Men universe that the movies overlook in favor of flashier, world-destroying set pieces. There’s still the requisite crossover bait of some unseen event that took the X-Men and Brotherhood off the map, but spending time with the “Mutant Underground” affords a more grounded look at the systemic and societal persecution that feels unfortunately all-too-topical in the real world.

                                                    The Defenders

At its best, Defenders got to play with character combinations we’d waited years to see, including Jessica Jones’ acerbic wit bouncing off Matt Murdock’s affable Catholic guilt, or Luke Cage checking Iron Fist for turning a blind eye to young men of color caught up in the Hand’s game.

                                                   The Punisher

The Punisher’s place on this list is a controversial one, as is the antiquated and gun-happy character’s need for a solo series in the first place. Frank Castle was an honest ex-Marine with a family he loved. But when that family was murdered, he became a vigilante with a uniquely brutal brand of justice.

                                                     Daredevil

"Marvel's Daredevil" is a live action series that follows the journey of attorney Matt Murdock, who in a tragic accident was blinded as a boy but imbued with extraordinary senses. Murdock sets up practice in his old neighborhood of Hell's Kitchen, New York where he now fights against injustice as a respected lawyer by day and masked vigilante at night.

                                                    Agent Carter

Agent Carter was an American television series based on Marvel Comics character Peggy Carter. One of the most prominent agents of the Strategic Scientific Reserve (SSR) during and after World War II and one of the founders of S.H.I.E.L.D. In 1943, after the abrupt end of Project Rebirth and Rogers' transformation into the only Allied Super Soldier, Carter assisted him in becoming the world's first superhero - Captain America, and eventually fell in love with him.

                                                         Luke Cage

There’s good reason Luke Cage proved the most anticipated of the four Defenders series, and the only one to crash Netflix with its premiere.

                                            Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. gets perhaps shortest shrift as a network series burdened by the occasional one-way tie-in with Marvel’s movie offerings, but the Avengers-adjacent ABC drama has nonetheless grown leaps and bounds from a superhero cleanup crew

                                                         Legion

In just eight short episodes, Marvel’s FX Legion has redefined what we think of mutant and superhero series alike.

                                                    Jessica Jones

Marvel’s best superhero series is about a character who’d rather be anything but. Far from leaping off Manhattan rooftops, Jessica Jones instead focuses on the complex nature of personal trauma and the manner in which victimhood defines us.

                                              Marvel’s Runaways

Every teenager thinks their parents are evil. What if you found out they actually were? Marvel's Runaways is the story of six diverse teenagers who can barely stand each other but who must unite against a common foe -- their parents.

                                               Cloak and Dagger

Tyrone Johnson and Tandy Bowen are Cloak and Dagger, crime-fighting team and Light and Darkness incarnate. These partners once lived on the outskirts – as runaway teens they embraced vigilantism after their powers activated through experimental drugs. Their relationship is symbiotic: Cloak’s ability to summon and enter the Darkforce Dimension is counteracted by the psionic light Dagger emits.