The world of superhero TV has many greats, but only a rare few that are perfect throughout. Even some of the best superhero TV masterpieces can have weaker installments. The DCEU’s Arrowverse timeline, for instance, has some individually great TV shows, but not all of them maintained an overwhelming level of quality.
Then there are the MCU TV shows, which, while some are excellent, have installments that either do not work individually or as part of a greater whole. There are a handful of TV shows in the superhero genre, however, about which the same cannot be said.
Some shows are perfect throughout, from Marvel, DC, and beyond. Individually, some episodes in these shows may not strictly be 10/10, but when looked at as one part of a larger whole, they certainly fit the bill alongside the best episodes that superhero TV has to offer.
Watchmen
The comic book series, Watchmen, has often been described as unadaptable. The 2009 Zack Snyder movie was liked enough, but still not completely acclaimed. Enter 2019’s Watchmen, a TV show that treats the comic books as canon, but tells its own story.
Watchmen is truly excellent, conveying all the hard-hitting themes one could want from an adaptation. It tackles racism, issues around law enforcement, war, and inclusivity, all while providing great characters and high production value. All episodes of Watchmen are great, the last five in particular.
At only nine episodes, Watchmen didn’t have the issue of running on too long that it dwindled in quality. As such, Watchmen truly is a show that is perfect throughout.
X-Men ’97
Like Watchmen, X-Men ’97 is only 10 episodes long, meaning it didn’t outstay its welcome. Rather than just being a continuation of X-Men: The Animated Series, though, X-Men ’97 produced a drastic uptick in quality. The animation is excellent, the characters are the ones we know and love, and the 10-episode story works perfectly as a combined whole.
Beyond all that, X-Men ’97‘s writing is thematically, emotionally resonant. So many lines stick out as examples of how the X-Men brand can tackle issues of diversity, inclusivity, racism, nationalism, and the war against bigotry in a way not many others in the Marvel pantheon can.
Every single episode of X-Men ’97 is a 10/10, either individually or as part of the greater season. Even “Motendo/Life Death” features invaluable character development that becomes vital later on. For this reason, as well as having some of the best individual Marvel TV episodes of all time, X-Men ’97 joins Watchmen.
Loki
Loki is the crown jewel of Marvel Studios’ limited series attempts. Loki‘s 12 episodes make it feel more like an actual TV show than the MCU’s usual “movie split into episodes” Disney+ dynamic. Each episode feels distinct, with new locations, characters, travels back and forward in time, and wacky elements that other Disney+ MCU shows simply don’t have.
This allows Loki to feel entirely distinct, with few enough episodes that each one works perfectly. Loki season 2’s conclusion wraps the entire show up beautifully, offering one of the very best character arcs in MCU history. The fact that this arc was delivered in only 12 episodes just goes to show how each one is perfect.
Justice League Unlimited
Justice League Unlimited is very possibly the best adaptation of the titular DC team ever. Everything that needs to be there in a typical superhero show is: great action, expert animation, good character designs, solid voice acting, and exciting superhero moments.
What makes Justice League Unlimited all the more special, though, is the maturity with which it tackles the DC Animated Universe. The exploration of the team struggling with their power dynamics, global politics, the adaptation of darker DC stories, and how deeply it delves into the world of the source material sets it apart.
Initially, one could be excused for dubbing some season 1 episodes as below a 10/10. However, season 2 is the pinnacle of DC animated storytelling, which subsequently lifts the episodes that came before it. When viewed as a whole, Justice League Unlimited is a DC show that is perfect throughout.
The Spectacular Spider-Man
The Spectacular Spider-Man is for Marvel what Justice League Unlimited is for DC. It takes a well-known Marvel IP and honors it, all while updating it so that it stands on its own. The Spectacular Spider-Man handles Peter Parker’s character and stories with such maturity, much like JLU, to make it much more than a child-friendly Spider-Man show.
It had an excellent overarching narrative while still allowing new rogues to be introduced regularly. As all great Spider-Man stories should be, it was light, funny, dark, and mature, all at the same time, balancing each tone perfectly. There is a reason Josh Keaton is so beloved as a Spider-Man voice actor, and it’s because The Spectacular Spider-Man is a true 10/10 show.
Daredevil
At 39 episodes, Netflix’s Daredevil is the longest show on this list, which perhaps makes it the most impressive as a perfect superhero story. This is without counting Marvel Studios’ Daredevil: Born Again, which, despite being good and a continuation of the Netflix Defenders timeline, did not match the original show’s quality.
As with Justice League Unlimited, some episodes of individual seasons, namely in season 2 for Daredevil, cannot be classed as 10/10 installments. That said, when looking at how great Daredevil works as a whole, these episodes are bolstered. None of them feels out of place or unearned, instead just being slightly less compelling than the best episodes of the show.
As a whole, Daredevil is the high standard that Marvel should try and reach when crafting TV shows. The characters are flawed but likable, or understandable yet detestable, and have mature, complex relationships throughout. There is gore and violence, but the show never relies on it to succeed.
The maturity with which it handles comic book characters is perfect, though still with moments of levity to make it enjoyable. In the modern era, Daredevil and Kingpin are as iconic as many other MCU characters, with fans consistently asking for them to appear. Daredevilis the reason for this, as it was a perfect adaptation of the comics throughout.
- Release Date
-
2015 – 2018-00-00
- Showrunner
-
Steven S. DeKnight
- Directors
-
Phil Abraham, Stephen Surjik, Peter Hoar
- Writers
-
Drew Goddard
- Franchise(s)
-
Marvel
