What to Watch Next for DC Television Fans

It’s an extremely exciting time for DC media as the entire franchise is undergoing a creative reboot. With James Gunn and Peter Safran at the helm, an entirely new set of movies and TV shows are on the horizon in the DCU.

In this updated on-screen universe, we’ll see Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman in all-new retellings, as well as other fan-favorite characters like Supergirl, Amanda Waller, and Swamp Thing. Plus, less mainstream teams like the Creature Commandos and The Authority will be making their screen debuts.

But in the meantime, what’s a DC fan to do? Well, here’s our curated watch guide based on your favorite legacy DC shows.

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The Arrowverse
Riverdale

The Arrowverse encompasses multiple fan-favorite DC TV shows: Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, and Batwoman for starters. Each highlights an ever-revolving roster of supporting characters alongside the namesake heroes. Over the span of their multiple seasons, these characters also face an infinite amount of challenges. Entire worlds shift and not one season is like another. For that reason, Riverdale is the perfect complement to the Arrowverse. At times it’s off the walls (and there’s even a season with super powers!) but the high-stakes drama is always the star.

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Titans
Teen Wolf

Ah, youth. A time for new romance, finding yourself, and … vanquishing the forces of evil? The Teen Titans of DC comics grew up right in front of readers’ eyes, most recently becoming the Titans, a successor to the Justice League. In their TV series, Titans, the team also comes together to help each other grow and to find who they are as heroes. MTV’s Teen Wolf follows a similar journey for its young protagonists — some evolve for the better, others for the worse just like the Titans. Each series features high-octane fight sequences and compelling lore for those who enjoy some plot with their punches.

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Swamp Thing
The Last of Us

Among the murky waters of a swamp, you never know what you might find. Alec Holland discovered that the hard way. Botanical horror is a very niche but fascinating subgenre of horror, and if you enjoyed the moody, foreboding fauna of Swamp Thing then set the Clickers of The Last of Us in your sights. You might never go in the water or eat mushrooms again, but hey, being scared is half the fun.

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Young Justice
Avatar: The Legend of Korra

If you’re looking for complex, character-driven stories with intricate relationships, just like the brilliant Young Justice series, then Avatar: The Legend of Korra is a strong follow-up. Avatar: The Last Airbender is also a powerful story of friends and enemies who grow alongside each other, but the more mature themes of Young Justice and its young adult heroes are better reflected in the young adult characters of Korra.

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Doom Patrol
The Umbrella Academy

So you’re into found families, especially when it’s an odd assortment of misfits and outcasts like Doom Patrol? Look no further than The Umbrella Academy. Each show offers excellent music as well as the formation of a familial unit that doesn’t seem to fit at first but over time becomes a riveting entanglement of personalities (and secrets).

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Peacemaker
The Boys

Sometimes, you just want a good laugh. And Christopher Smith, AKA Peacemaker, is certainly a super hero whose morals are as loose as his helmet is tight. Please note, the term super hero is used very generously here — as is the case with the super-powered Vought International employees of The Boys. Both shows offer a glimpse into the realism behind “heroes” and their missions. Getting to see behind the scenes can be pretty horrifying.

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Harley Quinn
The Legend of Vox Machina

Off-color humor? Check. Vibrant animation? Double check. Foul-mouthed heroes on a quest to prove themselves in a world that wants to discredit them? Triple check. Harley Quinn might not be an upstanding hero like Batgirl, but she sure does try! Sorta. Sometimes her girlfriend Poison Ivy steers her in the wrong direction. But the heroes of Vox Machina certainly understand dabbling in chaos. They’re here to do some good but if they have to break a few rules, this Critical Role crew will certainly do it.

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Smallville
Roswell

The teen dramas of the early 2000s are definitely within their own league of nostalgia. There’s something about the throwback soundtracks and episodic cadence that make for comforting marathon watching. Clark Kent becomes Superman in the CW drama Smallville and his small-town life is anything but small in action. Likewise, Roswell takes places in an extremely well-known small town and the slow build toward the main characters’ true powers is fascinating to behold.

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Gotham
True Detective

For fans of the World’s Greatest Detective, and Jim Gordon’s journey to finding success within the Gotham PD, True Detective is an excellent follow-up. With four seasons of this anthology series, there’s plenty of mystery solving. Each season of True Detective follows a different detective or pair of detectives and there are even elements of magical realism for those who enjoyed the Rogues Gallery aspects of Gotham. Come for the gritty crime drama and stay for the inspection of human morality and justice.

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Constantine
The Sandman

DC is no stranger to the occult, and technically The Sandman is a DC property. The Netflix show even had some DC Easter eggs! And speaking of strange, the strangest, suavest, most bedeviling DC brogue has got to be John Constantine. Fans of Constantine go in for big magic spells that go horribly awry, from his solo series to Legends of Tomorrow. So to keep that air of dark fantasy swirling about, try Netflix’s The Sandman. Morpheus is all-powerful like Constantine — and he also makes mistakes to match that formidable power.

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Obviously, some DC classics are without comparison — which means they’re always a perfect choice for a rewatch. There’s still Batman: The Animated Series, Justice League, and Watchmen for repeat viewings.

What are your favorite DC shows? Join the conversation with other DC fans over at Sideshow Social Network or in side.show/geekgroup, and don’t forget to Let Your Geek Sideshow!