DC Comics has a lot of TV shows to its name. People have been watching the company’s superheroes dominate the small screen for several years. With shows like Smallville, Arrow, and Doom Patrol, there are plenty of comic-based adventures to follow. With the introduction of streaming services like Netflix, fans can have convenient ways of watching more DC shows.
However, many DC shows have moved over to the DC Universe streaming service. There are still some DC TV shows on Netflix, but they’re a bit fewer in number. Here are the 8 best DC TV shows you can stream on Netflix.
ARROW
Arrow was the first show to take place in what’s called the Arrowverse. It follows the story of Oliver Queen, who was shipwrecked on a deserted island for five years. It was there that he decided to change his ways and learn the ways of the archer.
When returning to Star City (or Starling City at the time), he became a vigilante who would get rid of the corrupt and help those who needed it. Arrow has been going on for seven seasons with only one more before it ends. With so many stories to tell, Arrow is a great show to binge on Netflix. There’s so much to get caught up on, and now is a great place to start. The show had its ups and downs, but it has left its own shortcomings behind to have some of the greatest moments in superhero television.
THE FLASH
Perhaps one of the more popular CW shows is The Flash. Taking place in the Arrowverse, fans get the benefit of seeing Flash interact with characters from other DC TV shows.
The show itself benefits from a lighter tone and a stronger embracing of the wackier side of comic books. The effects can look a bit cheap sometimes, but the stories are so much fun that you’ll probably just accept it and move on. The Flash also tackles a myriad of wacky villains, including the Trickster, Gorilla Grodd, and the Reverse Flash. There’s a lot to unpack with this show, but it’ll be worth it to many new watchers. The show also pays great homage to the ’80s Flash show, which should please a lot of older fans.
LEGENDS OF TOMORROW
Legends of Tomorrow is the Arrowverse’s unique property. Not based on a team from DC Comics, it instead takes many supporting characters from established Arrowverse shows and throws into a team that tries to protect all of time.
Featuring characters like Sara Lance and Ray Palmer from Arrow, Wally West and Leonard Snart from The Flash, and even Constantine from the Constantine series, it feels like one big crossover show. It took an entire season for Legends of Tomorrow to find its footing, but it has since become a worthy show in the Arrowverse lineup, appropriately playing into the time travel themes heavily.
SUPERGIRL
Supergirl is the odd woman out when it comes to the Arrowverse shows. It was originally on CBS, but it was created by those responsible for the Arrowverse shows. To even pull off a crossover, Supergirl’s world was placed in an alternate universe. However, with it moving to the CW, Supergirl is now more directly linked to the Arrowverse but is still in an alternate reality.
Don’t let any of that confuse you, though. Supergirl has a ton of fun action and girl power moments that it can people invested for a few seasons. It also makes better use of Superman lore as it goes on, including characters like Bizarro, Brainiac, and Lex Luthor. Even the Man of Steel himself gets some time to shine on-screen.
BLACK LIGHTNING
Black Lightning is the fifth CW superhero show. Despite being based on DC Comics and running on the same network as the other popular DC shows, Black Lightning has no connection to the Arrowverse.
This is likely to avoid people getting burnt out from all the shows they need to keep up on, but that makes Black Lightning a show that few people talk about. It’s a shame because there’s a lot to like. With more impressive effects, a compelling main character, and a decent costume to boot, it does everything it needs to in order to sell fans on a few more seasons. For those that haven’t watched it, it’s up on Netflix. Give it a try and see if you like it.
GOTHAM
Gotham recently ended its long run. It started out as a cop show involving Jim Gordon and Harvey Bullock. The response was lukewarm. However, as the show played into the Batman lore and began to subvert classic Batman expectations, that’s when people started to get invested in the show.
The moment it wasn’t afraid to lean into Batman was the moment it started to get good for many fans. With the show recently ending, fans can catch up on the entire story. With it being on Netflix, they can skip through the episodes or arcs they don’t want to watch as well, making for an all-around better experience than those who kept up with the show from the very beginning.
LUCIFER
Lucifer is a show based on a more obscure DC Comic that was actually made by Vertigo (it’s loosely connected to DC canon). The show stars the devil of the same name as he decides to leave Hell and run his own night club. It’s safe to say that this premise alone would be enough to get people on board.
With the titular character consulting the police, it was more than enough to draw in fans of Supernatural. However, Lucifer’s mixed reviews caused it to get canceled by FOX, then promptly picked up by Netflix. The streaming service let the show get a fourth season to round things out, and you can stream everything now. If this sounds like your thing, then what are you waiting for?
iZOMBIE
If you watch any of the CW superhero shows, then you’ve probably seen ads for a show called iZombie. It’s hard to get a sense of what the show is just by watching the ads, so here is the breakdown: it follows Olivia Moore, who was turned into a zombie after a freak accident.
She finds that she has to periodically consume human brains or she turns into a stereotypical, ravenous zombie. She takes a job at the morgue to keep her hunger at bay, while arousing the suspicions of everyone around her. It’s another show that’s loosely based on a DC Comic, but it still classifies. Being a CW show, it is on Netflix as well. The show is still going on as well, so new fans could take this time to get caught up on all things iZombie.
