Comic Book TV Show Fall 2016 Power Rankings: Week 8

The fall television is underway, and our TV Power Rankings is back for Week 8.

The TV Power Rankings is the ComicBook.com official list of the best comic book and genre shows on television. As with last year, we’ll start the list with only shows that are either currently on the air or have a scheduled premiere date.

So how do we decide where shows wind up on the list? We take into account fan buzz, ratings, and critical response, as well as feedback from our readers.

We’ll update the Power Rankings every week, using our criteria as well as your input. We’ve also included a handy poll at the end of the slideshow to give you a voice in pushing your favorite show up the rankings. So be sure to click through to the end and let us know which shows you feel should rank a bit higher.

1) Young Justice

Last Week’s Ranking: N/A

We’ve got a brand new show at the top of the Power Rankings, and it’s a show that no one saw coming. DC Entertainment broke the comics Internet on Monday when they announced that Young Justice was coming back for a third season. Young Justice is probably the best superhero cartoon to come out since Justice League Unlimited and fans were heartbroken that it ended on a cliffhanger during its second season. Producers Brandon Vietti and Greg Weisman are both returning for the new season, so fans can expect the same great storytelling as before.

However, it could be a while until fans see new episodes of Young Justice on their TV. DC declined to name a network partner and indications are that DC is just beginning work on the new season.

 

2) The Walking Dead

Last Week’s Ranking: #1 (down 1 spot)

Poor Dwight. Sunday’s episode showed exactly how Negan’s right hand man “earned” his spot in the Kingdom, and it was pretty brutal stuff. Sure, Dwight has done some pretty terrible things in Negan’s name, but it’s only because Negan psychologically broke him, scarred his face, and took his wife from him. Although Daryl’s resisted Negan so far, we can’t help but wonder how long he’ll last in the terrifying Sanctuary. 

In other big Walking Dead news, the show cast some big roles for the rest of the season. AMC also teased some major Season 7 details, which we’ve broken down and explained right here. 

 

3) Westworld

Last Week’s Ranking: #3 (no change)

Westworld continues to be the new obsession of the ComicBook.com offices. Lots of crazy stuff happened this week. We potentially had our first real fatality inside the park, learned of a potential traitor within the staff, and saw a host come closer than ever to actually becoming self-aware. HBO also teased a second season for the popular show, which we assumed was already an inevitability. 

If you love Westworld as much as we do, be sure to follow our special Facebook page to keep up on our daily coverage of the show. 

4) Legends of Tomorrow

Last Week’s Ranking: #8 (up four spots)

Legends of Tomorrow fans were quite outspoken that the show was too far down the rankings and we listened. In addition to the outburst from fans, the show received a boost after the CW added four more episodes to the current season. That should give the show a little more room to breathe, especially as it’ll soon be involved with the big CW superhero crossover next month. 

 

5) Supergirl

Last Week’s Ranking: #4 (down 1 spot) 

Another “quiet” week on Supergirl, as the show continued to build and establish new relationships between its characters. Alex made a major revelation about herself, Jimmy made his first step towards a superhero career, and Supergirl struggled with Mon-El’s resistance to keep a low profile. Oh, and we did learn that Cadmus is being run by a Luthor, which could prove to be problematic given Kara and Lena’s budding friendship. 

 

6) Gotham

Last Week’s Ranking: #5 (down one spot)

With Gordon now once again part of the GCPD, his first case is a doozy…as his boss Barnes is actually the murderer! Barnes officially succumbed to the effects of Alice’s blood and literally ripped a man to pieces this week. As voices in his head told him to punish the guilty, Barnes vowed to clean up the streets of Gotham even as Gordon learned the truth from one of Barnes’ victims. 

Oh, and the Penguin had Nygma’s new girlfriend killed, which totally won’t come back to haunt him. 

 

7) Arrow

Last Week’s Ranking: #2 (down 5 spots)

THE LIST IS BACK, BABY! We found out that Prometheus has a very unusual connection to Oliver, as we found out that Prometheus was picking his victims using Oliver’s “hit list” from the first season. Prometheus’s weapons were also linked to Green Arrow, as they were made from discarded arrows left in criminals Oliver had apprehended over the years.

The episode ended with a pretty obvious fakeout, as Lance woke up from an alcoholic stupor with an arm wound and one of Prometheus’s throwing stars on his table. Prometheus can’t be Lance, but it’ll be fun to watch him sweat for a few weeks. 

 

8) The Flash

Last Week’s Ranking: #8 (no change)

Quiet week on The Flash front, as the CW opted to air a rerun instead of compete with the US Presidential election. To keep fans sated in the meantime, the CW released a sneak peek of Killer Frost and Vibe’s new costumes.

 

 

9) Agents of SHIELD

Last Week’s Rankings: #6 (down 3 spots)

Agents of SHIELD took a big drop this week as it also took an off week because of the US presidential election. Unfortunately, Agents of SHIELD won’t return until the end of November, so expect the show to remain at the bottom of the rankings for the foreseeable future. However, it’s not all doom and gloom for SHIELD fans, as it looks like Marvel has plans for a Ghost Rider spinoff series thanks to the character’s successful appearance on Agents of SHIELD. 

 

Honorable Mentions and Poll

Missed the Cut: iZombie (CW), Outcast (AMC), Preacher (AMC), Dark Matter (SyFy), Riverdale (CW), Fear the Walking Dead (AMC), Iron Fist (Netflix)

[Note: Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and other shows that don’t have an upcoming “premiere date” have been left off the rankings unless there’s some sort of new news about the show, but will be added once a premiere date has been announced.]