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The fall television season officially began this week, which means it's time to brush off our annual TV Power Rankings.
The TV Power Rankings is our official list of the best comic book 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 back every Saturday, 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) The Walking Dead
(Photo: AMC)
The Walking Dead holds the top spot mainly because of last season's captivating cliffhanger, which ended with one of Rick's friends meeting a grizzly end thanks to Negan and his barbed wire bat Lucille. Since The Walking Dead doesn't start for a few more weeks itlikely won't hold the top spot for very long as other shows pick up steam, but right now we're all dying to know who doesn't make it back to Alexandria.
Agents of SHIELD roared back to life this week, as it brought in its biggest Marvel guest star yet: Ghost Rider. Ghost Rider look like he rode in straight from a Marvel movie, but it did little to help Agents of SHIELD's already anemic ratings. With Daisy/Quake on the run, a new Life Model Decoy lurking close to Fitz, and Simmons cozying up close to an unseen Director, this season looks to have plenty of intrigue, even if we don't know who SHIELD will fight this season.
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.Tuesday at 9PM on ABC
The CW's top superhero show, The Flash ended on a cliffhanger of its own when Barry traveled back to time to prevent his mother's death, thus changing the timeline and creating a "Flashpoint Paradox". The new season's premiere will be an adaptation of DC's Flashpoint arc, but we don't expect any New 52-esque changes to come out of the episode.
Early reviews indicate Luke Cage might exceed the high standards set by Netflix's other superhero shows. With a kickass soundtrack, a great supporting cast, and what appears to be a balance to the often overwhelming darkness shown in Daredevil and Jessica Jones, Luke Cage will probably be the show everyone is talking about in less than two weeks. Here's to hoping that Luke Cage won't have us feeling as depressed as Netflix's other Marvel shows.
Gotham started at a slow burn, introducing the new status quo for most of the show's biggest players. Gordon is now a bounty hunter, Fish is back with a gang of monsters, and Bruce is ready to take on the Court of Owls after a several month sabbatical in Europe. This week's episode didn't really start off with a bang, but there's enough intrigue to keep us interested in what will happen next.
One of the big surprises over the summer was the announcement that Supergirl was switching over to the CW this fall. Although the show'seffect budget might take a hit due to the move, Supergirl plans to make a big splash by bringing in Superman (Tyler Hoechlin) for at least two episodes this fall. Mon-El, Miss Martian, Metallo, and Lena Luthor are also set to make appearances this season.
The grizzled veteran of superhero shows, Arrow enters its fifth season looking to refocus after a rough couple of years. Oliver is now mayor of Star City, most of his allies are either dead (RIP Laurel) or have skipped town, and he has a new generation of vigilantes to reluctantly train. Luckily for Oliver (or unluckily if you're not an Olicity shipper), he still has Felicity to still run the computers and hack the Internet...or whatever it is she does now.
Another CW superhero show that had an uneven season last year, Legends of Tomorrow is adding the Justice Society of America to its cast this year. While we're always happy to see more of our favorite superheroes on television, Legends already had a crowded cast and we're not sure more cast members was the solution to that.
If the JSA wasn't enough, this season will also feature the Legion of Doom, a collection of the Arrowverse's greatest villains, and the threat of a Thanagarian invasion to keep Rip and his team busy.
Fear the Walking Dead still isn't as good as its parent show, but it has gotten noticably better over the last season. After splitting up the core cast during the midseason finale, last week's episode teased a reunion of sorts, albeit without Chris. Travis and Chris were last seen together a couple of episodes ago, although Travis didn't seem too happy with his son's bloodthirsty actions. With only a few episodes left, Fear the Walking Dead will probably have a few twists in store as to Chris's fate and the safety of the other survivors.
Lucifer surprised a lot of people when it got picked up for a second season last spring, as the show had garnered little buzz among comics fans. Still, Lucifer did decent numbers when it premiered this week and introduced a new wrinkle in Lucifer's mom, who showed up on his doorstep literally covered in blood.
Shows that Missed the Cut: iZombie (CW), Outcast (AMC), Iron Fist (Netflix), Preacher (AMC), Dark Matter (SyFy), American Horror Story (FX), Riverdale (CW)
[Note: Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and other shows that don't have an upcoming "premiere date" have been left off the rankings, but will be added once a premiere date has been added.]
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