Comic book movies might be making all the headlines, but let’s get one thing straight: We are living in the golden age of superhero TV.
Videos by ComicBook.com
DC Comics alone have produced a plethora of comic-inspired TV shows for fans to enjoy over the last few years, and have an incredible amount of potential projects in some sort of development or production.
The CW plays home to Arrow, Supergirl, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, and the newest hit, Black Lightning. Gotham is telling young Bruce Wayne’s story over on FOX. DC is launching its own streaming service, complete with a live-action Titans series. Even HBO is getting in on the action, with Damon Lindelof producing a Watchmen TV show.
While these are all great, the world of DC Comics is seemingly never-ending, and fans would love nothing more than to see all of their favorite characters come to life. Only so many can be brought to the big screen at one time, leaving TV as the most appropriate avenue to give them an opportunity to flourish.
As we head into TV pilot season, and networks are releasing all kinds of different ideas for potential new shows, I thought I’d throw a hat into the ring, courtesy of DC Comics.
There are so many properties that could be developed into TV series, but these are seven shows that need to find their ways onto the production floor sooner, rather than later.
Birds of Prey
Let’s start this off with a property that already had a chance at television back in 2002, but totally deserves another go in 2018.
Birds of Prey featured Oracle, Huntress, and the daughter of Black Canary, fighting off crime in Gotham City following the disappearance of Batman. While FOX’s Gotham has spent four years showing what the city was like before the Caped Crusader, this series could focus on the aftermath.
We’re also in a time where female-led superhero properties are in high demand, and for good reason. Wonder Woman was one of the biggest comic book movies of all time at the box office, showing filmmakers and comic creators that the world needs more stories like hers.
Birds of Prey could come along and give fans an entire team of women that would kick ass all up and down Gotham City, showing the world that they’re just as good, if not better than Batman himself.
Justice League Dark
One of the biggest hurdles facing DC TV shows is the fact that the movies are using a lot of the best characters. Many would think that this would keep the Justice League Dark off of the small screen.
However, after losing directors and going through various writers, one needs to ask, “Is this movie ever actually going to happen?”
Instead of all this back and forth with the studio, why not take the property to television and really give these characters a chance. Zatanna, Constantine, Deadman, and others all have complicated and tragic backstories that would be much better served over the course of multiple episodes, not in one two-hour movie.
On top of that, you’ve got the perfect Constantine waiting in the wings. DC fans are still upset with NBC over the cancellation of Constantine, not only because they loved the character, but Matt Ryan does such a great job in the role. Surround him with a couple of other beloved characters and give the guy a second go at stardom.
The only problem in this series would be including Swamp Thing. His effects wouldn’t be cheap, and TV studios would certainly hesitate to spend the money necessary to make him look great.
The Elongated Man
I wouldn’t normally advocate for a show focused solely on Ralph Dibny, but Hartley Sawyer has changed my mind.
The Elongated Man has become one of the better parts of The Flash over the course of the last season and Sawyer is certainly the reason why. With more charisma than you can shake a stick at, and impeccable comedic timing, the guy practically steals every scene he’s in.
This week’s episode of The Flash showed that Dibny can carry a show on his own, as the character had to become the hero in Central City, with Flash landing in jail for a murder he didn’t commit. Once Flash inevitably finds himself a free man once again, why not let Dibny move on to another city and become their protector.
Look, Legends of Tomorrow has been successful by embracing the campy nature of its characters, and The Elongated Man could become a hit by doing the exact same thing. Probably more of a comedy than an action-adventure, this idea really could work.
DC’s Elseworlds
Yes, Elseworlds covers a vast array of DC Comic stories, but that’s the point.
Anthology series have taken over TV these past couple of years. Shows like American Horror Story, Black Mirror, American Crime Story, Fargo, and many others have been watched by millions of viewers on their way to hordes of awards wins.
Why not take that structure, telling a new story every season, and applying that to a comic book TV show?
Warner Bros. may not ever want to move forward with stories like Kingdom Come, Red Son, or Gotham by Gaslight, but an anthology series could provide the perfect way for fans to still see them played out in live-action.
Batwoman
If you’ve never read a Batwoman comic there’s just one thing you need to know: She’s a total badass.
It’s highly unlikely that Batman could ever star in a live-action TV show, due to his use on the big screen, but that’s okay. His cousin Kate Kane, a.k.a. Batwoman, is much more interesting.
Rather than watch as a regular dude tries to get over the death of his parents by crawling into a dark and creepy cave, it’d be great to watch a strong woman overcome the oppression of her harsh father, while spending her nights cleaning up the streets.
Not only could this be the dark tale that DC TV deserves, but it also brings more representation to the situation. When Batwoman returned to comics in 2011, it was revealed that she was a lesbian, and she’s become one of the highest-profile LGBTQ+ characters in all of DC.
Various queer characters have appeared throughout the Arrowverse, but it’s about time one of them got their own show, don’t you think?
Ragman
Ragman appeared for a short stint on Arrow, played by Joe Dinicol, but he was hardly given enough time to do the character justice.
The current Ragman comic, written by Ray Fawkes, paints the character in an entirely new light, giving fans an intriguing backstory that seems as though it belongs on television.
In Fawkes’ series, Ragman was just an ordinary soldier, who was sent on an expedition into supernatural tombs in Israel to retrieve an ancient artifact. Things didn’t go as planned and his entire team was killed. Despite being the weakest member of the team, he somehow survived.
When he arrived home however, he was taken over by a paranormal entity that lived within him, holding captive the souls of every person the Ragman has ever killed. Now, the entire team lives inside one man’s mind.
This is awesome opportunity to combine the thrills of the paranormal and the action of a dark crime series. The right showrunner and network combination could easily make this lesser-known character into a bonafide TV star.
Doom Patrol
Doom Patrol can be a weird team of heroes, which actually makes them perfect for our TV landscape.
Think about Marvel’s Legion series over on FX. That show is balls-to-the-wall. Creator Noah Hawley often goes out of his way to take the series in psychedelic and complicated directions, but it totally works. Fans and critics have loved the complete and utter mind-warp the series has become.
With an odd set of characters, and a sometimes ridiculous premise, Doom Patrol could become the same kind of series, and appeal to the higher-brow TV fans that exist exclusively on cable and premium networks.
Plus, with Gerard Way’s current run, the Doom Patrol is as popular as ever, making this the perfect time to green-light a series.
