The wait between seasons of a great TV show can feel endless. Stranger Things is taking its sweet time coming out with its final season, which will see the residents of Hawkins, Indiana, stand up to Vecna and the other creatures from the Upside Down one last time. Viewers already know it’s going to be a highly emotional outing, and they don’t want to wait any longer to see who lives and who dies. Well, another show, The Boys, finds itself in a similar situation as it prepares to release its final season on Prime Video. Blood is going to fly, and the hope is that not all of it comes from Hughie Campbell and Co.
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Unlike Stranger Things, The Boys is keeping fans’ appetite at bay by releasing another season of the popular spinoff, Gen V. However, that’s over and done with, leaving a Supe-sized hole in many people’s hearts. Here are the five best superhero TV shows like The Boys to watch while waiting for Season 5.
5) Powerless
One of the many appeals of The Boys is how it focuses on regular people who live in a world full of enhanced individuals. Their lives are totally different, and sometimes, having “superheroes” around isn’t beneficial to them. While there are very few shows out there with the same perspective, there’s one that covers the topic just as well as The Boys.
NBC’s Powerless takes place in the DC Universe and follows a group of characters who work at a subsidiary of Wayne Enterprises, helping to create technology that makes humans feel safe during superhero battles. Powerless might only have one season, but it has some hilarious gags during its 12-episode run that are worth checking out, such as an entire episode about Superman turning back time.
4) The Umbrella Academy
Most superhero media glorifies the concept of superpowers, presenting them as a gift rather than a curse. However, The Boys goes in a different direction, showing that having abilities isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be. A Netflix superhero show follows suit by focusing on a group of characters who just want to be normal.
The Umbrella Academy focuses on the Hargreeves children, who were all adopted by a billionaire obsessed with the idea of superpowers. After being forced to become heroes, all the kids grow up to be a little screwed up. They can’t ignore cries for help, though, so they try to help the world as best they can.
3) Doom Patrol
Punches and explosions can only take a superhero show so far. There has to be a real heart present to take a project to the next level. The Boys knows all about that, as its characters wrestle with their feelings, especially when those feelings involve people in close proximity.
Another show that allows its heroes and villains to open up is Doom Patrol. The Chief enables a group of rejects to live in his home and operate as a team, but they rarely take their jobs seriously. However, there’s a beauty in Doom Patrol that’s missing from many series: its characters can embrace their flaws.
2) Invincible
The Boys never pulls its punches, tossing in as much blood and gore as possible. The goal is to show that Supes are dangerous and, when they lose control, bad stuff usually happens. Prime Video doesn’t only house one violent superhero show, though.
Also based on a comic book, Invinicble follows its titular character, Mark Grayson, as he discovers he has powers, just like his father. But entering the world of heroes means Mark must learn the truth about his violent nature and the villains who wish to harm him and his family.
1) Peacemaker
While The Boys could be an ultra-serious show about taking down a tyrannical regime, it rarely takes itself too seriously. After all, superheroes are ridiculous, and the show goes to great lengths to point that out. One of Prime Video’s competitors, HBO Max, uses one of its better shows to crack the same kind of jokes.
Both seasons of Peacemaker feature their fair share of teardowns of popular DC heroes. No one is off limits, not even Superman, who is the face of the DCU. While the humor will draw people in, Peacemaker has an emotional core that will keep them coming back for more.
The Boys is streaming on Prime Video.
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