“Legends” remains the sole comic-book bright spot for the network, the only show to embrace chaos instead of collapsing under it, even though it started off messy in 2016.Įven with disappointment and bad storytelling so widespread, there were some heroes worth rooting for. “Riverdale,” based on the Archie comics, has surpassed all five series as CW’s buzziest.

Simply put, 2018 in superhero TV wasn’t all that super.įor years, CW has aired a delightfully solid if not superb slate of DC Comics-inspired shows. The network was riding high in late 2017 on the heels of a great annual crossover event between 'Supergirl,' 'Arrow,' 'Flash' and 'Legends,' and started 2018 with the lauded “Black Lightning.” But over the course of the year, “Supergirl” and “Lightning” fell victim to the same problems “Arrow” and “Flash” had: Too many heroes and too much complication. And many that remain are no longer essential viewing, even for the most devoted fans. The iron fist (pun intended) of cancellation has pummeled even the strongest series.

But the genre is also starting to contract.

Legends of the superheroes tv show