Why DC is winning on Television

Don't let the title fool. I am a huge fan of Marvel. I love their movies. I enjoy Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and definitely look forward to Agent Carter. I know more about Marvel. But I don't pretend that DC hasn't kicked Marvel's butt in T.V. land.

Starting with Arrow and its spin off, The Flash. From compelling characters and plots to amazing action, I contend these are the two best superhero shows on television. Yes, The Flash is only a half season in, but what a half season. No, it's not perfect, but it's finding its way. Arrow had to do the same thing and they did it well. With the same people running The Flash, I have a lot of trust. And how great was the recent crossover between the two?

I haven't seen Constantine, so I won't comment on that. Though I have all the episodes recorded and do plan on a binge day. But I have seen Gotham. I will admit it has had its ups and downs. And probably more downs than ups. So did S.H.I.E.L.D. And ever since Cap 2, S.H.I.E.L.D. has been on a roll. Granted, Gotham doesn't have a Cap 2 on its horizon, but it does have another half season to fix some of the problems. And though I have less faith in the Gotham showrunners (and Fox for that matter), I still have hope. They just have to figure out what they want to be.

The biggest thing that DC shows have over Marvel's? They're not tied to the movie universe. I mentioned earlier Cap 2 and S.H.I.E.L.D. Yes, that did a lot of good for S.H.I.E.L.D. it also hinders it. S.H.I.E.L.D. cant do certain things because it could mess with the movies. They can't destroy New York or Washington D.C. or anywhere else for that matter without serious consequences for the movies. And Marvel and Disney won't let that happen. Arrow can do what it wants with only affecting The Flash and vice versa. And for two T.V. shows airing on back-to-back nights on the same network that works. For a show that is just a side project in a much bigger universe, not so much.

And now to look to what DC has coming down the road: CBS has Supergirl and TNT has Teen Titans, a.k.a. Titans, and Syfy with Krypton. All of them could be awesome. Or all of them can be disasters. But, either way, I look forward to find out as DC looks to put even more distance between itself and Marvel in T.V. land.

But in the end, it really doesn't matter. As long as we are getting great superhero television, I don't care if it comes from DC, Marvel, or someone else. And neither should you.