25 Best Superhero Television Shows Of All Time
Photo Credit: TheCW/Warner Brothers
5. Smallville (The WB/The CW)
Who knew that a show about Superman’s teenage years would become so popular? Smallville added a new layer of complexity to a character which had been the same for years. By exploring Clark Kent’s (Tom Welling) life growing up on a farm, the audience got a glimpse of his time coping with his ability.
Before he was donning a cape and tights, Superman was just trying to make it through school without being bullied. While he became a rising star on the football field, Clark had to deal with a variety of villains all while trying to keep his friends from discovering his secret identity. With newly created character Chloe (Allison Mack) and Lana Lang (Kristin Kreuk), Clark’s high school life was full of great female characters.
However, the most innovative characters came in the form of Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum) and Lois Lane (Erica Durance) who finally get the opportunity to be fleshed out. Luthor is no longer the one-note villain to Superman but now his childhood best friend who slowly forms a toxic opinion of Clark as the series watches their relationship deteriorate.
Meanwhile, Durance injects Lois with a new layer of depth now that she has enough time to explore her character outside of mandatory love interest. A fast-talking journalist and cousin to Chloe, Lois easily surpasses damsel in distress by becoming a fully-formed character who is a hero in her own right.
Meanwhile, Durance injects Lois with a new layer of depth now that she has enough time to explore her character outside of mandatory love interest. A fast-talking journalist and cousin to Chloe, Lois easily surpasses damsel in distress by becoming a fully-formed character who is a hero in her own right.
Come for Clark but stay for Lois, Smallville is ten seasons of Superman lore. Like Gotham, it goes through the backstory of a hero but in Smallville, its sole focus is Clark’s coming of age story. While the series hits a bit of lull near the end, it’s still one of the best superhero shows to ever air.