Though comic book media has fallen on hard times in the 2020s, the recent rise in superhero fatigue hasn’t stopped the steady flow of films and TV shows based on properties by Marvel, DC, and the rest.
While movies like Deadpool & Wolverine made huge impressions on critics and audiences in theaters, 2024 featured an especially large number of top-tier shows like Invincible, Batman: Caped Crusader, and X-Men ’97. With the year at its end, the comic book genre has shown no signs of slowing down with these seven films and shows, which stand as the best of 2024.
For more of the best in entertainment in 2024, check out the 8 best horror movies of 2024, ranked.
7. My Adventures With Superman
This anime-inspired Superman series released its second season in 2024, following Clark, Lois, and Jimmy as they encounter Supergirl and battle the evil Kryptonian AI, Brainiac. The show ventures into darker, heavier territory as it explores more of the cast’s fears and flaws, with Lois and Clark’s relationship straining and the latter growing lonelier and more confused on Earth.
The show’s version of Supergirl also presents a surprising version of the character who acts as the perfect foil to the Blue Boy Scout. Overall, My Adventures with Superman delivers another endearing, entertaining, and beautifully animated season that continues the Man of Steel’s recent cultural renaissance.
6. The Boys
Amazon Prime Video’s The Boys returned with a penultimate season that intensified its timely social commentary in the midst of America’s escalating political war and Victoria Neuman’s presidential campaign. Season 4 has arguably been the darkest and most polarizing chapter in the series so far, as the titular team finds themselves fractured in the wake of Butcher’s declining health and Homelander’s frightening rise to power.
The show arguably went too far with its shock value, particularly with its depictions of sexual assault directed at Hughie. However, The Boys still presents a daring, terrifyingly urgent satire held by its layered characters and surprising narrative, which is sure to reach an epic climax in season 5.
5. Agatha All Along
As a follow-up to the hit series WandaVision, this Disney+ show had a lot to deliver in order to live up to its predecessor’s legacy. Fortunately, this wickedly witchy show presented an intriguing new chapter in the story of Agatha Harkness, with Kathryn Hahn once again giving an enthralling performance as the titular villain.
As she and her ragtag team of sorcerers venture down the Road of Witches, Agatha All Along pays homage to classic horror and fantasy films with a dark, emotional, and mind-bending adventure unlike anything the Marvel Cinematic Universe has done before.
4. Creature Commandos
Writer/director James Gunn kicked off his new DC Universe with a bang with his new animated series, Creature Commandos. While some audiences have called it a retread of The Suicide Squad, this show makes a spectacular new team out of this underrated gang of comic book misfits and outsiders.
With his distinct brand of crude, quirky humor, heartfelt storytelling, and ultraviolent action, Gunn presents an exciting, thought-provoking story that sets the stage for the other films and shows in the DCU and captivates its audience with its lovable cast of characters.
3. X-Men ’97
X-Men ’97 is not just another Saturday morning cartoon. This Disney+ series rebooted Marvel’s classic X-Men show and sent it to cosmic new heights with its jaw-dropping animation, fantastic writing, and compelling characters.
The series takes place in the late ’90s, but the story speaks volumes about the modern world with its social commentary, proving that the X-Men are just as relevant as they were decades ago. Despite some issues concerning the dialogue, pacing, and voice acting, X-Men ’97 is everything that Fox’s X-Men films should have been and more.
2. Deadpool & Wolverine
Marvel Studios delivered another box-office juggernaut with Deadpool & Wolverine as it paired up its two leads for one more ride. The Merc with a Mouth reached the big leagues with this meta, multiversal adventure filled with emotion, rapid-fire humor, gratuitous violence, and fan service cameos.
Featuring several iconic moments such as that tribute to NSYNC, Wade and Logan’s fights in the Void, and their final battle with the Deadpool Corps, this glorious and hysterical film makes for an unforgettable blockbuster that honors Marvel’s past and paves the way toward its incredible future.
1. The Penguin
This surprising spinoff of The Batman displayed the true potential of the show’s titular villain, as well as the cinematic universe that director Matt Reeves created. In this dark, thrilling character study, Colin Farrell shines as Oz claws and connives up from the ruins of Gotham to become one of the city’s most dangerous criminals. Cristin Milioti also brought one of DC’s best new villains to life with her riveting performance as Sofia Falcone. While The Penguin harkens back to crime genre classics like The Godfather, The Sopranos, Goodfellas, and Scarface, this grounded drama series invokes memories of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy, reestablishing the potential that DC Comics has as serialized television.
