Over the past few years, Max has been the go-to streaming service for DC fans. The platform is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), which also owns DC Entertainment, so mommy’s rules dictate that the siblings have to play together, whether they enjoy it or not. Sadly, streaming wars have created a major headache for viewers, who find subscribing to every streaming service to be uneconomical. According to Forbes, Netflix remains the most popular platform (247 million users as of August 2024), with Max coming in at fourth place (95 million users).
Well, there is some good news for Netflix subscribers who are DC fans. The platform still has a few DC shows available, and they aren’t leaving any time soon. But why is there DC content on Netflix? According to Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, this isn’t one of those Marvel-Fox ‘rights wars.’ The company is opening to license its content because people who watch DC productions elsewhere end up coming to Max for more.
Here’s what’s currently available on Netflix and whether you hop on to Max later is up to you.
9 Titans (2018 – 2023)
4 Seasons
Titans is a not-so thinly-veiled tale of a select group of DC’s B-list clan teaming up to fight evil. Leading the team is Batman’s former side-kick Dick Grayson, who has broken free from the Caped Crusader’s embrace and is now looking to build a name for himself. As the series progresses, he morphs from Robin to Nightwing. Other Titans also experience various changes in proportion to the pressures they face professionally and personally. The dangers also keep getting closer to home, making it unclear who will make it out alive.
A Soulful Orchestra Conducted by Dick Grayson
Tears ought to have been shed when Titans ended after only four seasons as there is no other show quite like it. It’s quite a colorful dreamscape, blending violence, humor, and great costumes to make it worth the comic book fan’s time.
The tease-but-not-show approach to larger DC characters (Batman beats up a couple of people in Season 1 but is never shown up close) may take a little getting used to, but once you’ve settled in, you’ll be ecstatic at what’s on offer. Dick Grayson is presented as the star, and Brenton Thwaites performance here is a reminder that he is better than what Home and Away made us believe, but this is a team effort through and through.
8 Black Lightning (2018 – 2021)
4 Seasons
Known for calling out the evil and the corrupt, charismatic Garfield High School principal, Jefferson Pierce (Cress Williams) is a populist figure in the eyes of his students and the community. Unknown to them, he is also the superhero known as Black Lightning. His major headache comes from Tobias Whale, who despotically rules the city’s underworld via his gang, The 100, and disposes with those who dare challenge his leadership. Thankfully, his evil ways begin to catch up with him in the later seasons of Black Lightning.
Using the Superhero Genre to Tackle Race and Politics
Based on the underrated black superhero created by Tony Isabella with Trevor Von Eeden, Black Lightningoffers one of the most scathing portraits of drug use, racial divide, corruption, and abuse of power, making it one of the most compelling shows about inner city life in the DC canon. Marvin “Krondon” Jones III is very good as the villain Tobias Whale, and it would be great to see him give the kind of all-or-nothing, powerhouse performance he did here, on the big screen. Thanks to its great special effects and relevant themes, the show will likely remain relevant for a long period.
7 The Sandman (2022)
1 Season
The Sandman is primarily about Morpheus, aka, Dream, the personification of dreams and nightmares and one of the seven cosmic beings known as the Endless (Death, Desire, Despair, Delirium, Destiny, Destruction, and Dream). The show trails his activities after he breaks free from a 106-year captivity stint, having been captured via an occult ritual in 1916. As he tries to restore order in his realm, the Dreaming, he interacts with multiple strident, weird, and fascinating characters.
An Enchanting Gem from the Vault of Netflix Originals
Exclusively made for Netflix, The Sandman shot to the top of the streaming service’s viewership charts when it was released and stayed there for a couple of weeks. Great VFX work makes it a delight to all audiences, despite the subject, and the detailed storylines keep the viewer curious. At times, it strays from the comics in a few instances, but its circus-like feel and an assortment of fun characters (human and supernatural) makes it a splendid DC entry.
6 The Flash (2014 – 2023)
9 Seasons
The Flash, which sprouted from the first Arrowverse series, Arrow. via a backdoor pilot, is the tale of the intrepid Central City assistant police forensic investigator Barry Allen (Grant Gustin). The character gains super speed courtesy of a lightning strike and an explosion at the S.T.A.R. Labs particle accelerator. He becomes the superhero known as The Flash and, in his new roles, he continues to uncover possible connections between sinister figures and crimes while doggedly following the clues to the darkest corners of the city.
Grant Gustin Owns the Role
Like its titular hero, The Flash moves fast, making it more enjoyable than its parent show. There is a sense of immediacy right from the pilot episode, and from there on, audiences are bombarded with enough intriguing plots to keep them hooked. Besides that, Grant Gustin delivers a simmering performance. Other actors might give it their best, but just like Hugh Jackman is Wolverine and Tony Stark is Iron Man, Gustin’s name will forever pop up whenever the Scarlet Speedster is mentioned.
5 Lucifer (2016 – 2021)
6 Seasons
The devil is in the details and Lucifer Morningstar (Tom Ellis) sure knows how to spot those little clues in Lucifer. This version of God’s archenemy serves as a consultant to the LAPD. How did that happen? Well, he abandoned hell, terming it boring, then began running a nightclub. From there on, one thing led to another, and he now helps take down criminals who he is logically supposed to be proud of, given his status as the conveyor of sin.
The Devil Is Friendlier Here
If you’re seeking an exceptionally wise and mischievous DC drama that’s free of ties to comic book lore, get acquainted with Lucifer. Created by Tom Kapinos (best known for Californication), it is exciting, and not as scary as one might think. The soulful, colorful fantasy show, which is also adapted from Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman, deftly examines themes of romance, belonging, and longing, as we follow a Lucifer who has been hobbled by the consequences of his feud with God. He now feels at home on Earth, and perhaps, that’s best for everyone.
4 iZombie (2015 – 2019)
Season 5
In iZombie, Seattle medical resident Olivia “Liv” Moore (Rose Mclver) mysteriously turns into a zombie during a boat party. Dismayed, she abandons her career and fiancé. She then realizes that she must frequently eat brains or else she will turn into the stereotypical zombie that is primitive and bloodthirsty. Rather than kill innocent people, she takes up a job at a morgue and eats the brains of corpses after autopsying them.
Zombies Were Never This Fun
iZombie deserves all the praise for breathing new life into the now generic undead genre. It’s exciting to see a smart zombie, one who uses her great powers responsibly, like the comic book character that she is. Plus, she is hilarious. Furthermore, there is some level of creativity. This is a show where zombies prepare brain-meat like master chefs and offer a great boost to the tanning industry by always buying products. It’s fun and worth a watch.
3 Supergirl (2015 – 2021)
6 Seasons
Supergirl follows the Kryptonian Kara Zor-El, aka, Kara Denvers, as she juggles between working as a reporter (like her cousin Clark Kent) and saving National City. It’s revealed that she was the first of her kind to arrive on Earth and was meant to protect her baby cousin, Kal-El, but her spaceship got knocked off course. When she arrived on Earth, Kal-El had already grown into Superman.
One of the Most Progressive DC Productions
The show has all the ingredients that would appeal to fans of Superman mythos. It has the action and the deadly villains, including Lex Luthor. Most importantly, it’s a progressive show. Through Kara’s time working at CatCo, Supergirl constantly emphasizes the importance of career progress for women in the workplace. The character isn’t as oversexualized as she sometimes has been in the past.
2 Legends of Tomorrow (2016 – 2022)
7 Seasons
Legends of Tomorrow unveils the rivalry that developed between Time Master Rip Hunter and the immortal tyrant Vandal Savage. Livid that one of them would interfere with the timeline, the Time Masters, together with Savage, plot a foolproof way to destroy the protagonist. Thankfully, he has a strong team that includes The Atom, White Canary, Martin Stein, Firestorm, Hawkgirl, Hawkman, Captain Cold, and Heat Wave.
Playing with Time
A superbly acted, action-packed story about jealousy and perfectionism, Legends of Tomorrow is a major triumph that will delight genre fans with a soft spot for time-related storylines. It mixes meta-humor, and suspenseful drama with social commentary to create a winning superhero show. All the supporting actors also inhabit their respective roles with gusto, with Wentworth Miller and Dominic Purcell playing off against each other with great results, thanks to years of chemistry built on the Prison Break set.
1 Dead Boy Detectives (2024)
1 Season
Set in the same continuity as The Sandman, Dead Boy Detectives follows the ghosts of Edwin Payne and Charles Rowland as they solve supernatural cases through their Dead Boy Detective Agency. As typical stubborn teenagers, they chose not to enter the afterlife after their deaths, figuring they could be more useful on Earth. Though their work has various challenges, they never lose their sense of humor and their burning desire to see a better world.
A Dynamic Duo That Should Have Stuck Around Longer
The show’s creator, Steve Yockey, served as a writer on Supernatural, and he clearly borrows some pens and files from his former office to use here. However, he tells this story without a dash of sentimentality, never shying away from the more disagreeable acts undertaken by the duo in pursuit of their P.I. dream.
Dead Boy Detectives may have wowed critics, but it was not fully appreciated by fans and Netflix execs, resulting in its cancelation. Perhaps that’s partly due to the lack of star-power (its two main stars don’t even have Wikipedia pages at the moment), but there is still gold to be mined here, so savor the chance to reassess a neglected DC gem.
