Remember me
Although they've been around for decades, superhero shows have never been more common, with a new one seemingly debuting every year. Alongside Marvel and DC's various projects, hits like The Boys, Invincible, The Umbrella Academy, and Gen V have all made noise in recent years, proving heroes still have a big market on TV, despite audiences' so-called superhero fatigue.
While some superhero shows are perfect from start to finish, others begin slowly and get better as time goes on, or even have their best seasons during the middle of their run. However, not every series shares this fate, as a handful of great projects peaked during their very first outing and were unable to match this quality thereafter.
This isn't to say they all had a drastic fall-off following season 1, but after striking gold in their debut, they were just never the same. Many of these superhero hits had great first episodes to build on, crafting an opening season that had viewers hooked, but after setting such a high bar, maintaining this reputation was always going to be tough.
6 What If...?
Disney/Marvel
The first season of What If...? was far from perfect, but it did feature some interesting concepts and a few stand-out episodes, setting up a bright future for the anthology series. In theory, it should've been the weakest, not because it was bad, but simply because Marvel could see what viewers liked and give them more in future installments.
Unfortunately, things didn't pan out this way. The Doctor Strange and Ultron episodes from season 1 remain the show's highest points, with season 2 feeling like a disappointment in comparison, before season 3 crashed even harder. What If...? ignored some of the best comic storylines and even teased some cool concepts in its opening credits, but they never came to fruition.
Instead, too much time was spent trying to build up characters for the MCU or making an overarching story, rather than simply going for one-off adventures. Season 1 acted as a flawed yet strong opening, but Marvel failed to learn from its strengths, hence why a show with endless possibilities was axed after just three seasons.
5 Batman Beyond
Terry gliding over Neo-Gotham in Batman Beyond
Unlike What If...?, Batman Beyond stays pretty consistent throughout its entire run, but as a whole, season 1 feels like the show's peak. It did a great job of introducing Terry in the two-part opening, while perfectly explaining his motivations and origins. Likewise, the futuristic Gotham was also set up well, as was Bruce's retirement as Batman.
Building from those excellent opening episodes, Batman Beyond featured countless unique new villains who each felt fresh in their own way, but it also brought back classics like Mr. Freeze. Season 2 was a great follow-up, but it didn't have the same consistency, and season 3 wrapped the story up well despite not returning to those first-season heights.
All in all, Batman Beyond doesn't suffer a major decline, and some people may even prefer the later seasons, but those original 13 episodes gave us Batman as we've never seen him before. Given that Terry has barely been used since, even DC knows these early days will be almost impossible to replicate, highlighting just how good that first outing was.
4 Harley Quinn
Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy looking shocked in Harley Quinn Season 5 Ep 1Image via Max
With Harley Quinn still ongoing, perhaps a future entry could surpass season 1, but given the show's trajectory, it doesn't look likely. While seasons 2 and 3 arguably feature the best episodes in the entire series, the first installment is more well-rounded, doing an excellent job of creating one of the most memorable versions of Harley in DC's history.
Sure, not everyone loves Harley Quinn's crude humor, but season 1 turned her from the Joker's sidekick to the leader of her own group, all while exposing the fact that she isn't a true villain deep down. Watching some more obscure antagonists become regulars in this show alongside witnessing different takes on popular characters was fascinating, but this became stale over time.
HBO's animated show eventually went a little overboard with its parodies and perhaps became too ambitious, leading to the more recent seasons getting mixed receptions. Whether Harley Quinn season 6 can recapture the show's early momentum remains to be seen, but Harley's season 1 journey remains her best thanks to its impressive consistency and clear direction, something the series has lacked recently.
3 The Punisher
Punisher looks resigned in Punisher
Considering it's only two seasons long, The Punisher is much easier to dissect in terms of quality, as the first outing was much better than the last. Personally, I still enjoyed season 2, as Giorgia Whigham's character added a lot of charm to the series and Jon Bernthal was brilliant as always, yet it just didn't compare to the first.
Frank's season 1 battle with Billy was a real highlight, and Bernthal had great chemistry with Ebon Moss-Bachrach, providing a much steadier plot. Learning about the protagonist's backstory and seeing him become a ruthless yet still somewhat moral vigilante was also a real thrill, proving Frank Castle was worthy of his own series.
The Punisher has aged well overall, and season 2 is definitely a solid entry worth watching. Still, even his cameo in Daredevil: Born Again didn't come close to matching how interesting and badass Frank was in The Punisher season 1, which really delved into what made this former Marine so violent, making it arguably the character's best ever live-action depiction.
2 Jessica Jones
Jessica Jones and Malcolm Ducasse in an elevator
After an incredible first season, Jessica Jones had the potential to give Daredevil a run for its money as Netflix's best Marvel show, but it couldn't maintain this standard. Back in season 1, Jessica came across as a troubled yet enjoyable hero, and she had some great allies around her, such as Malcolm and Patsy.
Likewise, David Tennant's Kilgrave was one of Marvel's best live-action villains, offering a charismatically terrifying performance. The season also introduced Luke Cage for the first time and gave us a great arc with Nuke, setting up an extremely exciting future. Sadly, things swiftly fell apart for this series in season 2.
The second season failed to replace Kilgrave and lacked a true villain, while almost every character became worse. Patsy went from one of Marvel's best supporting characters to completely insufferable, Malcolm was a constant source of confrontation, Nuke was unceremoniously killed off, and Luke Cage was gone, making the season much weaker.
The third installment fared a little better and produced a threatening villain once again, but the main trio were constantly at odds and nothing like their former selves. While Jessica herself remained a highlight throughout, everything around her lacked the same grit and balance season 1 provided, which remains Jessica Jones' peak by some distance.
1 Young Justice
The hereos of Young Justice huddled together
Young Justice's first season was so good that it was always going to be near impossible to surpass it, a harsh reality that rang true throughout its four-season run. When the show first started, it focused on a small group of heroes that slowly expanded, giving audiences a chance to connect with each member, all of whom had their own unique journeys.
The team chemistry was perfect, the variety of villains was great, and there was a constant central threat that made Young Justice season 1 one of the best pieces of superhero media from the 2010s. Season 2 was a solid follow-up, maintaining a similar tone and quality, but the time jump hurt it, as did adding so many new characters.
While some stood out, others faded into the background, yet it was the core members that remained the most interesting, making their lesser screen time very noticeable. When the show was rebooted for a third outing, it became clear the original magic simply wasn't there, and despite still being a fun show, it was nowhere near the level of season 1.
The same can be said for season 4, which, as of now, appears to be the last entry. Young Justice may rise again at some point, and while I'd still love to see more of this interesting universe, it's hard to imagine anything matching the strength of season 1 without a complete reboot, cementing it as the show's prime.