Warning! Spoilers for all series discussed.
It’s difficult to find a satisfying way to end a long-runningTVseries, but many comic book properties have found brilliant ways at closing out their winding stories. Ending a popular TV show is no easy feat, with plenty ofotherwise great series ruined by their endingover the years. In the case of Marvel and DC, this happens much less frequently, with several notable names in the comic book TV space finding satisfying and exciting finales.
For the most part, when it comes to television, Marvel has kept its seasons short and snappy while DC has lent its name to some dizzyingly long-running dramas, such as theshows of the Arrowverseover at CW. Both formats present their own unique challenges when it comes to crafting a series finale, but comic book shows new and old have found increasingly effective chapters to close out their narratives. A few shows in particular stand out as having especially strong endings, leaving few fans unsatisfied.
10Smallville
Followed through with the promise of its premise
Smallvillewas a groundbreaking series in the comic book adaptation space, telling the story of a young Clark Kent as he slowly got a grasp of his powers, navigated high school, and faced dangerous villains on his long journey to becoming Superman. After ten long seasons of syndication over as many years,Smallvillefinally came to a close after a tumultuous story, being canceled by the CW due to stagnating ratings. A rarity for canceled series,Smallvillewas given a beautiful ending that actually managed to pay off Clark’s arc.
The series ends with Clarking opening his shirt to reveal the iconic Superman logo, drawing a satisfying close to his pre-Superman life. Though he’s only on the screen for a brief moment, Tom Welling’s Superman is one of thebest live-action TV Supermento this day, and he looks incredible in the Christopher Reeve-style costume. The finale also resolved the long-running drama of Lois and Clark’s relaitonship, confirming that the two ended up getting married.
9Arrow
Drew to a fitting conclusion for the start of a TV universe
Arrowwas such a popular series that it managed to spawn the most impressive and longest-running live-action DC universe to this day. The show followed Oliver Queen as he became the Green Arrow, facing all sorts of villains and nefarious plots in his quest for vigilante justice. Because of how instrumentalArrowwas in inspiring years and years of DC Comics TV, the series deserved a fittingly satisfying conclusion.
Luckily,Arrowwas able to deliver with a show-stopping series finale that left no stone unturned. Despite only being a humble archer, Oliver Queen sacrifices himself to save the entire multiverse, roping off an entire dimension-spanning crossover adventure that represented one of the biggest TV events of the decade. Though bittersweet,Arrowwas blessed with an ending that was anything but disappointing, allowing Oliver to finally rest peacefully with his wife, Felicity, in the afterlife.
8The Flash
Closed out the Arrowverse with flair and aplomb
Arrowmay have been the series to kick off the Arrowverse, but it was arguably eclipsed in importance onthe Arrowverse timelinebyThe Flash.True to its name,The Flashfollowed the adventures of Barry Allen, the fastest man alive, who becomes a hero after a freak accident that gifts him with super speed. The finale ofThe Flashnot only capped off Barry’s story, but that of the entire Arrowverse as a whole.
In the end, The Flash and his wife, Iris, celebrate their relationship by welcoming the birth of their baby daughter, Nora West-Allen. The final episode ends with a hopeful message as Barry postulates on the nature of the future, promising his daughter a better world. Characters like Avery Ho, Max Mercury, and Jess Chambers also get their own satisfying final arcs, not to mention the ominous cliffhanger of Nora’s flashing purple eyes.
7Spider-Man: The Animated Series
Got surprisingly deep for a kids' cartoon
Of course, animated shows are far more prominent in the world of comic book TV show adaptations than their live-action counterparts, with some impactful finales to match. A great example is the final episode of 1994’sSpider-Man: The Animated Series,still one of thebest animated Spider-Man cartoonsto this day. After a long and harrowing journey as Spider-Man with many ups and downs, Peter Parker gets into a tense confrontation with the villain Kingpin that leads to a spectacularly incredible cameo.
Stan Lee himself, comic book legend and original creator of Spider-Man, appears in the final episode of the show to have a heart-to-heart with his creations. It’s astounding to see Peter Parker talk things out with the one arguably responsible for all of his troubles, making for one of the best of Stan Lee’s many cameos ever put to screen. In the wake of Lee’s tragic passing, this finale has only become more heartfelt and earnest, a fitting conclusion to the iconic animated series.
6Gotham
Did a time-skip right
Gothamset out to do for Gotham City whatSmallvilledid for Smallville and Metropolis, setting up the Batman mythos of DC Comics fame with a slow-boil police procedural. The series introduced early versions of many of Batman’s most iconic villains, which would all later come into their own as classic depictions of the beloved characters. Of course, Bruce Wayne himself is also a major player in the story, even if he isn’t exactly the protagonist of the majority ofGotham.
Usually, ending on a 10-year time-skip doesn’t bode well for a show’s prospects of having a good series finale. But somehow,Gothammade it work, flinging viewers into the dark future of its titular city complete with The Dark Knight to protect it. The final show of Batman in his full Bat-suit was an incredibly gratifying payoff for a long breadcrumb trail of a Batman origin, making good on the series' promises at long last.
5Loki
Re-invented what it means to end a Marvel show
The many mini-series of the Marvel Cinematic Universe have been interesting experiments in superhero story telling. Usually billed as one-off limited series that ends after a single season,Lokibroke the mold by delivering a second season that draw a dramatic close to Loki’s long journey throughout the MCU. Managing to defeat the insidious forces controlling the Time Variance Authority, Loki is left to put together the scraps as the villain’s waning influence holding the multiverse together begins to fray and fall apart.
In a breathtaking scene that represented the culmination of his character growth, Loki decides to eschew a life with his newfound loved ones in order to become the living temporal loom holding time together. Taking his throne at the center of time, Loki ascends to becoming the God of Stories, locking himself away from ever experiencing a simple life with his friends in order to save all of existence. This heartbreaking finale ofLokiseason 2 will be difficult to topshouldLokiseason 3 actually happen.
4The Penguin
Proved villains don’t have to be redeemed to be interesting
On the polar opposite spectrum fromLoki,HBO’sThe Penguinproved that sometimes the most compelling villains are the most utterly despicable, with no potential for ever growing a conscience. Collin Farrell returns to Matt Reeves' grounded version of Gotham City to play Oz Cobb, a scummy criminal desperate to seize power in the wake of the death of his boss, Carmine Falcone. However, he isn’t the only one eyeing the power vacuum in Gotham’s criminal underworld, sparking a conflict which soon comes to a bitter end.
The Penguinconcludes with a dark twist as Oz essentially gets everything he wants, becoming the criminal overlord of Gotham. His power comes at a steep price, however, leaving his mother in a catatonic state and his right-hand man Vic cruelly killed by his own hand. It’s rare to see a series end so bleakly with a character that gets almost everything they want, unchanging and irredeemable in their despicable quest for more.
3Agatha All Along
Broke new ground for the MCU
While recency bias might be at play for crowningAgatha All Alongas one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s best TV series endings, it’s hard to argue the statement isn’t deserved. Picking up whereWandaVisionleft off,Agatha All Alongexamined the journey of the returning evil Witch, Agatha Harkness, along the dreaded Witches' Road. Along the way, she joins forces with a variety of fellow witches while finally coming to terms with the death of her son after hundreds of years.
Thelast two episodes ofAgatha All Alongwere full of bombshell reveals, with episode 9 in particular acting as a sort of exposition pay-off that cued viewers in to some shocking twists. The truth of Wiccan’s identity and the death of Nicholas Scratch were followed by a bombastic final duel between Wiccan, Agatha, and Death herself, making for a thrilling conclusion. The series finale also broke new ground as the first MCU project to feature a same-sex kiss thanks to Agatha’s breathtaking death scene in which she locks lips with the grim reaper.
2Daredevil
Ended on a surprisingly positive note
Long before the MCU got into the TV game, Netflix’sDaredevilunleashed some of the greatest comic book TV ever conceived. Centering on the vigilante of the same name,Daredevilchronicled the life of Matthew Murdock, a blind lawyer by day, and an extrasensory superhero by night. Part of what made the show so compelling was how dark it wasn’t afraid to get, featuring some of the grisliest violence and bleakest character arcs of any superhero adaptation around.
In that sense,Daredevil’s uplifting ending was all the better as a breath of fresh air. After seeing him suffer so much, Matt deserved to reconnect with his friends, put his arch-enemy behind bars, and form a new law practice with a hopeful outlook on the future. A great place to leave things off, Daredevil’s TV history is far from over as the MCU’s integration of the Netflix canon, andDaredevil: Born Again, looms on the horizon.
1The Punisher
Drew to a darkly satisfying close
As dark asDaredevilcould get,The Punisherwas by far the most morbid series in the entire NetflixDefenderscontinuity catalog. Spinning off of Frank Castle’s escapades following hisDaredevilappearances,The Punisherfurther explored Frank’s emotional baggage and trauma, depicting him wrestling with his thirst for vengeance and bloodthirsty rage. The show also brought to screen some of the most graphic violence ever depicted in the name of the Marvel Comics in live-action, and to great effect.
In the series finale, Frank has essentially accomplished his major goals, but still feels an undeniable urge to violently purge the world of criminal elements. Coldly abandoning those close to him, Frank Castle sets out on a new one-man crusade against crime, quietly embracing his mad fervor for murder as The Punisher. Setting up a meeting with two major gang leaders only to kill everyone present, Frank Castle’s closing actions inThe Punisherwere a chilling, if fitting, conclusion to hisTVpresence.
