This seems like a good time to take stock in the various hero shows out there. Agent Carter finished her initial season with no real word on if the show will be back, ditto for Constantine. Flash is on another of those odd few week breaks with no explanation as is Arrow. Gotham is still driving ahead, and there are rumors of new projects all over.  So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at where we are: 

Currently Airing/Just finished:

Agent Carter: (ABC) This was an uneven eight episodes. The action was certainly good, and Hayley Atwell did a great job as Peggy Carter. But at times it seemed like the rest of the show couldn’t match her. Between the unrelenting misogyny (we get it already) and the general uninspiring performance of most of the SSR for much of the series, the show had some problems. They also went for some really low comedy with both the Griffin (the all women hotel Carter ended up in) and Howard Stark’s mid-series appearance, and it just felt forced. Hayley Atwell, presumably as Agent Carter, has been confirmed to appear in Avengers: Age of Ultron and a flashback scene in Ant-Man, so even if there isn’t a second season of Agent Carter, we’ll see her again.

Agents of SHIELD: (ABC) This, too, has been a bit uneven. I think it started strong and then got lost. I was getting worried about the show for a while. Then came the Winter Soldier movie. It completely ripped SHIELD apart, and the show almost had to start over. I think it got a lot better from that point. They went on a hiatus with a major cliffhanger. They’ve also tied themselves in to the Inhumans, which was announced as one of Marvel’s upcoming movies. SHIELD has been tying in to many different Marvel movies, bringing a nice cohesiveness to their cinematic universe. I’m looking forward to the show’s return, especially Clark Gregg and Ming-Na Wen as Agents Coulson and May.

Arrow: (CW) Of all the DC properties to bring to tv, I was curious about why they chose Green Arrow. It sounded like an odd choice. A few seasons later, I have to admit the show is working decently. There have been all sorts of Easter Eggs for comic fans, with guest stars and supporting characters from all over the DCU. It’s not my favorite hero show going, but it’s usually enjoyable. I end up describing it as good action sequences surrounded by bad writing. There’s a soap opera element to the show I could do without, as well as the constant flashbacks, but we’ve gotten to see Black Canary, Wildcat, Arsenal, Captain Boomerang, and so many more in live action. Plus, they seem to be using the show as a launching point for new series (see below). Also, they managed to create new characters that are actually likable, like Diggle and Felicity.

Constantine: (NBC) I had a lot of reservations when this show was announced, and I was wrong. It’s been great. There are a lot of shows that end up deciding to go the gore route for one reason or another. This one doesn’t. The effects are stunning, sometimes beautiful, but not bloody. John Constantine fights the good fight with some really questionable methods.  They do a great job with magic, guest star characters, and some great plots and menaces. Like the other shows seem to enjoy, they include Easter Eggs for the fans such as Fate’s Helm and a poster for Zatara the Magicain among others. The first season was shortened, and a second season is under debate. I really hope it comes back.

Flash: (CW) This is, hands down, my favorite hero show running right now. It’s upbeat, has actually heroic characters, and is possibly the closest to the source material. It’s also the second Flash tv show, and they have used the two stars of the first one as guests and/or recurring characters. Barry Allen is a good guy, and you can easily believe he cares enough to risk his life to save other people. He, in this incarnation, started off as a guest star on Arrow, and now has his own show, along with supporting characters from the Flash mythos and a few other places. They have, in general, good writing, great effects, and some great characters. There’s also an intriguing rumor going around about a guest shot/cross over with an off the air CW hero show. Even without that, we’ve gotten to see Firestorm, Plastique, many of Flash’s Rogues, and General Eiling.

Gotham: (Fox) This, too, has been a lot better than I expected. The show is set in the early days of the Batman story. Very early. The show started off with the murder of Thomas and Martha Wayne, and Bruce is about eight or so. They’ve shown early versions of many of the Batman characters. Jim Gordon and Harvey Bullock have a great rhythm in their scenes together. Ed Nygma is one of my favorites on the show, with short but great scenes. It’s not really a superhero show, per se, but it’s really enjoyable.

Coming:

Obviously, I don’t know a lot about shows that aren’t on yet, but here’s what’s coming down the pike:

Daredevil: (Netflix) Matt Murdock is a blind attorney by day, vigilante by night. This is the first of four hero series coming to Netflix in a project, and they’ve started a few trailers and teasers for it. I expect there will be a lot of martial arts style fighting and street crime. Daredevil is supposed to start this summer, with the other heroes coming in later.

Defenders: (Netflix) The Defenders has never really been a team by most definitions, usually a loose association of heroes. Netflix is borrowing the name to unite their four hero shows. In the comics, most of these characters have never been members of the Defenders, but as long as the idea works, why not?

Iron Fist: (Netflix) Danny Rand was trained in the mystic city of K’un L’un, and is a martial arts master with a few minor mystic powers, including the ability to hit with superhuman force and heal others. I have no idea which, if any, of those powers might make it on to the show, but we’ll see. Danny is a rich businessman, superhero, and for a long time partner in heroics to Luke Cage/Power Man.

iZombie : (CW) Zombies are especially popular right now, with the juggernaut series The Walking Dead drawing phenomenal ratings. This is a very different take on a zombie. Gwen Dylan in an undead who eats brains, BUT she eats them to stay human, or as human as possible. She gains memories with the brains, and uses the memories of the recently deceased to solve crimes. This is supposed to start in March. Unlike the CW’s other comic based shows, there are no plans for iZombie to share a world with Arrow and/or Flash.

Jessica Jones: (Netflix) Jessica had a unique back story. She had several near-misses with various characters early in their careers before finally getting her own powers. She had a horrific life as a hero, quickly falling prey to a mind control villain, forced to serve him for months. She later gave up on the hero biz to become a private investigator, and later still married Luke Cage, Power Man. How much of this will play into the show hasn’t been revealed yet.

Power Man: (Netflix) Luke Cage was convicted of a crime he didn’t commit, and, while in prison, volunteered for an experiment, and gained powers. He broke out and became a rare mercenary with powers, a Hero For Hire as he called his business. Later he took on Iron Fist as a partner. The two became one of the most unlikely hero friendships in comics, the rich white man and the black ex-con. Later still, he married former hero Jessica Jones, and had a daughter with her.

Supergirl: (CBS) Superman’s cousin has had her own movie, comic book, and a few guest shots on cartoons. The movie was, charitably, pretty bad. Now, in the age of superhero movies and tv shows, she’s getting her own show going. They’ve announced a fair amount of cast, and there’s enough press that it seems pretty certain that it’s going ahead. Some of the same talent behind Arrow is working on the show, but they have stated they don’t anticipate any crossovers anytime soon. Little is known for certain about how the show is going to work, but they have said this Supergirl will be considerably different from the comic book version. I suspect it won’t tie in with Man of Steel either.

Rumored:

Atom: Ray Palmer has been a recurring character on Arrow, which was the launch point for Flash. There are stories of talks about giving him his own show. In the comics, Atom can shrink to smaller than microscopic size and is a brilliant scientist. He seems brilliant here, but the suit, so far, looks more like Iron Man.

Firestorm: Ronnie Raymond and Martin Stein make up Firestorm, the Nuclear Man. Ronnie and Martin’s story was a big part of Flash’s first season, drawn out over several episodes. Flash is one of the closest adaptations of comic material I’ve ever seen, and Firestorm is close behind. So far, we haven’t seen the costume, but hints of it are there. When Firestorm was last seen on Flash, he left to go to Pittsburgh, where many of the Firestorm comics were set. With Ronnie being the love interest of Caitlin Snow, a major character on Flash, I expect the two shows would at least somewhat relate.

Hourman: There were a lot of rumors about this for some time, but they seem to have faded. I have no idea what the status of this one is now.

Static: This could have a lot going for it if they ever get it moving. Static starred in his own cartoon for several seasons, as well as crossing over with Justice League Unlimited. Static, Virgil Hawkins, is a young man who gains electro-magnetic powers in an accidental chemical exposure. In addition to being a teen hero, which seems popular, Static is African-American, which could hopefully bring in an audience the show might not otherwise attract.  At least at one point, Jaden Smith, son of movie star Will Smith, was rumored to be in consideration for the role.

Teen Titans: The Teen Titans have had a long history. Originally, it was a gathering of sidekicks: Robin, Kid Flash, Aqualad, later Wonder Girl and Speedy. They’ve had many incarnations over the years, and this show sounds like it’s picking from different eras. Rumored characters include Nightwing, Oracle, Starfire, Raven, Hawk and Dove. Oddly, the show is supposedly going to be set in Boston, a city none of those characters have ties to.

There’s also rumor of a kind of superhero team up show that CW is looking into. It may take the place of Atom, Firestorm, or both. Various actors have been mentioned in association with it, including Victor Garber (Martin Stein), Brandon Routh (Ray Palmer) and, oddly, Cathy Lotz, whose Canary on Arrow is dead. I would guess she’d either be playing someone else or have stories in an earlier time frame. Wentworth Miller, who played Captain Cold on the Flash, was also mentioned. I wonder if this would be a rotating series of team ups. If so, the Brave and the Bold title is presently being used for anything. They also say at least three new characters would be a part of this so far nameless series.