Marvel may be the undisputed champion when it comes to comic book movies, but DC has had its rival beat in terms of television content for quite some time. Arrow launched in 2012 and ever since DC has continued to craft its ever-expanding TV universe. The CW is now also home to The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, and Black Lightning. In the near future, Batwoman will be added to that impressive roster as well. Those aren’t the only shows that DC has on the air, though. Aside from Gotham on FOX, the company also just launched its streaming service, DC Universe. The first series to air was Titans, but there are many more set to follow.
Long before the superhero craze was in full swing, Smallville gained popularity by unfolding a new kind of Superman origin story. Its 10 year run was not without issues, but most comic fans would agree that the show was way ahead of its time. Smallville’s impact on today’s television landscape should not be underestimated.
When transitioning any beloved property from page to screen, there are always going to be certain aspects that work much better than others. Certain visuals look amazing when rendered by a talented artist, but simply don’t translate well to the small screen. There are also budgetary constraints to consider. DC’s TV universe has given us fresh takes on our favorite heroes and villains, but not all of those attempts were successful.
Here are 10 DC Characters That Look Worse On TV (And 10 That Look WayBetter).
Better - Robin (Titans)
Robin’s costume has come a long way since Bill Finger and Bob Kane introduced Dick Grayson as Batman’s sidekick back in 1940 in Detective Comics #38. The decades have seen the rise and fall of several more Robins, some more successful than others. Although Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown, and Damian Wayne have all sported some decent costumes, neither Dick Grayson nor Jason Todd were so lucky.
Titans has been receiving flack for the way the show has chosen to showcase the young heroes, but most fans are in agreement that Robin’s debut was pretty awesome. His suit has all the form and function that one would expect from a protege of the Caped Crusader. Viewers have been eager to see him take up the mantle of Nightwing and it’s safe to assume that when he finally does, he’ll look amazing.
Worse - The rest of the Teen Titans (Titans)
Speaking of the other Teen Titans, fans absolutely had reason to complain - and we’re not talking about the hateful comments in regard to Anna Diop’s casting. In fact, the issues with the other members of the team have nothing to do with the actors who are portraying them. However, many confusing decisions were made in regard to the other Titans’ appearance.
It’s understandable that budgetary constraints would cause Beast Boy to lose his green skin and Starfire her orange hue. Plus, mimicking their original appearances more accurately could’ve hampered the types of stories that the writers wanted to tell. That being said, making them look human didn’t mean that the only way to connect them to their comic counterparts was with awful neon hair. Apparently, more accurate costumes are on the way, so hopefully, Titans will be able to course correct.
Better - Supergirl (Supergirl)
Supergirl as most fans know her debuted in 1959 in Action Comics #252 and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino. Melissa Benoist isn’t the first actress to bring Kara Zor-El to the small screen. However, her costume is far superior not only to the one that Laura Vandervoort was rocking in Smallvile, but also beats out most of her comic suits as well.
Kara has gone through several different looks over the years, one of the most popular being a belly shirt and the world’s shortest skirt. Benoist’s Supergirl look pays homage to the costumes of Karas past, but also puts a more realistic spin on what a hero might actually wear. The series also did an awesome job following the evolution of her outfit, because honestly, who’s getting that right on the first try?
Worse - Ra’s al Ghul (Arrow)
Created by Dennis O’Neil, Neal Adams and Julius Schwartz, Ra’s al Ghul debuted in 1971 in Batman #232. Ignoring the fact that casting a white guy as the Demon’s Head makes no sense, Matthew Nable’s turn as Ra’s al Ghul in Arrow was still pretty underwhelming. His impressive introduction made it seem like incorporating one of Batman’s greatest foes into the Arrowverse might not have been such a bad idea after all. However, following Green Arrow’s miraculous recovery, Ra’s devolved into a total weirdo who was just completely obsessed with Oliver Queen.
Putting all of this aside though, the character never looked quite as fierce as he did in the comics or even in Batman: The Animated Series. Had he been given a better arc, some of these things may have been overlooked, but unfortunately that was not the case.
Better - Black Canary (Arrow)
Black Canary was one of DC’s earlier superheroes. Her inception dates back to Flash Comics #86 in 1947. She was created by Robert Kanigher and Carmine Infantino. Dinah Laurel Lance might be the most well-known woman to take up that mantle, but Dinah Drake was the first.
At this point, there have been several women who have gone by the name Black Canary on Arrow. Some costumes were better than others, but an argument can be made that every single one of them improved upon the original design. In fact, the most recent incarnation of the character, Dinah Drake, might just have the best suit yet. Everyone loves Black Canary, but thankfully, Arrow found her some more sensible battle attire than a bustier and fishnets - not that she didn’t look amazing either way.
Worse - Aquaman (Smallville)
Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, Aquaman debuted in More Fun Comics #73 in 1941. Arthur Curry gets a lot of undeserved flack and his brief stint on Smallville certainly didn’t help matters. The series remains beloved with good reason, but for every character that it got right, there was another that went horribly wrong - which was kind of to be expected considering the show’s controversial interpretation of the source material.
In Smallville’s defense, the series was way ahead of its time and existed in a very different television landscape, in which many viewers weren’t entirely ready to embrace more comic-accurate appearances. Even still, while Oliver Queen’s suit was decent, Arthur Curry’s was pretty awful. It basically incorporated the worst elements of Aquaman’s comic look and left the cooler aspects of the character on the page.
Better - Zoom (The Flash)
Hunter Zolomon, the second villain to be called Reverse Flash, served as Wally West’s arch nemesis. Zoom was to Wally what Eobard Thawne was to Barry. Even the Golden Age Flash, Jay Garrick, had a Rival Flash along the same lines. Zolomon was created by Geoff Johns and Scott Kollins. He first appeared as Zoom in The Flash vol 2 #197 in 2003.
Zoom was a great comics villain, but his appearance would’ve been made far less cinematic on account of the fact that he and Thawne had very similar taste in fashion. The Flash made Zoom into a more unique Big Bad for the Arrowverse by giving him his own distinct look. Their near identical suits made sense in the comics, but wouldn’t have worked out nearly as well on the small screen.
Worse - Brother Blood (Arrow)
The first Brother Blood debuted in The New Teen Titans #21 in 1982. Like the most popular incarnation of the Titans themselves, Sebastian Blood was created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez. The villain’s appearance has changed a fair amount throughout the years, but he was generally a pretty intimidating Big Bad.
Sure, some outfits certainly worked out better than others, but in the comics Brother Blood definitely didn’t look like a cheap knockoff of Scarecrow. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what he looked like on Arrow. It was a particular shame, considering what an amazing job the series did that season of realizing another classic DC Comics villain: Deathstroke. Kevin Alejandro didn’t do a terrible job bringing the character to life, but seriously, the dude needed a much cooler mask.
Better - Metallo (Smallville)
John Corben, aka Metallo, made his debut in Action Comics #252 in 1959. He was created by Robert Bernstein and Al Plastino. Like many other characters on this list, Metallo has had more than a couple different looks over the years, but Brian Austin Green’s portrayal in Smallville takes the win here. Although the character has more recently shown up in the Arrowverse, he wasn’t nearly as compelling as this earlier iteration.
Smallville not only crafted a more well-rounded villain, but its Metallo also looked a lot cooler. In the comics, Metallo often appears to be more machine than man and Smallville delivered a Big Bad who was far less one-note, but also made way more sense in a live-action setting.
Worse - Atom (Legends of Tomorrow)
There have been several Atoms, dating all the way back to the Golden Age. One of the first heroes to usher in the Silver Age, Ray Palmer was created by Julius Schwartz, Gardner Fox, and Gil Kane. He debuted in Showcase #34 in 1961. The character was introduced into the Arrowverse during Arrow’s 3rd season, but eventually found a home in Legends of Tomorrow.
This entry doesn’t take away Brandon Routh and everything that the actor has brought to the role. His A.T.O.M. exosuit, however, could’ve used some work. There was nothing wrong with giving the Atom’s costume a more modern update. However, no one behind the scenes seemed to notice or care that they were basically just making Ray look kind of like Iron Man.
Better - Reign (Supergirl)
Reign is a more recent addition to the comics than most of the other characters on this list. She was introduced post-New 52 in Supergirl #5 in 2012. Reign was a new villain for the Girl of Steel, created by Michael Green, Mike Johnson, and Mahmud Asrar.
The bar for Reign’s costume was set pretty low by her comic counterpart, who was wearing very little in the way of actual clothing. Supergirl did a lot more with the character in general, as she lacked complexity in the comics. The series found ways to really flesh out the character. Even if we’re going on looks alone, though, Odette Annable takes this one.
Worse - Doomsday (Smallville)
Created by Dan Jurgens, Doomsday debuted in Superman: Man of Steel #17 in 1992. He made history by taking Superman’s life - even though it turned out that the demise of the Last Son of Krypton had been greatly exaggerated.
Considering the CGI and practical effects available within a TV budget in the early 2000s, Smallville’s Doomsday was never going to be terribly impressive. To be fair, though, the villain was also very poorly rendered in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice many years later and with a lot more money involved.Even still, the handling of the character’s TV arc, as well as his appearance, was a particularly huge letdown for fans, considering Doomsday’s importance to Superman’s mythology. Smallville was often quite successful in creating new iterations of classic DC characters, but Doomsday was definitely not one of them.
Better - Grodd (The Flash)
Gorilla Grodd debuted in The Flash #106 in 1959, born from the minds of John Broome and Carmine Infantino. While it is true that The Flash’sGrodd looks very similar to his comic counterpart, the CW series still gets extra points for making him such a compelling character. Although the reveal that he would appear in the show’s first season was exciting, many fans were trepidatious about how Grodd could be believably rendered on a TV budget.
As fascinating as Gorilla Grodd is in the comics, it seemed like he might be better off left within the confines of those pages. However, there was no reason to worry, because he looks amazing. The Meta-Gorilla never comes across as ridiculous and even manages to elicit sympathy from viewers. It really shouldn’t have worked, but The Flash pulled it off.
Worse - Killer Frost (The Flash)
Although this villain has been around in some form since 1978, Caitlin Snow herself is a more recent creation. She showed up after the launch of DC’s New 52 and was the third Big Bad to go by the name Killer Frost. Caitlin made her first appearance in Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Man #19 in 2013 and was created by Dan Jurgens.
Her position on this list has nothing to do with Danielle Panabaker, who does an awesome job as both Caitlin and her alter ego. Unfortunately, she needs a costume more worthy of her performance. It would’ve been difficult to replicate Frost’s comic look, especially on a TV budget. However, from a series that made King Shark into a believable live-action villain, we were all expecting a bit more.
Worse - Talon (Gotham)
The Court of Owls was one of the cooler elements introduced in Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s excellent New 52 run on Batman. However, you’d never know that based on Gotham. Neither the Court nor Talon realized much of their potential and it doesn’t help that they all looked ridiculous.
Gotham is difficult to discuss in terms of how DC characters come across visually, since so many of these villains are just beginning their journey. With that in mind, Talon was still a huge misfire. It’s not just that the Court itself was far less compelling without Batman around to combat it - although that was an issue. Talon is a fascinating character in the comics, but he is never given the chance to become one in this series. That might’ve been okay if he didn’t look quite so silly.
Better - Vixen (Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow)
Introduced in Action Comics #521 in 1981, Vixen was created by Gerry Conway and Bob Oksner. She was intended to be the first black woman to lead her own comic, but instead wound up another casualty of the ’78 DC Implosion. Although Mari McCabe has always boasted a cool power set, she’s never had much luck in the costume department. Some artists have made her apparel a bit more modest than others, but she was almost always rocking that skimpy jumpsuit.
Mari was technically introduced into the Arrowverse in animated form before appearing on Arrow, but Legends of Tomorrow incorporated a different version of the character as well. Her live-action and animated costumes vastly improved upon her comic outfit. Both Mari and Amaya were given far more practical attire that also looked awesome.
Better - Mr. Mxyzptlk (Supergirl)
There are certain things that work really well in comics that would simply look too ridiculous to take even remotely seriously in a live-action adaptation - like the comic costumes for the Flash’s entire Rogues Gallery. Mr. Mxyzptlk is a character who makes sense in the confines of DC’s comic universe, but the inter dimensional imp would’ve looked pretty silly showing up on Supergirl.
Although technically his first appearance was in a Superman daily comic strip, Mr. Mxyzptlk was created by Jerry Siegel and Ira Yarborough in 1944. His magical powers have always made him a formidable opponent for the Man of Steel, so bringing him into Supergirl made perfect sense. Previous adaptations have also chosen to forgo a more comic accurate appearance, but Peter Gadiot really nailed the essence of the character.
Worse - Clayface (Gotham)
There have been several villains that go by the name Clayface, but the first was Basil Karlo. He was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane. Karlo debuted in Detective Comics #40 in 1940. While it would’ve been challenging to replicate Clayface’s comic appearance, most of us can probably agree that the Big Bad Gotham gave us was a disappointment.
Again, it’s tricky to say that Gotham’s interpretations of these iconic characters don’t stack up visually with what was on the page, based on the fact that it’s so early in their careers as supervillains. However, even if we were to put aside the overall blandness of the the show’s version of Karlo and just focus on his looks, there still wouldn’t be anything to praise here.
Better - Black Lightning (Black Lightning)
Jefferson Pierce debuted in Black Lightning #1 in 1977. He was created by Tony Isabella and Trevor Von Eden. Although the suit Cress Williams wears on the CW series is pretty comic accurate, it’s also just a little bit cooler. It incorporates the best elements of his original outfit, while also making it look like something that a person would actually wear to fight crime.
Like most heroes and villains, Black Lightning’s costume has gotten some much needed updates over the years. There are very few fashion trends that find a way to transcend decades and Jefferson’s original outfit certainly hasn’t aged well. Black Lightning’s suit has certainly improved, but even with that in mind, his TV appearance still wins out here.
Worse - Hawkman and Hawkgirl (Legends of Tomorrow)
Comic continuity is often confusing, but Hawkman’s trajectory is one of the most difficult to follow. Both he and his paramour date back to Flash Comics #1 in 1940. They were created by Gardner Fox and Dennis Neville. Hawkman and Hawkgirl were never going to be easy characters to adapt - although Smallville did a pretty great job bringing Carter into the mix. These two heroes were the biggest drag on Legend of Tomorrow’s first season and most fans would agree that series was left vastly improved by their absence.
Let’s just focus on what Carter and Kendra looked like. Their comic counterparts are fierce warriors and they look it. However, from the moment these two suited up, they were nothing but a huge disappointment in both appearance and attitude.
What DC characters do you think looked better or worse TV? Let us know in the comments!
