9 Comic Book TV Shows That Were Canceled Way Too Soon

Right now, we have an abundance of comic book TV shows to keep us busy. Some of them are really good, such as The Gifted, while others are rapidly plummeting in quality, like The Walking Dead. Nonetheless, if you're a comic book fan, you're certainly spoilt for choice in this day and age. The entertainment industry isn't always fair, though, and we've seen a whole bunch of impressive comic book shows get canceled when we felt like they were only getting started. Sometimes, no matter how much we support a show and tell all our friends about it, the wider audience doesn't get behind it and the execs kick it to the curb. As such, we've gone back in time and selected nine comic book series that got canceled too soon. Before you ask why Joss Whedon's Firefly isn't on this list, please remember that it was an original creation not based on a comic book property - the comic book series only came after the show. Also, as always, these things are rather subjective, so if you agree or disagree with any of the shows mentioned, drop us a comment and let us know your thoughts. With that out of the way, let's take a trip down memory lane as we remember some classics from the yesteryear. Blade: The Series (2006) Blade: The Series was by no means better than 1998's Blade and 2002's Blade II - but miles ahead of Blade: Trinity - yet, there was a specific charm to the show that kept fans of the infamous vampire hunter interested. One of the reasons for its success was the fact it was helmed by David S. Goyer and Geoff Johns. Despite boasting 2.5 million viewers and being the most-watched original series premiere in Spike TV history, the show was sadly canceled after 13 episodes. It's a shame because Sticky Fingaz did a good job as everyone's favorite daywalker and the storyline was starting to pick up. While another Blade film might be out of the question at this point in time, there's a possibility of a series being explored in the near future. Hey, Wesley Snipes has indicated that he'd be interested in reprising the role, so let's see what happens down the line. Batman (1966-1968) Look, even though Batman spawned one of the most definitive eras of the Caped Crusader and lasted for 120 episodes, you can't shake off the feeling that it could've lasted a tad longer. It's even more infuriating when you realize the reason for its cancelation. By the third season, the ratings had significantly dropped and ABC decided to cancel the show. However, hope came in the form of NBC as it agreed to take over the series. Before the network could carry on with its plans, though, it was discovered that the Batman sets had been destroyed by someone, setting back production hundreds of thousands of dollars. Thus, the plug was pulled and the deal lost. After inspiring Batmania, it's disappointing that the show ended on such a sour note. Even so, the legacy of Batman still lives on today, as one of the most fun iterations of the Dark Knight to date. Agent Carter (2015-2016) In a world where Iron Fist and Inhumans exist, it's tragic to think that Agent Carter only lasted two seasons. Perhaps its biggest fault is that ABC didn't get behind the show enough, considering the character isn't exactly the most appealing of the Marvel universe. Actually, let's call a spade a spade here: the sole fault lies with the network. The promotion for the series was minimal and several other blunders resulted in them not capitalizing on the show's strong word of mouth. For goodness' sake, the first season had a 95% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes - why didn't anyone maximize on this?! While the producers continue to tease the possibility of a revival, it doesn't appear likely right now. After the Inhumans stinker, Marvel will be looking for the lowest hanging fruit or a super-easy win - and unfortunately, Agent Carter doesn't fit into either category. Richie Rich (2015) Richie Rich was a blink-and-you-miss-it show on Netflix in 2015. Despite its low-key appearance, it still lasted two seasons and 21 episodes. So, why don't more people know about it? Well, it could be argued that there were many creative liberties taken and it wasn't the typical Richie Rich lore that we all know and love. For one, Richie is the one who made a fortune by finding a way to harness energy from vegetables and his family is better off because of him. Also, where was Cadbury in this whole thing? Regardless, the change in the Poor Little Rich Boy's origin actually worked out for the better and provided an interesting dynamic where he was the architect of his own success. Sure, it did play out like a live-action Disney series at times and aimed at younger audiences, but it was a must-watch for fans of the Harvey Comics character. Constantine (2014-2015) How is it possible that Legends of Tomorrow is still on, but Constantine was canceled after one season? Sure, you could argue that the show had no business being on NBC in the first place, but it isn't like it's a CW series, either, is it? Simply put, the ratings for Constantine weren't good enough and this is why it was canned after 13 episodes. Fortunately, Matt Ryan's portrayal was such a hit with fans and critics alike that he's been roped back into the Arrowverse for a few appearances and even voiced the character in Justice League Dark. While a live-action series is no longer in the pipeline, Ryan will continue to voice the hero in an animated Constantine show that's set to be released next year. That's a decent compromise at the very least, right? Birds Of Prey (2002-2003) There were a lot of things wrong with Birds of Prey - namely its constant butchering of canon - but the potential for an exceptional show was there. The casting was good and the narrative appeared to be on the right track before it hit the curse of 13 episodes. The series started off with a sensational bang, pulling in a phenomenal 7.6 million viewers for its premiere. Unfortunately, it peaked far too soon and it was all downhill from there, with the ratings plummeting week after week. Not long after that, the network did what everyone expected and put it out of its misery. Thinking about it, Birds of Prey would be the perfect series for The CW right now. While it'd probably work better in current times than the future New Gotham City of its predecessor, it's not hard to imagine how this show could be extremely popular if it were released today. The Crow: Stairway To Heaven (1998-1999) When you think of The Crow franchise, it's safe to say its highest point was the 1994 film starring Brandon Lee. Everything that diverged away from Eric Draven's story never really excited like the original tale did. The Crow: Stairway to Heaven realized this and worked as a reimagining of Draven's tragic love story. While it had a lot in common with the film, it also filled in the blanks and allowed us to learn more about Eric and Shelly Webster's romance. Additionally, the casting of Mark Dacascos was inspiring as he certainly looked the part with the face paint and long hair. Regardless of the positive reviews and ratings, the series was canceled after one season when Polygram was sold to Universal and the decision was made to end the show. The producers wanted to make a TV movie to tie up the loose ends from the final episode, but this never came to fruition and we're still left pondering several questions about it. The Flash (1990-1991) While The CW's The Flash has many callbacks to the original series from 1990, including the casting of John Wesley Shipp in a recurring role, it's still not the same thing. In fact, the original show was a groundbreaker at the time, with the two-hour pilot costing $6 million and each episode around $1.6 million to produce. Unfortunately, it was this pioneering mentality that resulted in its cancelation at the end of the day. Considering the cost of each episode, the network required higher-than-usual ratings. Also, it didn't help that it had to compete with the likes of The Cosby Show and The Simpsons in its timeslot, and ultimately struggled to pull in the numbers. There were several schedule shifts over the months, but this only lost and confused viewers who didn't know if the show was still around or not. With low ratings and a refusal from the producers to cut the budget, The Flash was canned after 22 episodes. In that regard, the people behind the show do deserve our respect for knowing when to walk away rather than make something mediocre. The Tick (2001-2002) In a clear case of being ahead of its time, The Tick lasted a meager nine episodes before facing the axe back in 2002. By all accounts, the show should've been a hit since it contained humor, great storytelling, and the perfectly cast Patrick Warburton in the titular role. But it appeared doomed from the get-go as it was put in a slot to compete against the likes of Survivor: Africa and hardly given any boost by Fox. Warburton, in particular, has been highly vocal of Fox's handling of the series, saying that the network didn't put its money where its mouth was and avoided promoting the show. He criticized Fox's blatant mismanagement of the project, believing it didn't have a clue what it was doing. Despite the network's blunders, the series was well-received by critics and fans alike, and received a welcome reboot this year. Still, you have to wonder what could've been had another season or two aired back in the day. Now it's time to hear from you. Tell us, which comic book TV shows do you feel were canceled too soon? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section down below.