Ranking Every 2017 Comic Book TV Show Worst To Best

Dec 11, 2017 December 11th, 2017

1. The Punisher

Greeted by a somewhat mixed reaction upon its November release, it would be fair to say that Netflix's Punisher series didn't hit the ground running quite the way it would've liked.

Labelled for being 'untimely' within the current zeitgeist, Steve Lightfoot's series had a whole lot to do to win over audiences, so much so that some of its more salient discussions - about war, gun violence and PTSD - have largely been neglected. It certainly saved Netflix's Marvel year, and Jon Bernthal - who many saw as the highlight of Daredevil's second season - is as magnetic as ever, turning in a performance that builds upon his debut and further solidifies Frank Castle's presence in the MCU going forward.

It's just a brilliantly made, brilliantly shot series - one that yes, has its flaws, but also one that packs a mighty wallop in its final third. It's a tense, thrilling show, and a series that roots itself in the character's best work. The resulting product gives us a series that not only die hard fans of the character are sure to appreciate, but one that newer viewers will as well, irrespective of its somewhat convoluted conspiracy, slow start, or its bungling of America's gun-debate.

It might not be Daredevil or Jessica Jones, but Frank Castle's solo series debut is the best comic book series we've gotten this year, and a fine return for Marvel on Netflix at that.

What were your favourite comic book TV series of the year? Be sure to let us know in the comments below!

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Ewan Paterson

WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well. In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.

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