Notice! Spoilers for all series discussed.
It's hard to find a satisfying way to end a long TV series, but many comic book properties have found brilliant ways to wrap up their twisty stories. Ending a popular TV show is no easy task, with many great series ruined by their ending over the years. In the case of Marvel and DC, this happens much less frequently, with several notable names in the TV comics space finding satisfying and emotional ends.
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 dramas, like the Arrowverse shows on the CW. Both formats present their own challenges when it comes to crafting series endings, but comic book shows new and old have found increasingly effective chapters to wrap up their narratives. Some shows in particular stand out for having especially strong endings, leaving few fans unsatisfied.
10
Smallville
Followed with the promise of its premise
Smallville was a groundbreaking series in the comic book adaptation space, telling the story of a young Clark Kent as he slowly understood his powers, navigated high school, and faced dangerous villains on his long journey to become Superman. After ten long distribution seasons over so many years Smallville finally came to an end after a tumultuous history, being canceled by The CW due to stagnant ratings. A rarity for canceled series, Smallville received a beautiful ending that really managed to make up for Clark's arc.
The series ends with Clarking opening his shirt to reveal the iconic Superman logo, drawing a satisfying conclusion to his pre-Superman life. Although he's only on screen for a brief moment, Tom Welling's Superman is one of the best live-action TV supermen to date, and he looks incredible in the Christopher Reeve-style costume. The finale also resolved Lois and Clark's long-running relationship drama, confirming that the two ended up getting married.
9
Arrow
Reached a Fitting Conclusion for the Start of a TV Universe
Arrow was such a popular series that it managed to spawn the most impressive and longest-running live-action DC universe to date. The show followed Oliver Queen as he became Green Arrow, facing off against all manner of villains and nefarious conspiracies in his quest for vigilante justice. Because of how instrumental Arrow been in DC Comics TV's inspiring years and years, the series deserved a suitably satisfying conclusion.
Happily, Arrow was able to deliver a stunning series finale that left no stone unturned. Despite being just a lowly archer, Oliver Queen sacrifices himself to save the entire multiverse, setting off a dimension-spanning crossover adventure that represented one of the biggest TV events of the decade. Although bittersweet, Arrow was blessed with a less than disappointing ending, allowing Oliver to finally rest in peace with his wife, Felicity, in the afterlife.
8
The Flash
Ended the Arrowverse with talent and self-confidence
Arrow may have been the series that started the Arrowverse, but it was arguably eclipsed in importance in the Arrowverse timeline by The Flash. True to its name, The Flash followed the adventures of Barry Allen, the fastest man in the world, who becomes a hero after a strange accident gives him super speed. The end of The Flash not only ended Barry's story, but also 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 daughter, Nora West-Allen. The final episode ends with a message of hope as Barry postulates about the nature of the future, promising his daughter a better world. Characters like Avery Ho, Max Mercury, and Jess Chambers also have their own satisfying final arcs, not to mention the ominous cliffhanger of Nora's glowing purple eyes.
7
Spider-Man: The Animated Series
It was surprisingly deep for a children's cartoon
Of course, animated shows are much more prominent in the world of comic book TV show adaptations than their live-action counterparts, with some impactful endings to match. A great example is the final episode of 1994 Spider-Man: The Animated Series, is still one of the best Spider-Man cartoons to date. After a long and harrowing journey as Spider-Man with many ups and downs, Peter Parker enters into a tense confrontation with the villainous Kingpin that leads to a spectacularly awesome cameo.
Stan Lee himself, comic book legend and original creator of Spider-Man, appears in the final episode of the series to have a candid conversation with his creations. It's surprising to see Peter Parker talking to the person arguably responsible for all of his problems, making it one of the best Stan Lee cameos ever shown. After Lee's tragic death, this ending became even more heartfelt and serious, a fitting conclusion to the iconic animated series.
6
Gotham
I made a jump in the right time
Gotham decided to do for Gotham City what Smallville did for Smallville and Metropolis, establishing the Batman mythos of DC Comics fame with a slow-paced police procedural. The series introduced early versions of many of Batman's most iconic villains, who would later become classic representations of the beloved characters. Of course, Bruce Wayne himself is also an important player in the story, even if he's not exactly the protagonist of most of the stories. Gotham.
Typically, ending with a 10-year time jump doesn't bode well for a show's prospects of having a good series finale. But somehow, Gotham made it work, throwing viewers into the dark future of its titular city, complete with The Dark Knight to protect him. The final show of Batman in his full bat suit was an incredibly satisfying payoff to a long Batman origin trail, finally fulfilling the promises of the series.
5
Loki
Reinvented what it means to end a Marvel show
The Marvel Cinematic Universe's many miniseries have been interesting experiments in superhero storytelling. Generally billed as a one-off limited series that ends after a single season Loki broke the mold by delivering a second season that dramatically ends Loki's long journey through the MCU. Managing to defeat the insidious forces controlling the Time Variance Authority, Loki is left to pick up the remains as the villain's waning influence holding the multiverse together begins to fray and crumble.
In a breathtaking scene that represented the culmination of his character's growth, Loki decides to eschew a life with his new loved ones to become the living temporal loom that holds time together. Taking his throne at the center of time, Loki ascends to become the God of Stories, stopping himself from experiencing a simple life with his friends to save all existence. This moving ending of Loki season 2 will be hard to beat, it should Loki season three actually happened.
4
The penguin
Proven villains don't need to be redeemed to be interesting
In the opposite polar spectrum of Loki, HBO The penguin proved that sometimes the most compelling villains are the most despicable ones, with no potential to develop a conscience. Collin Farrell returns to Matt Reeves' version of Gotham City to play Oz Cobb, a nasty criminal desperate to seize power after the death of his boss, Carmine Falcone. However, he is not the only one keeping an eye on the power vacuum in Gotham's criminal underworld, sparking a conflict that soon comes to an end.
The penguin ends with a dark twist, as Oz essentially gets everything he wants, becoming the criminal overlord of Gotham. His power comes at a high 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 who gets almost everything he wants, unchanging and irredeemable in his despicable quest for more.
3
Agatha all the time
Opened new paths for the MCU
Although recency bias may be at play to crown Agatha all the time as one of the best TV series endings in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it's hard to argue that the claim isn't deserved. Picking up where WandaVision stopped, Agatha all the time examined the journey of the returning Wicked Witch, Agatha Harkness, along the dreaded Witch Road. Along the way, she joins forces with a variety of other witches as she finally comes to terms with her son's death after hundreds of years.
The last two episodes of Agatha all the time were full of bombshell revelations, with episode 9 in particular acting as a sort of exposition payoff that alerted viewers to some shocking twists. The truth about Wiccan's identity and the death of Nicholas Scratch were followed by a bombastic final duel between Wiccan, Agatha, and Death himself, resulting in 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 kisses the grim reaper.
2
Reckless
It ended on a surprisingly positive note
Long before the MCU got into the TV game, Netflix Reckless released some of the best comic books ever conceived for TV. Focusing on the vigilante of the same name, Reckless chronicled the life of Matthew Murdock, a blind lawyer by day and an extrasensory superhero by night. Part of what made the series so compelling was how dark it wasn't afraid to get, featuring some of the most gruesome violence and darkest character arcs of any superhero adaptation in existence.
In that regard, RecklessThe uplifting ending of was even better as a breath of fresh air. After watching him suffer so much, Matt deserved to reconnect with his friends, put his archenemy behind bars, and form a new law firm with a hopeful vision for the future. A great place to set things aside, Daredevil's TV story is far from over, as the MCU's integration with the Netflix canon, and Daredevil: Born Againappears on the horizon.
1
The Punisher
Came to a darkly satisfying end
As dark as Reckless could achieve, The Punisher was by far the most morbid series on all of Netflix Defenders continuity catalogue. Parting ways with the adventures of Frank Castle after his Reckless appearances, The Punisher further explored Frank's emotional baggage and trauma, portraying him struggling with his thirst for revenge and bloodthirsty rage. The show also brought to the screen some of the most graphic violence ever portrayed in the name of Marvel Comics in live action, and to great effect.
By the end of the series, Frank has basically achieved his main goals, but still feels an undeniable need to violently purge the world of criminal elements. Coldly abandoning those closest to him, Frank Castle embarks on a new one-man crusade against crime, silently 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 final actions in The Punisher were a frightening, yet appropriate, conclusion to his TV presence.