🔗 Share this article

What could you accomplish with boundless ability? This is a central question posed by all greatest sci-fi as well as fantastical narratives. Imagine if you gained extraordinary powers? Perhaps stumbled upon a life-altering substance? What about each and every other human was wholly committed to your personal satisfaction? Could you use such influence for good, or give in to your own baser impulses?

These shows ranked below all explore that very dilemma in distinct manners (with one notable exception). Outlined here is a countdown of the ten best installments of sci-fi & fantasy television from the past year.

10. Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man

Even after over 60 years of history, Spider-Man continues to be reinterpreted by fresh creative voices. Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man offers a novel perspective at the hero's formative years, cleverly combining classic source material elements with influences from other adaptations to create something which is both fresh and profoundly engaging.

Rather than operating alone or having Iron Man as a mentor, this iteration of Peter Parker forges a evolving partnership with the future Green Goblin, who in this story is merely the CEO of Oscorp. Across their interactions, Peter grows into his own man, internalizing the iconic mantra of great power and responsibility.

9. Hazbin Hotel Season 2

Creator Vivienne Medrano's audacious adult musical-comedy show, which sprang from a fan-funded short, truly found its footing in its sophomore season. Following the climactic events of the first season, the narrative broadens considerably, following the scheming media overlord Vox who takes control of the situation, sparking a series of ever-more dramatic confrontations that inevitably end in elaborate musical numbers.

While it might not have a single breakout song quite like the first season's "iconic tune," this is due to each element in this season being more complex. The action, personal arcs, and especially the music are collectively elevated. The story moves the overarching storyline dramatically while delivering no shortage of weird, unhinged, and ultimately fun dark fantasy.

8. Daredevil: Born Again

As a successor to the legendary Netflix series, Daredevil: Born Again faced enormous expectations. After well-documented production challenges, the final product proves to be worth the effort. The plot centers on Matt Murdock once his dual life as Daredevil is publicly revealed, leaving him vulnerable to enemies both history and new threats in a slightly take of his well-known setting.

The first episode is explosive, evoking the intense tone audiences cherished from the prior incarnation. Although the subsequent episodes explore some different narrative ground, the season finishes powerfully, leaving viewers eagerly awaiting a second installment.

7. Common Side Effects

An surprising this year's highlight, this show could be described as a crime saga filtered through a humor of a suburban satire. Helmed by an Adult Swim veteran alongside writer Steve Hely, the series follows the saga of a nerdy fungi expert who discovers a curative mushroom and soon finds himself hunted by forces including unscrupulous pharmaceutical CEOs to government agents.

Despite being a parody, the narrative unfolds with the grave intensity of a classic conspiracy film. Accentuated by trippy visuals and an unnerving score, the plot delves into bigger mysteries about the mushroom's true effects. It's a smart, beautifully animated, and utterly compelling ten-episode season.

6. Fallout Season 2

This acclaimed adaptation based on the iconic gaming series came back with a second batch of stories that deepened its epic mystery and expanded its nuclear wasteland setting. While it travels toward the legendary location of New Vegas, the season is not a direct retelling of that game; instead, it further examine themes of control and freedom.

It skillfully juggles multiple narrative threads and points of view, from Lucy's mission for answers to a knight's reckoning with the ideology of the his faction. The result is a rich layered and wholly absorbing addition to the expanding Fallout saga.

5. Invincible Season 3

This bloody and heartfelt animated series keeps its winning momentum in season 3. The hero confronts immense challenges on all side: training for a coming Viltrumite threat, guiding his young sibling, and clashing with the shadowy Global Defense Agency. The season also features some of the most brutally brutal action sequences the show has ever delivered.

The protagonist's physical and emotional limits are repeatedly pushed. He must grapple with foes more powerful than he is, the consequences of his battles, and the ethical weight of his decisions. Excellent arcs for supporting characters like Cecil Stedman and Rex Splode round out a superb season.

4. Peacemaker Season 2

The director's irreverent anti-hero series returned with increased significance within the new DC canon, and it delivers on both count. While it effectively lays groundwork for future cinematic universe stories, it also presents a resonant and focused {