🔗 Share this article

What could you accomplish with infinite control? This is a fundamental question posed by the greatest science fiction and fantasy stories. Imagine if you were granted superhuman abilities? Perhaps stumbled upon a revolutionary substance? Or if each and every single person was dedicated to your satisfaction? Would you use such influence for the greater good, or give in to your baser impulses?

These series featured below each grapple with that very dilemma in unique manners (with a single key exclusion). Outlined below is a list of the ten best installments of sci-fi and fantastical TV from the past year.

10. Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man

Even after over six decades of history, the web-slinger remains reinvented by new talent. Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man delivers a novel perspective at the character's early days, skillfully blending classic source material elements with ideas from other adaptations to craft something that feels both fresh and deeply compelling.

Rather than operating alone or having Iron Man as a guide, this version of Peter Parker develops a evolving relationship with the future Green Goblin, who in this story is merely the CEO of Oscorp. Across their dynamic, Peter becomes his own man, internalizing the signature lesson of power and responsibility.

9. Hazbin Hotel Season 2

Creator Vivienne Medrano's boldly transgressive adult musical-comedy series, which sprang from a crowdfunded pilot, fully hit its stride in its second season. Following the game-changing revelations of the first season, the story broadens significantly, centering on the ambitious TV demon Vox as he takes command of the narrative, sparking a series of increasingly dramatic confrontations that naturally culminate in elaborate musical numbers.

While it may lack a one breakout song on the level of season one's "Loser, Baby," this is due to everything in this season being more ambitious. The action, character arcs, and especially the score and songs are collectively more sophisticated. The story advances the overarching plot forward while providing plenty of bizarre, wild, and ultimately entertaining dark fantasy.

8. Daredevil: Born Again

Following the legendary Netflix show, Daredevil: Born Again faced enormous expectations. After well-documented development issues, the resulting product demonstrates to be worthy of the effort. The story centers on Matt Murdock once his secret identity as Daredevil is publicly revealed, making him vulnerable to enemies from his past and new threats in a slightly take of his familiar world.

The premiere is a thrilling return to form, evoking the gritty tone fans cherished from the prior series. Although the subsequent chapters explore some different narrative ground, the first season finishes on a strong note, leaving viewers keenly anticipating a second season.

7. Common Side Effects

A unexpected this year's gem, this show is essentially a crime saga with a sensibility of a suburban satire. Helmed by an Adult Swim veteran alongside comedy Steve Hely, it follows the saga of a nerdy fungi expert who finds a curative mushroom and quickly finds himself hunted by forces including ruthless pharmaceutical CEOs to government authorities.

Despite being a spoof, the narrative plays out with the serious intensity of a classic paranoia film. Enhanced by trippy visuals and an eerie musical soundtrack, the plot delves into bigger questions about the substance's full capabilities. It's a intelligent, beautifully animated, and completely compelling ten-episode season.

6. Fallout Season 2

The hit series of the popular video game series came back with a new batch of episodes that deepened its sprawling lore and broadened its nuclear wasteland setting. While it ventures in the direction of the legendary location of New Vegas, the season is far from a direct adaptation of that title; instead, it continues to examine themes of authority and autonomy.

It expertly balances several storylines and perspectives, from the protagonist's mission for justice to a knight's reckoning with the ideology of the his faction. The result is a rich layered and utterly engaging chapter to the expanding Fallout mythology.

5. Invincible Season 3

The visceral and heartfelt adult animation series keeps its powerful momentum in its third outing. The hero confronts immense pressure on all side: training for a looming alien invasion, guiding his young brother, and battling with his secretive GDA. The story once again includes some of the most brutal action sequences the show has yet delivered.

Mark's physical and emotional endurance are repeatedly tested. He must contend with foes more powerful than himself, the aftermath of his actions, and the moral weight of his choices. Excellent storylines for key cast members such as Cecil Stedman and Rex Splode round out a superb installment.

4. Peacemaker Season 2

The director's offbeat superhero series came back with increased importance within the new DC universe, and it executes on both fronts. While it successfully establishes groundwork for future DCU stories, it primarily tells a resonant and self-contained {