DC's Legends of Tomorrow: The Complete First Season

The DC Comics universe of interconnected TV shows launched its first genuine team series with Legends of Tomorrow, featuring characters previously introduced on earlier shows. From Arrow comes Brandon Routh as Atom and Caity Lotz as White Canary, while The Flash supplies Wentworth Miller and Dominic Purcell as villains Captain Cold and Heat Wave (playing for the good guys here), along with Prof. Martin Stein (Victor Garber). New heroes include Jefferson “Jax” Jackson (Franz Drameh), who becomes Firestorm; Ciara Renée as Hawkgirl; and Falk Hentschel as Hawkman. The team is put together by rogue Time Master Rip Hunter (Arthur Darvill), a time traveler from the future who takes the heroes through history to fight eternal supervillain Vandal Savage (Caspar Crump). Developed by Arrow and The Flash creator Greg Berlanti, the series struggles to find its balance and establish an identity, with the sheer number of characters ensuring that too many will be underdeveloped, especially Darvill's Time Master (who can't help but draw comparisons to the much more engaging time traveling hero he costarred with in Doctor Who). Legends of Tomorrow feels more engineered than written—unlike previous CW superhero shows, this is not based on an established comic book or inspired by particular stories—and it disappointed many fans of the other DC Comics shows. Compiling all 16 episodes from the 2016 debut season, extras include behind-the-scenes featurettes, a 2015 Comic-Con panel, and a gag reel. A strong optional purchase. (S. Axmaker)