'Constantine: City of Demons' Should Have Been a DC Animated Movie Instead

The CW currently has four Arrowverse shows (Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, and Supergirl. The new Black Lightning series, as implied by the “Suit Up” trailer, will eventually cross over with these shows, but until then, it’s not officially a fifth Arrowverse show).  But, unbeknownst to some, the Arrowverse is actually not limited to live-action TV shows.  Over at CW Seed – The CW’s Internet production arm – there are also animated web series set in the Arrowverse.  First, there’s Vixen, which has had two seasons as of 2016; and then, last year, Freedom Fighters: The Ray – a prequel to the epic Crisis on Earth-X – debuted.

However, I’ve never really cared much for these.  I don’t like the five-minute-per-episode format.  And the narratives aren’t noteworthy.  They are unremarkable on their own, and they don’t really add anything of value to the Arrowverse.

But the latest Arrowverse animated series, Constantine: City of Demons, actually thrilled me.  In it, Chas asks the help of Constantine to save his daughter who has been possessed by an evil entity.  And by the way the story unfolds, it actually feels like a proper series worth watching.  It is everything what a Constantine story should be – dark, fascinating, and riveting.

I was a fan of NBC’s Constantine series, and I was bummed when it was cancelled after just a season.  Matt Ryan is an excellent John Constantine.  Thus, I was glad when he reprised his role over at Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow (he’s going to be a regular Legend next season – YES!).  Still, I would have loved a season two, and City of Demons is the closest thing to one.

However, City of Demons is fundamentally different from the established lore of the Constantine show, so it is technically impossible be treated as a season two.  This means: a.) it isn’t really an Arrowverse show, but a stand-alone thing; or b.) it is an Arrowverse show, so it means that the events of the Constantine series was not set in the Arrowverse, or at least, not on “Earth One”; or c.) considering the animation style, it’s in the same universe as the DC Universe Animated Original Movie (DCUAOM) Justice League Dark (i.e. the DC Animated Movie Universe).

Of the three choices, I like letter C.  In fact, I would have preferred if City of Demons had been a direct-to-video, feature-length DCUAOM production instead.  This has no business of being cut into bite-sized episodes.  Again, I’m not a fan of the five-minute-per-episode format.  And by just having five episodes with its season one – with the story still not resolved – it leaves a more unsatisfying feeling than Castlevania season one.

Nevertheless, as an Arrowverse (?) animated web series, it’s far superior to its predecessors.  And regardless of its connections, it is really good on its own merits.  Its only pitfall is that, just as you are getting much invested on it, it abruptly ends.