With the announcement of the Kite Man animated series coming to HBO Max in the future, the DC animated universe continues to expand into more adult-oriented shows... even if this is not the bulk of DC's animated content. With dozens of hit series following many of its different characters, from Batman and Superman to Green Lantern and the many sidekicks, there's something for everyone in these shows.
On a Ranker post, fans have voted on what they believe to be the greatest DC animated series, which yielded a strong ranking of great animated series. With shows like Batman: Caped Crusader in the works, as well as a consistent flow of animated films, fans look forward to the future of DC animation.
The Batman
Now no longer the first thing that comes to mind when hearing that title, the animated series known as The Batman was an animated series that ran for five seasons starting in 2004. The show had a drastic style change from the Batman cartoons that had run in the decade prior, giving iconic characters and new villains brand new looks.
The series long run involved many standard Gotham city characters, and also later expanded to form a Justice League, which included Superman, Green Arrow, Green Lantern, The Flash, Hawkman and Martian Manhunter. The show also featured frequent appearances of Robin and Batgirl. The Batman may have fallen short due to the unique choices it made with its interpretation of iconic characters.
Harley Quinn
One of the few ongoing DC animation projects is Harley Quinn. The HBO Max series starring Kaley Cuoco in the titular role has been a huge success to its adult audience, offering a satirical take on the world of Gotham City and the DC Universe. For fans of dark humor and DC comics, the series is a must-watch.
Batman and Superman appear the way that Harley sees them, Robin is a literal child, and Bane's voice is an impression of Tom Hardy's performance from The Dark Knight Rises. The show is filled with humor and inside jokes made specifically for fans of the world. Despite the quality of the series, the show not being made for kids has likely lowered its viewership, reducing its spot on Ranker.
Superman: The Animated Series
The second installment to the DC Animated Universe was Superman: The Animated Series. The show follows Superman on his path from Krypton to Earth, then as he takes on many of his most iconic villains in one-off episodes. The show has recurring appearances from frequent characters like Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen.
For fans of the Justice League, the show introduces many of its characters, including The Flash, Aquaman, and Kyle Rayner's Green Lantern, who's replaced by John Stewart in Justice League. The show also features the universe's first encounter with Darkseid and the New Gods, in multiple arcs which take Superman off-world. Superman: The Animated Series was popular, but just didn't have the supreme quality as the Batman shows of the same era.
The New Batman Adventures
The New Batman Adventures canonically is just a continuation of Batman: The Animated Series. It involved a change of animation style that aligned itself better with Superman: The Animated Series, as the two would be crossing over for The New Batman/Superman Adventures which was a combined hour of the two shows.
The new art style was considered a downgrade by some fans, as the characters became more boxy and some had less color, which likely lowered it on Ranker. This was, however, the series where Dick Grayson transitioned to Nightwing, which earned it some points from fans for their successful portrayal of the fan-favorite.
Teen Titans
Though not connected with the DC Animated Universe, the show ran during the same time on the same network, so the point of nostalgia is shared among fans. The team, featuring Robin, Beast Boy, Raven, Starfire and Cyborg was immensely popular, inspiring a reboot series in Teen Titans Go! which had less popular results.
The Teen Titans cartoon caused a generation of fans, which made many excited for the live-action Titans series in 2018. Unfortunately, no adaptation has captured the wonderful banter and emotional storytelling that made the cartoon series as great as it was. Teen Titans was strong, but didn't dive into the DC lore like some of the other animated shows.
Young Justice
Young Justice is one of the only DC Animated series still running, after a long break between its second and third seasons. The show's original home was on Cartoon Network, but was originally canceled despite the audience of dedicated fans the series had. Due to persistent support from fans, DC announced they'd bring back the show on their streaming service, DC Universe.
After DC Universe shut down, the show moved to HBO Max where its fourth season is currently running. The show has expanded deep into the world of DC, most recently introducing Red and Blue lanterns into its canon, with the show's latest season revolving around separate storylines about Atlantis, Mars, New Genesis, and more, going in-depth into some of DC's minor characters. The show's long gap in between seasons caused a dip in viewership, preventing it from being near the top of the ranking.
Batman Beyond
Terry McGinnis was one of the characters created by DC Animated Universe showrunner Bruce Timm, to make its way into the DC Comics lore. Batman Beyond is the story of Terry McGinnis has he takes over the mantle of Batman from an aging Bruce Wayne. The show was a hit for fans, as it gave a new, stylized take on Gotham City and its characters.
The popularity of the show allowed for it to crossover with other series in the DCAU, including Justice League Unlimited. It also had a spin-off movie called Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker which involved Mark Hamill, which many considered to be one of his best non Star Wars roles. Batman Beyond showed what capabilities the DC world has for new characters, making it beloved by fans.
Justice League
After the team up of Batman and Superman in crossover episodes in their own shows, the two combined forces to form the Justice League, featuring Wonder Woman, Hawkgirl, The Flash, Green Lantern, and Martian Manhunter. The league faced many iconic villains, including Brainiac, Lex Luthor, and the Thanagarian Invasion.
Like the DC Animated Universe's other shows, Justice League was known for masterful and mature comic book storytelling that captured the interest of both child and adult fans. Many fans believe Justice League to be one of the best interpretations of the league and its main characters available.
Justice League Unlimited
The culmination of the DC Animated Universe was Justice League Unlimited, where the League expanded past the original seven members into the depths of DC's vast roster of heroes. From Green Arrow and Supergirl to Shining Knight. The series also features one-off episodes with Shazam, Booster Gold, and has recurring villains in Darkseid the Legion of Doom.
Despite the more diverse cast, the series still has some great moments from Batman, Superman, and the usual League members. The combination of both was the main reason for Justice League Unlimited's excellence. The show's ending was the end of the DC Animated Universe, resulting in movement in DC animation towards one-off films based on popular comic storylines.
Batman: The Animated Series
The show that started the DCAU is still the fan-favorite. So much so that creator Bruce Timm has announced a new series titled Batman: Caped Crusader. The show was also cited as an inspiration for the recent film The Batman. The iconic pairing of Kevin Conroy as Batman and Mark Hamill as the Joker fit the characters so perfectly that their voices are now what many fans hear in their heads when reading comics.
Batman: The Animated Series series captured Gotham City so well, with its red skies, towering skyscrapers, and vast repertoire of characters, good and bad. In a series with so many great episodes, some Batman The Animated Series storylines would even make great feature films. It's understandable why the classic is at the top, as many regard it as one of the best Batman adaptations thus far.