The 10 All-Time Best Animated Series Based On DC Comics

While Marvel has come to dominate the box office with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, DC has long kept a strong foot in the world of animation. While DC had a lot of animated movies building its own world. the company also boasts decades of animated television series that have remained some of the most popular superhero entertainment on television.

RELATED: 9 Characters Batman: The Animated Series Radically Reinvented

There have been DC animated shows for generations, including the classic Super Friends cartoons and Batman appearing in several shows through the years. The best DC animated shows that have ever aired feature the biggest heroes in DC, and some of the shows were popular enough that their takes on the characters even became canon in the page of DC comics.

Batman: The Animated Series

Starting in 1992, Batman: The Animated Series changed what fans could expect from a comic book cartoon. Instead of the previous, more light-hearted cartoons that featured the Caped Crusader, the show took on the darker tone that Tim Burton’s Batman films popularized, setting the show in a noir setting and modernizing the character.

The cartoon eclipsed anything that came before for DC by winning four Emmy Awards for Outstanding Animated Program, and it changed Batman in comics as well. Most notably, it was Batman: The Animated Series that introduced the world to Harley Quinn before she ever made her first appearance in comic books.

Superman: The Animated Series

After the success of Batman: The Animated Series, Warner Bros. introduced Superman: The Animated Series. The DC animated series was set in the same world as the Batman cartoon, which meant that it also put hte Man of Steel into a more noir world, similar to his original television appearances from the 1950s.

Superman: The Animated Series remained pretty loyal to the comic book character and helped modernize the Man of Steel in the animated world. While it didn’t win as many Emmys as Batman, it was always nominated and remained highly acclaimed.

Batman Beyond

In 1999, DC animation took Batman in a brand-new direction. Instead of bringing he original Batman back for the new series, Warner brought in a new Caped Crusader in Batman Beyond. This created a new Batman in the future, with Terry McGinnis as the new Batman, with Bruce Wayne as his mentor.

Batman Beyond was very different from what came before, putting the action in a futuristic Neo-Gotham City with a more anime-styled animation style and brand-new Batman villains. The show was critically acclaimed, winning two Emmys, over its three seasons. Terry’s story lives on in comics.

Justice League

In 2001, Warner Bros chose to cancel Batman Beyond and replaced it with Justice League without missing a beat. This animated DC series was based in the same world as Batman: The Animated Series, which meant it brought back the characters from that and the Superman cartoon.

This series also helped make John Stewart’s Green Lantern a hugely popular character, eclipsing for some the runs of Hal Jordan and Kyle Rayner, and brought Hawkgirl to the forefront. The show was extremely popular and made the Justice League a hot commodity again before giving way to an even better show two years later.

Justice League: Unlimited

While Justice League only lasted for two seasons, Warner Bros followed up with an even better show with Justice League: Unlimited. While the first cartoon focused on the main core league, the follow-up brought an almost unlimited lineup of heroes to the DC animated universe.

This animated series lasted for three seasons and it was the final series in the interconnected DC animated universe that started with Batman: The Animated Series. The second Justice League animated series received critical acclaim and even led to a spin-off movie while also branching out into comics. With names like Booster Gold, Blue Beetle, and more, this ended up as a perfect conclusion to the animated world.

Static Shock

Not all the best DC animated series focused on celebrated, well-known heroes. In 2000, DC brought a cartoon to the WB based on the former Milestone Media character Static Shock. This was the first DC cartoon to feature a Black superhero as the title character, a teenager with electromagnetic powers.

Static Shock lasted for four seasons and was critically acclaimed, as it approached several social issues and earned the show Emmy nominations. With a multicultural approach and an emphasis on diversity, Static Shock remains a landmark for DC entertainment.

Teen Titans

Starting in 2003, Teen Titans became one of the top critically acclaimed shows on Cartoon Network. The network aired five seasons of the show and then finished off with a movie called Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo.

This was mostly because of hte incredible popularity of the original, which picked up three Annie Award nominations and was praised for its strong mix of humor and serious thematic elements. The DC animated series was so popular that the characters returned 13 years later in a crossover with Teen Titans Go!

Young Justice

If there is one DC animated series that picked up a loyal outspoken fanbase, it was Young Justice. The series premiered in 2010 as a cross between the Teen Titans and Young Justice in the comic books. The series lasted two seasons and 46 episodes before Cartoon Network canceled the show, despite being an Emmy winner.

This cancelation didn’t make fans happy and when Cartoon Network replaced it with Teen Titans Go!, many fans wouldn’t give the new show a chance. DC Universe brought it back seven years later and it has produced two more seasons since then, with Young Justice season 4 airing on HBO Max.

Green Lantern: The Animated Series

Green Lantern: The Animated Series arrived in 2011 on Cartoon Network, and while it was considered one of the best DC animated series, it only lasted for one season. It faced an uphill battle for things outside of its control, including toy sales and the DCEU movie that flopped at the box office.

The series brought the entire Green Lantern universe to the animated world, with their war with the Red Lanterns and the addition of the various colored Corps. Despite lasting only one season, the series was critically acclaimed and picked up three Annie Award nominations.

Harley Quinn

The best DC animated series currently airing is on HBO Max with Harley Quinn. This is a character who was originally introduced in one of the best DC animated shows of all time in Batman: The Animated Series. The show started on DC Unlimited and has two seasons with a third on the way.

Unlike other DC animated series, Harley Quinn is made for adults with sharp humor, adult situations, and great voice performances. It also stands out for its LGBTQ representation. The second season is one of the best in DC animation history, with a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

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