The Best DC Comics Animated Series, Ranked

[simbob4000]

That's the first time I've ever heard someone say that.

At the very least, I appreciated the variety of body types in YJ.

That's the first time you've ever heard anyone say it's designs are weaker than the good looking Bruce Timm stuff? It's not a bad looking cartoon, but it's not exactly a great looking one either. It's serviceable, although it's better looking than some other superhero cartoon.

[simbob4000]

I'm surprised at the amount of shade being thrown at Young Justice around here. What exactly about it don't you like?

I'm surprised too, given it's the best written of all the shows. Seems weird, given how when it usually comes up here people are practically blowing it.

What I am surprised about is the love people are thrown The Batmans way. I remember the show being fairly stupid, although somewhat amusing, but I guess some have reevaluated it as time has gone on.

[Batmaniac]

Batman/Superman: The Animated Series are the best adaptations we've had of either character in any medium, by far.

[superduperman]

It has been literal years. Can we all just come out and admit Young Justice was a crap show from beginning to end now? It got so much so right (the setup, the animation, the voice-acting, the general aesthetic, the ambition) that, for the same reason I gather a lot of people watched Walking Dead for awhile, I figured it couldn't possibly keep sucking forever. But boy if it didn't find a way until the very last minute to be bland, twee, soulless capital-p Product.

Rest of the list was solid, even if I didn't personally care for all of it. Though Static Shock should've made it in.

Season one was probably the greatest animated show ever written (at least alongside BTAS). Season two went downhill quickly and never recovered. I'm sorry it was cancelled. We could have gotten to see Darkseid!

[Red obin]

Teen titans facing Etrigan? Do they mean Trigon or am I missing something?

[GamerSlyRatchet]

That's the first time you've ever heard anyone say it's designs are weaker than the good looking Bruce Timm stuff? It's not a bad looking cartoon, but it's not exactly a great looking one either. It's serviceable, although it's better looking than some other superhero cartoon.

No disrespect meant. I just usually see YJ's art being universally praised, so this was just new to me. That's all.

What I am surprised about is the love people are thrown The Batmans way. I remember the show being fairly stupid, although somewhat amusing, but I guess some have reevaluated it as time has gone on.

The fourth season was great, and some good episodes were sprinkled in the first three seasons. The rest of it was rather weak, though, and it doesn't surprise me why Beware the Batman made the list over it.

[Fuzzy Barbarian]

10. I tuned into Green Lantern reruns every now and then, and it was a decent show. Animation was surprisingly good, and fit the material.

9. I never really got the obsessive fandom around Teen Titans. I didn't watch it growing up, and watching it now... it's alright. I like the anime influences, which gave it a unique look for a Western animated series, and in general the direction was great. Everything else... eh. Should probs finish it some day.

8. What. This show was crap. Animation sucked, Gotham looked like they hadn't applied textures a lot of the time (and no, that doesn't make it more gothic or whatever), and the villains were lame (they decided to PG Professor Pyg... for reasons), and it just wasn't interesting. Glad it ended so soon.

7. So basically nostalgia. K. Still ruined Aquaman's reputation, so boo.

6. This should be ranked so much higher. This is... OUTRAGEOUS! Yeah, I know this Aquaman wouldn't exist without the Super Friends... doesn't make Super Friends good though. Oh, and great music numbers.



(ONE video? What is this lunacy?! Also, can't believe The Ballad of Batman was taken off Youtube!)

5. This is just... so classic. The art style really suits Superman, and gives it a timeless look. Also, best Lois Lane ever. All the sass! Oh, and the definitive Lex Luthor.

4. I love this show. It was so stylish, but still felt like Batman. Yet it did something different by giving us a Batman who had a life outside of being Batman, though that faded every now and then (Dana who?). And it was just a cool idea to have an older Bruce mentor Terry "I'm Jason Todd but better" McGinnis.

3. Honestly, while this was one of my first Dc shows, one I really liked when it came out, I think it's massively overrated. Episodes are formulaic, the Light being behind EVERYTHING got boring really fast, there are tons of plot holes just in the premises of both seasons, and you knew which characters the writers wanted to focus on by virtue of the others getting "a day in the limelight" kind of episodes then not developing. And the art style was just so... bland. The animation was good though! Just... y'know, not good enough to make this the production house for DC's animated movies (not that good animation would've saved them). And the cast was great, even if I wanted to punch Megan in the throat by the end. It also had a neat play on Arsenal's crappy 2000s history... but it also kinda botched the Flash legacy... boo! It's still a good show and introduced quite a few people to comics, but it's not that great.

2. Yes. This was a great show and I really miss it. Justice League was great for continuing stories of the League, but Unlimited was when I just fell in love. Yeah, shorter arcs, but there was a bigger story overall, and the scope felt bigger. Oh, and this show gave us animated Wally West and tons of Superbat moments.

1. Yep. Everything's been said. Great animation and art style; interesting stories and characters; a very big influence on the comics, even bettering them in some cases (thanks for ruining Mr. Freeze, Scott Snyder and James Tynion); and an amazing cast.

[mfactor]

Replace Green Lantern and Beware the Batman with The Batman and Legion of Superheroes

[MaxMatrix]

It is wild how much of our (American) animatiom that's considered the best is typically still just really good shonen anime. As much as I loved Batman TAS, it's best episode lacks any of the maturity or complexity of something like Cowboy Bebop (or Death Note). I guess it speaks more to how we still look down on animation as a legit form of telling all types of stories.

[Vinsanity]

I'd disagree. It really wasn't different than the transition from JL to JLU. It helped that most of the focus went to the leads we followed from the first season, while everyone else was a side character aside from Blue Beetle and Impulse.

JLU had the same issues but used the core more than YJ did. I mean they made great characters do nothing and other characters like Wonder Girl be just in the background. They had too many characters for the show to handle and then the writing fell off.

[BCya]

It is wild how much of our (American) animatiom that's considered the best is typically still just really good shonen anime. As much as I loved Batman TAS, it's best episode lacks any of the maturity or complexity of something like Cowboy Bebop (or Death Note). I guess it speaks more to how we still look down on animation as a legit form of telling all types of stories.

There were some Japanese made X-Men and Iron Man shows. They were horribly boring. Heck, I think most anime is boring. You better just Bebop on outta here!

[BCya]

How is Teen Titans GO! not on the list? Everyone knows it's the greatest animated series ever! (ducks)

Teen Titans Go! sucks! That's why it's been renewed for a fourth season - because nobody likes it or watches it!

The butthurt over this show is pretty sad. Because it's not Young Justice, or the original Teen Titans show, angry fanboys gotta hate it? That's just weak.

The cast is great and the writing is clever. The show is not for anyone who loves hate or hates fun.

[Fuzzy Barbarian]

It is wild how much of our (American) animatiom that's considered the best is typically still just really good shonen anime. As much as I loved Batman TAS, it's best episode lacks any of the maturity or complexity of something like Cowboy Bebop (or Death Note). I guess it speaks more to how we still look down on animation as a legit form of telling all types of stories.

I don't think it's purely about quality of animation, it's also about stylising it. It's less about flourishing your animation on the screen and more using it for an effect, no more no less; just the right amount. I'm sure Batman throwing a batarang could look a million times fancier on BTAS, with it gleaming as he over-acted (well, the animation of him, not Conroy), and the camera did a panning shot as it tracked the thing until it hit its target! But it's not necessary.

Plus, y'know, BTAS was usually telling a self-contained story in 20 minutes, so of course it'll have less complexity than Death Note telling a continuing story across a season. Plus, complexity doesn't inherently make something better. Simplicity can result in a more focused vision for something.

[Osiris-Rex]

I would have ranked the Fleischer "Superman" cartoons a lot higher. Maybe 3rd or 4th.

[GamerSlyRatchet]

As much as I loved Batman TAS, it's best episode lacks any of the maturity or complexity of something like Cowboy Bebop (or Death Note)

I'll give you Cowboy Bebop, but I wouldn't consider Death Note to be "mature" or "complex". A lot of fun, sure, but it's not that deep.