DC bolsters an impressive catalog of animated shows and movies that are second to none. Batman alone has multiple iconic TV shows, and the HBO Max original adult animated series Harley Quinn has become a massive success. Many of DC's shows are known to portrait mature plots and themes, even though they are animated for kids.
20 years ago, it was a big change with the now iconic, Batman: The Animated Series. Which presented a darker, more mature style for a cartoon show. Now, animated superhero shows being more mature is the norm. Individuals from five to 50 can sit down and watch and enjoy, thanks to the high level of writing in each show.
'Batman: The Brave and the Bold' A Salute To The Silver Age
Batman: The Brave and the Bold aired for three seasons on Cartoon Network and consisted of 65 episodes. This series could be considered a hit or miss for some fans of The Dark Knight, as u/TheBatmanWhoChuckles points out, "Some may think it's too campy, but I enjoy its homage to the silver age (of comics)."
The show often starts up with cold opens that don't tie into the rest of the episode, and many plots include lesser known heroes from the DC Universe, like Booster Gold and Red Tornado. There are some serious notes, but this show is certainly the most cartoony. Diedrich Bader voices Batman, and reprises the role in a more goofy, but more adult, Harley Quinn.
'Green Lantern: The Animated Series' Is Underrated and Underappreciated
Perhaps this show didn't get the support it deserved because just a year prior to its debut, Green Lantern (2011) premiered to horrific reviews, and possibly scaring off many from the character entirely. The show only ran for one season for a total of 26 episodes.
The show was completely CG, much different from other DCAU properties, but it was still developed by Bruce Timm, the man behind the entire DCAU. U/DoctorSteve notes that "The Green Lantern Animated Series was superb and is worthy of being revived. It may be too late for that, but at least the show is getting the recognition it deserves.
'Superman: The Animated Series' The Man of Steel Done Right
Following the massive success of Batman: The Animated Series, Warner Bros. decided to give DC's golden child, the Man of Tomorrow, Superman, the same treatment. Airing on WB (before it became The CW), Superman:TAS ran for three seasons and 54 episodes.
The continued success from Batman:TAS to Superman:TAS allowed Warner Bros. to eventually combine the two as a spinoff and form the Justice League animated show, an entry to come. In the process, Tim Daly became the voice of Superman for an entire generation of fans, and S:TAS is still the best overall adaptation of The Man of Steel.
'Batman Beyond' The Future of The Dark Knight
Batman Beyond takes place in 2019, Bruce Wayne is old and the mantle of Batman eventually finds its way to Terry McGinnis. The show was darker than all the other animated programming, including B:TAS, which this series is a direct continuation of. Kevin Conroy continued his role as Batman, with Will Friedle voicing McGinnis. Batman Beyond ran for three seasons and 52 episodes, and a very successful movie Return of the Joker (2000).
With Terry McGinnis being a high schooler in a neo-Gotham that is still riddled with crime, the show covered many things like substance abuse, child abuse/neglect, school violence, etc. making it unlike every other show DC offered other than Static Shock.
'Static Shock' Was Unlike Anything Else On Television
The series was the first time that the titular character of an animated series was an African-American. Virgil Hawkins, voiced by the great Phil LaMarr, was a 16-year-old high school student who grew up in a single father household (he lost his mother to gang violence).
During a gang meetup, police intervened, and it resulted in a chemical explosion, giving Virgil and other gang members superpowers. The show tackles gang violence and how it effects teens, racism, the dynamic of single-parent households, and much more. Static Shock also had crossovers with Batman Beyond and the Justice League in Justice League Unlimited. The show ran for four seasons, totaling 52 episodes.
'Harley Quinn' The New King of Adult Animation
Harley Quinn was a character created specifically for Batman: The Animated Series, perhaps the shows most important contribution to the Batman mythos. Now, two decades later, the character of Harley has absolutely rocked media.
Not only does she have an adult animated show that is well-written and hilarious, but she also had multiple live action depictions in Suicide Squad (2016 and 2021) and Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey (2020) starring Margot Robbie. It is a show that is simultaneously faithful to its characters but gives them all a twisted, exaggerated version of themselves.
'Teen Titans': Superheroes Mixed With Heavy Anime Influence
There were two shows in the early-mid 2000s aimed at kids that had heavy anime influence despite being considered "Western Animation" and that was Avatar: The Last Airbender, which aired on Nickelodeon, and Teen Titans, which aired for five seasons totaling 65 episodes on Cartoon Network. Teen Titans even had a Japanese opening theme that alternated with the English one.
Its main villain was Slade aka Slade Wilson aka Deathstroke, who was an absolute menace to the Titans, specifically Robin (this version of Robin is Dick Grayson). The show is highly regarded today, and its spin-off Teen Titans GO! has drawn mixed reviews from fans of the original given its animation style, even though it has the same cast of voice actors.
'Young Justice' Almost Had An Early Demise
After airing on Cartoon Network for two seasons totaling 46 episodes, Young Justice was canceled and didn't get a third season. Fortunately for fans, the creation of DC's streaming platform, DC Universe, revived the series for a season three, and season four took place on HBO Max.
The show has received a ton of critical acclaim, and bolsters a roster equivalent to Justice League Unlimited, with seasons three and four specifically focusing on many lesser/newer heroes that have joined the group. The show also isn't afraid to tackle topics like mental health issues.
'Justice League' & 'Justice League Unlimited' The Ultimate Superhero Show
The original Justice League ran for 56 episodes with its immediate sequel Justice League Unlimited running for an additional 39 episodes. Both developed by Bruce Timm, Justice League focused on its founding members: Batman (Kevin Conroy), Superman (George Newbern), Wonder Woman (Susan Eisenberg), John Stewarts Green Lantern (Phil LaMarr), Wally West Flash (Michael Rosenbaum), Martian Manhunter (Carl Lumbly), and Hawkgirl (Maria Canals-Barrera).
Unlimited greatly expanded the cast to all types of different heroes, and the series included crossovers with other DCAU shows Batman Beyond and Static Shock.
'Batman: The Animated Series' & 'The New Batman Adventures'
U/OccasianalSquirrel posted "Batman The Animated Series and its successor the New Batman Adventures are both superb, and are definite classics!" and that seems to be the consensus with DC shows: B:TAS is the like the Godfather of them all and can't be topped. It was revolutionary in its day, developed for a young audience with mature themes and excellent animation, it paved the way for all superhero shows thereafter.
Its spin-off The New Batman Adventures, continued those stories by involving more of the Bat-Family: Tim Drake's Robin, Nightwing and Barbara Gordon's Batgirl. Although it didn't seem to have as much success as the original show, and only lasted 24 episodes, it was still well done, and its success spawned other spinoffs like Justice League and Batman Beyond.