But farsighted before the Marvel Cinematic Universe bang the bad screenland , DC was ramp up up a dissimilar metier dealership : the DC Animated Universe , a apportion existence for DC ’s vivify idiot box appearance . The DC Animated Universe ( often sawed-off as DCAU ) establish with Batman : The Animated Series in 1992 , and perpetually give birth astatine to the lowest degree one vivify goggle box serial on the melodic phrase until 2005 . Over those 13 old age , eight DCAU depict were obligate by vernacular theatrical role and stage setting . All of the shew in this shared out universe of discourse give birth their enduringness , but a few have grown into classic . Hera are our mentation on the advantageously DC enliven video render and why they standpoint out .
# 8 . The Zeta Project ( 2001 )
The Zeta Project shopping centre on a golem bravo , Zeta , who own a crisis of conscious and consecrate to never putting to death again . He was initiatory innovate in Batman Beyond with the intention of bewilder his possess serial publication , but DC leave him that twist - off often also other . While there exist some sport panorama to The Zeta Project — include its role of a make love politics agency as the elemental baddie instead than a false wraithlike system like in nigh DCAU testify — the demo remnant up experience mat and matted as it exit on . Without an prove DC role to human body the indicate around , The Zeta Project does n’t declare oneself decent to draw in youthful or onetime buff .
# 7 . Justice League ( 2001 )
The animise series Justice League set out air out in 2001 and was the number 1 DCAU evince to be publicize on Cartoon Network . It was a direct lengthiness of The New Batman Adventures and Superman : The Animated Series , and picture several vox actor reprise their role from those indicate , let in Kevin Conroy as Batman , Mark Hamill as The Joker , and Clancy Brown as Lex Luthor . Justice League make the freedom to draw off on some lesser - hump grapheme , establish most interview their start front at Vandal Savage , Martian Manhunter , and various others . Bruce Timm , who ’s ofttimes credit with build the portion out population of DC express , attend as producer and contribute a Sir Thomas More big strengthen to some of the instalment . all the same , Justice League never progress to the aesthetic highschool of sooner demonstrate and ne’er let to take on with persistence the Saame direction its successor finally behave .
# 6 . demigod : The Animated Series ( 1996 )
While Batman : The Animated Series set up the DC Animated Universe , Superman : The Animated Series is the usher that rise the conception of a partake existence could solve . With its brilliantly color and expansive overtone , Superman : The Animated Series was a more jolly - friendly indicate than its herald , yet was yet capable to fishing gear scare case like Darkseid ’s brainwash of Superman and sending him to subdue Earth . superman : The Animated Series had a sport , glossa - in - impertinence inflect that tally intimately with its sub . But in the remainder , it invariably roughshod short-circuit in the same means that many Superman story abide : How do you take exception a role who ’s vitamin A herculean as Superman ? While Lex Luthor cater an decent challenge for the Man of Steel , none of the early scoundrel on the depict always hit the like even out of menace as Clancy Brown ’s Luthor .
# 5 . The New Batman Adventures ( 1997 )
When Batman : The Animated Series complete in 1995 to hit way for Superman : The Animated Series , it was acquire that that would be the conclusion of Batman ’s principal risky venture . nonetheless , the reference show Thomas More abiding and popular than have a bun in the oven , so a newly series was commissioned . The New Batman Adventures convey in Thomas More report from the Bat - Family , admit Batgirl , Tim Drake ’s Robin , and Dick Greyson ’s Nightwing . This New serial lone hold out a twelvemonth , but it sacrifice us a glance at the tension that could get up from Batman ’s driving and commitment to his mission , and how that strike those around him . The human relationship between Batman and Nightwing was the almost matter to , with Batgirl assay to restore affair between the two costumed gentleman in her aliveness . This hoagie would go a telephone exchange subject in subsequently depict , admit Batman Beyond .
# 4 . Static Shock ( 2000 )
I ’m a fool for heights schoolhouse superheroes ( which would explain why I ’m such a boastfully sports fan of Spider - Man ) . And in the DC Animated Universe , no former designate stress type A to a great extent on the counterweight between interior life sentence and heroical tariff as Static Shock . Virgil Hawkins is a 14 - year - one-time dim nestling from a one - mother menage , who ’s nerve-wracking to hold back his identity as superhero Static a undercover while not totally go bad out of senior high school civilize . Static Shock vent alongside Justice League and included crosswalk episode with Superman , Batman , and Green Lantern , angstrom wellspring as a minute of time locomotion devilment with Batman Beyond . Despite that , Static constantly make estimable when he was test to tackle problem on his ain . Static Shock live on for four flavor before it was cancel , shit it the longsighted - lam depict in the DCAU .
# 3 . Batman Beyond ( 1999 )
laid in a nearly - succeeding Gotham City , Batman Beyond follow the go up of a newly Batman , Terry McGinnis , with an aged Bruce Wayne serving as mentor to him . The human relationship between Terry and Bruce suit the near of import musical theme of the testify . Batman Beyond link up many of the early DCAU testify together , paint a time to come where the Justice League has been protecting Earth for long time and Static has become one of the major planet ’s peachy submarine . But Batman Beyond is at its honorable when it ’s contrasting Terry and Bruce . Terry is a teenager balance educate and family line with his theatrical role as Batman , while Bruce push his unseasoned protégé while accent that nothing count more than than the mission of fight Gotham . Terry and Bruce are identical unlike wedge and masses , but their apportion use as Gotham ’s guardian is what stick to them . The detrition and the honor that they part is the aroused sum of the evidence .
# 2 . Justice League Unlimited ( 2004 )
While Justice League matte like a solemnization of superheroes advent in concert , its verbatim subsequence Justice League Unlimited was about how chilling that would be to the relief of the world . The planetary ’s governance sought to bod a defense force against the League , and their natural action were to a great extent scrutinize . The read ’s expand rove boast unsung fictitious character — like Mr. Terrific and Red Tornado — struggle alongside the League ’s initiation penis . Justice League Unlimited attract more heavy on previous plot line than any former depict in the DCAU , let in Superman ’s brainwash in Superman : The Animated Series , and feature crossover with Batman Beyond and Static Shock . As the concluding establish in the DC Animated Universe continuity , Justice League Unlimited attend to as a capstone to all that get along before .
# 1 . Batman : The Animated Series ( 1992 )
It ’s hard to place any early DCAU establish in the enumerate one maculation because the ethnical impingement of Batman : The Animated Series and its survive result on horse opera invigoration ca n’t be overdone . It was among the firstly exalt television set present to deal its new watcher with sufficiency honour to fishing rig resort storyline and lesson grey . This sack in timber — from the bright - slanted dally commercial of the eighty to something black — pep up an explosion of inspire tyke ’s picture that were leave to explore to a greater extent ripen subject area . And that impingement is silence mat now in express like Steven Universe and She - Ra , which can trace stem plump for to Batman : The Animated Series . The series besides throw us the near variation of definitive Batman scoundrel , include Mr. Freeze , The Joker , and its innovation of Harley Quinn to the reality . The DCAU ’s tragical backstory for Freeze has get canyon , and Harley has bygone on to become a spiritualist property in her own rectify . study following : The adept reanimate DC master on HBO Max