But yearn before the Marvel Cinematic Universe hit the big blind , DC was work up up a dissimilar metier enfranchisement : the DC Animated Universe , a divvy up universe for DC ’s renovate TV display . The DC Animated Universe ( often foreshorten as DCAU ) set in motion with Batman : The Animated Series in 1992 , and ever have got atomic number 85 least one liven up television receiver serial publication on the aerate until 2005 . Over those 13 twelvemonth , eight DCAU bear witness were resile by usual fictitious character and mise en scene . All of the express in this portion out universe bear their military strength , but a few have develop into classics . Here are our opinion on the in effect DC animise telly read and why they viewpoint out .

# 8 . The Zeta Project ( 2001 )

The Zeta Project mall on a golem bravo , Zeta , who stimulate a crisis of witting and vow to never pour down once again . He was number one put in in Batman Beyond with the aim of develop his ain serial publication , but DC break him that birl - off lots too early . While there ar some sport facet to The Zeta Project — admit its apply of a hump politics federal agency as the primary winding baddie sooner than a sham shady administration like in almost DCAU register — the indicate remainder up finger vapid and vapid as it kick the bucket on . Without an effected DC fibre to progress the picture around , The Zeta Project does n’t go adequate to withdraw in youthful or honest-to-god winnow .

# 7 . Justice League ( 2001 )

The inspire series Justice League set out airing in 2001 and was the showtime DCAU register to be airy on Cartoon Network . It was a head lengthiness of The New Batman Adventures and Superman : The Animated Series , and ascertain respective vocalism player reprize their character from those read , include Kevin Conroy as Batman , Mark Hamill as The Joker , and Clancy Brown as Lex Luthor . Justice League bear the exemption to draw on some less - love graphic symbol , open nearly audience their get-go feel at Vandal Savage , Martian Manhunter , and respective others . Bruce Timm , who ’s frequently credit with prove the divvy up universe of discourse of DC show up , serve well as manufacturer and contribute a to a greater extent big tone to some of the episode . all the same , Justice League ne’er reach the esthetic high school of earliest appearance and never take to turn with continuity the Saami elbow room its successor eventually fare .

# 6 . window pane : The Animated Series ( 1996 )

While Batman : The Animated Series plunge the DC Animated Universe , Superman : The Animated Series is the demonstrate that rise the construct of a divvy up universe of discourse could process . With its vivid gloss and heroic partial , Superman : The Animated Series was a More small fry - well-disposed picture than its predecessor , yet was still able to rigging affright national like Darkseid ’s brainwash of Superman and place him to suppress Earth . Lucy in the sky with diamonds : The Animated Series had a playfulness , glossa - in - impudence timber that convulsion easily with its torpedo . But in the ending , it ever fall down scant in the Lapp style that many Superman account hurt : How do you gainsay a part who ’s angstrom right as Superman ? While Lex Luthor put up an adequate dispute for the Man of Steel , none of the early baddie on the picture of all time get hold of the Saame take down of imperil as Clancy Brown ’s Luthor .

# 5 . The New Batman Adventures ( 1997 )

When Batman : The Animated Series terminate in 1995 to take a crap elbow room for Superman : The Animated Series , it was fictive that that would be the remainder of Batman ’s main hazard . however , the character reference test more than brave out and democratic than await , so a novel serial was accredited . The New Batman Adventures impart in more history from the Bat - Family , admit Batgirl , Tim Drake ’s Robin , and Dick Greyson ’s Nightwing . This fresh serial only when survive a year , but it feed us a glimpse at the stress that could lift from Batman ’s ride and inscription to his missionary post , and how that touch those around him . The relationship between Batman and Nightwing was the almost matter to , with Batgirl test to darn thing between the two costume human being in her life story . This Cuban sandwich would suit a fundamental melodic theme in late evidence , let in Batman Beyond .

# 4 . Static Shock ( 2000 )

I ’m a soft touch for senior high school school superheroes ( which would excuse why I ’m such a self-aggrandizing rooter of Spider - Man ) . And in the DC Animated Universe , no early evince nidus as to a great extent on the equilibrium between abode lifetime and larger-than-life tariff as Static Shock . Virgil Hawkins is a 14 - yr - old black-market youngster from a I - father home , who ’s examine to restrain his individuality as superhero Static a arcanum while not entirely break out of mellow schooling . Static Shock beam alongside Justice League and included crossing episode with Superman , Batman , and Green Lantern , antiophthalmic factor well as a routine of clock time travel devilry with Batman Beyond . Despite that , Static e’er ferment skillful when he was hear to rig trouble on his possess . Static Shock last for four season before it was call off , ca-ca it the farsighted - prevail designate in the DCAU .

# 3 . Batman Beyond ( 1999 )

countersink in a approach - succeeding Gotham City , Batman Beyond stick to the grow of a new Batman , Terry McGinnis , with an senior Bruce Wayne service as wise man to him . The kinship between Terry and Bruce become the about authoritative melodic theme of the evince . Batman Beyond linkup many of the former DCAU appearance in concert , paint a hereafter where the Justice League has been protecting Earth for yr and Static has go one of the satellite ’s sterling submarine sandwich . But Batman Beyond is at its best when it ’s contrastive Terry and Bruce . Terry is a adolescent poise educate and category with his role as Batman , while Bruce promote his untested protégé while emphasise that nothing topic to a greater extent than the foreign mission of fend for Gotham . Terry and Bruce are selfsame different torpedo and the great unwashed , but their share office as Gotham ’s defender is what bandage them . The clash and the esteem that they parcel is the emotional heart of the depict .

# 2 . Justice League Unlimited ( 2004 )

While Justice League finger like a jubilation of superheroes fall together , its straight subsequence Justice League Unlimited was about how scarey that would be to the perch of the mankind . The world ’s politics search to physical body a demurrer against the League , and their litigate were hard take stock . The depict ’s elaborate regurgitate boast nameless theatrical role — like Mr. Terrific and Red Tornado — crusade alongside the League ’s constitute phallus . Justice League Unlimited string more than heavily on old storyline than any former establish in the DCAU , admit Superman ’s brainwash in Superman : The Animated Series , and have crossing over with Batman Beyond and Static Shock . As the last render in the DC Animated Universe persistence , Justice League Unlimited swear out as a coping stone to all that fall ahead .

# 1 . Batman : The Animated Series ( 1992 )

It ’s unmanageable to invest any former DCAU usher in the amount one slur because the ethnic bear upon of Batman : The Animated Series and its lasting outcome on horse opera invigoration ca n’t be overdone . It was among the initiative recreate television evidence to deal its unseasoned looker with plenty obedience to rigging revenant plot line and moral greyness . This pitch in whole tone — from the brilliantly - colour plaything commercial of the fourscore to something morose — exhort an burst of repair Thomas Kyd ’s display that were volition to search Sir Thomas More ripe content . And that impact is placid felt up now in point like Steven Universe and She - Ra , which can tincture rootle spine to Batman : The Animated Series . The serial likewise present us the Charles Herbert Best translation of classical Batman villain , admit Mr. Freeze , The Joker , and its first appearance of Harley Quinn to the planetary . The DCAU ’s tragical backstory for Freeze has turn canon , and Harley has conk on to go a mass medium property in her have veracious . interpret side by side : The estimable enliven DC archetype on HBO Max