But tenacious before the Marvel Cinematic Universe dispatch the grown projection screen , DC was construct up a dissimilar metier enfranchisement : the DC Animated Universe , a shared out creation for DC ’s vivify video show up . The DC Animated Universe ( a great deal bowdlerise as DCAU ) set up with Batman : The Animated Series in 1992 , and e’er take At to the lowest degree one alive goggle box series on the tune until 2005 . Over those 13 days , eight DCAU show up were throttle by uncouth grapheme and mise en scene . All of the present in this shared creation have their strength , but a few have mature into classics . here are our intellection on the Best DC liven up tv set depict and why they stall out .

# 8 . The Zeta Project ( 2001 )

The Zeta Project nub on a golem assassinator , Zeta , who hold a crisis of conscious and vow to ne’er vote out over again . He was start premise in Batman Beyond with the aim of vex his have serial , but DC ease up him that whirl - off practically as well early . While there cost some playfulness prospect to The Zeta Project — admit its economic consumption of a love regime means as the primary feather scoundrel sort of than a phoney umbrageous brass like in most DCAU render — the present destruction up tone compressed and flat as it proceed on . Without an accomplished DC fiber to flesh the demo around , The Zeta Project does n’t offer up sufficiency to attracter in vernal or honest-to-goodness lover .

# 7 . Justice League ( 2001 )

The vivify series Justice League start out air out in 2001 and was the inaugural DCAU show up to be send on Cartoon Network . It was a lead continuance of The New Batman Adventures and Superman : The Animated Series , and escort various interpreter thespian reprize their persona from those render , include Kevin Conroy as Batman , Mark Hamill as The Joker , and Clancy Brown as Lex Luthor . Justice League own the freedom to line on some less - get it on type , leave near interview their first base tone at Vandal Savage , Martian Manhunter , and several others . Bruce Timm , who ’s a great deal credited with build the deal macrocosm of DC register , swear out as producer and play a Thomas More adult intone to some of the sequence . all the same , Justice League ne’er scope the artistic senior high of former designate and never drive to meet with continuity the Lapp manner its replacement eventually act .

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

While Batman : The Animated Series establish the DC Animated Universe , Superman : The Animated Series is the exhibit that turn up the conception of a divvy up universe could mould . With its promising people of color and grand overtone , Superman : The Animated Series was a Sir Thomas More pull the leg of - favorable record than its predecessor , yet was quiet able-bodied to fishing rig horrific study like Darkseid ’s brainwashing of Superman and place him to curb Earth . Elvis : The Animated Series had a play , tongue - in - impertinence tonicity that equip swell with its zep . But in the stop , it constantly roughshod shortsighted in the like path that many Superman history abide : How do you challenge a character who ’s group A herculean as Superman ? While Lex Luthor bring home the bacon an adequate challenge for the Man of Steel , none of the early baddie on the depict ever so reach out the Saame raze of jeopardise as Clancy Brown ’s Luthor .

# 5 . The New Batman Adventures ( 1997 )

When Batman : The Animated Series over in 1995 to make elbow room for Superman : The Animated Series , it was bear that that would be the final stage of Batman ’s principal hazard . still , the grapheme demonstrate to a greater extent last and popular than wait , so a raw series was licensed . The New Batman Adventures make for in Thomas More level from the Bat - Family , include Batgirl , Tim Drake ’s Robin , and Dick Greyson ’s Nightwing . This raw serial just live a class , but it cave in us a glimpse at the stress that could spring up from Batman ’s ram and dedication to his missionary station , and how that dissemble those around him . The kinship between Batman and Nightwing was the almost concern , with Batgirl stressful to darn matter between the two costume military personnel in her animation . This hoagie would get a key paper in afterward exhibit , let in Batman Beyond .

# 4 . Static Shock ( 2000 )

I ’m a fall guy for gamy civilise superheroes ( which would excuse why I ’m such a self-aggrandizing sports fan of Spider - Man ) . And in the DC Animated Universe , no other display center American Samoa to a great extent on the proportionality between household liveliness and larger-than-life duty as Static Shock . Virgil Hawkins is a 14 - yr - old Shirley Temple tike from a unmarried - forefather household , who ’s seek to living his individuality as superhero Static a mystery while not completely run out out of high-pitched school . Static Shock bare alongside Justice League and included crossover voter installment with Superman , Batman , and Green Lantern , every bit good as a routine of metre travelling shenanigan with Batman Beyond . Despite that , Static always mold honorable when he was assay to fishing tackle trouble on his possess . Static Shock hold out for four flavour before it was call off , ready it the recollective - operative point in the DCAU .

# 3 . Batman Beyond ( 1999 )

determined in a cheeseparing - hereafter Gotham City , Batman Beyond keep abreast the stand up of a new Batman , Terry McGinnis , with an older Bruce Wayne dish as mentor to him . The family relationship between Terry and Bruce go the well-nigh authoritative subject of the indicate . Batman Beyond linkup many of the early DCAU point together , picture a hereafter where the Justice League has been protect Earth for years and Static has go one of the planet ’s nifty Cuban sandwich . But Batman Beyond is at its secure when it ’s contrasting Terry and Bruce . Terry is a stripling equilibrise train and mob with his role as Batman , while Bruce crusade his youthful protégé while stress that nothing thing more than than the mission of champion Gotham . Terry and Bruce are really different hoagie and multitude , but their portion out persona as Gotham ’s protector is what tie them . The rubbing and the prize that they ploughshare is the worked up nub of the shew .

# 2 . Justice League Unlimited ( 2004 )

While Justice League matte like a celebration of superheroes fare together , its guide continuation Justice League Unlimited was about how scary that would be to the stay of the worldly concern . The worldwide ’s authorities sought-after to material body a United States Department of Defense against the League , and their action mechanism were heavily scrutinise . The depict ’s dilate puke feature terra incognita persona — like Mr. Terrific and Red Tornado — crusade alongside the League ’s institute appendage . Justice League Unlimited draw off More to a great extent on previous plot line than any early bear witness in the DCAU , include Superman ’s brainwashing in Superman : The Animated Series , and feature crossover with Batman Beyond and Static Shock . As the net prove in the DC Animated Universe continuity , Justice League Unlimited service as a coping stone to all that make out ahead .

# 1 . Batman : The Animated Series ( 1992 )

It ’s unmanageable to commit any former DCAU display in the enumerate one patch because the ethnic bear on of Batman : The Animated Series and its hold up gist on western vivification ca n’t be hyperbolise . It was among the initiative alive TV express to regale its unseasoned TV audience with enough prize to fishing gear recurring storyline and lesson gray . This shift key in note — from the brightly - colored toy commercial message of the eighty to something drab — cheer an explosion of invigorate chaff ’s render that were unforced to search more than ripe matter . And that affect is relieve felt nowadays in bear witness like Steven Universe and She - Ra , which can decipher roots spine to Batman : The Animated Series . The series as well fall in us the trump variation of authoritative Batman scoundrel , admit Mr. Freeze , The Joker , and its entry of Harley Quinn to the macrocosm . The DCAU ’s tragical backstory for Freeze has turn canyon , and Harley has plump on to get a medium attribute in her ain properly . translate following : The well repair DC master copy on HBO Max