Superheroes have been a populararchetype to adapt. While everyone now associates them with cinematic universes, and there has been an explosion of live-action superhero series on networks and streamers, the superhero has been the subject of many more types of adaptations for decades. One area the superhero has done well historically has been in animation, becoming a staple for Saturday morning cartoons and blocks of programming after school for years.
Superheroes' roots in comic books make them ideal for animation. It maintains the drawn comic book history while also adding motion to those still comic images. Animation offers a certain freedom that live-action can’t always afford, both in terms of budget or even audiences' suspension of disbelief. There have been several superheroes like Batman and Spider-Man who have had so many cartoons that they can havetheir own lists ranking them. But in the vast world of animated superhero series, the following ten are the best of the best. They offer something unique to the genre, either with a take on a character or even a new hero. They pushed the boundaries of what a superhero series can be, and have left a lasting impact on the genre. These are the best-animated superhero series.
10Danny Phantom
A Nickelodeon original hero,Danny Phantomis the story of a boy who is given ghost powers after accidentally turning on a failed experiment of his ghost-hunting parents.Danny Phantomis the archetypical superhero series, drawing heavily from the Spider-Man mythos. He has a secret identity he has to keep hidden from his family, fights a colorful cast of new villains every week that will occasionally team up, and has a complicated love life that his superhero alters ego often gets in the way of.
Related:MCU: Is the World of Superheroes Any Better Than Our Own?Danny Phantom’sgreat characters, fun humor, and sheer creativity in its lore and various ghost villains make it not only a great superhero series but one of Nickelodeon’s best. With how popular superhero movies are, one wonders why Nickelodeon and parent company Paramount have not tried to do a big-budget live-action adaptation of the series. Its stand-alone episodic nature makes it a more ideal fit for a film adaptation than squeezing 22 episodes of a long story arc, as was the case withThe Last Airbender.
9Static Shock
WhenStatic Shockpremiered on the Kids WB in 2000, audiences were likely not too familiar with the Milestone superhero. Yet by the time this animated series ended,Static Shockhad gained a larger fanbase than ever before, and he was as beloved a member of the DC Universe to fans as The Flash or Green Lantern.
Static’s creator, the late Dwayne McDuffie, was heavily involved in the series and reworked his original comic to make it more kid-friendly. Despite that, the series was not afraid to tackle serious issues like homelessness, drugs, racism, gun violence, bullying, and many more topics but blended them in with an exciting superhero story and an engaging coming-of-age story of a boy into a superhero. For a while, Static Shock was the most mainstream black superhero and was a role model for many kids, and the series' legacy is still being felt to this day as fans eagerly anticipatea live-actionStatic Shockmovie.
8Wolverine and the X-Men
While the 1990sX-Menis often regarded as the best series based on the mutant heroes, the true best version might beWolverine and the X-Men. Released in 2009,Wolverine and the X-Menwas a blend of classic Chris Claremont X-Men stories, the recent Grant MorrisonNew X-Menand Joss Whedon’sAstonishing X-Men, and the popularX-Menfilm series to make an X-Men for a modern audience.
Season one managed to tackle the Sentinel threat, Days of Future Past, and the Dark Phoenix storyline in one cohesive story that was less a straight adaptation and more a unique reimagining.Wolverine and the X-Menwas canceled after only one season due to Disney acquiring Marvel, and while fans wonder what might have been the first season of Wolverine and the X-Men is some of the best X-Men stories ever told.
7Harley Quinn
The adult animatedHarley Quinnseries puts a raunchy R-rated spin on the DC Universe to great comedic effect. The series features incredibly layered jokes both mocking but also lovingly embracing the absurd nature of the DC Universe and these various characters. Bane, King Shark, and Clayface are just a few small examples of classic villains that are given such clever new dimensions in the series it almost becomes tempting to wish this was the de facto depiction of them.
Yet even with all the jokes,Harley Quinnalso features an incredibly inspiring story about a woman moving on from a toxic relationship, finding herself, and finding new love. The romance between Harley and Poison Ivy has been a delight and a great depiction of a complicated but loving adult relationship.Harley Quinnis a perfect counterpointto theBatmancartoons, and will generate laughs from both newcomers and hardcore DC fans.
6Gargoyles
In the 1990s, Disney television animation was known for colorful animal cartoons likeDuck Tales,Goof Troop, andTale Spin. Yet withGargoyles, they redefined themselves with their dark, gothic take on the action series format popularized byBatman: The Animated Series.Gargoylesbecame known for its mix of fantasy and science fiction, and its winged heroes acted as the protectors of New York City.
Yes,Gargoyleswas a superhero series, but unlike any other on television. It mixed theTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesformat of creatures living in the concert jungle of New York City while featuring a mythology deeply rooted in European folklore and Shakespearian characters. The series has been off the air for over 30 years but has a strong passionate fanbase who fondly remember the series as being an alternative to both Disney television but also all other superhero series.
5Batman: The Animated Series
When it comes to animated superhero series,Batman: The Animated Seriescast a large shadow. It is hard to understate how influential it was and reinvented the modern superhero series. It drew from every era of Batman comics and live-action adaptations to make something that was ironically Batman but also a unique interpretation. Mark Hamill’s Joker might be the most iconic voice of the character.
Kevin Conroy’s Batman voiceis to many the definitive version of the character, andhis recent passingand the outpour of love and admiration showed how important he was to multiple generations.Batman: The Animated Serieswas a series that could be enjoyed by both kids and their parents, and even got better as one was older.
4Justice League Unlimited
Batman: The Animated Serieskicked off a whole interconnected universe of series, which culminated inJustice Leagueand finallyJustice League Unlimited.Justice League Unlimitedbuilt on the foundation of the original series with a larger roster and showcased how vast the DC Universe could be. Each episode put the spotlight on a variety of new heroes and was the first exposure many viewers had to characters like Stargirl, Captain Atom, and Booster Gold just to name a few.
Related:The Best Episodes of Justice League Unlimited, Ranked
Justice League Unlimitedalso had incredibly layered season-long plots that would build to satisfying conclusions. They featured double crosses, uneasy alliances, and showcased how vast the DC Universe could be. The final shot of the series brings the franchise full circle as Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman are the last characters on screen with the Bat logo taking over the entire screen, an acknowledgment this all began withBatman: The Animated Seriesand bringing the franchise to a close.
3Young Justice
Young Justicein many ways feels like the definitive DC superhero show. It features a fully fleshed-out universe with a sense of history that is populated with various concepts from across the company’s rich history. Yet instead of putting the focus on the classic Justice League, it spotlights the sidekicks that modern superhero stories often seem to cast aside.
Young Justicefleshes out its heroes and takes them on long-form arcs and the audiences get to watch these young heroes grow up into becoming legends in their own right.Young Justicehas breathed new life into classic DC heroes and helped introduce a whole host of heroes and villains to a wider audience.
2Invincible
One of the newest series on the list, within its first few episodesInvinciblewon audiences over and is a crowning achievement in superhero animation. Based on the Rob Kirman Image comic,Invinciblefully embraces its status as an animated series to showcase scenes that could never be depicted in live-action both in terms of scope but also violent brutality. The violence is even highlighted by the contrast with the animation style which brings to mind other classic superheroes' Saturday morning series.
WhileInvincibleis an adult-oriented superhero series, it is not the cynical takedown of the genre that Amazon’s other superhero seriesThe Boysis. Invincible embraces the violence of superheroes, but deep down maintains an optimism that has defined the genre since its creation. It is the story of a young boy who wants to do good in the world, and against all odds will do what he can. Fans are eagerly anticipating season 2 which will delve more into this colorful and brutal superhero world.
1The Spectacular Spider-Man
There have been so many animatedadaptations of Spider-Man, one would imagine it would be impossible to pick just one, yetThe Spectacular Spider-Manis without a doubt the best cartoon based on the webhead and also the best superhero series. From Greg Weisman, who worked onGargoylesand would later go on to developYoung Justice,The Spectacular Spider-Manfeels like the definitive take on the character. It draws heavily from the classic Silver Age Stan Lee/Steve Ditko comics while also mixing in a fair share of the updated Ultimate Comics and theSam RaimiSpider-Manfilms. The creators embrace Spider-Man’s status as a teenage superhero and expand his supporting roster of classmates to give them depth outside of their relationship with Peter Parker, and the teenage melodrama enhances the high-stakes action of Spider-Man fighting off many of his classic foes.
Similar toWolverine and the X-Men,The Spectacular Spider-Manwas a series that ended far too soon because Disney acquired Marvel. Yet in two seasons across 26 episodes,The Spectacular Spider-Mancaptured the essence of Spider-Man in a way no other adaptation has, and likeBatman: The Animated Seriescould be the definitive take on the hero.The Spectacular Spider-Manremains the best-animated superhero show.
