DC has made over 70 animated movies since the mid-1990s, starting with 1993’s Batman: Mask of the Phantasm and with the latest one — Merry Little Batman — in 2022, making it a vast expansive endeavor.
But with all those films, it can be hard to tell which are worth watching and which you should avoid at all costs (Batman: The Killing Joke is in this latter category).
Here is a list of the top ten best-animated films, according to Rotten Tomatoes. Hopefully, now that James Gunn and Peter Safran are in charge of DC, they can transfer the greatness of these films into their interconnected universe.
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10 Best DC Animated Movies you must watch
10. Superman Unbound (2013)
This film, released in 2013, two years after Man of Steel, paired Superman (voiced by Matt Bomer) with Supergirl (voiced by Molly C. Quinn) as they take on the villain Brainiac (voiced by John Noble). According to the film’s synopsis, Brainiac has been wreaking havoc on the universe, destroying planets and stealing cities. Now, he’s come to Earth, and Superman must stop him. The film is based on the graphic novel Superman: Brainiac by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank.
9. Batman v Robin (2015)
Released in 2015, this film tells the story of Damian Wayne (voiced by Stuart Allen) struggling to cope with Batman’s famous no-killing rule and believes he will be better served by joining the secret society called the Court of Owls. The very same Damian Wayne will be coming to live-action in the upcoming DCU Batman film The Brave and the Bold.
This film was partially based on the Batman: Court of Owls saga written by Scott Snyder and illustrated by Greg Capullo and Jonathan Glapio and combines parts of Batman & Robin: Born to Kill by Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason.
8. Batman: The Long Halloween Part Two (2021)
Released in 2021, Batman: The Long Halloween Part Two continues the tale DC started. Both films were based on the 1996 and 1997 comics of the same name and show the serial killer Holiday continuing to stalk the Falcone crime family as Batman (voiced by Jensen Ackles) begins to think that a former ally might be the serial killer.
7. Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000)
Released back in 2000, this film finds audiences in Gotham City in the future, with an older Batman (voiced by Kevin Conroy) training a young college student called Terry McGinnis (expressed by Will Friedle) to replace him as the Dark Knight. The Joker (voiced by Mark Hamill) re-emerges as the leader of a gang called Jokerz after he was previously thought to be dead. The truth that he is still alive emerges through violent confrontations.
6. Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2019)
In a surprising and weird crossover event between two seemingly unrelated properties, Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles sees the four turtles find themselves in Gotham to stop Shredder (voiced by Andrew Kishino) and attract the attention of Batman (voiced by Troy Baker). Shredder himself has teamed up with Ra’s Al Ghul (expressed by Cas Anvar) and the League of Assassins. But they aren’t the only two villains in the film, as the trailer hints at many of Batman’s most well-known villains appearing.
5. Batman Long Halloween Part 1 (2021)
This film was released in 2021 and was the first part of an adaptation of the comic book of the same name. Set during Halloween, a series of brutal murders terrify the citizens of Gotham City, which means Batman (voiced by Jensen Ackles), has to turn to Harvey Dent (voiced by Josh Duhamel) and Jim Gordan (voiced by Billy Burke) for help to stop them.
4. Teen Titans Go! Vs. Teen Titans (2019)
Going from dark, brutal murder to a more light-hearted take on characters from DC, Teen Titans Go! Vs. Teen Titans is a film released in 2019 that pitted the current iterations of the characters, which were first created in the 2013 animated TV series, with their counterparts from the 2003 animated series.
3. Justice League Dark: Apokolips War (2020)
After the Justice League launch a poorly thought-out attack on Apokolips, Darkseid (voiced by Tony Todd) finally manages to conquer Earth and destroy them. Years later, the heroes that are left must come together and save what’s left of Earth. Justice League Dark: Apokolips War is also a sequel to the 2017 animated film Justice League Dark.
2. Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010)
The 2010 film Batman: Under the Red Hood sees Batman (voiced by Bruce Greenwood) take on a new enemy that is incredibly familiar with Batman’s every move. Red Hood (voiced by Jensen Ackles) begins to deal with a new kind of justice in Gotham City but does it without following a moral code. Old wounds are reopened as Batman goes to take him down.
1. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 1 (2012)
In the first part of a two-part epic, the synopsis is that Batman (voiced by Peter Weller) hasn’t been seen for ten years and is forced out of retirement to deal with a new type of criminal ravage in Gotham City. Old enemies like Joker (voiced by Michael Emerson) and Two-Face (voiced by Wade Williams) also return, as Batman sees if he has what it takes to fight crime in this new era.
Do you have any other recommendations for the best DC animated movies? Let us know!
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