DC animation: Best to Worst
by MinorityReporter | created - 11 Mar 2014 | updated - 13 Jul 2019 | PublicMy opinion on the animated movies done with basis in the DC characters and storylines that I have seen. Enjoy the list!
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1. Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010 Video)
PG-13 | 75 min | Animation, Action, Crime
There's a mystery afoot in Gotham City, and Batman must go toe-to-toe with a mysterious vigilante, who goes by the name of Red Hood. Subsequently, old wounds reopen and old, once buried memories come into the light.
Director: Brandon Vietti | Stars: Bruce Greenwood, Jensen Ackles, John DiMaggio, Neil Patrick Harris
Votes: 67,839
Not only is this the best movie that DC animation has produced so far, it is also one of my favorite animated movies ever, providing a strong storyline, interesting insight into the characters and amazingly entertaining action.
2. Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013 Video)
PG-13 | 75 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
The Flash finds himself in a war torn alternate timeline and teams up with alternate versions of his fellow heroes to return home and restore the timeline.
Director: Jay Oliva | Stars: Justin Chambers, C. Thomas Howell, Michael B. Jordan, Kevin McKidd
Votes: 59,851
Now, this film I just anticipated to be yet another decent animation movie but it turned out to be one of the darkest, most mature animation movies I have ever seen, and I simply adore the alternate universe and particularly its rendition of Batman.
3. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2 (2013 Video)
PG-13 | 76 min | Animation, Action, Crime
The Batman has returned after a 10-year absence. The Gotham authorities want to arrest him. An old foe wants a reunion. The Feds want the Man of Tomorrow to put a stop to him.
Director: Jay Oliva | Stars: Peter Weller, Ariel Winter, Michael Emerson, David Selby
Votes: 57,012
The first Dark Knight Returns was a faithful and entertaining interpretation of Frank Miller's groundbreaking graphic novel, but this second part was when the *beep* went down. So cool and creepy that I couldn't help love it.
4. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 (2012 Video)
PG-13 | 76 min | Animation, Action, Crime
Batman has not been seen for ten years. A new breed of criminal ravages Gotham City, forcing 55-year-old Bruce Wayne back into the cape and cowl. But, does he still have what it takes to fight crime in a new era?
Director: Jay Oliva | Stars: Peter Weller, Ariel Winter, David Selby, Wade Williams
Votes: 63,241
Faithful and entertaining. There is nothing here to dislike.
5. Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000 Video)
PG-13 | 76 min | Animation, Action, Crime
The Joker is back with a vengeance, and Gotham's newest Dark Knight needs answers as he stands alone to face Gotham's most infamous Clown Prince of Crime.
Director: Curt Geda | Stars: Will Friedle, Mark Hamill, Kevin Conroy, Angie Harmon
Votes: 29,802
My favorite of Bruce Timm's animated ventures. Along with Mask of the Phantasm, this film helped establish new levels of darkness that could be accepted into a comic book movie. Especially the flashback is particularly disturbing.
6. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)
PG | 76 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
Batman is wrongly implicated in a series of murders of mob bosses actually committed by a new vigilante assassin.
Directors: Kevin Altieri, Boyd Kirkland, Frank Paur, Dan Riba, Eric Radomski, Bruce Timm | Stars: Kevin Conroy, Dana Delany, Hart Bochner, Stacy Keach
Votes: 56,901 | Gross: $5.62M
A lot of people's favorite and I can definitely see why. It never had the greatest impact on me, however, but repeated viewings have convinced me that this is indeed a great film.
7. Justice League: Throne of Atlantis (2015 Video)
PG-13 | 72 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
When Atlantian troops assault Metropolis as revenge for the death of their king, the Queen seeks help from the Justice League to find her son who has gone missing during the madness.
Director: Ethan Spaulding | Stars: Sean Astin, Rosario Dawson, Nathan Fillion, Christopher Gorham
Votes: 25,104
The follow-up to Justice League: War introduces Aquaman, and it is vastly superior to War. Fluent storytelling and animation and it actually manages to make Aquaman an interesting character. Well done.
8. Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths (2010 Video)
PG-13 | 75 min | Animation, Action, Fantasy
A good version of Lex Luthor from a parallel Earth comes to the Justice League's dimension for help to fight their evil counterparts.
Directors: Sam Liu, Lauren Montgomery | Stars: William Baldwin, Mark Harmon, Chris Noth, Gina Torres
Votes: 29,071
I thoroughly enjoyed James Woods as the alternate Batman character. Honestly, I don't remember much from the film aside from him and a feeling of being well entertained for about an hour.
9. Justice League: Doom (2012 Video)
PG-13 | 75 min | Animation, Action, Fantasy
Vandal Savage steals confidential files Batman has compiled on the members of the Justice League, and learns all their weaknesses.
Director: Lauren Montgomery | Stars: Kevin Conroy, Tim Daly, Susan Eisenberg, Nathan Fillion
Votes: 36,928
Batman comes into conflict with the rest of the Justice League. What's not to like?
10. The Death of Superman (2018 Video)
PG-13 | 81 min | Animation, Action, Fantasy
Superman battles against an insurmountable foe named Doomsday.
Directors: Jake Castorena, Sam Liu | Stars: Jerry O'Connell, Rebecca Romijn, Rainn Wilson, Rosario Dawson
Votes: 19,562
A much more focused and engaging telling of the death of Superman than Superman/Doomsday. The sequel, Reign of the Supermen, is nearly as good.
11. Reign of the Supermen (2019)
PG-13 | 87 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
After the death of Superman, several new people present themselves as possible successors.
Directors: Jake Castorena, Sam Liu | Stars: Jerry O'Connell, Rebecca Romijn, Rainn Wilson, Patrick Fabian
Votes: 18,231
The follow-up to Death of Superman and while that story has already been told before in Superman: Doomsday, the dividing it into two parts made for a much more coherent and entertaining narrative.
12. Justice League vs. Teen Titans (2016 Video)
PG-13 | 78 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
Robin is sent to work with the Teen Titans after his volatile behavior botches a Justice League mission. The Titans must then face Trigon after he possesses the League and threatens to conquer the world.
Director: Sam Liu | Stars: Rosario Dawson, Christopher Gorham, Shemar Moore, Jerry O'Connell
Votes: 23,767
of the new 52 animated movies, this i among the better entries.
13. Justice League: War (2014 Video)
PG-13 | 79 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
The world's finest heroes found the Justice League in order to stop an alien invasion of Earth.
Director: Jay Oliva | Stars: Sean Astin, Zach Callison, Christopher Gorham, Justin Kirk
Votes: 37,555
The first movie in the new retconned DC universe and the action is fairly engaging but it is very lacking in the story department.
14. Justice League vs the Fatal Five (2019)
PG-13 | 77 min | Animation, Action, Fantasy
The Justice League battles the Fatal Five, (Tharok, Emerald Empress, Validus, Mano and the Persuader). Based on the characters created by Jim Shooter.
Director: Sam Liu | Stars: Elyes Gabel, Diane Guerrero, Kevin Conroy, Susan Eisenberg
Votes: 10,556
I really liked it! I think that the Bruce Timm universe still has a lot of interesting stories to tell and I just absolutely love that animation.
15. Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay (2018 Video)
R | 86 min | Animation, Action, Fantasy
Task Force X targets a powerful mystical object that they will risk their lives to steal.
Director: Sam Liu | Stars: Christian Slater, Vanessa Williams, Billy Brown, Kristin Bauer
Votes: 17,290
One of the better ones. There is no doubt that if the DCEU had just half the quality of these animated movies then the state of the movie universe would be much better.
16. Superman/Doomsday (2007 Video)
Not Rated | 75 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
When LexCorps accidentally unleash a murderous creature, Doomsday, Superman meets his greatest challenge as a champion. Based on the "The Death of Superman" storyline that appeared in DC Comics' publications in the 1990s.
Directors: Lauren Montgomery, Bruce Timm, Brandon Vietti | Stars: Adam Baldwin, Anne Heche, James Marsters, John DiMaggio
Votes: 23,525
Superb action setpieces and one of the better told Superman storylines in his stand-alone movies makes this an engaging film.
17. Batman: Gotham by Gaslight (2018)
R | 78 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
In an alternative Victorian Age Gotham City, Batman begins his war on crime while he investigates a new series of murders by Jack the Ripper.
Director: Sam Liu | Stars: Bruce Greenwood, Jennifer Carpenter, Chris Cox, John DiMaggio
Votes: 18,996
They tried something new and the movie does keep you guessing but the third act is a little weaker.
18. Batman: Year One (2011 Video)
PG-13 | 64 min | Animation, Action, Crime
A wealthy playboy and a Chicago cop both return to Gotham City where their lives will intersect in unexpected ways.
Directors: Sam Liu, Lauren Montgomery | Stars: Bryan Cranston, Ben McKenzie, Eliza Dushku, Jon Polito
Votes: 38,117
Retelling Batman: Year One in flying colours.
19. Superman/Batman: Apocalypse (2010 Video)
PG-13 | 78 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
Batman discovers a mysterious teen-aged girl with super-human powers and a connection to Superman. When the girl comes to the attention of Darkseid, the evil overlord of Apokolips, events take a decidedly dangerous turn.
Director: Lauren Montgomery | Stars: Andre Braugher, Kevin Conroy, Tim Daly, Susan Eisenberg
Votes: 28,718
Cool action scenes makes this a slight improvement on the first Superman/Batman flick.
20. Batman: Bad Blood (2016 Video)
PG-13 | 72 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
Bruce Wayne is missing. Alfred covers for him while Nightwing and Robin patrol Gotham City in his stead. And a new player, Batwoman, investigates Batman's disappearance.
Director: Jay Oliva | Stars: Jason O'Mara, Yvonne Strahovski, Stuart Allan, Sean Maher
Votes: 26,195
It actually had some of the most interesting conflicts in the current Batman animated timeline and some of the action set pieces were pure wish fulfillment. What kept it from being higher on the list was some shoddy pacing.
21. Batman vs. Robin (2015 Video)
PG-13 | 80 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
While Damian Wayne struggles to cope with Batman's no-killing rule, he soon starts to believe that his destiny lies within a secret society known as, The Court of Owls.
Director: Jay Oliva | Stars: Stuart Allan, Troy Baker, Kevin Conroy, Trevor Devall
Votes: 25,716
A definite improvement on the original but still a far cry from what I know the DC animated universe can be capable of.
22. Justice League: Gods and Monsters (2015 Video)
PG-13 | 76 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
In an alternate universe, very different versions of DC's Trinity (Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman), who operate outside of the law, are framed for murders of prominent scientist and the government decides to take them out.
Director: Sam Liu | Stars: Benjamin Bratt, Michael C. Hall, Tamara Taylor, Paget Brewster
Votes: 16,881
Interesting premise, but the film was more interesting than it really was good.
23. Batman: Gotham Knight (2008 Video)
PG-13 | 75 min | Animation, Action, Crime
A collection of key events mark Bruce Wayne's life as he journeys from beginner to Dark Knight.
Directors: Yasuhiro Aoki, Futoshi Higashide, Toshiyuki Kubooka, Hiroshi Morioka, Jong-Sik Nam, Shôjirô Nishimi, Yoshiaki Kawajiri, Yûichirô Hayashi | Stars: Kevin Conroy, Jason Marsden, Scott Menville, George Newbern
Votes: 30,233
Several short stories done in an experimental animation style. Hit-n-miss but mostly hit.
24. Superman/Batman: Public Enemies (2009 Video)
PG-13 | 67 min | Animation, Action, Drama
When Lex Luthor gets elected US President, he uses the threat of an oncoming kryptonite meteor striking Earth as a rationale to frame Superman.
Director: Sam Liu | Stars: Clancy Brown, Kevin Conroy, Tim Daly, Xander Berkeley
Votes: 25,505
Not terrible, but a far cry from excellent as well.
25. Wonder Woman (2009 Video)
PG-13 | 74 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
A modern man's trespass of the island of the Amazons enables an imprisoned war god to escape and Princess Diana wins the responsibility to recapture him.
Director: Lauren Montgomery | Stars: Keri Russell, Nathan Fillion, Alfred Molina, Rosario Dawson
Votes: 18,794
Some interesting action set-pieces but mostly it feels like a missed opportunity.
26. Teen Titans: The Judas Contract (2017 Video)
PG-13 | 84 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
A group of teen super heroes grow up together, fighting evil in their city.
Director: Sam Liu | Stars: Stuart Allan, Jake T. Austin, Taissa Farmiga, Sean Maher
Votes: 17,294
Pretty good. Not unforgettable but decently entertaining.
27. Green Lantern: First Flight (2009 Video)
PG-13 | 77 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
Test pilot Hal Jordan finds himself recruited as the newest member of the intergalactic police force, The Green Lantern Corps.
Director: Lauren Montgomery | Stars: Christopher Meloni, Victor Garber, Tricia Helfer, Michael Madsen
Votes: 17,696
Now we're reaching the animated movies that are not terribly good. First Flight is servicable but overall its a fairly weak entry into the DC animated pantheon of movies.
28. Batman: Assault on Arkham (2014 Video)
PG-13 | 76 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
Batman works desperately to find a bomb planted by the Joker while Amanda Waller hires her newly formed Suicide Squad to break into Arkham Asylum to recover vital information stolen by the Riddler.
Directors: Jay Oliva, Ethan Spaulding | Stars: Kevin Conroy, Neal McDonough, Hynden Walch, Matthew Gray Gubler
Votes: 37,776
To be fair, this might be better than I give it credit for. However, when you make a film in the same universe as the the Arkham games, it comes with a certain set of expectations. Expectations this movie simply didn't meet.
29. Superman vs. The Elite (2012 Video)
PG-13 | 76 min | Animation, Action, Sci-Fi
The Man of Steel finds himself outshone by a new team of ruthless superheroes who hold his idealism in contempt.
Director: Michael Chang | Stars: George Newbern, Pauley Perrette, Robin Atkin Downes, Dee Bradley Baker
Votes: 15,017
Interesting action scenes but if I am to be honest, Superman just doesn't work very well on his own.
30. Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman (2003 Video)
PG | 75 min | Animation, Action, Crime
The Dark Knight must contend with a mysterious female vigilante who emulates him, but to a more ruthless degree.
Directors: Curt Geda, Jennifer Graves, Tim Maltby | Stars: Kevin Conroy, Kimberly Brooks, Kelly Ripa, Elisa Gabrielli
Votes: 14,220
I liked it. Conroy was good as always but compared to the show, it just didn't match up.
31. Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero (1997 Video)
Unrated | 70 min | Animation, Action, Crime
When Mr. Freeze, desperate to save his dying wife, kidnaps Barbara Gordon (Batgirl) as an involuntary organ donor, Batman and Robin must find her before the operation can begin.
Director: Boyd Kirkland | Stars: Kevin Conroy, Michael Ansara, Loren Lester, Efrem Zimbalist Jr.
Votes: 18,098
See the entry above.
32. Justice League Dark (2017 Video)
R | 75 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
Beings with supernatural powers join together to fight against supernatural villains. This team of supernatural beings include John Constantine, Zatanna and Jason Blood also known as the demon Etrigan.
Director: Jay Oliva | Stars: Matt Ryan, Camilla Luddington, Jason O'Mara, JB Blanc
Votes: 29,143
Interesting premise but fairly dull execution.
33. Green Lantern: Emerald Knights (2011 Video)
PG | 84 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
As the home planet of the Green Lantern Corps faces a battle with an ancient enemy, Hal Jordan prepares new recruit Arisia for the coming conflict by relating stories of the first Green Lantern and several of Hal's comrades.
Directors: Christopher Berkeley, Lauren Montgomery, Jay Oliva | Stars: Nathan Fillion, Jason Isaacs, Elisabeth Moss, Henry Rollins
Votes: 14,870
I fell asleep during this one. Not a good entry.
34. Batman: The Killing Joke (2016)
R | 76 min | Animation, Action, Crime
As Batman hunts for the escaped Joker, the Clown Prince of Crime attacks the Gordon family to prove a diabolical point mirroring his own fall into madness.
Director: Sam Liu | Stars: Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Tara Strong, Ray Wise
Votes: 61,571 | Gross: $3.78M
With such strong material behind it, it is amazing that a better movie could not be produced.
35. Son of Batman (2014)
PG-13 | 74 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
Batman learns he has a violent, unruly pre-teen son, secretly raised by the terrorist group the League of Assassins.
Director: Ethan Spaulding | Stars: Jason O'Mara, Stuart Allan, Thomas Gibson, Morena Baccarin
Votes: 31,246
The main character is just unlikeable, the pacing is off, and even the action is mediocre.
36. Batman and Harley Quinn (2017)
PG-13 | 74 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
Batman and Nightwing are forced to team with the Joker's sometimes-girlfriend Harley Quinn to stop a global threat brought about by Poison Ivy and Jason Woodrue, the Floronic Man.
Director: Sam Liu | Stars: Kevin Conroy, Melissa Rauch, Paget Brewster, Loren Lester
Votes: 15,179
Despite a fairly strong opening and some nostalgic power derived from the animation style, there are some pretty jarring tonal shifts and a weak ending makes this the worst entry in the Bruce Timm animated universe.
37. All-Star Superman (2011 Video)
PG | 76 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
After being poisoned by sun radiation, a dying Superman decides to fulfill his lifelong dreams while Lex Luthor has his own agenda.
Director: Sam Liu | Stars: James Denton, Christina Hendricks, Anthony LaPaglia, Edward Asner
Votes: 16,803
I'm sorry Superman fans, but this is just plain boring.
38. Superman: Unbound (2013 Video)
PG-13 | 75 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
Superman and Supergirl take on the cybernetic Brainiac, who boasts that he possesses "the knowledge and strength of 10,000 worlds."
Director: James Tucker | Stars: Matt Bomer, Stana Katic, John Noble, Molly C. Quinn
Votes: 13,716
The absolute worst movie in the DC animated universe. Uninteresting villain and poor pacing makes this movie a chore to sit through.
39. Batman Ninja (2018)
PG-13 | 85 min | Animation, Action, Sci-Fi
Batman, along with a number of his allies and adversaries, finds himself transplanted from modern Gotham City to feudal Japan.
Director: Junpei Mizusaki | Stars: Kôichi Yamadera, Wataru Takagi, Ai Kakuma, Rie Kugimiya
Votes: 21,945
Wow! What a dumb movie! As in nothing made sense, the voice acting was stilted, the animation felt kinetic but lacked personality. People looked differently from scene to scene with no explanation and people all of a sudden had powers that were never established. Dumb and boring.
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