If there’s one thing DC knows how to do … it’s make an animated movie.
So I’ve made a list of the absolute best DC animated movies for you to watch. What’s better than that you may ask? I also ranked them. That way you don’t have to waste any time wondering where to start. If you follow this list exactly you’ll have the most viewing of viewing parties, and if you don’t—well, that’s not something I actually considered so just follow it okay?
10. Superman: Red Son
Superman is a hard guy to tell a story about. You either have to pull a Smallville and tell a coming-of-age “I’m going through super puberty!” story about Clark Kent discovering his powers, or you have to make Superman an antagonist. In his prime, he’s so damn powerful that there just aren’t villains that are a challenge. Superman: Red Son found a workaround. In this alternate reality story, Superman does not crash land in Kansas to become the All-American whitebread hero we all know. Instead, he lands in the USSR and ends up turning the tide of The Cold War in favor of The Motherland.
9. Batman: The Long Halloween
The Dark Knight is going to appear a lot on this list because carries the entire weight of the DC Universe on his back. For many fans, Batman is the sole reason to watch anything made by DC. Batman: The Long Halloween Parts One and Two only bolster Bruce Wayne’s reputation as the DC cash cow. In this story, Batman is attempting to track down a serial killer named Holiday. He is stealing Batman’s job … and the caped crusader ain’t happy about it.
8. Batman: Year One
Wonder why Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins was so damn good? Because it had Batman: Year One to use as a reference. It tells the story of Bruce Wayne’s first year under the cape and cowl, painting a rare still-wet-behind-the-ears portrait of the normally grizzled veteran of superconflicts. Batman kinda gets his ass kicked in this film, but ends up punching back that much harder. It also establishes one of The Bat’s most enduring partnerships, his relationship with Commissioner James Gordon.
7. Wonder Woman
Before Gal Gadot, there was Keri Russell. Russell lent her voice to the iconic Amazonian in Wonder Woman, one of her first-ever solo films. Like Year One, this film dives into the backstory of its titular hero and offers a fresh take on her origin story not found in the 2017 live-action film of the same name.
6. Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox
Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox may not be the absolute best film that the DC Universe has to offer, but it is arguably the most important to the narrative. It is essentially a reboot of decades worth of DC storylines and allowed the writers of the DC Animated Universe a clean slate to work on new stories. It follows The Flash’s failed attempt to save his mother from dying at the hands of DC’s most screwed-up villain—The Reverse Flash. Yes, I’m aware that Reverse Flash and The Joker exist in the same universe … and yes I stand by what I said.
5. Justice League: Doom
In Justice League: Doom, Batman once again steals the show. This film shows how diabolically dangerous Batman actually is. During his tenure with the Justice League, Batman made a series of secret failsafe protocols to use against his fellow heroes in case they ever went rogue. Because Batman made them, these protocols are extremely effective. So much so that when a group of villains steals the protocols and uses them against the Justice League, the heroes are nearly wiped out. Also, Bane wrestles a gator.
4. The Death of Superman
The Death of Superman has two adaptations, and the better one was made in 2018. This is the film where the unthinkable happens: The Man of Steel is killed at the hands of the supervillain Doomsday. Naturally, the Justice League (and the rest of the world) are stunned and grief-stricken by the sudden loss of Earth’s most powerful hero. The Death of Superman is an effective study of grief masquerading as a superhero action movie. Even if … spoiler alert… Superman isn’t actually dead. C’mon, the guy’s been resurrected more times than Lazarus. What did you expect?
3. Justice League Dark: Apokolips War
Justice League Dark: Apokolips War is aptly named, considering that it is one of the darkest DC stories ever told. This film gets downright brutal. Imagine Avengers: Endgame but instead of getting snapped away and brought back, people actually die horribly and stay dead. In the film, the Justice League faces off against their greatest threat, Darkseid. What are the stakes of this film? How about the end of all life in the entire universe? Are those stakes high enough for you?
2. The Dark Knight Returns
Batman: Year One chronicles the beginning of Bruce Wayne’s career, and The Dark Knight Returns tells the story of the end. Batman is getting old, he’s getting tired, and he’s getting sloppy. After he was forced to break his moral code and level a gun at criminals to save his own life, he decided to hang up the cape and cowl for good. All that changes when a terrifying new street gang invades Gotham City, and the geriatric Bruce Wayne has to pull that “one last job” like the retired action hero he is.
1. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm isn’t just the greatest DC animated film ever made, it’s one of the greatest superhero movies ever made. With the legendary Kevin Conroy voicing The Batman, how could this film be anything less? Batman: Mask of the Phantasm pits the Dark Knight against the mysterious villain Phantasm, but that’s not even the best part. The best part is the rekindled romance between Batman and his long-ago lover Andrea Beaumont. Oh, and Mark Hamil’s Joker—can’t forget him.
(featured image: Warner Home Video)
