10 Greatest DC Comics TV Show Masterpieces of All Time, Ranked

It's been known for quite some time that when it comes to animation, DC Comics often reigns supreme. Whether they are making a film or a television series, their animated projects are some of their best content, period. For some reason, they've always had the most success on the animated front, and most likely, it's because of the clear amount of care, love, and soul put into making them.

While their movies are great, their best content most certainly comes through the television, with one of their shows being considered one of the greatest animated series of all time. With a reputation like that, it's hard not to consider a good number of their television projects masterpieces in some way, shape, or form.

10 'Doom Patrol' (2019)

Despite the streaming era of DC Comics' television being controversially received—the likes of Titans being the worst offender—there was one ridiculously underrated series that deserved so much more love than it got: Doom Patrol. This series was excellently written, depicting a group of "losers" and misfits from the DC universe coming together to form a team.

Doom Patrol is a cinematic exploration of trauma through the lens of super-beings. With phenomenal character development and a wacky, but fun, tone, this show was the perfect recipe for something truly special—also making the deep, serious themes more palatable for audiences to swallow. Many consider this the Guardians of the Galaxy for DC, both in tone and quality of writing.

9 'Static Shock' (2000)

When it comes to teenage superheroes in the DC universe, some may immediately think of the likes of any of the Robins, Blue Beetle, or Kid Flash. One of the best, however, is none other than Virgil Hawkins (Phil LaMarr), aka Static. This teen hero is very popular among comic book fans, and for very good reasons—reasons emphasized in this show: Static Shock.

This show introduced a lot of kids to this wonderful character through its excellent character writing and great depth in plot. Virgil isn't just some teen superhero; he represents a community that was not often represented as superheroes in the 2000s era when this series premiered. He's an important hero, and the show creators Dwayne McDuffie, Derek Dingle, Denys Cowan, and Michael Davis were very well-aware of this, treating every important subject matter with love and care.

8 'Batman Beyond' (1999)

One of the most unique shows in DC Comics' catalog is the iconic Batman Beyond. Set in the far future of Neo-Gotham, this show depicts a much older Bruce Wayne (Kevin Conroy), no longer able to hold up the Batman mantle in his elderly age. Because of this, he entrusts the legacy and a futuristic new Batman suit to a young man named Terry McGinnis (Will Friedle).

Batman Beyond offers a breath of fresh air to the DC Comics mythos, telling a story that is unlike any other that can be found in their television catalog. Everything that made Batman: The Animated Series so special is back in Batman Beyond, immediately making it a multi-layered and complex series that can be enjoyed by almost every age group out there.

7 'Superman & Lois' (2021)

Of the CW corner of the DC television collection, the best of the best easily comes in the form of Superman & Lois. This show took everything that worked about the CW shows and left behind what didn't. This resulted in a show that has some of the best Superman storytelling out there, bringing Clark Kent (Tyler Hoechlin) into a situation he's never been in before on television: being a father.

Tyler Hoechlin, Elizabeth "Bitsie" Tulloch, and the rest of the cast bring some masterful performances that ignite these characters to life with depth. It takes on plot lines like Lois Lane getting cancer with grace and soul, proving that the cast and crew behind the series truly cared about making sure this project was astounding, and they succeeded.

6 'Justice League Unlimited' (2004)

After the massive success that was Justice League, the creators and studio decided that it was time to expand their operations and make a follow-up series that brings far more DC Comics superheroes into the fold. Each episode brings in a new hero that allows for all-new plots, villains, and more. Just because it's a team-up series now doesn't mean it still doesn't have the same depth in its storytelling that the previous series did. In fact, the new heroes bring even more layers to the plots.

Justice League Unlimited has some genuinely mature storytelling—like the predecessor series—and does so while still having fun with the cool superhero team-ups and new villains at play. As the universe expanded, so did the opportunities the creator, Bruce Timm, had to develop genuinely meaningful stories throughout the seasons the show had greenlit.

5 'The Batman' (2004)

Clearly, 2004 was a great year for DC animation, as not only did they end up releasing Justice League Unlimited, but they also put out the incredibly underrated The Batman, too. This animated adventure redefines the Batman mythology while keeping the most important parts of the character and his world intact. It brings in a whole new origin story for the likes of Clayface (Steve Harris), which is masterfully built throughout the first season, and even Joker (Kevin Michael Richardson) gets a bit of a makeover, too.

The Batman is the perfect example of how to reboot a series, make it unique and something of its own, while keeping the heart of the character and what makes him and his world special. The wonderful Rino Romano does a great job bringing this younger version of the hero to life, making the character his own, rather than trying to emulate past titans like Kevin Conroy.

4 'Teen Titans' (2003)

When it comes to team shows, DC Comics knows how to do it right, and one of the best examples of this comes in the form of Teen Titans. This series is unique not only because of—big surprise—the emotionally compelling storytelling, but because of its anime-inspired style that allows it to go between goofy and serious tones with ease.

That's a huge part of what makes Teen Titans stand out among the rest to so many audience members. It has a magical way of balancing tone that simply has yet to be truly replicated in DC television to this day. It made watching the show an emotional rollercoaster in the best way and broadened the demographics that could enjoy it.

3 'Young Justice' (2010)

Now, what if Teen Titans was a lot more mature in tone, you may ask? The answer to that is none other than Young Justice, a show that takes the concept of sidekicks forming a team of their own, and focuses on more serious storytelling, and less on humor—it still has comedy, though, thanks to Wally West (Jason Spisak).

Young Justice takes on a far more serialized approach to storytelling and acts more so as a drama, which hooked audiences emotionally almost instantly. Thanks to lovable characters, great performances, and writing and development prowess from the one and only Greg Weisman and Brandon Vietti—two powerhouses in the television industry who, together, crafted some of the best modern DC storytelling out there.

2 'Justice League' (2001)

Before there was Justice League Unlimited, there was Justice League. This first series to feature the League coming together was one for the history books. With iconic character designs, masterful screenwriting, and a unique animation style, Justice League is a series that got a lot of modern fans into the DC universe in the first place.

If Batman: The Animated Series or Superman: The Animated Series didn't get kids into DC Comics, Justice League most certainly did. Following the likes of Batman (Kevin Conroy), Superman (George Newbern), Wonder Woman (Susan Eisenberg), The Flash (Michael Rosenbaum), Hawkgirl (Maria Canals-Barrera), J'onn J'onzz (Carl Lumbly), and Green Lantern (Phil LaMarr), Justice League told some of DC's coolest team-up stories, bar none.

1 'Batman: The Animated Series' (1992)

Batman: The Animated Series isn't just known as one of the best superhero television shows, but one of the best animated television shows, period. The work that series creators Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski did to make this show not only emotionally compelling but also action-packed, thrilling, and all-around stupendous.

It gave audiences some of the most recognizable fan favorite castings of all time in Kevin Conroy as Batman, Mark Hamill as the Joker, and more. It doesn't just tell cool superhero stories, but compelling detective plots, and even heartfelt dramas, at times. There's not much that can be said about Batman: The Animated Series that hasn't been said millions of times over. It's simply amazing.