DC comic book fans have plenty to be excited about, as Warner Bros. recently unveiled plans for their very own cinematic universe, which could even rival the phenomenal success of Marvel if handled right. Everyone knows that the internet is full of trolls though, so many are already deriding the future of the company’s silver screen ventures on the basis of just one release to date. Whether you love or hate Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel is ultimately irrelevant though. Even Madame Xanadu would struggle to predict the quality of the upcoming releases before they’ve been made, so fans will just have to wait patiently and pass judgement when the time comes.
In the meantime, while audiences have been griping about how long it took DC to throw their hat into the ring, fans in the know have been enjoying the incredible animation released as part of the official DC Comics Animated line. Iconic heroes such as Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman have all received the direct-to-video treatment over the past decade and what’s most impressive is that the majority of these movies are actually enjoyable, high quality ventures.
Quite frankly, if Warner Bros. had looked to their animated movies for inspiration, audiences could have been spared horrors such as Green Lantern and a Wonder Woman film certainly would have materialized quicker (more on that later).
In anticipation of DC’s recently announced movie slate and the upcoming animation Justice League: Throne of Atlantis, join us as we select the six best DC animated movies released to date. As we’re looking specifically at the DC Comics Animated line, earlier Batman and Superman movies overseen by Bruce Timm unfortunately didn’t make the cut, but when you’re done with these six films, make sure Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is next on your list. You won’t regret it.
