10 Awesome Animated Superhero TV Shows That You Should Check Out

We are currently enjoying a golden age of live-action superhero television right now, with more shows based on both our favourite comic book heroes and lesser known properties being produced than ever before. Arrow, The Flash, Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Legends of Tomorrow - the list goes on. In the past, the home of superheroes on TV was largely confined to animated series – the best of which were made by fans of the characters who knew that these shows were more than just cartoons for kids. The highpoint of the superhero animated show was surely the 90s, when we had top quality cartoons based on the likes of Batman, Spider-Man and X-Men running concurrently. That said, the last two decades have produced their fair share of crackers, too, spurred on by the growing presence of superheroes on the big screen. For instance, the series based on the Justice League, the Avengers and Teen Titans. So, on that note, read on for our favorite superhero animated TV shows, and feel free to drop a comment letting us know if we missed any good ones. 10) Spider-Man (1967-70) It might not be one of the densest, more intelligent superhero cartoons out there, but the 1960s Spider-Man series is one of the most culturally-significant, so it earns its place on this list. The series is chiefly known today for its cheap animation - and as the inspiration for a series of memes - yet it also helped shape the image of Spidey in the public eye and is instrumental for making him as popular as he is today. It was also much more faithful to the comics than probably any of the feature films starring the character. Given that, what does it matter that they couldn't afford to draw Spidey's suit properly? And we can’t not mention that theme tune, the one – alongside the classic Batman tune – that all superhero themes are measured up to. Good luck getting it out of your head for the rest of the day… 9) Superman: The Animated Series (1996-2000) Though it is sometimes overlooked in favour of its predecessor, Batman: The Animated Series and its sequel Justice League, Superman: The Animated Series is still a very fine show, and one of the strongest in the always reliable DC Animated Universe. For one, the animation is gorgeous, inspired as it is by the 1940s Superman cartoons. It is also most probably the best exploration of the Superman mythos that we’ve yet seen on screen. Every one of Supes’ major foes gets a shot in the limelight – from Braniac to Mr. Mxyzptlk. Likewise, the voice acting is on top form, too. Tim Daly and Dana Delaney are great as Supes (as well a Clark Kent who is actually competent for once) and Lois Lane, while Clancy Brown just is Lex Luthor. 8) The Tick (1994-96) Not all great superhero cartoons were inspired by Marvel and DC characters. Cult favourite The Tick was based on an independent comic book series and proved to be a welcome parody of the superhero genre. From creator Ben Edlund, The Tick has a zany sense of humour that should have appealed to kids, but the show actually found more of a home with adult viewers who enjoyed the arch, knowing approach it took to superheroes. For instance, the Tick was a musclebound moron whose associates included brilliant parodies of famous heroes like American Maid (Wonder Woman), Die Fledermaus (Batman) and Sewer Urchin (Aquaman, by way of Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man). There was a live-action series in 2001, too, starring Patrick Warburton, which also gathered a loyal following – even though it only lasted for nine episodes. 7) The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes (2010-13) While Joss Whedon was working hard to put the Avengers at their rightful place at the top of superhero cinema, they were also owning superhero TV with this animated series. A joy to watch for fans, The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes was a perfect translation of the classic Avengers comics from Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The show sees the traditional line-up of Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Hawkeye, Ant-Man and The Wasp come together after there is a mass breakout of supervillains from the Vault. Refreshingly, these villains are drawn from all over the Marvel comics universe, from big hitters like Doctor Doom to lesser-known characters like Graviton and Crimson Dynamo. The show sadly only ran for two series though before Disney cancelled it and replaced it with Avengers Assemble, which was set in the same universe as the popular Ultimate Spider-Man series. 6) Justice League/Justice League Unlimited (2001-2006) Slightly better at bringing a complex comic book mythology to the small screen was Justice League (later revamped as Justice League Unlimited), headed by the DCAU stalwarts Bruce Timm and Paul Dini. Featuring just about every Justice League member you can think of at one point or another, this was a glorious show that embraced the far-reaching scope of the comics – from time travel to alternate universes to super-smart gorillas – without compromising on the believability of the characters, who are all portrayed pitch-perfectly. Also, unlike other cartoons which are rebooted for the worse after a couple of seasons, the series’ transformation into Justice League Unlimited only strengthened the show as it concentrated more on an engrossing story arc. Good luck topping this, Zack Snyder. 5) Spectacular Spider-Man (2008-09) There have been many a Spider-Man animated series over the years, but none have captured the character and his world quite like Spectacular Spider-Man. A brilliant blend of the early Spider-Man comics from Lee and Kirby as well as the Ultimate series from Brian Michael Bendis (by way of Sam Raimi’s movies), Spectacular focuses on Peter Parker’s high school woes/the early years of Spider-Man’s career. Unlike a lot of Spidey adaptations, the usual supporting characters are put into the mix all at once, with the cast including Mary Jane, Gwen Stacey, Harry Osborn, Flash Thompson and Eddie Brock. The series was typified by its interconnectivity, with each episode linking into a wider arc and setting up future events. Plus, for our money, Josh Keaton is the finest Spidey voice actor. Unfortunately, though, this was another series that was tragically curtailed far before its time. 4) Batman Beyond (1999-2001) The DC Animated Universe was never content to simply borrow from the comics without giving a little back – its biggest innovation probably being fan-favourite Harley Quinn. Yet Timm and Dini made perhaps their most impactful contribution to the DC mythos as a whole with Batman Beyond – by creating a whole new Batman! Set in a cyberpunk future Gotham, the series sees an elderly Bruce Wayne train up wayward teen Terry McGinnis to be the new Batman. While it could have been a terrible excuse for a Batman show – being divorced from all the familiar elements – Beyond is a success because it keeps the spirit of Batman while being creative with it, too. Terry is a likeable Peter Parker-esque lead, who fights a whole new rogues gallery to boot. It's basically Batman training Spider-Man in a sci-fi future. What could be better? 3) Young Justice (2010-13) After making his landmark take on a Marvel hero with Spectacular Spider-Man, Greg Weisman crossed over to DC for perhaps an ever better series about the Justice League’s younger counterparts (don’t call them sidekicks). The show sees a bunch of juvenile heroes, like Robin, Aqualad, Superboy and Miss Martian, enlisted into a covert organization called The Team, as per their wish to become their own fully-fledged heroes. The show has a more serious tone to it, but it also shares Spectacular’s healthy dollop of well-done teen drama and witty dialogue. Young Justice simply fires on all cylinders, with a cinematic animation style and lots of sleek action plus a huge reverence to the comics; with nods and easter eggs galore. 2) X-Men: The Animated Series (1992-97) Similar to how Bryan Singer’s X-Men kickstarted the modern trend for superhero movies that took the characters seriously, X-Men: The Animated Series was one of the first animated shows of the 90s to appeal to both cartoon-loving kids and grown-up X-Men fans. There are many a reason as to why it's so good. It had terrific team roster – with evergreen X-Men like Wolverine and Cyclops to fan-favourites like Gambit and Jubilee – as well as comic-faithful character designs, based on the work of artist Jim Lee. In its five season run, it managed to adapt many of the major storylines from the comics, including 'the Dark Phoenix Saga' and 'Days of Future Past.' Its brilliant earworm of a theme tune didn’t hurt its popularity, either. Sure, a dollop of nostalgia may be involved with it being remembered so highly, but it's still a terrific show in its own right and the best animated show Marvel has ever produced. 1) Batman: The Animated Series (1992-95) Despite there being great comic book cartoons featuring everyone from the Avengers to the X-Men, there is only one show that can be crowned the best animated superhero show ever. Take a bow, Batman: The Animated Series. Ostensibly a tie-in to Tim Burton’s Batman Returns that was released the same year, many fans would say that BTAS is a far superior depiction of the Batman mythos (more faithful than any movie version, arguably). The series was made with a huge amount of care and love; the stories were thrilling, dramatic, witty and even moving by turn. The animation was outstanding, known for its patented ‘dark deco’ stylings. As was the voice work, with Kevin Conroy as Batman and Mark Hamill as the Joker being standouts. It’s no surprise that those two have continued to play the characters (in the likes of the Arkham Asylum video games) in the twenty years since. You know what, scratch what we said above. This isn’t just the best animated superhero show; it’s a contender for the best superhero show of any kind.