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.