Options are open to animated features that perhaps wouldn't be available to live-action ones. More 'niche' storylines can be explored without studios worrying as much about sales. Special effects budgets won't balloon, as everything is animated in the first place. The perfect talent to voice a specific character can also be cast, from a totally different pool of skilled performers.DC Comics, as a whole, has this formula down. Several of its animated movies are very well regarded by fans. As with all facets of entertainment, though, some are always better than others. Currently, more than 40 DC Universe Animated Original Movies have been released since 2007, including everything from connected universe stories to stand-alone features and alternate reality spin-offs.Updated December 24, 2021 by Mark Sammut: The DC Universe Animated Original Movies just keeps on expanding, with five new films coming out in 2021 alone. Putting aside the quite disappointing Injustice adaptation, the most recent DC animated movies have been pretty good. Things are also not slowing down anytime soon as three more projects – Catwoman: Hunted, Green Lantern: Beware My Power, and Battle of the Super Sons – have been announced for the future, with the first film coming out on February 8, 2022. For those who are not especially huge fans of the DCEU, they can at least turn to the animated side of things to get their fill of Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman. Out of the 40+ plus DC Universe Animated Original Movies, which ones are the best? This article has been expanded to include a few more 2021 releases.
20 Teen Titans: The Judas Contract (2017) – A Double Agent
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The Titans' second DC animated movie adapts a popular story from the young heroes' comic history, and it does a serviceable job with it. The Judas Contract moves at an absolutely breathless pace in an attempt to cover the full storyline; consequently, the movie does feel like a cliffs notes version of events.
The film introduces Brother Blood and Mother Mayhem while fleshing out Terra following her mid-credits reveal in Justice League vs. Teen Titans. Just in case that wasn't enough, The Judas Contract also has to balance two generations of Titans. Unsurprisingly, a few characters do not get the attention they deserve, however, the film handles Terra's arc quite well. The action is also great throughout.
19 Wonder Woman: Bloodlines (2019) – The Underrepresented Trinity Member
Compared to Superman and Batman, Wonder Woman barely gets a sniff in any of these DC animated movies. After 2009's Wonder Woman, Diana had to wait a decade for another solo adventure.
Wonder Woman: Bloodlines suffers from an uninspired and slow opening act, but the film picks up steam once Silver Swan is introduced. While the animation can be hit and miss, the action is vicious and entertaining, particularly in the final act. Not a must-watch entry in the DC Universe, but a solid Diana-themed adventure.
18 Superman/Batman: Public Enemies (2009) – President Lex Luthor
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When Lex becomes the leader of the free world and starts a new era of peace that earns the trust of most superheroes, Superman and Batman remain as the exceptions. A meteor and a frame job later, Superman suddenly finds himself as Public Enemy number 1, a position that puts him (and Batman) directly at odds with the likes of Captain Atom, Black Lightning, and Starfire.
At the time of its release, Public Enemies represented a marginal step up in quality for DC animated movies released as part of this universe. Since then, the film has been surpassed, but Public Enemies still holds up in terms of pure entertainment value.
17 Wonder Woman (2009) – Diana's Origin
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Princess Diana's first animated solo movie has been retroactively made to feel slightly unnecessary due to the existence of 2017's Wonder Woman. Both films are origin stories that cover similar ground, and the live-action version is overall superior to the DC Universe's take on the story.
Viewed in a vacuum, 2009's Wonder Woman is smart, well-paced, and expertly cast. The film does an admirable job depicting Diana's time in Themyscira, her relationship with Steve Trevor, and her final battle with Ares. When it comes to the latter, the DC animated movie delivers a more satisfying final encounter than the live-action release.
16 Batman: Gotham by Gaslight (2018) – The Dark Knight Vs Jack The Ripper
While it was around, Elseworlds permitted comic writers to really go against the status quo when it comes to storylines. Comics like the Justice Riders and Kingdom Come are stellar reimaginings of DC's iconic heroes and work well as standalone pieces.
Gotham by Gaslight takes inspiration from the Elseworlds comic with the same title, although the film changes quite a few things in the process. The movie drops Bruce Wayne in a Victorian-era Gotham, as the Dark Knight ends up hot on the tracks of Jack the Ripper. Gotham by Gaslight pushes its mystery to the forefront, limiting action to short bursts. Its story is decent but, unfortunately, somewhat predictable; however, the unique setting helps the film stand out.
15 Justice League vs. Teen Titans (2016) – A Battle Of Icons
ââââDespite the movie's title giving top billing to the more experienced heroic group, Justice League vs. Teen Titans is predominantly the latter's story. When League members fall under Trigon's control, the Titans are faced with the arduous task of taking on and freeing their mentors.
A pivotal entry in Damien Wayne's character arc, Justice League vs. Teen Titans is an enjoyable romp that shines a light on a group that this universe had sidelined for a while. The Trigon storyline has been done to death by this point, but this movie at least presents an interesting twist.
14 Batman: Soul Of The Dragon – Enter The (Richard) Dragon
The DC animated movies do feel a bit samey at times, so it is always refreshing when a project comes along that takes a bit of an unexpected detour. Batman: Soul of the Dragon serves as a tribute to Dennis O'Neil's works from the 1970s as it includes characters like Richard Dragon and O-Sensei from the Dragon Fists novel and Bronze Tiger.
Paying homage to martial arts movies from yesteryear, Batman: Soul of the Dragon is a highly entertaining action romp that features serpent gods and cults. The story is barebones and the characters are underdeveloped as they take a backseat to the battle sequences, but the latter are more than good enough to still make this film a fun sit.
13 Superman: Red Son (2020) – Soviet Superman
Based on Mark Millar's 2003 mini-series, Superman: Red Son has a brilliant core premise: what if the Man of Steel's pod landed in the Soviet Union and not Papa Kent's front lawn? Spread over a couple of decades, Red Son chronicles Superman's rise and fall as a Soviet hero and unwitting propaganda machine.
The film's brilliance lies in its nuanced depiction of this version of Superman. While certainly flawed, Soviet Superman is by no means a full-blown villain; sadly, isolation and paranoia lead him to perform plenty of heinous acts.
12 Justice Society: World War 2 - Flash To The Past
The Flash really needs to take point more often in DC animated movies as he has quite an impressive track record. Released after Apokolips War, Justice Society: World War 2 follows a largely self-contained storyline that prioritizes fun over faithfulness to any specific comic. It is a formula that has worked quite well.
The Flash finds himself stuck in World War 2 where has to team up with Justice Society members such as Wonder Woman, Hawkman, and Black Canary to take on a whole lot of Nazis (among other enemies). Boasting stylish animation that takes the aesthetic of releases like Superman: Man of Tomorrow and throws in a touch of pulpy goodness, Justice Society is charming on both a visual and storytelling level.
11 Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths (2010) – When Villains Are Heroes And Heroes Are Villains
Zack Snyder's Justice League has been a huge discussion point for the DC faithful lately (as has the concept of dream villains the group could tangle with). However, many years before the Director's Cut hit HBO Max, the Justice League were fighting a very different battle. In Crisis on Two Earths, a heroic parallel dimension version of Superman arch-nemesis Lex Luthor seeks out the Justice League's help in dealing with his dimension's evil versions of themselves.
Outlandish as the premise is, it's still an excellent showing for fans who long to see fights between Superman and Ultraman, Batman and Owlman, and many more. This film brings something new to something familiar and fans love its originality.