Teen Titans (2003-06)

Teen Titans (2003-06)

5 seasons | 65 episodes total, approx 22 mins each.

From front centre and going clockwise, the TT's are Robin, Beast Boy, Raven, Starfire, and Cyborg.

Their base of operations is a T-shaped skyscraper named Titans Tower, located on an island in Jump City bay. Besides the obligatory training rooms and gym, it has a large TV for movies and video games because even superheroes need a hobby.

Just like their elder peers in the DC universe, the teens defend the world from those that would threaten personal freedoms, all while battling personal conflicts. The latter may be unique to each member, but more often than not problems are best resolved through teamwork, highlighting the importance of acknowledging and accepting individual strengths and weaknesses, which is a theme that defines the series, overall.

Justice League Unlimited (2004-06)

Justice League Unlimited (2004-06)

39 episodes, approx 22 minutes each, split over 3 seasons.

A continuation of the excellent Justice League (2001-04) animated series, set approximately two years after its end.

As you'll see in the accompanying image, while the core team remain Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, etc, there are a lot more supporting characters than before. And that's just a sample. There's even more in the series proper, some that are obvious choices and some that certainty aren't.

The extended roster is both a good and bad thing. It's good because with new faces come new challenges, which can open the door to new types of story, that can in turn give rise to internal conflicts and additional depth.

Some examples are the stories involving The Question (Jeffrey Combs) and Huntress (Amy Acker); and the love triangle that revolves around Green Lantern John Stewart (Phil LaMarr), Vixen (Gina Torres), and Hawkgirl (Maria Canals-Barrera).

Justice League (2001-04)

Justice League (2001-04)

52 episodes, approx 22 minutes each, split over 2 seasons.

Seven unique heroes fighting as one unit, with each one bringing individual strengths and weaknesses, creating opportunities and anticipating reactions, kicking villainous ass in dramatic set-pieces that give way to relatable human drama is what made Justice League one of the best cartoons that I've ever seen, especially Season 02.

It's often the City of Metropolis under threat, but, while not explicitly stated, the War of the Worlds style attacks in the very first arc make it clear that the danger isn't just going to be of global origin, it'll be intergalactic.

The typical focuses are there, of course, such as the folly of those with power, the corruption of the weak-willed in the face of that same power, and the way in which good intentions ill-conceived can be catastrophic to all, but like the comic from which the show took its name the stories aren't unwilling to stray into surreal situations in its exploration of such things. JL is storytelling without constraints.

The Zeta Project (2001-02)

The Zeta Project (2001-02)

Dirs: Various | 26 episodes (12 in S1 + 14 in S2), approx 22 mins each.

TZP is a spin-off series starring a character that was introduced in Batman Beyond, specifically S02 Ep20: Zeta; with a second appearance in S03 Ep 12: Countdown. It's recommended you watch those to get the backstory, but for the benefit of anyone who didn't, a spoilery synopsis follows:

Infiltration Unit Zeta is a synthoid (robot) with a chameleon-like ability to holographically assume the appearance of anyone he's met or seen.

Equipped with high-tech gadgets and deadly weaponry, Zeta's primary function was to carry out covert assassinations for the NSA. But an existential crisis brought on by the realisation that one of his given targets was innocent of the crime they were accused of caused Zeta to overcome his programming and vow to never again kill.

The synthoid's newfound morality didn't sit well with his NSA superiors, however, who fear he's been reprogrammed by an enemy.

Static Shock (2000-04)

Static Shock (2000-04)

52 episodes, approx 22 mins each.

I haven't had time to watch Static Shock, much less write about it. I need to publish the post, though, so I can keep the links to PREVIOUS and NEXT in functional order. I'll edit the post when I have something more to say; i.e., when time allows and I get to to watch all 52 episodes!

It likely won't be until 2024. Until then, I'll use lorem ipsum to fill the empty space. Quisque lacinia pretium convallis. Donec iaculis vulputate ante. Ut finibus sem bibendum posuere semper. Proin scelerisque iaculis dictum. Phasellus auctor lacus et ex finibus, id luctus arcu hendrerit. Duis sed risus augue. Sed ornare pretium neque vitae placerat. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.

Phasellus eget est in sapien blandit luctus. Aenean tincidunt purus arcu, non rutrum lectus dapibus.

Batman Beyond (1999-2001)

aka Batman of the Future (1999-2001)

52 episodes, approx 22 minutes each, split over 3 seasons.

The team that created Batman Beyond (aka Batman of the Future) achieved the near-impossible: they made a show that's the equal of Batman: The Animated Series (1992-95) in tone and content and they did it without having Billionaire Bruce Wayne as the lead! Holy personnel changes, Batman.

It's set in 2039, forty years after TAS' successor, The New Batman Adventures, and continues the continuity set up by both it and TAS. The era of the original caped crusader has passed and the world has moved on.

Even Gotham has evolved, into Neo-Gotham, a towering, high-tech megalopolis wherein crime and corruption is as rife in the shiny office buildings as it is on late night docks.

Bruce (Kevin Conroy) is still around, possibly because like one of his contemporaries said he's too stubborn to die. He is, however, a retired, cranky and cynical recluse that rarely leaves the seclusion and safety of Wayne Manor.

The New Batman Adventures (1997-99)

The New Batman Adventures (1997-99)

Dirs. Various | 24 episodes, approx 22 mins each.

A direct continuation of Batman: The Animated Series set two years after TAS ended. It had many of the same cast and creative team behind the scenes, but it's visually different to what came before, with a different title and a distinct logo design.

It's been previously marketed both as a different show with two produced seasons of its own, and, perhaps erroneously, as a third season of TAS. Like many fans I subscribe to the belief that it is indeed its own thing, albeit one that continues TAS continuity. The many visual changes in the series seem to support that belief.

It features Batgirl (Tara Strong), Robin (Mathew Valencia), and Nightwing (Loren Lester) at various times throughout, with Batman (Kevin Conroy) being the only team member who appears in every episode, but the characters were redesigned to more closely match Superman TAS, due to how the two series were being screened on TV at the time.

Superman: The Animated Series (1996-2000)

Superman: TAS (1996-2000)

Dirs. Various | 54 episodes (split over 3 seasons), approx 22 mins each [1]

Devised and produced by many of the same creative team that made Batman: TAS (1992–95), Superman's animated series looked familiar but also different. Metropolis is brighter than Gotham, with a different kind of art deco influence, one more inspired by Streamline Moderne. Giving each city its own visual identity is a positive change, but the less textured aesthetic of Metropolis looks cheap and sparse by comparison.

Likewise, and the first indication that what you're watching might be a step down in quality, the opening credits, which are a montage of episode scenes in roughly chronological order, feel tawdry and lazy compared to the dramatic excellence of Batman's. Superman's are spoilery, too, for anyone who's not seen the series before.

And subjectively speaking, Shirley Walker's accompanying theme music is also less memorable.

Batman: The Animated Series (1992–95)

Batman: The Animated Series (1992–95)

Dirs. Various | 85 Episodes (65 in S1 + 20 in S2), approx 22 mins each. [1]

Quintessential - that's what The Animated Series version of Batman is for me, outside of the printed page. Whether it be live action or animation, TAS is superior to every other onscreen interpretation of the iconic character that I've encountered thus far.

That same adjective applies to two of its most notable voice actors. Firstly, Kevin Conroy, who provides the voice of both billionaire Bruce Wayne and his pointy-eared and black-caped nighttime alter ego.

The other, mentioned second but no less memorable than the first is Mark Hamill, who brings maniacal life to The Joker. I've not enjoyed Hamill's work outside of TAS, but as the clown prince of crime he's a master.