Five Best Fan-Made Superhero Series & Short Movies

In case you didn't notice, Comicbook.com is really into covering fan-made films and web-series. YouTube and increasingly-intuitive technology has made it easier than ever for passionate fans to share their own tales about superheroes, video game characters, or whatever fictional realm that's captured their imaginations. It's fan-fiction for the 21st century, and never has it been more abundant and impressive.

This year marked a rather significant turning point in fan-made films with Nightwing, a YouTube series that scored almost $35,000 in Kickstarter funding for production costs. What resulted was one of the most highly-produced fan series to hit the Internet so far, and a pariah marking the next level of fan-produced films. In honor of the next fan-fiction next great frontier, here are some of our favorite productions thus far. What they lack in a budget, they more than compensate with heart and imagination.

Ace The Bathound

Any project that evokes the timeless spirit of Batman: The Animated series is bound to impress, and this animated short is no exception. Rendered in the vintage cartoon stylings of the classic Batman cartoon, Ace The Bathound also imports the series' heart and sophisticated sense of drama. While the build-up teases an adaptation of Death in the Family, the twist ending
is a punch in the gut that will make any viewer curse the heavens.

Dirty Laundry

Even when it's time to switch the laundry from the washer to the dryer, crime never rests. Arguably the best live-action take on the Punisher thus far, Dirty Laundry is the pedestrian, real-world take on Frank Castle that we've always wanted. Menacing, but not overly brooding, the film distills Frank Castle's most enduring qualities and runs with them. If the high production value and tight script weren't enough, Dirty Laundry also packs plenty of star power. Thomas Jane reprises his titular role from the 2004 Punisher film and proves that with the right material, he'd make one fine Frank. Add in Ron Perlman as the story's chief villain, and you have the most fun you'll ever experience with domestic chores.

Nightwing the Series

Whereas most fan made productions are one-and-done entries, Nightwing is the gift that keeps on giving as an ongoing web series. Viewers step into an established world where Dick Grayson has graduated to the mantle of Nightwing and fights crime on his own watch. The series does a fantastic job at bringing Dick Grayson's swashbuckling persona to the screen, faithfully painting him as a laughing daredevil who actually enjoys being a vigilante. With quite the production budget to rely on, the finished product has a certain level of gloss that elevates it above the DIY-look found most fan-made productions. And the best part is, the show actually feels like it exists in the DC Universe, with established relationships and concepts that are new-viewer friendly enough for anyone to watch. Arrow and Flash fans will find plenty to love here.

Superman: Classic

Watching Superman: Classic is like finding a lost episode of the Max Fleschier Superman cartoons. Set in a vintage, WWII-era Metropolis, this amazing Superman cartoon is a reminder of what makes the Man of Steel so great. He can fight killer robots and Bizarro with a smile on his face, all while keeping humanity's best interests at heart. The the animation is superb for an independently-produced project, with a style reminiscent of classic Disney cartoons. But, there's distinctly exaggerated tweaks that make the characters pop off of the screen. The only real bummer, if you can call it one, is that each episode ends on a cliff-hanger that we'll likely never see resolved. But if it's between that or having no Superman: Classic at all, we'll take the former.

Batman: Puppet Master

If The Dark Knight Rises wasn't your style, then consider Batman: Puppet Master your Dark Knight sequel. Let's say Christopher Nolan's Batman didn't go into hiding after Harvey Dent's death. What would Gotham look like? Which villains would rise to fill the Joker's "better class of criminal?" Those questions, and more, are answered in the best fan-made continuation of the Nolan-Verse. The creators replicate Nolan's style of filmmaking, creating a professional looking short that might just pass as a Hollywood production. Here, The Riddler and Scarface are filtered through Nolan's grounded lens, offering accurate depictions of how the characters would have existed and clashed with The Dark Knight Universe's Batman. With a rebooted Batman heading to theaters, this now-alternate take on the cinematic Caped Crusader is one that fans both need and deserve right now.