The 2022 ComicBook.com Golden Issue Award for Best Animated TV Series
'Tis the season for end-of-the-year lists and the staff at ComicBook.com are here to share our favorites in movies, shows, comics, games, and more from 2022. One of our favorite awards to give out is Best Animated Series and this year had some big shoes to fill after Invincible took home the gold in 2021. The contenders this year were Prime Video's The Boys: Diabolical, HBO Max's Harley Quinn, Prime Video's The Legend of Vox Machina, Adult Swim's Rick and Morty, and Disney+'s Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi. Each series has its own unique brand with Harley Quinn and Tales of the Jedi representing big franchises like DC and Star Wars while The Boys: Diabolical marks the first animated anthology spin-off of the live-action hit, The Boys. As for The Legend of Vox Machina, the show is from the creators of Critical Role and debuted earlier this year while Rick and Morty recently completed its sixth season.
And the winner of the 2022 ComicBook.com Golden Issue Award for Best Animated TV Series is...
Harley Quinn!
This marks the DC and HBO Max show's third time earning the prize from the ComicBook staff. Harley Quinn's first season beat out BoJack Horseman, Disenchantment, Rick and Morty, and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power back in 2019 and managed to win again against Rick and Morty, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, Solar Opposites, and Star Trek: Lower Decks in 2020. It'll be an interesting showdown when Harley Quinn's fourth season inevitably goes up against Invincible's second season in 2023. However, it's still 2022, and we are here to honor the show's third season, which was worth the long hiatus...
After quite literally riding off into the sunset together in the second season finale, Harley Quinn (Kaley Cuoco) and Poison Ivy (Lake Bell) go on an "Eat Bang Kill" tour to commemorate the start of their romance. Throughout the third season, the couple grows together while also uncovering the truth about their individual goals. Ivy wants to continue her plan to create Edin, "a paradise that reverses all the damage humans have caused to the environment" while Harley struggles with her identity as a villain. Ultimately, their visions clash, but romance prevails and they realize in the end that they can still be a couple while having different career goals. In fact, the season ends with Harley's shocking decision to join the "Bat Family" after Bruce Wayne is sent to prison.
In addition to being filled with glorious Harlivy moments, the third season of Harley Quinn is as sharp and hilarious as ever. There are plenty of deep cuts to please DC fans and they even managed to poke fun at the ridiculous controversy surrounding Warner Bros.'s silly decision to nix a sex scene between Batman and Catwoman. Ultimately, all ten episodes of Harley Quinn's latest season delivered heart, humor, and surprises.
A special shoutout to the glorious voice cast of Harley Quinn who helps make the show truly magical. In addition to Cuoco and Bell, the series includes the vocal talents of Alan Tudyk, Ron Funches, Christopher Meloni, Diedrich Bader, J.J. Smoove, Briana Cuoco, Sanaa Lathan, Jim Rash, Jason Alexander, Tony Hale, Andy Daly, and much more. This season also featured the debut of Harvey Guillén as Nightwing as well as James Gunn and Billy Bob Thornton as themselves.
We also have to thank showrunners Patrick Schumacker and Justin Halpern for creating another excellent season of television. Next season, the duo is stepping down so they can expand the Harley Quinn series into spin-offs. Sarah Peters, who has written for Harley Quinn since the first season and serves as a consulting producer, will be elevated to executive producer and serve as showrunner for the fourth season.
If you haven't had the pleasure of watching the third season of Harley Quinn yet, it's available to stream on HBO Max. The show's fourth season is coming in 2023 as well as Harley Quinn: A Very Problematic Valentine's Day Special.
Congrats to everyone involved with Harley Quinn on their Golden Issues win!
The nominees for Best Animated Series are:
- The Boys: Diabolical (Prime Video)
- Harley Quinn (HBO Max) – WINNER
- The Legend of Vox Machina (Prime Video)
- Rick and Morty (Adult Swim)
- Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi (Disney+)
