7 Great Animated DC Movies Every Fan Should Have Seen

While the DC movie universe has seen more misses than hits, the DC animated movie world has been incredibly successful quality-wise. The animated movies have been released almost nonstop since 2007, and they have been split up into different interconnected universes. There have been some standalone animated releases, films in the DC Animated Movie Universe, starting with The Flashpoint Paradox, and then the DCAU, which had movies connected with the 90s Batman: The Animated Series. The DCAMU was followed by the Tomorrowverse, starting with Superman: Man of Tomorrow. Finally, James Gunn’s DCU has promised animated releases, but has only released streaming shows so far.

From the two-decade run of DC animated movies, here are seven films that all DC fans should have seen.

7) The Dark Knight Returns (2012-2013)

There have been a lot of Batman movies in the DC animated world, with some great releases like Son of Batman in 2014 and Elseworlds stories like Batman: Gotham by Gaslight in 2018. However, there have also been some big movie releases like the two-part Batman: The Long Halloween in 2021. That said, if a person only watches one two-part Batman movie, it should be Batman: The Dark Knight Returns from 2012 and 2013.

These movies retell the classic Frank Miller and Klaus Janson story about an aging Batman who is lured out of retirement to try to save Gotham City after his retirement opened it up for mutant gangs to overrun the streets. However, the twist is that the U.S. government does not approve, and they send Superman to stop him. The films received excellent reviews, with the first part receiving a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.

6) Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay (2018)

Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay is the second Suicide Squad DC animated movie following Batman: Attack on Arkham (2014), although that first was part of the Arkhamverse continuity, and this one is part of the DCAMU. It is an adaptation of the storyline, “Secret Six: Unhinged” by John Ostrander.

The film sees Deadshot, Bronze Tiger, Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang, and Copperhead trying to get a relic that can save Amanda Waller’s life after her cancer diagnosis. The film received high praise, with an 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics pointing out its great humor and its willingness to kill any character. It is one of the DC animated world’s darker movies and was a huge success.

5) Justice League Dark

There were a lot of movies about the Justice League in the DCAMU, and while films like Justice League: War and Justice League: Gods and Monsters pulled their stories right out of the New 52, Justice League Dark did something a little better by delivering an original story with a much more interesting Justice League team. Of course, Justice League Dark is about DC’s monsters.

The only complaint is that the DC felt the movie needed Batman to help make it successful, but the good news is that his reliance on science and rational explanations played well with the magic in this film. Constantine was, as always, the highlight, although Zatanna, Deadman, Etrigan, and Swamp Thing carried their own as well. Any fan of DC’s monsters should love Justice League Dark.

4) Batman: Hush

Batman has plenty of famous comic book stories adapted into DC animated movies, with titles like Batman: The Long Halloween and Batman: Under the Red Hood as perfect examples. However, the movie that sits at the top of the list as the best for the Caped Crusader is Batman: Hush. This is based on the 2002 DC series by Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee.

The animated movie makes some changes, with the biggest being the identity of Hush. The film pulls in everyone from Superman and Nightwing to Catwoman, Lex Luthor, Bane, and more. However, it never really feels overbloated and tells a great mystery story with the World’s Greatest Detective at his best.

3) Teen Titans: The Judas Contract

While the Justice League were set up as the stars of the DCAMU for years, it was actually the Teen Titans who were the best team with the best movies of the 2010s. The Teen Titans’ rise started in Justice League vs. Teen Titans, which proved that the teenage heroes were better than the JLA in many ways. However, their best movie was Teen Titans: The Judas Contract in 2017.

Teen Titans: The Judas Contract was an adaptation of the Marv Wolfman and George Perez story that had the Teen Titans battling Brother Blood and Deathstroke, only to end up betrayed by one of their own in Terra. There were changes, with Dick Grayson now an older mentor and Damian Wayne as the Robin on the team, but those changes actually improved the story. Teen Titans: The Judas Contract was an exciting movie, with a beloved story, an emotional ending, and it was proof that the Teen Titans ruled the DCAMU.

2) Batman: Mask of the Phantasm

While the DC animated movie world began in 2007, it is impossible to talk about DC animated movies without going back to the one that started it all. In 1993, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm was released as part of the DCAU. This release was not only the first DC animated movie ever made, but it was also the only one ever released theatrically. It is also one of the best.

The film was made between the first and second seasons of Batman: The Animated Series and had Batman reconciling with his former lover, Andrea Beaumont. However, at the same time, he ends up facing a new vigilante called Phantasm, who is murdering Gotham City crime bosses. Phantasm is an original villain for the movie, although the storyline mirrors part of the Batman: Year Two comic series. Any fan of DC animation needs to have seen this movie since it started everything.

1) Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox

For many years, most of the DC animated movies were just standalone efforts, or they were simply loosely connected to each other. However, that all changed in 2013 with Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox. This movie is adapted from the Flashpoint comic book series, where Barry Allen tried to save his mother and accidentally created a new, deadly timeline. It kick-started the New 52 when Barry fixed things, and that is what the movies did.

This movie had the same story, with Flash’s actions creating a new timeline where Bruce Wayne was dead, Thomas Wayne was a violent Batman, and a war was brewing between Wonder Woman and Aquaman. The film was a great story, and when it ended, it created the DCAMU, followed by Justice League: War, and a series that totaled 25 animated films. This DC animated movie started everything.

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