The Greatest Super Hero Animated Flicks

[Maximus Rex]

Director: Lauren Montgomery Written By: Michael Jelenic, Gail Simone

With Wonder Woman, DC and WB provide a more mythically-infused introduction to the mystical, hidden island of Themiscyra and its inhabitants: goddesses in human form, none more potent than princess Diana. The plot may sound like a fairy tale, but that all changes when Colonel Steve Trevor crashes on the island, bringing the world of men and Amazons crashing together. The chemistry between Steve and Diana is the heart of the story, with writing that is charming, witty, and most of all, believable. The great dialogue is made even better by vocal performances from Nathan Fillion and Keri Russell. Understandably, signs that the same fiery relationship will be playing a significant role in casting the Wonder Woman TV show has us optimistic. But for those still skeptical about whether Amazon could work - or that a Wonder Woman film could both stand on its own and fit well into a Justice League universe - we think a viewing of Montgomery's film will change your mind.

Director: Jay Oliva Written By: Bob Goodman, Frank Miller

It was Frank Miller who helped shape Batman into the 'Dark Knight' we know and love, and with Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 his pivotal story is recreated in painstaking detail. From the dark undercurrents of despair to the not-suitable-for-children violence, Miller's vision of an aging Batman pushed to extremes is brought to life better than we had hoped. Set ten years after being forced into retirement by laws against vigilantism, a fifty-five-year-old Bruce Wayne must put the cape and cowl back on to cleanse Gotham's streets before they are lost for good. Familiar faces appear along the way, as Batman is forced to suffer and brutalize like never before, putting every bit of him to the test. Commitment to the brutal violence and terror Miller made a key part of Batman makes The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 a must-see for any Batman fan. Part 2 will will release soon, promising a fight for the ages and the return of Batman's greatest foe. Better see the first chapter before then.

Director: Sam Liu Written By: Stan Berkowitz, Ed McGuinness, Jeph Loeb

When DC first launched their Superman/Batman line of comics, they turned to writer Jeph Loeb and artist Ed McGuinness for the first story - ultimately, one of the best to date. Both the story and style of "Public Enemies" have been faithfully recreated here in animated form, and the results speak for themselves. After being elected President of the United States, Lex Luthor (surprising nobody) declares Batman and Superman enemies of the state. Sending both fellow crime-fighters and iconic supervillains to bring them in, the heroes-turned-outlaws have no choice but to outsmart and out-punch the rest, proving why they're the top dogs. Plenty of nods to both fan-favorite and lesser-known villains, memorable action and a story that sings in motion as much as it did on paper all make Public Enemies one of our most beloved animated superhero films. And yes, the Batman/Superman robo-rocket is still included.

Director: Brandon Vietti Written By: Judd Winick

An adaptation of the 2005 Batman comic book story line “Under the Hood” by Judd Winick, Batman: Under the Red Hood delves into the darkest chapter of Bruce Wayne's life under the cowl, and the Batman's greatest failure - the death of Robin at the hands of the Joker. If that wasn't enough of a challenge for director Brandon Vietti, traditional voice actors Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill make way for Bruce Greenwood (Star Trek) and John DiMaggio (Futurama) as Batman and Joker, respectively. Both actors don't just suffice, but offer new takes that may become overnight favorites for some. Supernatural star Jensen Ackles voices the eponymous villain, and does a good job of it. Those who've read the comics already know the mystery of the man under the mask, but the film manages to successfully change up the story and pacing for the new format, while still making every emotional moment land just as it was intended. Terrific action, stellar voicework and faithful versions of the entire Bat-family make it a must-see film for any comic book fan.

Director: Brad Bird Written By: Brad Bird

Pixar's foray into the realm of superheroes, The Incredibles focused not on origin stories, but the impact exceptional gifts have when heroes settle down and start a family. And the resulting drama and comedy was, in many ways, a side to heroes and villains that had never been addressed. A family film that both kids and parents can take plenty away from (the dinner tables scenes rang a bit too true for some of us), writer/director Brad Bird didn't skimp on superhero antics (and a dose of 007 )that were genuinely refreshing. The action and style even helped Bird earn the task of saving the Mission: Impossible series. For The Incredibles' ability to make superpowers work on screen like never before (and in ways only digital animation made possible) it became an exceptional entry in the very genre it set out to explore - the mark of a truly great film, and one that proved the genre can still surprise us.

Director: Bruce Timm, Eric Radomski Written By: Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, Martin Pasko, Michael Reaves

While older than the other films on our list, there's no mistaking the fact: Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is one of the best Batman movies made so far. The fact that it's animated is an afterthought, and at the time, it proved that cartoons weren't just for children anymore. Inspired shot composition, exceptional vocal performances, genuinely clever writing and unrelenting animation all work to make Phantasm one of the best-paced, best-directed superhero movies, period. Granting a glimpse at the life Bruce Wayne almost led, the film delivers a new story, a sliver of Batman's "Year One" origin and a hero more familiar, relatable and human than Christopher Nolan ever attempted. Those entrusted with rebooting Batman for Justice League aren't likely to follow our advice of simply remaking the film shot-for-shot, but a viewing of Phantasm would certainly teach them a few lessons.

 

[jono]

Under The Red Hood is still my favorite thus far. It's emotional but still tells a great story with plenty of kick ass action.

 

[Maximus Rex]

10 BEST Comic Book-Based Animated Features of All Time (Newsrama)
http://www.newsarama.com/17564-10-best-comic-book-based-animated-features-of-all-time.html

10) Every once in a while, someone involved with comics decides that a product involving the superheroes we love as adults can be both intelligent and geared towards an all-ages audience. Next Avengers saw the children of the Avengers come together to fight Ultron, rescue Tony Stark, and figure out what kind of heroes they can be on their own.

It's a fun and lighthearted movie that has its drama, and Brian Michael Bendis liked it so much he actually put this team of heroes into the Heroic Age's Avengers #1, bringing them officially into the Marvel multiverse. Refreshing and exciting, the movie is also notable as director Jay Oliva's last with Marvel (having directed Doctor Strange and Invincible Iron Man, as well as being in the art department on several other Marvel features and animated series), who switched gears to Warner Bros, directing the two-part Dark Knight Returns and the upcoming Flashpoint feature.

9) Bruce Timm and Paul Dini's DC universe did more than just exist in the "present day," it also went about 40 years into the future, where Bruce Wayne had retired and a new kid, Terry McGinnis had taken up the mantle under Wayne's tutelage. The TV series Batman Beyond was a fan favorite, with a comic book series still in production today, but the high point was the feature length film that showed how the Joker returned despite dying at the hands of well, we won't tell you here.

This movie had Tim Drake, Nightwing, Harley Quinn, Barbara Gordon. It had crazy plot twists, amazing action, scenes set in the past and future. it had Mark Hamill and Arleen Sorkin as just the start of a voice cast that reads as a who's who. And of course, the plot to the movie itself is just incredible. It's a testament not just to how cool Batman is, but how enduring his greatest foe is, as well.

8) Marvel may not have as many entries on this list, but the ones they have are heavy hitters — and there's no heavier hitter than the strongest one there is.

In Hulk Vs, the green goliath (he has a lot of nicknames) goes up against two of Marvel's greatest heroes, who he also happens to have quite the history with.

In the Thor half, Hulk, under the spells of Loki and Enchantress, rampages through Asgard. Bruce Banner dies, Hulk and Thor fight a lot, and there's even some nice romance.

But the real fun comes from the Wolverine half of the feature. Hulk smashes Wolverine, Deadpool, Omega Red, Lady Deathstrike, and Sabretooth the fights here are vicious and exciting, and some of the best animated action Marvel has ever seen. While Hulk and Wolverine do team up for much of the feature, the segment ends with the two back at each other's throats.

7) The film adaptation of Darwyn Cooke's six-issue epic bringing the DC heroes back into the Golden Age is something special. Not only was this the second in Warner's DC Universe Animated Original Movies, but it bucked all expectations by keeping the 1950s setting, and managing to successfully animate Cooke's artwork in a way that made it seem to jump off the page.

The 75 minute limit to Warner's DC movies reared its ugly head here, cutting some of the subplots out and leaving many fans wishing it could have been split in two (a complaint also heard with All-Star Superman, which narrowly missed this list). The story is a familiar one — the heroes of DC Comics come together to defeat an alien threat — but the process of getting there is unique.

New Frontier is also notable for one of the best Wonder Woman scenes ever put to screen, with Lucy Lawless voicing the original Warrior princess.

6) Sword of Storms, and its sequel Blood and Iron are notable not just for their faithful adaptations of existing Hellboy comic stories, but also for their use of the same cast as the feature films.

While that lent the movies a certain weight, it was the slick animation and the combination of mystics, Japanese mythology, modern action, and a touch of humor that make this movie feel like you're doing nothing more than reading a Hellboy comic and seeing it play out in your mind. While the second was reviewed slightly better, we include Sword of Storms for not being just a great film, but also a groundbreaking one.

5) The only thing that stands out as bad about this movie is the title — it really should've been called Supergirl: Apocalypse or something similar, but then, frankly, it wouldn't have sold as well. Luckily, the awesomeness of the movie far outweighs any naming issues.

Having Tim Daly as Superman, Kevin Conroy as Batman, and Susan Eisenberg as Wonder Woman is never going to hurt your cause having Ed Asner return as Granny Goodness and sci-fi darling Summer Glau along for the ride as Supergirl was just icing on the cake.

The amount of nuance in Supergirl's development and relationship with the DC Trinity shown in just 78 minutes is incredible, and the animated version of deceased superstar artist Michael Turner's images sings.

But nothing, nothing, beats the big final battle where Superman and Supergirl take on Darkseid in Smallville. If Man of Steel can do a small fraction of what that scene did to make Superman seem just outright cool, it will have no problems in the box office. Supergirl gets her moment, too, using a combination of Amazon training and Kryptonian superpowers to actually hold her own against Darkseid (for a bit, at least).

 

[Maximus Rex]

4) This is the most recent movie on our list, and it comes with a couple of small caveats first, yes, as part 2 of a larger story, this movie is better when watched in conjunction or at least very soon after part 1. The second caveat is that limitation is the only thing knocking it so far down on the list, and keeping it out of the top 3 because this film has two of the best Batman fight sequences ever seen in motion.

Based of course off the famous comic book of the same name by Frank Miller, part 1 had a lot of set up to do in service of the crazy action in part 2. Director Jay Oliva knew that, cramming a bit more of the story into part 1 than initially planned, so that the second chapter could focus on the knock-down drag-outs between Batman and Joker then Batman and Superman — and oh are they ever worth the wait.

We should warn you, the final battle with the Joker is tough to watch. It is brutal and violent and raw and it feels more like you're really watching the Batman break down because of it. The fight with Superman is similarly brutal, but gives the viewer a stronger sense of triumph though the final twist that fans who haven't read the series should stop a few hearts from beating at least for a little bit.

It's impressive just to see this series made into film at all, but to do it oh-so-right means so much more.

3) If and when the long-planned Justice League live-action movie comes to fruition, it'll have a tough time living up to Justice League: Doom in terms of the amount of heroes, villains and action this 2012 animated feature was able to deliver.

Reuniting much of the Justice League animated series cast along with the returns of Tim Daly as Superman and Nathan Fillion as Hal Jordan, Justice League: Doom was a loose adaptation of the acclaimed Mark Waid-written "Tower of Babel" story arc in JLA. Not only did the movie include Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter and Cyborg, it also incorporated an A-list Legion of Doom consisting of Vandal Savage, Metallo, Bane, Cheetah, Star Sapphire and Mirror Master.

Justice League: Doom was written by late animation and comic book veteran Dwayne McDuffie and released posthumously. Despite fitting all that action and all those characters into just a 77-minute running time, it kept the exploration of Batman's role in the Justice League that made the original "Tower of Babel" an intriguing tale.

2) In one of the quickest turnarounds from comic books to animation, 2010's Batman: Under the Red Hood took its cues from the 2005-2006 Judd Winick-written "Under the Hood" story which detailed former Robin Jason Todd's return to life as a dangerous antihero, following his newsworthy demise at the hands of the Joker in "A Death in the Family."

That's some heavy (and complicated) material to handle in a single animated feature, and it helped that Winick himself wrote the screenplay (a pattern that continued in 2012's Superman vs. The Elite, written by Joe Kelly).

The work of renowned casting/vocal director Andrea Romano yielded some unconventional yet effective choices for Under the Red Hood, including Bruce Greenwood as Batman, Neil Patrick Harris as Nightwing, Supernatural's Jensen Ackles as Jason Todd, and John "Bender" DiMaggio as the Joker.

Sandwiched between live-action films Batman Returns and Batman Forever, 1993's Batman: Mask of the Phantasm was an extension of the celebrated Batman: The Animated Series, and offered a take on the Dark Knight very different from Tim Burton's or Joel Schumacher's.

Mask of the Phantasm was a 76-minute testament to the stylish storytelling power of B:TAS, encapsulating much of what was so great about that show in a slightly different form. Though there was Batman and the Joker, it introduced a wholly new element to the mythos in the form of Andrew Beaumont/The Phantasm, who later appeared in animated series tie-in comics and Justice League Unlimited.

The fact that Batman: Mask of the Phantasm was the only film on the list to be released theatrically doesn't give it prestige by itself, but it is certainly notable, and a testament to the quality and appeal of this take on Batman, even if its box office impact was small.

Mask of the Phantasm helped inspire just about all of the films on this list, and especially subsequent Batman animated features like SubZero. For many, it's never been topped not even by live-action Batman films and its legacy and influence lands it the top spot on our list.

 

[Juttythe3rd]

Justice league Doom was that crack

 

[Maximus Rex]

Finally, the Forbes List.

The 5 Best DC Comics Animated Movies
http://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2014/05/01/5-best-dc-comics-animated-movies/

Son of Batman is the 20th DVD film released in the “DC Animated Universe Original Movies” collection since October of 2007. Debuting on DVD and Blu-Ray this coming Tuesday from Warner Bros. Home Video (a division of Time Warner), it’s sadly one of the worst such films in the library. With flat acting, trite dialogue, and a simplistic plot that turns Talia into a damsel-in-distress, this is not one of the DCAU’s shining moments. But while I may review the film at length early next week, for now I wanted to focus on the positive. In short, spanning from Superman: Doomsday in 2007 to Son of Batman next week, here are the five very best DC Animated Universe Original DVD features, along with what we can commercial lessons we can take from their respective artistic successes.

5) I’ve complained any number of times about how the powers-that-be have become over-dependent on Batman and Superman stories, so this 2013 entry was a true breath of fresh air. Yes, it involves the Justice League and Batman plays a key supporting role, but this is a Flash adventure through-and-through. It’s a classic “I messed with time travel and screwed up the future” saga, with grand-scale action and emotion to spare. It cleverly uses the vocal talents from various prior DCAU projects, with Nathan Fillion as Hal Jordan, Vanessa Marshall as Wonder Woman, Dana Delany as Lois Lane, and Kevin Conroy cameo-ing as “our-world” Batman. The film works and the action is grand, but the biggest kick last year was finally seeing a DCAU feature centered around someone other than the Dark Knight or the Man of Steel.

4) Loosely based on Joe Kelly’s acclaimed comic issue “What’s So Funny About Truth, Justice, and the American Way?”, this ripping and thoughtful Superman adventure takes a hard look at the absolutist morality of the big blue boy scout. The Man of Steel is shown up by a new band of superheroes who aren’t afraid to exterminate their opponents. The original comic, from early 2001, was a commentary on those who preferred their superheroes in the Spawn/Punisher variety. But the 2012 film used the material for a look at relative morality, of in a post-9/11 America, contrasting that of course with the heightened violence in a super-powered universe. The film doesn’t exactly offer any real answers, and the ending is a slight cop-out, but it was using superhero stories as a metaphor for drone warfare and extra-judicial executions way before it was cool.

3) Warner Bros. could have saved themselves much hassle and arguably lost a lot less money if they had just produced a live-action remake of this 2009 cop drama and called it the Green Lantern movie. The film is somewhat of an origin story, but it also doesn’t waste a moment of time with any “hero’s journey” shtick, sending Hal Jordan into space immediately and having him just as quickly accept his new role as an outer space cop. The rest of the film is basically Jordan and his mentor Sinestro solving interplanetary crime as the rookie learns the ropes from the veteran.

I talk a lot about how superhero movies need to adapt into different genres in order to survive, and this is a perfect example in animated form. This isn’t a superhero film so much as a hard-boiled detective film in superhero clothes. Chris Meloni makes a terrific Hal Jordan while Victor Garber is a dynamite Sinestro. The film operates as a police procedural, with Jordan learning the ropes through investigation rather than labored exposition. It plays like a high class film noir, and it’s the rare DCAU feature that is a straight-up original story.

2. Yes, there is way too much Batman in the twenty DCAU features. But if you must watch a Batman DVD animated feature from this line-up, make it this one. Most of the DCAU films are adaptations from popular comic arcs. This one improves on the source material. Yes, it’s still the same absurd “Jason Todd is back from the dead” stuff which pits a newly resurrected Robin against Black Mask, the Joker, and Batman. But since this is just a one-off story, it’s not invalidating 15 years of comic continuity in the bargain.

The streamlining of the story causes the occasional hiccup (we’re supposed to buy that Ra’s Al Ghul feels bad about Joker killing Robin, but not Joker killing countless other innocents on his orders), but the film is a better work than the original drawn-out comic book arc. Jensen Ackles is terrific as “the Red Hood”, and the final third brings one of the more unabashedly emotional confrontations in the DCAU. Under the Red Hood makes the very best of a dumb story and is one of the most unabashedly entertaining entries thus far.

1) You want a Wonder Woman movie? Here’s your Wonder Woman movie. This 2009 release, the fourth in the line-up, is a dynamite action adventure that is easily the best film we’ve seen in this division. It is basically an origin story, completely with insanely violent battle scenes and an angry feminist streak that absolutely suits the property. The character work is terrific, with Keri Russell offering a terrific starring turn and Nathan Fillion offering wit and insight as her token love interest, and the action is good enough that I wish I could have seen it in an actual movie theater. Aside from the action and the wit, what makes Wonder Woman so good is that it doesn’t merely put Wonder Woman into action scenarios and call it a day. It tells a Wonder Woman story without forgetting to be about women.

The film doesn’t shy away from making salient points about how women undercut their own authority in society. It tells a feminist story and uses the world’s most famous female superhero to call out a culture that encourages women to be less than their potential. If people can claim that Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is the best Batman film yet made, then I can make the case for Wonder Woman as one of the great cinematic comic book origin stories. If and when they finally do make a live-action Wonder Woman movie, they would be well-advised to just take this script, add another half-hour or so of character and action, and then call it a day. Wonder Woman is easily the best DCAU animated feature thus far out of the first 20 tries.

The sad irony is that the film initially undersold compared to its Superman/Batman brethren, resulting in an unofficial edict that the DCAU DVD series not feature any more female-centric titles. So when we got an adaption of Jeph Loeb’s Superman/Batman: Supergirl in 2011, it was called Superman/Batman: Apocalypse with nary a hint of Supergirl in the marketing. It was not one of their better films (Andre Braugher was oddly miscast as Darkseid), but the effort was appreciated. Despite assurances to the contrary, this animated feature is probably the closest thing we’re going to get to a Wonder Woman movie for awhile.

 

[Maximus Rex]

The caving to industry expectation, not making female-centric superhero films and then claiming girls don’t like superheros and thus should be excluded (that’s for another day), is sadly symptomatic of the overall lack of courage when it comes to this particular series. This division of DC Comics and Warner Bros. should be exactly the place for exposing audiences young and old to characters beyond the most recognizable. If Justice League is a hit in a few years, it will partially be because the characters that are introduced in the film were already introduced to kids through Justice League: Unlimited and Batman: The Brave and the Bold.

Yet just last year we saw the cancellation of (the superb) Young Justice in favor of (the perfectly fine) Beware the Batman, which itself didn’t last long. Just as an entire generation of kids were exposed to Spider-Man and the X-Men through their Fox Kids 1990′s animated incarnations, so too was an entire generation of kids exposed to the DC universe through the animated offshoots. These films are arguably the perfect low-risk environment in which to expose newer and/or older audiences to the expansive DC Universe beyond just the few that everyone already knows. I understand that Justice League and/or Batman sells better than Shazam. But the over-reliance on a few key characters, Batman especially, represents something of a missed opportunity. There is an entire world of superheroes waiting to be brought off the four-color pages and given their own moment in the sun.

The DC Showcase shorts that were included on the releases for a brief period were a step in the right direction, with 10-15 minute shorts that highlighted Green Arrow, The Spectre, Jonah Hex, and Catwoman. But they dropped those just as quickly. If the ultimate goal is to sell more DC Comics merchandise, then the more characters who receive this kind of exposure would theoretically mean more merchandise to sell. And unless Warner Bros. wants to start making expensive live-action features for their lesser-known heroes for their eventual Justice League cameos, which I seriously doubt, these DCAU features are the best shot at reintroducing the B-level heroes.

We have now had 20 features in just over 6.5 years. They all look and sound great, with generally strong vocals and the kind of comic book action that would arguably be too expensive to do in live action. But the vast majority of them have involved some variation on Batman, Superman, or the Justice League. Come what may, I sincerely hope the next 20 films show a little more variety in terms of who gets to stand in the super-heroic spotlight. And, if I may, if you’re going to target these films at older kids, you don’t need to make them all shorter than 80 minutes. Okay, your turn to sound off. Which of these films were your favorites? Which did you like least? Which DC Comics heroes would you like to see in the spotlight?

 

[Splackavelli]

man I saw everyone of these except for hellboy and public enemies. I have son of batman downloaded on my ps3. i'm telling you they should make a teen titans animated movie based on the first 8 books of the 1980's George perez, marv wolfman run. shit would be dope they take on deathstroke and his son ravager the hive five and dr light the gordanians etc. its just like the animated series except they look more mature also kid flash and wonder girl are team members. i'm reading these issues on youtube. its like reading those classic john byrne chris Claremont x men issues. matter of fact they had a team up comic where they fought sideby side against darksied and well... I forgot who the big bad from marvel was imagine if they did this with warner/dc studios type animation

 

[iron man1]

Justice League war need to be listed as well

 

[Copper]

imma need flash point paradox higher on that list

 

[Splackavelli]

no superman vs shazam? not only did he fight shazam but black adam stepped in to put a foot in that blue and red ass all in 30 minutes which made room for 3 15 minute shorts which featured Jonah hex . the spectre and a showdown between green arrow and merlin. also tales of the green lantern corps.

 

[Copper]

that superman vs shazam was forgettable

the superman vs shazam fight on JLU >>>> that entire film

 

[Splackavelli]

i'd replace the next avengers with thor tales of asgard on that list and what no love for ultimate avengers 1 and 2 this list is b.s. they also should have had doctor strange in there.

 

[A.J. Trillzynski]

All-Star Superman and Justice League: A New Frontier are heavily slept on going by these lists

 

[Bcotton5]

idk if Ive ever seen Mask Of The Phantasm but Ive seen the others

 

[vagrant-718]

Red hood should be #1 on everybody's list (Jay-Z voice)

Tier 1

Red hood

Justice league doom

Flashpoint paradox

Tier 2

Superman doomsday

Superman/batman public enemies

Superman/batman apocalypse

Crisis of 2 earth

Tier 3

Everything else

Garbage Tier

All star Superman

 

[vagrant-718]

For marvel

Tier 1

Avengers

Tier 2

Iron man

DR strange

Tier 3

Everything else

 

[vagrant-718]

Haven't seen suicide squad yet and never saw Wonder Woman. So will have to update list again

 

[gns]

DC got the superhero animation game on lock!

 

[Splackavelli]

wonder woman was pretty good . crisis on two earths is a tier one flick. allstar superman was pretty good story and animation wise. I never read the graphic novel so I don't have any other basis to judge it on. I know fans trash the film because it left some things out. it was lex luthor that made the movie stand out though. doomsday was a little off. superman should have stayed dead. then the could have made a superman returns film bringing in the eradicator and superboy like in the comics.