- 12 years ago
There's a lot of competition among animated superhero TV shows; these ones muscled their way to the top. Join http://www.WatchMojo.com as we count down our picks for the top 10 animated superhero TV series.
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00:05There's a lot of competition among animated superhero TV shows.
00:14These ones muscled their way to the top.
00:17Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we're counting down our picks for the Top 10 Animated Superhero TV Series.
00:24You see? No more doubting yourself.
00:27For this list, we're focusing on animated TV series with a superhero or superheroes as the star.
00:34Now grab your cape and your sidekick and let's fight crime.
00:41I shall now bring the Draconites before the Interstellar Tribunal to answer for their crimes.
00:46Meanwhile, we'll infiltrate the Underworld Auction in disguise.
00:50Good luck, my friends. I'm sorry I can't join you.
00:53Based on DC's Justice League comics, Hanna-Barbera's super friends followed characters like Superman, Batman and Robin, Wonder Woman and
01:01Aquaman as they teamed up to fight crime.
01:04Pretty cool, huh?
01:06Sure, it wasn't the most brilliantly executed superhero show, but it ran an astounding 13 years.
01:17As a result, it's a touchstone for a whole generation of TV superhero fans.
01:23I'll just turn this big bad burg into a block of iron.
01:28Down she goes.
01:31So what if the animation is sorta limited and the stories are geared toward younger audiences?
01:36The joy and wonder that permeated Super Friends makes it a fanboy's favorite guilty pleasure.
01:41Now that I'm using my electric powers to warm this ship to a decent temperature.
01:45Ah, feels good, Vulcan.
01:47Number 9.
01:49The Animated Series.
01:50Mind if I borrow something?
01:52Don't quit.
01:53We're almost there.
02:04A big step up in the animation department, Superman the Animated Series breathed new life into the Man of Steel
02:11while still respecting his iconic origins.
02:20And in fact, it's now considered one of the most authentic adaptations ever of Superman.
02:25Professor, you make it sound like I go out looking for trouble.
02:28Bruce Timm took some inspiration from the classic Fleischer cartoons, but added a distinctly modern twist.
02:34Hang on.
02:36Oh, you can count us!
02:41All the familiar cast was there, but the characterizations were tweaked a bit.
02:46The plots were clever, the writing sparkled, the mood was mature, and most of all, it was fun.
02:52Me, I'm happy now.
02:56Number 8.
02:57The Avengers.
02:58Earth's Mightiest Heroes.
03:00It took a while.
03:01Stupid commercials.
03:03But in 2010, the Avengers finally assembled on TV, in the right way.
03:09The Avengers, Earth's Mightiest Heroes, lived up to its promise.
03:13Iron Man, Giant Man, Hulk, Thor, Captain America, and the rest, presented the team of any Marvel comic fan's dreams.
03:21You know, I'm not so sure I want to be part of a team I have to rescue every week.
03:26Throw in some scripts drawn from classic comic storylines like the Kree Skrull War, and some powerfully slick animation, and
03:34you had a show that delivered a hell of a lot of bang for its buck.
03:38I told you not to underestimate them.
03:43Number 7.
03:44Young Justice.
03:45Finally, I was wondering what a guy had to do to get a little attention around here.
03:50Was such a high-quality superhero series ever more poorly handled than Young Justice was by the Cartoon Network?
03:56Calm down, kid.
03:58Oh, please!
03:59Focusing on DC's teenage foils of the Justice League, Young Justice was intricately plotted, grippingly directed, and filled with action
04:07and suspense.
04:12Plus, it featured three-dimensional characters and emotion-filled storylines.
04:17Tell me something you haven't told anyone else.
04:20Tell me who broke your heart.
04:24Tula.
04:25The girl I love chose my best friend Garth over me, while my best friend on the surface world aims
04:31an arrow at my chest.
04:33It even made a five-year jump in time between seasons 1 and 2 work, despite introducing a whole new
04:39team into the picture.
04:40Today is the day.
04:42Welcome to the Hall of Justice.
04:44Headquarters of the Justice League.
04:45And that takes talent.
04:47Congratulations, team.
04:49You have won the day.
04:50Number 6.
04:51Teen Titans.
05:00Maybe we should just go out for pizza.
05:03Boasting anime-influenced visuals, Teen Titans brought DC's famed teenage team to the small screen in big style.
05:10Titans, go!
05:12Robin, Starfire, Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven were a tight-knit family whose relationships were as much a part of
05:19the show's success as the considerable action.
05:22We cannot change the truth, no matter how much we dislike it.
05:26Viewers were thrilled to see fights with the villainous Slade or the unstoppable Trigon, but it was Cyborg and Beast
05:32Boy's jokey camaraderie or Raven's inner turmoil that kept them coming back.
05:37A pint-sized poindexer took me for a joyride, and in case you haven't noticed, I just became left-handed!
05:43Enough!
05:44Number 5.
05:45Justice League.
05:46Justice League Unlimited.
05:48You really think you can beat me?
05:49I'm not trying to beat you.
05:51I'm trying to stall you.
05:53Stall me?
05:54For what?
05:59What?
06:00What?
06:01What?
06:01What?
06:01What?
06:01What?
06:02Justice League took the familiar faces of Super Friends far more seriously.
06:06I hate you!
06:08Initially focusing on DC's Big Seven, it eventually expanded to include just about every hero in the canon.
06:15Crowded?
06:15Yeah.
06:16But somehow, the creators made it work.
06:18There are so many reasons why that shouldn't have worked.
06:21Whether concentrating on cataclysmic wars between worlds, or on simple matters like warrior-hero Orion's dismissal of the happy-go
06:29-lucky Flash, Justice League did everything with flair and style.
06:33So it blows, and he doesn't even move.
06:35And I say, are you alright?
06:37And he says...
06:38This is the best part.
06:39He says, fine, and you?
06:42No.
06:454.
06:45Spider-Man The Animated Series
06:47Jason, you remember Peter Parker.
06:51But of course.
06:52Wonderful to see you again, Parker.
06:54My spider sense is going berserk.
06:56Following Peter Parker and his superhero self during his college years, this iteration of the web-slinger story had action,
07:06romance,
07:07and more action.
07:09Other Spider-Man series like The Spectacular Spider-Man are worthy, but Spider-Man The Animated Series is even better.
07:17It will become immense and unstoppable.
07:21Yes, some corners were cut in animation, but the stories, characters, and excellent voice cast made up for that.
07:28I want this face to be the very last thing my enemies see.
07:34This was also one New York-set series that lived and breathed the feel of the Big Apple.
07:40Hey, Spider-Man!
07:42How about a scenic tour of the village?
07:46All in all, this is the web-slinger as he's meant to be.
07:50I'm gonna find out for myself.
07:52And you're coming with me.
07:54If you're lying, you're Filet-A-Spire, pal.
07:57I get the picture, Wolvie.
07:59But have you ever thought of seeing a manicurist about those things?
08:01Number three, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
08:05I don't know who you are, but thanks.
08:08You're not human.
08:11Bingo.
08:12We're dealing with a real mind here.
08:14It started out as a small press parody comic book,
08:17but the Ninja Turtles phenomenon grew like wildfire.
08:20Say your prayers, titles.
08:24And millions of people know it mainly through this more lighthearted series.
08:28Yeah, we were trained to fight people, not can openers.
08:32Michelangelo, Leonardo, Donatello, and Raphael joked,
08:35Are you out of your shell, Donatello?
08:37kicked, punched, and pizzaed their way into the hearts of a whole generation.
08:42Pizza time!
08:47Who had the pepperoni and ice cream?
08:49I want some of the jelly beans and mushrooms.
08:51Yeah, give me a slice of anchovies and peanut butter.
08:54This is seriously grossing me out.
08:57And the show still holds up today, with solid writing, good performances,
09:02and just enough wackiness to entertain.
09:05And for that matter, whoever heard of talking turtles?
09:07Turtle power indeed.
09:09Give me a slice of the bananas and sausage, will ya?
09:11Number two, X- The Animated Series.
09:14You wouldn't hit a man with glasses, would you?
09:17So, take them off.
09:19Stop!
09:21Put them back on, please!
09:23Yeah, the animation wasn't as smooth as some of the other series produced at the same time.
09:28You know nothing, little man.
09:30But, who cares?
09:32X- The Animated Series brought Marvel's incredible mutant wonders to the small screen in a matter that did them
09:38proud.
09:38Today begins a new world for all of us.
09:41A world where we needn't hide in corners and crawl in fear.
09:46I don't know what corner you crawled out above,
09:49but we don't find nuclear missiles all that liberating.
09:53After all, who wouldn't get caught up in the TV versions of unforgettable comic scenarios,
09:58like the awesome Dark Phoenix Saga?
10:00After depositing the crystal in the sun, this primal force returned to Earth.
10:06Later series like X- Evolution are worthwhile, but they're not classic like this.
10:12Jean! Why?
10:14Not Jean.
10:16Only her body.
10:19Only her delicious senses.
10:23I am Phoenix!
10:26Before we unmask our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
10:30Soon, they will know me.
10:33Soon, they will need me.
10:43Batman!
10:45You don't want to do that.
10:54Help me!
11:05Batman The Animated Series.
11:07I thought you were my friend!
11:09You should've been able to help me!
11:11But you didn't!
11:14Now look at me!
11:15This Dark Deco cartoon burst onto the screen in 1992 and set the standard for every superhero show that came
11:23after.
11:24I still feel that somewhere inside that monster is my old friend.
11:28Boasting incredibly gorgeous visuals, it looked great. And with its incomparable voice cast, it sounded great too.
11:35Come on in Batman, the water's fine.
11:40But it was Bruce Timm's dark-hued approach, reflected in the writing, that actually made it great.
11:46This was first-class superhero screenwriting.
11:49Why should I tell you?
11:51If you want to suffer in silence, that's fine by me.
11:55Delivering taut tales that gripped and never let go.
11:58It's the best screen version of Batman ever.
12:02You are beaten! Now I will break you!
12:18Do you agree with our choices?
12:19I'm tired of listening to you.
12:21What other animated superheroes should have smashed their way onto this list?
12:27For more Super Top 10s published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.
12:33We will, but right now, I'm just happy to be part of the team.
12:45We'll see you next time.
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