Six of the Greatest Super Hero Cartoons

While the movie screens may see a near-constant bombardment of super hero flicks coming out these days, there was a time when only the small screen could get any traction with telling the stories of comic book characters. Sure, we’d end up with a Daredevil here, a Ghost Rider there and a few good X-Men movies to ease our pain, but in truth the best stories were still being relegated to your television set. Better yet, when you throw a super hero cartoon on the airwaves, people don’t rant and rave about casting - they’re only there to see their favorite characters kick some butt and throw their super powers around.

Today I present a list of some of my favorites, both series and one-offs, from the super hero cartoon world. You’ll have to forgive me as I’ve not seen every cartoon out there (gods know that I’ve tried!), so I’ve probably left more than one amazing series off of this list. I’ve also geared the list to be more adult-friendly. There are lots of other shows that are mainly for kids that you might like, but me, I have trouble watching them for the most part. Still, if you’re new to the cartoon super hero world and want someplace to start, I would argue that this is a pretty sound list.

Wolverine & the X-Men (2009) -

By far the best X-Men cartoon series ever made, Wolverine and the X-Men (why did they feel the need to put Wolverine’s name in there? money) takes us on a journey through many of the adventures of this super team, both new and old classics. In contrast to the rather poorly done slapstick-fest that was its predecessor, X-Men: Evolution, this series is great for both kids and adults. There’s plenty of action, a good amount of character exploration and the animation is spot-on. It’s unfortunate that the series only managed to run for one season (26 episodes), because where they left it off right at the end promised an even more intense ride. If you’re an X-Men fan, this is the animated series you should watch first.

Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes (2010-2013) -

Another series dead before its time, Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes brings us all the Avengers goodness that we could hope for while keeping a tone that is mature enough to not isolate its older viewers. There is some really great writing driving this series, with epic struggles and an animation style that makes those scenes of mass destruction and super-hero conflict even more engaging. Despite receiving rave reviews from fans, the series ended up cancelled so that they could start up a different Avengers series, which is a huge disappointment considering they already had the quality they needed. If you enjoyed The Avengers but missed such classic characters as Ant/Giant-Man, the Wasp and Black Panther, look no further than Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

Spider-Man: The New Animated Series (2003) -

I know that more than a few people will disagree with me here, but in my eyes there is no Spider-Man cartoon that can come close to comparing with the The New Animated Series. Unfortunately, someone out there held a different opinion, for the show got cancelled after one, 13-episode season. The biggest thing that might turn people off to this series is the early-grade computer animation. Truly, it looks a little wonky even if it is stylistic. But when you watch what they do with the show as far as movement and camerawork, it’s hard not to be impressed. After seeing SM: TNAS, I immediately knew what was wrong with every Spider-Man film ever made and how they could improve them to make them spectacular (pun intended). This is also a show that lends itself more to a mature audience (there’s even a few low-grade curse words squeezed in there) and you have to be ready to accept the fact that they don’t follow canon. Oh, and Neil Patrick Harris does the voice of Peter Parker (and they have loads of guest star voices, from Rob Zombie to Stan Lee to James Marsters to Michael Dorn and more and more and more).

Superman/Batman: Apocalypse (2010) -

Though I’m not much of a fan when it comes to DC properties, this is one animated movie that I truly enjoyed. It’s a basic super hero set-up, with a big baddie hoping to cause mass destruction and a team of heroes having to head out to stop them. In this case, it’s Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. Supergirl is thrown in there as well - in fact, it’s a tale of her appearance on Earth. Apocalypse is a grittier tale that still retains enough classic comic book elements to make it perfectly okay for younger super hero fans to watch without being traumatized. It’s also well-written enough that adult fans of the DC characters will find it easily watchable and thoroughly enjoyable.

Justice League: Doom (2012) -

If you’ve ever wanted to know exactly what lengths Batman will go to in order to ensure that his fellow Justice League members don’t go out of control, Justice League: Doom spells it out. A group of super baddies assembles and, using Batman’s carefully thought out plans on how to dispose of his teammates if they went rogue, incapacitates each member of the Justice League. So it comes down to Batman and Cyborg to rescue each of their friends before it’s too late. This movie brings all your favorite Justice League heroes out and presents a story that is complex yet still filled with super hero fun and plenty of action. Good for both adults and kids alike and a great introduction into the DC world for those unfamiliar with the Justice League line-up.

Batman: Year 1 (2011) -

Based off one of the best Batman stories ever, written by the almighty Frank Miller, Batman: Year 1 depicts, as the title suggests, the events of Batman’s first year as a masked super hero. We get to see Bruce Wayne make mistakes and improve, finally settling into the shoes of the hero we all know and love. We get to see a very young Catwoman and a non-commissioner James Gordon (voiced by Bryan Cranston!). We get a tale of the Batman that is far darker and grittier than what is normally done. This is a movie that isn’t for small children, though more mature kids and adults will find it to be right up their alley. As far as I’m concerned, this is one of the best animated movies ever made and my only regret is that it didn’t make enough money for them to continue the tale with Batman: Year 2. If you’re a Batman fan at all, do not miss this one.

If you like these and need more, I would recommend checking out this list of some of the best DC animated movies as well as this other list breaking down some of the greatest animated television series.

Photo Credits -

Wolverine and the X-Men courtesy of fagstv.com

Earths Mightiest Heroes courtesy of sciencefiction.com

Spider-Man courtesy of animatedsuperheroes.com

Superman/Batman courtesy of scifimafia.com

Justice League Doom courtesy of blueinkalchemy.com

Batman Year 1 courtesy of veryaware.com