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This article originally ran July 29, 2022.
Weve updated it with additional shows, including the Emmy-nominatedX-Men 97and the newBatman: Caped Crusader.
Live-action superhero efforts are a precarious balancing act.
In short, its a constant battle of: Is this gonna look dumb?
35.Captain Planet
35.
In 2024, it can be hard to find unironic merit inCaptain Planet.
The show is undeniably goofy, with stilted animation and melodramatic dialogue recited at a fever pitch.
An empowering lesson between breakfast cereal commercials.
34.Beware the Batman
34.
However its CG animation could leave it looking fairly empty, especially in its early episodes.
33.Wolverine and the X-Men
33.
32.Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot
32.
31.Static Shock
31.
30.Ben 10
30.
29.Spider-Man
29.
Blending toyetic characters with swiftly weaving story lines can leaveSpider-Manfeeling breakneck at times.
28.Teen Titans Go!
To fans of the belovedTeen Titanseffort from the early aughts,Teen Titans Go!might disappoint.
27.Batman: Caped Crusader
27.
26.Green Lantern: The Animated Series
26.
Produced on the heels of the well-mockedGreen Lanternfilm,Green Lantern: The Animated Seriesis all promise.
25.Harley Quinn
25.
24.The Tick
24.
Freakazoid might have a variety of powers, but the shows secret weapon is its consistently clever writing.
22.The Batman
22.
21.Danny Phantom
21.
In a genre bursting at the seams with young heroes finding themselves, Dannys youthful transformation feels surprisingly authentic.
20.Superman: The Animated Series
20.
The classics still work.
19.Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
19.
18.My Adventures with Superman
18.
17.Batman: The Brave and the Bold
17.
The standout here is Aquaman, portrayed as a prideful lord of Atlantis that just wants to be liked.
16.X-Men 97
16.
15.The Avengers: Earths Mightiest Heroes
15.
14.Todd McFarlanes SPAWN
- atmosphere and Keith Davids portrayal of the lead character balances anguish and menace in underrated fashion.
13.X-Men: Evolution
13.
Premiering a little after the 2000 film,X-Men: Evolutiondidnt have the same narrative worries.
(Theres no self-aware yellow spandex jokes to be found here.)
12.Batman Beyond
12.
Batman Beyondshouldnt necessarily work.
Freeze proving to be a miserable look into the effects of immortality.
11.Gargoyles
11.
10.Steven Universe
10.
9.Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
9.
IfRise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesis anything, its gorgeous to behold.
Victim to sudden cancellation,Rise of the TMNTgot a very welcome feature-film follow-up on Netflix in August 2022.
8.Teen Titans
8.
7.Justice League Unlimited
7.
6.Invincible
6.
If it can continue its streak of quality, it might be higher up one day.
5.Young Justice
5.
And, having recently finished the shows fourth season, seems like fans ofYoung Justicedefinitely have.
4.The Powerpuff Girls
4.
3.X-Men
3.
2.The Spectacular Spider-Man
2.
1.Batman: The Animated Series
1.
It all begins withBatman: The Animated Series.
However, to this day, very few have achieved the heights of this show.
There is still only oneBatman: The Animated Series.
