The correct order to watch the series of the DC animated universe

Marvel and DC Comics have cultivated a fandom with a shared universe between series. This web of continuity confuses young minds, who begin to see comics as more than just cellular adventures, but a gateway to a whole other world whose history they can explore and master. Superheroes then took over 21st century Hollywood, importing the same storytelling model. But the first major superhero cinematic universe debuted on the small screen, not the silver. Yes, before the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there was the DC Animated Universe (DCAU). A series of interconnected cartoons with a cast and crew, the DCAU ran for 14 years from 1992 to 2006.

Such a long period would not be possible without the people who created these cartoons. The first DCAU cartoon, Batman: The Animated Series, was co-created by Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski. Tim’s distinctive art style (like Jack Kirby meets pin-up girl posters) has become a DCAU standard. Other important artists who have helped steer the DCAU from series to series include writers/producers Alan Burnett, Paul Dini (co-creator of Harley Quinn with Timm)and Dwayne McDuffie, director Dan Riba and voice director Andrea Romano. It was Romano who voiced the DCAU’s most famous voices Kevin Conroy as Batman to Mark Hamill as the Jokerand coaxed from them those character-defining performances.

These there is children’s shows, so most DCAU episodes are simple events that can be watched without any context. But in Justice League Unlimited, they built on the canon they had created with serialized storylines from past events, major and minor, in previous shows. So Justice League Unlimited is best enjoyed if you have some prior knowledge of the DCAU — but how are you supposed to get it?

Excluding spin-offs (including Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero, Batman Beyond: The Joker Returns, and Batman: The Mystery of Batwoman), here’s the DCAU in release order:

1. “Batman: The Animated Series” tells about the adventures of Batman, who faces the superstitious and cowardly villains of Gotham City. The series is known for its gothic backdrop and Fleischer Studios-inspired animation, which is less edgy and sharper than subsequent DCAU shows.
2. Superman: The Animated Series is basically Timm and co. do for Superman what they used to do for Batman. Superman: The Animated Series is best remembered for Clancy Brown’s portrayal of Lex Luthor. It also featured a more polished art style used in later DCAU projects.
3. The New Batman Adventures is a sequel to Batman: The Animated Series with an updated art style and character designs. A handful of Superman crossovers officially established the DCAU.
4. Batman Beyond – Set 40 years in the future, an aging Bruce Wayne mentors the new Batman, the teenage Terry McGinnis, in a cyberpunk Gotham City.
5. “Static Shock” – Black teenager Virgil Hawkins acquires electromagnetic powers when a mutagenic gas is dispersed throughout his hometown of Dakota City. McDuffie, one of the creators of the original Static comics, was involved in the series, and it was his gateway to further work on the DCAU.
6. “The Zeta Project” is a spinoff of “Batman Beyond,” in which the android Zeta tries to find his creator while on the run from the NSA. All in all, a futuristic riff on The Fugitive (and not the only animated film).
7. Justice League – Timm’s team built on past Batman and Superman crossovers and brought together DC’s greatest heroes in one show. Uniquely, each episode was a two/three-parter, effectively allowing for 40-minute episodes rather than 20-minute episodes.
8. “Justice League Unlimited” is a sequel to “Justice League”, where the team increases from seven heroes to several dozen. The two-part episode format was ditched for 20-minute episodes, usually focusing on one to three members of the now-huge ensemble.

It’s also the order in which you should watch the show if you’re feeling so full. The answer is always in order of release, because that’s the easiest way, and later prequels are usually based on earlier installments. Imagine, for example, watching the Star Wars prequels without having seen the original trilogy.

In the case of the DCAU, the Justice League Unlimited season 2 finale, “Epilogue,” is more or less a “Batman Beyond” episode. If you haven’t seen Batman Beyond, you won’t get anything out of this episode. Even if you watch Justice League first, save the Epilogue for after you finish Batman Beyond.

If you insist on viewing the DCAU in chronological order:

1. “Batman: The Animated Series”
2. “Superman: The Animated Series”
3. “The New Adventures of Batman”
4. “static shock”
5. “Justice League”
6. “Justice League Unlimited”
7. “Batman Beyond”
8. “Project Zeta”

The Zeta Project is the least important DCAU show. It’s not actually based on a pre-existing DC comic, making it a departure from the others, and it unfortunately ends on a cliffhanger. Batman Beyond Season 3 has a crossover episode called Countdown, but Zeta’s debut in Batman Beyond will fill you in on its own.

“Static Shock” also seems more prominent than the others because it wasn’t originally supposed to be part of the DCAU. It only became that way when the season 2 premiere of “Major League” turned into a Batman crossover. Static Shock has had several other DCAU crossovers since:

1. “Static Shock” season 3 premiere is “Hard A Nails” where Static visits Gotham and battles Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn with Batman.
2. A League of Their Own, a two-part series in Season 3 of Static Shock that crosses over to Justice League. Static is called in to help with some technical problems at the League’s satellite base, the Watchtower, and ends up rescuing the grown-up heroes from Brainiac.
3. “Toys in the Hood” featuring Superman. (“Superman: The Animated Series” had ended by this point, but the Man of Steel was a member of “Justice League” himself.)
4. “Future Shock”, a “Batman Beyond” crossover where Static is sent to the future.
5. “Fallen Hero” where Static teams up with Green Lantern to fight Sinestro.
6. “The Once and Future Thing,” Justice League Unlimited Season 1 Finale. It’s a crossover with “Static Shock” and “Batman Beyond” because Batman, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern travel to the future where they meet Terry McGinnis and the now mature Static.

As you can tell, the “Static Shock” crossovers were mostly in one direction; the teenage Virgil never appeared in Justice League. Mainly the core DCAU experience: Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series, The New Batman Adventures, Batman Beyond, Justice League, and Justice League Unlimited. Watch them at the right age and I promise you’ll be a superhero fan for life.