34 Years Later, DC's Best TV Show Just Gets Better And Better

DC is no stranger to great TV shows. Modern hits The Penguin and Watchmen, the expansive world of the Arrowverse, classics such as Smallville, and misunderstood gems like Gotham - the DC brand has an enviable track record when adapting comic book characters for the small screen.

Despite such long-lasting success, however, no DC television show has ever managed to top Batman: The Animated Series. Premiering in 1992 with Kevin Conroy as the Caped Crusader, the team of Bruce Timm, Eric Radomski, Paul Dini, and Mitch Brian created a series that not only defined the superhero genre for an entire generation of '90s kids, but one that has stood the test of time remarkably well.

Batman: The Animated Series Is Better Today Than It Was 34 Years Ago

Most people watching Batman: The Animated Series in the 1990s would have been under the age of 10, so are likely now fretting about gray hair (or lack of hair at all) and mortgages (or lack of a mortgage at all).

With its fast pacing, slick action sequences, and sweeping soundtrack, Batman: The Animated Series was a young superhero fan's dream. That demographic perhaps didn't realize at the time that Batman's cartoon adventures were also filled with layers of visual and narrative nuance, and it's only when rewatching as an adult that Batman: The Animated Series can be enjoyed in full.

Through the lens of time, DC fans can appreciate the expressionist-deco take on Gotham City, the subtle social commentary of the scripts, and the quiet beauty of episodes like "Heart of Ice." As a kid, we just wanted to see Batman punch the Joker in the face. Today, with those gray hairs and mortgages, Batman: The Animated Series hits different.

The way the wider superhero genre has evolved over the past 30 years has also benefited Batman: The Animated Series. Between Tim Burton's Batman movies and Saturday morning cartoons, it felt like superheroes were everywhere in 1992. No one could've predicted just how much bigger the genre would become over the next few decades. As a result, a raft of good shows have been lost in the deluge, or simply overshadowed by something better.

Only the truly special ones stand out in a jam-packed world, and it's the unmistakable style and hefty substance that ensure Batman: The Animated Series feels even more vibrant and essential than it did in 1992.

Batman: The Animated Series Is A Perfect Gateway To The Superhero Genre

The superhero arena has become increasingly divided - not just in terms of "Marvel or DC" and "Snyder or Gunn," but in broader ways, like having a dark tone vs. embracing comic cartoonishness, or honoring canon vs. being original.

A TV show or movie that can be all things to all people is increasingly rare. Batman: The Animated Series is one of precious few superhero releases that ticks every box, and that universal, unending appeal is a much more valuable quality here in 2026 than it was in the '90s.

As a consequence, Batman: The Animated Series remains the perfect gateway series for youngsters making their first foray into the superhero genre. When children have moved beyond Spidey and his Amazing Friends, but aren't yet sitting through 2000's X-Men movie, Batman: The Animated Series is the perfect solution - an approachable, accessible superhero world with enough substance and depth to give a true taste of the genre's delights.

Kevin Conroy's Batman is a character that grows with the viewer, taking them from that early taste of comic book vigilantism through to the more mature The Mask of the Phantasm, then remaining enjoyable through the rest of adulthood. No other Marvel or DC show can offer that.