10 Reasons Why The Justice League Cartoon Is Better Than The Film

2. It Wasn't Just There To Sell Toys

While any cartoon series will have to vindicate its existence with a bevy of merchandise, Justice League wasn't just created to sells toys, and neither were its predecessors. Each and every entry in the DCAU was conceptualised yes, as a means of diversifying DC merchandise, but more-so to take a hold of the medium in a way their competitors simply weren't.

BTAS, STAS, Static Shock and Batman Beyond all embodied that mantra before Justice League came along, but when it did, it served as a true successor to the series that kicked it all off a decade earlier. There isn't a show out there that can easily lay claim to the same plaudits BTAS did when it first aired, but if any were to come close, it would be Justice League. It just carries itself in such a way that, be it in the first season or the last, you feel its salience.

A lot of this stems from the fact it's a character-driven series, and that by default, it succeeds on the strength of its heroes, villains and the supporting cast more generally, but it's important to remember that this was all down to the strength of its writing and the talents of the actors involved. Dwayne McDuffie was phenomenal as the series' main showrunner, and the likes of Susan Eisenberg, Michael Rosenbaum and Maria Canals-Barrera were electric in their respective roles too.

There isn't a wardrobe change, vehicle switch or gimmicky shift to be found. It had the heroes. It had the villains. It was more than enough.