10 Reasons The DC Animated Universe MUST Return
There's a whole new world of potential since the DCAU ended in 2006.
Between 1992 and 2006, the DC Animated Universe dominated the cartoon world. Starting with Batman: The Animated Series and moving through to Justice League Unlimited, DC created a massive, sprawling world of interconnected characters, shared continuity, callbacks to events from years before, serious (sometimes heartbreaking) writing, and dozens upon dozens of incredibly animated set-pieces.
And they did it long before Marvel Studios did.
Since the DCAU left our screens, there has been a consistent call for some type of renewal for this universe of shows, which are all still incredibly popular. The shows have been released on DVD, Blu-ray, and streaming; animation networks around the world still show the cartoons as part of their rotation; and any scrap of news from anyone involved in the shows as production or voice talent about a reunion is rabidly consumed.
With an obvious appetite for the animated adventures of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and the rest of the Justice League, DC should be giving a long, hard look at bringing back the DCAU and making it one of the cornerstones of their business model. Here's are just 10 reasons they should be considering that immediately.
10. It Was Genuinely Incredible
It's almost impossible to read any kind of list of the best animated series of all time without one (usually several) series from the DCAU on it. For 14 years, the shows were powerhouses, unskippable for any serious animation fan.
When taken together, the series that comprise the DCAU average 8 out of 10 on IMDB. The list of awards the shows were nominated for or won are staggering, including 20 Emmy nominations and 9 wins. Other animation, sci-fi, and comic book awards the shows and movies were considered for number into the dozens.
Academic papers have been written on how the DCAU changed the mediums of animation and storytelling. The shows and movies have been packaged and repackaged on video, DVD, Blu-ray, and digital constantly since they ended, including gorgeous full boxsets. The merchandising that has resulted from DCAU properties is worth billions.
If you were to sit and watch every single episode of every series, as well as every included movie, you would be in for roughly 8 days in a row of animation. For perspective, the same binge of the MCU would take about 40 hours.
The DCAU was simply incredible.