5 DC animated TV shows to re-watch this Batman Day

Every year, DC Studios sets aside a day to celebrate DC's masked vigilante. Dubbed Batman Day, it offers a chance for Batman fans to shower their love on this fictional superhero.

This year, Batman Day falls on September 20th. So, it might be a good time to catch up with some of the classic or recent shows that brought back the character in their own way. Batman has always been a central character in the studio's legacy, and the same has been proven through movies and shows over the years.

Whether it's Tim Burton, Joel Schumacher, Christopher Nolan, or Matt Reeves, every filmmaker brought their own approach to handling the story of Gotham's billionaire heir. Not everyone stayed true to the original material. In fact, some of them also took creative liberties while using some of its characters. Still, they left a mark in one way or another.

If films are not your cup of tea and you're hoping to watch a show instead, there's plenty to cover on that front, too. There have been more than a few animated shows that have followed Bruce Wayne and his alias in different ways. We've listed a few of them below. However, before going through them, do note that this is not a ranked list.

These are a few picks of DC animated TV shows that you might want to give a shot (or revisit) on this year's Batman Day.

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5. Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995)

There's a reason many Batman fans consider this show a standard for how the character and his world should be brought to the screen. Its 2D animation is crisp and moody, bringing the best of the noir genre. Even the show's opening titles are catchy enough to make you want to sit and watch it till the final episode. It was created by Eric Radomski and Bruce W. Timm and was praised for its voice acting, soundtrack, and modernizing the classic DC characters.

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4. The Batman (2004-2008)

Remember the early 2000s, when the most fun you could have was by turning on Cartoon Network? If your answer is yes, this show might have been on your radar, especially if you were a fan of its animation style. It may not be as gritty as some other Batman adaptations, but there was plenty to admire in the show, especially for the kids. Besides, it also featured the classic supervillains like the Joker, the Penguin, and the Riddler, even if they looked a bit different.

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3. Batman: The Brave and The Bold (2008 - 2011)

Developed by James Tucker and Michael Jelenic, this animated show focused on Batman's team-ups with other heroes to fight the villains. It used a simpler approach to dealing with these heroes, focusing more on the comic-book entertainment than the darkness, which might have been ideal for a younger audience.

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2. Batman Beyond (1999-2001)

If you're looking for a darker version of Batman's story, this cyberpunk show should be on your list for Batman Day. It is comparatively darker in tone, in terms of visuals and narration. However, instead of Bruce Wayne, it shows Terry McGinnis, a young man donning the Batman suit and being the protector of Gotham City.

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1. Batman: Caped Crusader (2024 - )

Matt Reeves and J.J. Abrams serve as executive producers on this show, which was developed by Bruce Timm and was released only last year. It follows Bruce Wayne's early crime-fighting years as Batman, inspired by comics from the 1940s to 1960s. Instead of simple iconography, the show also highlights psychological aspects of its characters, making it a rewarding watch for Batman Day.

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Also read: Matt Reeves calls The Batman 2 something that has “never been done before” for the character of Bruce Wayne