When Superheroes Get Animated
Comics and cartoons share creative DNA, but their offspring vary wildly in quality. Some adaptations respect their inked parents. Then, there are some that act like rebellious teenagers determined to ruin the family name. Let’s run the gamut of animated comic book adaptations and celebrate the ones that stayed true to their roots while rooting out the ones that didn't.
1. Batman: The Animated Series
What made Conroy's Dark Knight truly legendary wasn't just the noir animation. Premiering in 1992, this masterpiece brought psychological depth to children's television while capturing Batman's essence. Emmy-winning episodes like "Heart of Ice" redefined villains with tragic backstories that the comics later adopted as canon.
Batman & Bruce Wayne's BEST Scenes! 🦇 | Batman: The Animated Series | @dckids by DC Kids
2. X-Men (1992)
Running for five seasons until 1997, X-Men tackled controversial themes of prejudice, genocide, and religious persecution that no other cartoon dared touch. The authentic adaptations of The Dark Phoenix Saga and Days of Future Past proved animated shows could handle complex storylines without dumbing them down.
X-Men 97 Trailer: Deadpool Wolverine and Spider-Man Easter Eggs Breakdown by Emergency Awesome
3. Justice League/Justice League Unlimited
Bruce Timm expanded his DC animated universe with this ambitious ensemble show. From 2001–2006, it brought together DC's greatest heroes while delivering serialized storytelling far ahead of its time. Its greatest achievement was balancing character development across dozens of heroes.
Joining Forces | Justice League Unlimited by Lance Simmons
4. The Spectacular Spider-Man
Though tragically canceled after only 26 episodes, this series remains the ultimate Spider-Man adaptation. Creator Greg Weisman brilliantly modernized classic storylines while retaining the heart of Spider-Man's world. The show's balance of Peter Parker's personal struggles and superhero adventures is incomparable.
Peter Parker Is Exposed | The Spectacular Spider-Man (2008) by Scene City
5. Batman Beyond
The future of Gotham deserved more than a cash-grab, and thankfully, it got one. Set in 2039, Batman Beyond followed teenager Terry McGinnis, mentored by an elderly Bruce Wayne. The cyberpunk aesthetic and mature storytelling elevated it beyond a simple spinoff, with episodes addressing corporate corruption.
Batman Beyond Fight Scenes - Batman Beyond Season 1 by Rafael Ridolph
6. The Fantastic Four (1967)
Hanna-Barbera's animation style matched Jack Kirby's cosmic imagination in this gem from the Silver Age. Alex Toth's character designs brought Marvel's First Family to life with surprising accuracy for the time. While only running 20 episodes, it successfully adapted the beloved Galactus storyline.
1967 Fantastic Four Cartoon Intro by Phillip Duncan
7. Spider-Man (1990s)
That theme song still gets stuck in your head, doesn't it? For a new generation, Spider-Man's universe came to life in this 1994 Fox series. Despite network censorship preventing punching or showing realistic guns, the creative team found innovative ways to adapt major storylines like “Maximum Carnage.”
Spider-Man (90's Cartoon) [opening theme HD] by Kenneth Garaza
8. Superman: The Animated Series
Marv Wolfman's involvement as story editor ensured the story stayed true to the character's essence while boldly reinventing his world. Christopher Reeve's warmth and the Post-Crisis comics crafted a powerful and relatable Superman. Character designs by Gil Kane brought a sleek aesthetic.
Superman: The Animated Series | Superman Gets His Name | @dckids by DC Kids
9. Ultimate Avengers
Marvel's first direct-to-DVD animated feature proved there was an adult audience hungry for mature superhero content. Released in 2006, this adaptation of Mark Millar's The Ultimates comic compressed a complex narrative into 71 tightly-plotted minutes. The film's success influenced their approach to live-action films.
Ultimate Avengers (2006) - The Ultimate Gag Reel by Media Graveyard
10. Young Justice
Greg Weisman struck gold again with this intelligent, layered take on DC's younger heroes. Young Justice built an intricate continuity spanning multiple seasons and time jumps. Its sophisticated approach to character development set new standards, with heroes facing consequences for their actions.
Young Justice Season 2 Crash Course | Young Justice | HBO Max by DC
However, for every brilliant adaptation that honors its source material, there's a cartoon abomination that makes fans wish they could erase it from existence.
1. The New Fantastic Four
Human Torch's unexplained replacement with a robot named H.E.R.B.I.E. was just the beginning of this 1978 disaster. Behind the scenes, licensing issues forced this bizarre substitution that epitomized the show's fundamental misunderstanding of what made Marvel's First Family special.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps | Concept New Final Trailer by Screen Trailers
2. Swamp Thing
"By the power of the marsh!" shouted our plant-based hero. Airing from 1990 to 1993, the environmental cartoon took Alan Moore's profound horror comic and turned it into a kid-friendly ecological crusader with sidekicks. Gone was the existential horror and philosophical depth, replaced by monster-of-the-week formulas.
SWAMP THING 🌿 | FULL SERIES by Saturday Morning Cartoon MAXOUT
3. Avengers: United They Stand
Fox Kids executives forced this catastrophe to be set in the future to chase Batman Beyond's success. Adding power armor to heroes who didn't need it screamed “toy commercial.” Without Captain America or Iron Man, this B-team Avengers lineup featuring Ant-Man felt worthless.
Scarlet Witch - All Scenes Powers | The Avengers: United They Stand by Stars Chaos
4. Iron Man: Armored Adventures
Teenage Tony Stark piloting the Iron Man armor while still in high school looked like it contradicted the character's core concept. It was released in 2009 to capitalize on the MCU's success. However, its dated CGI animation looked cheap even for its time.
Marvel Animation's GREATEST Accomplishment - Iron Man: Armored Adventures REVIEW!!! by Evan Filarca
5. Spider-Woman
Telepathy, instant costume changes, and clairvoyance were just some of the nonsensical powers given to Jessica Drew. The series completely abandoned Spider-Woman's compelling Hydra origin story in favor of generic adventures. Unfortunately, this version suffered from both poor animation and scripts.
Animated Spider-Woman - Best Scenes by Marvel Entertainment
6. Beware The Batman
A Batman series without any of the classic villains like the Joker, Penguin, or Riddler was a risky move that ended up flopping. It mainly focused on entirely obscure bad guys, like Professor Pyg and Magpie, which turned off a lot of viewers.
Wrong Side of the Tracks | Beware The Batman | @dckids by DC Kids
7. Wild C.A.T.S.
Creator Jim Lee couldn't save his creation from terrible adaptation choices in this 1994 fiasco. Despite being based on artwork by one of comics' greatest artists, the animation quality was poor. Character motivations and backstories were inexplicably changed—Maul lost his human form entirely.
Episode 1 - WildC.A.T.S | FULL EPISODE | RETRO RERUN by Retro Rerun
8. Super Friends (Early Seasons)
In Super Friends, DC's greatest heroes were reduced to babysitters for Wendy, Marvin, and Wonder Dog. Due to network restrictions, Justice League members couldn't fight villains, forcing conflicts to be resolved through deus ex machina solutions. Aquaman was turned into a superhero punchline for decades.
#ClassicCartoon Super Friends | Everyone is missing! | @dckids by DC Kids
9. The Marvel Super Heroes (1966)
"Animation" is a generous term for this production technique that literally photocopied comic panels and barely moved characters' mouths. Each segment featuring Captain America, Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, and Namor suffered from this cost-cutting approach. The stilted presentation doomed this pioneering but primitive attempt.
Marvel Superheroes 1966: Captain America Episode 1 by Irving's Zoo
10. Ultraforce
Malibu Comics' superhero team barely had time to establish itself before this animated flop further confused their identity. Animation outsourced to multiple studios resulted in wildly inconsistent character designs that changed between scenes. Prime, the team's Superman analog, went from a dignified hero to a generic musclehead.
Ultraforce Collection Review - Galoob 1995 - RetroShArK by RetroShArK
