10 Ways The Justice League Animated Series Still Holds Up Way Better Than We Could Have Ever Hoped 11 Years Later

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The DC Animated Universe owes a lot to Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, two animated series that have withstood the test of time as venerated DC classics. The timeline of the DCAU, or "Timmverse", culminated in the formation of the Justice League, who fought villains the world over as a team in the Justice League animated series. From there, the follow-up show Justice League Unlimited opened up DC"s roster of heroes even further, leaving an enduring mark as the best adaptation of the famous comic team ever.
There are so many reasons why the animated Justice League series is still the best depiction of the Justice League in movies or TV ever created. Going back to the show today, it"s hard not to balk at the longevity of the quality a show ostensibly made for kids was somehow able to capture. Almost 20 years later, Justice League and Justice League Unlimited have aged like fine wine.
10 Justice League's Depiction Of Its Heroes Still Feels Accurate Over A Decade Later Every single inclusion is incredibly faithful

The core roster of founding Justice League members in the animated show consisted of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, The Flash, and Hawkgirl. After seeing how lovingly and accurately Bruce Timm portrayed Batman and Superman in Batman: The Animated Series and Superman: The Animated Series, it"s easy to praise the show simply for directly porting these amazing interpretations into Justice League. But the new DC heroes introduced there for the first time are just as faithful.
In the years since Justice League, the world has gotten many decidedly inaccurate portrayals of DC"s most venerated characters. Because of that, going back to the straightforward and comic-accurate personalities of the founding team in Justice League is quite refreshing, making the series somehow age better than some movies and TV shows newer than it. This is no easy accomplishment, but Justice League nevertheless pulls it off consistently across its many seasons.
9 Justice League's Biggest Stories Still Feel Epic The series knew when to lean in to a truly weighty narrative

The very formation of the Justice League implies some very terrifying existential threats to the world. Indeed, the series didn"t play around with good reasons for a team of the Earth"s most powerful heroes to exist, thrusting them into many arcs laden with potentially world-ending gravitas.When Justice League made its way to these more intense overarching stories, it knows how to make them feel epic in the true sense of the word.
Simply gauging different characters" reactions to certain narrative beats makes them easy to measure in terms of severity. From the CADMUS arc of Justice League Unlimited to the terrifying return of Darkseid and the anti-life equation in Justice League, both shows had plenty of serious arcs that necessitated the full strength of the team. The sheer amount of characters introduced in the former certainly made the continued story of the DCAU feel like a true saga of mythical proportions, as well.
8 Justice League's Most Emotional Moments Hold Up Well The show understands nuance and subtlety just as well

As great as the epic battles for the fate of the world that play out over the course of multi-episode arcs are, Justice League is just as good at balancing the more emotional beats. The show certainly isn"t non-stop fun action-adventure, with downright tragic beats balancing out the high-flying fight scenes. For example, the series has one of the better The Death of Superman adaptations with episodes like Hereafter, doing the iconic story justice better than any Superman animated movie.
The series was also great at demonstrating how the Justice League were considered heroes not just for their powers and ability to fight for the innocent, but for their outstanding personalities and depths of emotional support. A great example of this is Batman"s final conversation with the metahuman Ace, which brings her tragic tale to a tear-jerking final conclusion that demonstrates how kind and thoughtful The Dark Knight can truly be underneath the mask. It"s this more tender side to the DC universe"s characters that often gets lost in translation in lesser works.
7 Justice League Does Romance Right Dating within the workplace never looked so good

Despite largely being superhero shows primarily marketed at young boys, Justice League and Justice League Unlimited do romance shockingly well. Of course, the classic pair-ups like Superman and Lois Lane or Black Canary and Green Arrow are adapted superbly throughout both series, making solid arcs out of these iconic relationships. But the series also wasn"t afraid to experiment with some bold new romance options that shouldn"t seem to work on-paper.
Even if they don"t get together in the end, the romantic tension between Batman and Wonder Woman is a rare will-they-won"t-they treat that works out for the series. Oddball pairings like Huntress and The Question are oodles of fun to watch unfold as well, but the series could even delve into some heavy topics regarding the subject, such as infidelity. Hawkgirl and Green Lantern"s forbidden romance was one of the most tantalizingly well-written romantic arcs of the series, providing some intrigue that has gone unmatched in other DC media.
6 Justice League Calls Attention To John Stewart's Green Lantern Justice League put some respect on John Stewart's name

Speaking of Green Lantern, the DCAU made the bold choice to focus on not classic posterboy Hal Jordan, but the then lesser-known version of Green Lantern, John Stewart. Of all the versions of Green Lantern, it"s safe to say that John Stewart wouldn"t have the popularity he enjoys today if it weren"t for Justice League"s use of him. Not only did this add some valuable diversity to the Justice League without needing to poach Cyborg from Teen Titans like more recent DC projects have, but it gave audiences a chance to examine his story and personality.
A former Marine sharpshooter, John Stewart is a fearless hero who acts like something of a straight man for the group"s theatrical antics. While his stern demeanor can make him come across as humorless at times, his relationship with Hawkgirl is an interesting bit of drama that opens up his more tender side. Even more so than many dedicated Green Lantern movies and TV shows, Justice League and Justice League Unlimited had one of the best adaptations of Green Lantern ever, thanks to John Stewart.
5 Justice League Is Great At Introducing Obscure Characters The series didn't over-rely on name recognition

In the modern age of movies and TV, brand recognition is everything. For the most part, only the most beloved and iconic of comic characters get adaptations, with many of DC"s lesser known heroes and villains in particular left to languish in obscurity. From the very beginning, Justice League was keen to explore some deep cuts from the DC universe that might still have their appearance in the series as their sole TV adaptation.
Justice League Unlimited threw the doors wide open for character inclusion, adding uniquely uncommon picks like Rocket Red, Hourman, and Vibe, who got the pleasure of being the first Justice League member to be killed in the line of duty. Even Hawkgirl"s inclusion in the base roster could be considered a boldly obscure addition, with the character being relatively unheard of before her inclusion in the original series. This willingness to explore lesser-known characters helps Justice League stand out all these years later.
4 Justice League Has Some Great Villain Teams It isn't just heroes that team up in the DCAU

Justice League and Justice League Unlimited are also noteworthy for having one of the few depictions of a evil version of the Justice League made out of the heroes" rouge"s gallery. From the Injustice Gang to the Secret Society to the classic Legion of Doom, the villains attempt a Justice League of their own multiple times throughout both series. Funnily enough, the C-list villain Shade always seemed to find a way to worm his way in to these supervillain teams, even if they all failed one after another.
Seeing the villains attempt to work together and interact with one another is a true treat. It"s a shock more Justice League properties haven"t focused on similar anti-Justice League groups before considering just how entertaining their episodes are. These episodes are also a great way to expose certain members of the Justice League to villains of their teammates, leading to some great interactions like Batman seducing Cheetah. It"s a shame the DCEU"s planned Legion of Doom movie never panned out.
3 Justice League Has A Great Sense Of Humor The DCAU isn't all doom and gloom

The DCAU had a very interesting approach to humor that feels particularly refreshing in the wake of modern superhero cinema"s MCU-ified comedy stylings. Rather than focusing on quick quips and sassy retorts that poke fun at the inherent absurdity of the superhero genre as a whole, Justice League and Justice League Unlimited actually took its setting and world quite seriously. Instead, the humor was derived from situational comedy that takes advantage of the opportunities superhero stories provide.
There are so many examples of hilarious jokes from the show that have breached containment from the fandom. Lex Luthor swapping brains with The Flash, excited to learn his identity, only to realize he has no idea who he"s looking at is an all-time classic, and Batman"s secret ability to sing soulful lounge music is proof that the Caped Crusader can truly do anything. Justice League"s humor has remained quite timeless as the years have gone on, aging the series incredibly well.
2 Justice League Was The Avengers: Endgame Of Its Day Justice League didn't exist in a vacuum

The Marvel Cinematic Universe often gets praise for being the first superhero property to perfect the technique of introducing various solo heroes one at a time in their own projects only to then bring them together in a shared universe. This might be true as far as the MCU"s live-action movies may be concerned, but the DCAU pulled off the same trick years earlier thanks to Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. The series essentially served as the Avengers: Endgame of its day, bringing together recognizable heroes from multiple sources.
Obviously, Batman: The Animated Series and Superman: The Animated Series are the two most obvious and famous progenitors of Justice League. But the show drew from many more sources of inspiration beyond just its two biggest flagship characters, including Static Shock and even elements from the far-flung cyberpunk future of Batman Beyond. Even if it was on TV, Justice League was the proof of concept that a shared superhero universe could work outside of the comics.
1 Justice League Isn't Afraid To Explore More Nuanced Topics The series went far beyond simple kids' entertainment

One thing Justice League shares with its DCAU predecessors is its willingness to explore more nuanced and decidedly not kid-friendly topics with class. Despite being a cartoon made to be kid-friendly, the series was somehow able to broach difficult subjects with the respect and care they deserved. Looking back, it"s hard to believe how well Justice League and Justice League Unlimited struck this balance time and time again.
As previously discussed, topics like infidelity, romance, and mortality were common touchstones in Justice League, exploring the human condition from the viewpoint of some characters who aren"t human at all. Even subjects like mental health weren"t off-limits for Justice League, explored in beats like The Flash"s treatment of his more harmless and unfortunate villain Trickster in Justice League Unlimited. Touching scenes like this have aged the DCAU immaculately.
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