Marvel has been ruling over the superhero cinema space ever since X-Men in 2000, and even more when the Marvel Cinematic Universe began in 2008 with Iron Man. DC Comics has been a huge competitor, though. However, sometimes this means that they have fallen to the wayside before, especially for a character that isn’t one of their top hitters, like Batman or Superman. Despite having some of the most successful superhero movies of all time, not every one of their bangers got the attention they deserved.
Whether it’s because they are a direct-to-DVD animated flick (which always struggle to find footing compared to live-action projects), or because they’re supplemental to a live-action movie (more on that later), there are plenty of DC Comics films that are amazing, but never got proper praise and attention.
8
‘Batman: Year One’ (2011)
Based on the comic book of the same name, Batman: Year One is a really great and unique Batman film. While most Batman flicks follow an established Caped Crusader, this Sam Liu and Lauren Montgomery film follows a first-year Batman (Ben McKenzie) as he grows to become the hero everyone knows and loves. Sound familiar?
This story is so good that Matt Reeves even took inspiration from it for his hit live-action flick, The Batman. It’s arguable whether the major motion picture directed people to see this animated picture, or took attention away from it, due to the similar premise. Batman: Year One is an incredibly good project that people should definitely go check out if they haven’t—especially if they love The Batman.
7
‘Justice League: Doom’ (2012)
The Dark Knight has always been a character who is prepared for anything, which is something that people really love about him. This can beg the question, though: does Batman have plans to prepare for how to defeat his best friends—teammates—The Justice League? Justice League: Doom answers this question with exciting scenes and a great character arc for Batman.
Batman (Kevin Conroy) puts his teammates in major danger when his plans on how to defeat them get into the wrong hands, and they are all put in situations that would most certainly kill them. Despite genuinely being one of the coolest Justice League stories out there, this movie—like most of the DC animated films—is not known by the general population.
6
‘Green Lantern: First Flight’ (2009)
While this may change when Lanterns comes out, Green Lantern has had a ton of trouble in cinema ever since Green Lantern released in 2011—and even before, because only comic book fans really knew him. So, two years before the infamous movie was released, the character got a direct-to-DVD film, Green Lantern: First Flight.
What’s funny is that Green Lantern: First Flight did what Green Lantern wanted to do, but one million times better. There’s no doubt in many people’s minds that this may very well be one of the best adaptations of the character in cinema, which makes the lack of attention it got/has even sadder. Green Lantern: First Flight is a genuinely phenomenal iteration of the character that needed a huge amount of praise when it came out in 2009.
5
‘Superman vs. The Elite’ (2012)
Everyone loves a good Superman film. However, a lot of his animated ventures have gone swept under the rug, regardless of how well-told the stories are. A great example of this is none other than 2012’s Superman vs. The Elite. This movie contains some of the best action, character moments, arcs, and dramatic moments for the character.
Superman vs. The Elite has one of the greatest Superman (George Newbern) quotes in any medium he’s ever appeared in: “Dreams save us. Dreams lift us up and transform us into something better. And on my soul, I swear that until my dream of a world where dignity, honor, and justice are the reality we all share, I’ll never stop fighting. Ever.” This quote has been clipped and used in Superman edits across the internet, and goes to prove exactly why this movie needs more attention on it.
4
‘Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut’ (2006)
When it first came out back in 1980, Superman II was a huge hit, and some consider it one of the best Superman movies ever made. Starring the iconic Christopher Reeve as the character—known as the best of the best to many—this project tells an astounding story that challenges the character in a whole new way. There’s a bit of a production story behind this one, though. Originally, the director of the first Superman: The Movie, Richard Donner, was going to direct the sequel. However, mid-way through production, he dropped and the studio replaced him with Richard Lester.
This resulted in 2006’s re-release of the movie, Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut. This brought in the vision that Donner originally had for the movie, which was a sight to behold. However, by 2006, not many people really gave this a plethora of attention, because those who grew up on Superman II were older, meaning the younger audiences and fans did not catch this one, because it didn’t appeal to them. This was much more of a niche release, despite being what some claim is the best version of the movie.
3
‘Justice League: The New Frontier’ (2008)
Justice League: The New Frontier is one of the most visually unique, appealing, and electric Justice League movies of all time. With a classic, retro style that makes these characters pop unlike they ever have before, Justice League: The New Frontier is an unforgettable romp that people adore… those who actually saw it, that is.
As is the case with most DC Comics animated features, only comic book fans really saw this one. People who enjoy the tones, themes, and vibes of James Gunn‘s new DCU would most certainly enjoy the same tones, themes, and vibes of Justice League: The New Frontier, and should go watch it, without a doubt!
2
‘The Batman vs. Dracula’ (2005)
The Batman—the 2004 television show, not Reeves’ film—is one of the most underrated DC Comics shows of all time. It’s incredibly well-made and a boatload of fun—some even considering it one of the best modern animated adaptations of the Bat. Things got even better, though, when, one year after the show’s premiere, this version of the character got the movie treatment. Not just that, though, but the one and only Batman (Rino Romano) got to face off against the terrifying, original bat man, Dracula (Peter Stormare).
The Batman vs. Dracula is one of the coolest Batman face-off films of all time. How much cooler can it get than the Caped Crusader himself fighting Dracula—one of the oldest and most popular villains in fictional history. One of the most popular heroes ever vs. one of the most popular villains ever? That’s something truly special. But not many people outside of fans of the show saw this, and that’s truly disappointing.
1
‘Batman: Under the Red Hood’ (2010)
While The Batman vs. Dracula is great and beyond exciting, one of the best DC Comics movies of all time—therefore, one of the most underappreciated, too—is the iconic Batman: Under the Red Hood. Depicting one of the most emotionally compelling Batman stories ever told—comic and movie both written by the one and only Judd Winick—Batman: Under the Red Hood deserved to be just as big as the major blockbusters, for a plethora of reasons.
Not only does it accurately tell this deeply emotional story, but the vocal performances of both Bruce Greenwood and Jensen Ackles, as Batman and Red Hood, respectively, help the characters and plot jump off the screen perfectly. Batman: Under the Red Hood is beyond phenomenal, and is, without a doubt, a movie that is unforgettable in every way.