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DC Animated Universe

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(Redirected from DC Universe canon)
This article is about the fictional universe started in the 1990s on TV. For the fictional universe that ran from 2013 to 2020 on video, see DC Animated Movie Universe. For other uses, see DC Universe (disambiguation).
"DC Animated" redirects here. For the feature films series also produced by Warner Bros. Animation, see DC Universe Animated Original Movies.
DC Animated Universe
DC logo used from 1977 to 2005
Created by
OwnerWarner Bros.
Years1992–2006
Based onCharacters
by DC Comics
Print publications
ComicsList of comics
Films and television
Film(s)List of films
Short film(s)List of short films
Television seriesList of television series
Games
Video game(s)List of video games

The DC Animated Universe (DCAU, also referred to as the Timmverse or Diniverse by fans) is a shared universe centered on a group of animated television series based on characters by DC Comics and produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It retroactively began in 1992 with what came to be called Batman: The Animated Series and ended in 2006 with Justice League Unlimited.[1][2] The associated media franchise also includes theatrical and direct-to-video feature films, as well as shorts, comic books, video games, and other multimedia adaptations.

The DC Animated Universe has received acclaim from critics, being lauded for its storytelling, voice acting, animation, and maturity, with several of its shows listed among the greatest animated television series of all time.[3][4] It has also influenced the mainstream DC Comics in various ways, such as introducing new characters, revamped backstories, and character designs.[5]

List of DC Animated Universe media

[edit]

While there are many animated projects based upon DC Comics characters, the DC Animated Universe consists of TV series and films that spin off from Batman: The Animated Series. While the series is largely standalone, two characters outside of the normal Batman canon, Zatanna and Jonah Hex, would guest star. However, the first series to indicate a shared continuity with other well-known characters was Superman: The Animated Series, in which the title character encounters heroes such as Batman, the Wally West version of Flash, the Green Lantern Kyle Rayner, Aquaman, and Doctor Fate. The follow-up sequel to Batman: The Animated Series, titled The New Batman Adventures would feature an art style revamp similar to Superman: The Animated Series, and these two shows would feature crossovers. Both of those shows would be followed by Batman Beyond, which featured an elderly, retired Bruce Wayne passing on the mantle to Terry McGinnis, the Batman of the future.

After Batman Beyond's third season, the Justice League show followed, which starred Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash (Wally West), Green Lantern (John Stewart) Martian Manhunter (J'onn J'onzz), and Hawkgirl. After two seasons, the series was rebranded as Justice League Unlimited, a successor series which expanded the League roster and was the final series set in the DC Animated Universe. In between these shows was also Static Shock, which told the story of Virgil Hawkins and showcased a different aspect of the DC Animated Universe. It was the first time an African American superhero was the titular character of his own animated show, and the show explored many diverse stories and characters throughout its run. Another show that aired was The Zeta Project, which was a spin-off series based on the character Zeta from the Batman Beyond episode of the same name, a humanoid robot who is on the run from NSA agents. While minimal, the show had a few continuity tie-ins with the larger DC Animated Universe as well.

Television series

[edit]

The DC Animated Universe consists of the following animated television series:

SeriesSeasonEpisodesOriginally airedNetworkShowrunner(s)Connections
Batman: The Animated Series165September 5, 1992 (1992-09-05)September 17, 1993 (1993-09-17)FoxBruce Timm
220May 2, 1994 (1994-05-02)September 15, 1995 (1995-09-15)
Superman: The Animated Series113September 6, 1996 (1996-09-06)February 15, 1997 (1997-02-15)The WBBruce Timm
  • Crossovers with The New Batman Adventures: "World's Finest", "Knight Time", and "The Demon Reborn"
  • Introductions: Lobo ("The Main Man"), Wally West ("Speed Demons"), Doctor Fate ("The Hand of Fate"), Steel ("Heavy Metal"), Green Lantern Corps ("In Brightest Day..."), and Aquaman ("A Fish Story")
228September 8, 1997 (1997-09-08)May 2, 1998 (1998-05-02)
313September 19, 1998 (1998-09-19)February 12, 2000 (2000-02-12)
The New Batman Adventures124September 13, 1997 (1997-09-13)January 16, 1999 (1999-01-16)The WBBruce Timm
Batman Beyond113January 10, 1999 (1999-01-10)May 22, 1999 (1999-05-22)The WBBruce Timm
  • Crossovers with The Zeta Project: "Countdown"
  • Introductions: Infiltration Unit Zeta ("Zeta") and Justice League Unlimited ("The Call")
226September 17, 1999 (1999-09-17)May 27, 2000 (2000-05-27)
313August 19, 2000 (2000-08-19)December 18, 2001 (2001-12-18)
Static Shock113September 23, 2000 (2000-09-23)May 12, 2001 (2001-05-12)The WBDwayne McDuffie
  • Integrated into the DCAU from Season 2 onwards
  • Crossovers with The New Batman Adventures: "The Big Leagues", "Hard as Nails"; Justice League: "A League of Their Own", "Fallen Hero"; Superman: The Animated Series: "Toys in the Hood"; The New Batman Adventures and Batman Beyond: "Future Shock"
211January 26, 2002 (2002-01-26)May 4, 2002 (2002-05-04)
315January 25, 2003 (2003-01-25)June 21, 2003 (2003-06-21)
413January 17, 2004 (2004-01-17)May 22, 2004 (2004-05-22)
The Zeta Project112January 27, 2001 (2001-01-27)August 11, 2001 (2001-08-11)The WBRobert Goodman
  • Crossovers with Batman Beyond: "Shadows" and "Ro's Gift"
214March 23, 2002 (2002-03-23)August 17, 2002 (2002-08-17)
Justice League126November 17, 2001 (2001-11-17)November 9, 2002 (2002-11-09)Cartoon NetworkBruce Timm
226July 5, 2003 (2003-07-05)May 29, 2004 (2004-05-29)
Justice League Unlimited113July 31, 2004 (2004-07-31)January 29, 2005 (2005-01-29)Cartoon NetworkBruce Timm
  • Crossovers with Static Shock and Batman Beyond: "The Once and Future Thing"; Batman Beyond: "Epilogue"
213February 5, 2005 (2005-02-05)July 23, 2005 (2005-07-23)
313September 17, 2005 (2005-09-17)May 13, 2006 (2006-05-13)

Feature films

[edit]

The DCAU continuity also includes the following feature films:

Film U.S. release date Director Screenwriters Release Notes
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm December 25, 1993 Eric Radomski and Bruce Timm Story by: Alan Burnett
Screenplay by: Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, Martin Pasko
and Michael Reaves 		Theatrical[6][7]
 Continuation of Batman: TAS
Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero March 17, 1998 Boyd Kirkland Boyd Kirkland and Randy Rogel Direct-to-DVD
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker December 12, 2000 (edited version)
April 23, 2002 (uncut version) 		Curt Geda Story by: Paul Dini, Glen Murakami and Bruce Timm
Screenplay by: Paul Dini 		Continuation of Batman Beyond, Batman: TAS, and The New Batman Adventures
Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman October 21, 2003 Story by: Alan Burnett
Screenplay by: Michael Reaves 		Continuation of Batman: TAS and The New Batman Adventures

Short films

[edit]
Film U.S. release date Director Screenwriters Notes
The Dark Knight's First Night 1991 Bruce Timm & Eric Radomski Story by : Bruce Timm
Teleplay by : Eric Radomski 		A short film which acted as the developmental pilot for Batman: TAS.
Justice League: The First Mission 2000 James Tucker Story by: Bruce Timm A short film which acted as the developmental pilot for Justice League.
Chase Me October 21, 2003 Curt Geda Paul Dini and Alan Burnett A short film with no dialogue based on The New Batman Adventures.
Batman Beyond April 20, 2014[8] Darwyn Cooke[9][10] A short film based on Batman Beyond created by Darwyn Cooke for Batman's 75th anniversary. The short features the original voice cast of the show, as well as cameos of robotic batmen from The New Batman Adventures, The Batman, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Beware the Batman, The Dark Knight Returns, Michael Keaton's Batman, Adam West's Batman, and the original comic book Batman from 1939.

Digital series

[edit]
SeriesSeasonEpisodesOriginally airedNetwork
Lobo114June 15, 2000 (2000-06-15)[11]September 14, 2000 (2000-09-14)warnerbros.com
Gotham Girls111July 27, 2000 (2000-07-27)December 14, 2000 (2000-12-14)warnerbros.com
210June 5, 2001 (2001-06-05)October 9, 2001 (2001-10-09)
310July 16, 2002 (2002-07-16)November 19, 2002 (2002-11-19)

Offshoot material

[edit]

The DCAU also includes tie-in materials such as comic books, video games, and direct-to video films with a similar animation style; however, their canonicity is disputable. While they are sometimes marketed as being part of the DCAU, some of these works have contradictory elements or are written by a different team.

For instance, many of the DCAU tie-in comics were written by a different team than the animated crew, such as the Ty Templeton penned The Batman Adventures comic series. However, some of the comics, such as the Batman: The Adventures Continue comics were written by the animated series writers, Paul Dini and Alan Burnett. Per the opinion of Bruce Timm, who has commented about the canonicity of the DCAU comics previously, said "we didn't have any direct input on the comics...DC never solicited our opinions on what they were doing, nor would we have had time to give them notes if they had--I learned very early on not to get my nose bent out of joint if they did something in the comics we would never have done--my own personal way of dealing with it was to consider only the animated episodes themselves as true canon-which means that even Mad Love wasn't purely canonical until we adapted it for the animated series."[12]

In terms of feature films, the 2006 feature film Superman: Brainiac Attacks has been stated by writer Duane Capizzi that it was not intended to be part of the DCAU, despite using the same animation style and many of the voice actors from Superman: The Animated Series.[13] The 2007 film Superman: Doomsday has similar animation styles but used new animation models and is only loosely based on the DCAU.[14] The 2017 film Batman and Harley Quinn features the animation style of The New Batman Adventures, though co-writer Jim Krieg has stated that the film is DCAU adjacent, due to the sillier and raunchier elements of the film.[15][16] Justice League vs. the Fatal Five is a 2019 film done in the style of Justice League Unlimited, but the film's canonicity is considered to be open-ended. It has been stated by Bruce Timm that the film is set within the DCAU sometime after the end of JLU, although in the audio commentary for the film, Timm also mentioned that due to the film's production (it was originally slated to be done in a different art style before being changed during post production) the film would cause some continuity issues, and that fans could ultimately decide on their own.[17][18]

Cancelled projects

[edit]

An animated series based on the Teen Titans comic books was planned for the DC Animated Universe during the mid-1990s, but was ultimately scrapped, however the team was confirmed to exist in the universe in the Static Shock (which was also not initially intended to be part of the DCAU until the second season) episode "Hard as Nails" with Robin confirmed to be a member by Batman.[19] Instead a Teen Titans series not related to the DC animated universe was released. Also, after the success of Batman: The Animated Series in the early 1990s, Fox approached producer Bruce Timm to create a spin-off series focusing on Catwoman, but the project never materialized.[19]

In 1998, writer John P. McCann had been tasked with coming up with a Lobo animated series in the DC Animated Universe, with Brad Garrett set to reprise his role as the character, but the show had been cancelled right before production. A few elements of the show would find its way in the 2000 Lobo webseries, an online Flash animated series starring Lobo, the galactic bounty hunter, however whether the webseries is part of the official DCAU is unclear. A wax statue with the same character design as Lobo in this series appeared in an episode of Gotham Girls which somewhat support that the webseries is part of the official DCAU, although this is still disputed. Unlike the other shows set in the DCAU, it has graphic violence, sexual content, strong profanity, and a lack of tie-ins with the greater DCAU.

Before the release of Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, a third animated feature based on Batman: The Animated Series was planned, entitled Batman: Arkham. The film was supposed to be a follow-up for Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero, and Boyd Kirkland was attached to write and direct; but the project was soon scrapped. A second Batman Beyond movie was planned for release but was finally scrapped due to the dark tones and controversies of Return of the Joker in 2001.[20] Around 2003, during the production of Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman, Warner Bros. approached Kirkland to write a Catwoman direct-to-video feature film as a tie-in with the 2004 live-action film. Although the script was written, the project was soon scrapped after the poor reception of the live-action film.[21]

Also, a direct-to-video feature-length animated film entitled Justice League: Worlds Collide was planned to connect Justice League with its follow-up Justice League Unlimited, but the production was finally cancelled in 2004, and the script was later rewritten for the animated film Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, removing all connections to the DCAU.[22][23]

Comic books

[edit]
Main article: DC Animated Universe (comics)

Many of the DCAU productions have also had comic books created based on the characters of the various series, though their canonicity is disputable. The comics are:

Year Title Issues
1992 The Batman Adventures (vol. 1) #1–36
Mad Love
Holiday Special
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
Annuals (#1–2)
1993 Superman & Batman Magazine #1–8
1995 Batman and Robin Adventures #1–25
Annuals (#1–2)
Batman & Mr. Freeze: Sub-Zero
Dark Claw Adventures
1996 Superman Adventures #1–66
Annual
World's Finest
Superman vs. Lobo
Exclusive Edition (Superman '64 prequel)
Two-Face: Two of a Kind[24] #0
1997 Adventures in the DC Universe #1–19
Annual
1998 The Batman Adventures: The Lost Years #1–5
Batman: Gotham Adventures #1–60
Batgirl Adventures One-Shot
1999 Batman Beyond (vol. 1) #1–6
Batman Beyond (vol. 2) #1–24
Return of the Joker
Claritin Syrup Presents Batman[25] One-Shot
2001 Gotham Knights #14 (backstory by Paul Dini)[26]
2002 Gotham Girls #1–5
Justice League Adventures #1–34
#1-8 (Burger King miniseries)[27]
2003 Batman Adventures (vol. 2) #1–17
Batman: Shadow of Sin Tzu #1–260
2004 Batman: Harley and Ivy #1–3
Justice League Unlimited #1–46
2010 Batman Beyond (vol. 3) #1–6
Superman/Batman Annual #4
2011 Batman Beyond (vol. 4) #1–8
Superman Beyond #0–20
2012 Justice League Beyond #1–25
Batman Beyond Unlimited #1–18
2013 Batman Beyond 2.0 #1–40
Justice League Beyond 2.0 #1–24
Batman Beyond Universe #1–16
2015 Batman Beyond (vol. 5) #1-16
Scooby Doo Team Up[28] #12, #17, #23, #24 (series uses DCAU character models but ignores the lore)
2016 Batman/TMNT Adventures #1-6
Batman Beyond (vol. 6) #1-50
Rebirth
Love is Love[29] Harley and Ivy story by Paul Dini
Harley Quinn[30] #17-26 (backstory by Paul Dini) (used the art style and character models but has been stated before its follow-up mini-series "Harley loves Joker" to be canon to the current main universe instead)
2017 Harley Quinn and Batman #1-5 (a prequel to the 2017 animated film Batman and Harley Quinn)
2017 Batman and Harley Quinn #1-7 (a sequel to the 2017 animated film of the same name)
2018 Harley loves Joker #1-2 (used the art style and character models, is also a follow-up to the Harley Quinn main series backstory but is then hinted to be canon to the main comic universe in Harley Quinn #42 with the "next issue" area and then is stated to be in the main universe by its official description)
2020 Batman: The Adventures Continue Season One #1-8 (print); 17 (digital)
2021 Batman: The Adventures Continue Season Two #1-7
2021 Justice League: Infinity #1-7
2023 Batman: The Adventures Continue Season Three #1-8

Recurring cast and characters

[edit]
Character TV Series Films
Batman Superman The New Batman Adventures Batman Beyond Static Shock The Zeta Project Justice League Justice League Unlimited Batman: Mask of the Phantasm Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman
Heroes and Allies
Bruce Wayne
Batman 		Kevin Conroy
Dick Grayson
Robin/Nightwing 		Loren Lester Mentioned Loren Lester Mentioned   Cameo   Loren Lester Mentioned  
Barbara Gordon
Batgirl 		Melissa Gilbert Mentioned Tara Strong Stockard Channing,
Angie Harmon 		  Cameo Mentioned   Mary Kay Bergman Angie Harmon,
Tara Strong (flashback) 		Tara Strong
Tim Drake
Robin 		  Mathew Valencia Mentioned Eli Marienthal,
Shane Sweet 		  Cameo Mentioned   Dean Stockwell,
Mathew Valencia (flashback) 		Eli Marienthal
Alfred Pennyworth Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Clive Revill Efrem Zimbalist Jr.   Efrem Zimbalist Jr.   Efrem Zimbalist Jr.   Efrem Zimbalist Jr.   Efrem Zimbalist Jr.
Commissioner James Gordon Bob Hastings Cameo Bob Hastings   Bob Hastings Mentioned Bob Hastings
Detective Harvey Bullock Robert Costanzo   Robert Costanzo   Robert Costanzo   Robert Costanzo
Clark Kent
Superman 		  Tim Daly Cameo Christopher McDonald George Newbern   George Newbern  
Lois Lane   Dana Delaney Cameo Mentioned   Dana Delaney  
Kara In-Ze
Supergirl 		  Nicholle Tom   Nicholle Tom   Mentioned
Jimmy Olsen David Kaufman David Kaufman C
Jonathan Kent Mike Farrell Mike Farrell
Martha Kent Shelley Fabares Shelley Fabares
Jor-El Christopher McDonald C Christopher McDonald
Terry McGinnis
Batman 		  Will Friedle   Will Friedle   Will Friedle  
Dana Tan Lauren Tom Lauren Tom Lauren Tom
Wally West
Flash
 		  Charlie Schlatter   Michael Rosenbaum   Michael Rosenbaum  
John Stewart
Green Lantern 		  Phil LaMarr   Phil LaMarr  
Shayera Hol
Hawkgirl 		  Maria Canals   Maria Canals  
J'onn J'onzz   Carl Lumbly   Carl Lumbly  
Virgil Hawkins
Static 		  Phil LaMarr   Phil LaMarr  
Diana of Themyscira
Wonder Woman 		  Mentioned   Mentioned   Susan Eisenberg  
Villains
The Joker Mark Hamill Cameo Mark Hamill   Mark Hamill Mentioned Mark Hamill   Mark Hamill Mentioned
Harleen Quinzel
Harley Quinn 		Arleen Sorkin Cameo Arleen Sorkin   Arleen Sorkin   Arleen Sorkin  
Pamela Lillian Isley
Poison Ivy 		Diane Pershing Diane Pershing Diane Pershing Diane Pershing
Ra's al Ghul David Warner   David Warner  
Oswald Cobblepot
The Penguin 		Paul Williams Cameo   Mentioned   David Ogden Stiers
Edward Nygma
The Riddler 		John Glover Cameo   Cameo  
Rupert Thorne John Vernon John Vernon
Jervis Tetch
The Mad Hatter 		Roddy McDowall C C
Bane Henry Silva Cameo   Hector Elizondo
Dr. Jonathan Crane
The Scarecrow 		Henry Polic II Jeffery Combs  
Victor Fries
Mr. Freeze 		Michael Ansara   Michael Ansara   Mentioned   Michael Ansara Cameo  
Arnold Wesker
Ventriloquist and Scarface 		George Dzundza George Dzundza C C
Selina Kyle
Catwoman 		Adrienne Barbeau   Adrienne Barbeau Cameo   Mentioned   Mentioned
Harvey Dent
Two-Face 		Richard Moll   Richard Moll Cameo   Cameo  
Matt Hagen
Clayface 		Ron Perlman   Ron Perlman   Ron Perlman  
Temple Fugate
The Clock King 		Alan Rachins Alan Rachins
Garfield Lynns
Firefly 		Mark Rolston Mark Rolston
Lex Luthor   Clancy Brown   Clancy Brown  
Mercy Graves Lisa Edelstein Lisa Edelstein
Darkseid   Michael Ironside   Michael Ironside  
Brainiac   Corey Burton   Corey Burton   Corey Burton  
Kalibak Michael Dorn Michael Dorn
Granny Goodness Ed Asner Ed Asner
Winslow P Schott Jr
Toyman 		  Bud Cort   Bud Cort   Corey Burton Bud Cort  
John Corben
Metallo 		  Malcolm McDowell   Corey Burton Malcolm McDowell  
Rudy Jones
Parasite 		  Brion James   Brian George  
Sinestro Ted Levine Ted Levine Ted Levine
Lobo   Brad Garrett   Brad Garrett  
Claire Selton
Volcana 		Peri Gilpin Peri Gilpin C
General Hardcastle   Charles Napier   Charles Napier  
Gorilla Grodd Powers Boothe

The future of the DCAU

[edit]

With the conclusion of the Justice League Unlimited animated series, Warner Bros has moved on to producing standalone films based on the various DC comics properties rather than reviving the DCAU counterparts.

The last script written for DCAU continuity was titled Justice League: Worlds Collide. This screenplay was created to bridge the several month gap between Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. The draft was eventually adapted into the February 2010 film Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, with the removal of any references specific to DCAU continuity, replacing Green Lantern John Stewart with Hal Jordan, and the casting of different voice actors than those of the DCAU.

In 2009, Bruce Timm was asked at a ToonZone forum if the DCAU will return in the future, and he stated this:[31]

I very much appreciate that so many of you guys have so much love for the old series, from BTAS through JLU (I do too) -- but frankly, I doubt that we'll be formally, "officially" doing another movie or TV series set in that continuity (...) anything is possible, so conceivably that could change someday -- instead of saying "THE DCAU IS DEAD", maybe we can just say it's in a state of suspended animation until further notice...?

— Bruce Timm, 2009[32]

On June 8, 2015, during an interview with Nerdist about his new film Justice League: Gods and Monsters, Bruce Timm was asked if the DC Animated Universe will return someday. Although Timm stated that the DCAU continuity was unlikely to return, the possibility always exists.[33]

In 2018, Kevin Conroy said work on the DCAU had stalled because the writers ran out of ideas for stories and believed stopping was best, as they did not want to "compromise on the quality of what they had and start creating kind of silly stories".[34]

The cast of Justice League has been vocal about wanting a revival of the series, while Bruce Timm has said he would return as well if they were asked.[35]

Warner Bros. Animation approached Bruce Timm with the idea of producing a revival of Batman: The Animated Series set after the events of The New Batman Adventures, but Timm refused to develop a Batman show that was a continuation to The Animated Series, with Timm instead developing a new series, Batman: Caped Crusader.[36][37]

The setting of the DCAU was briefly revisited in Part 3 of the animated movie Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths, which featured Will Friedle as Terry McGinnis, Mark Hamill as the Joker, and a posthumous Kevin Conroy in his final performance as Batman.

Comics

[edit]

The Batman Beyond comic series is a loose adaptation of the Batman Beyond franchise, intended to fit the character and storylines from the series into the mainstream DC continuity. The miniseries began in June 2010, under the title Future Evil. In August 2010, the series was announced to continue following the completion of the first arc as an ongoing series.[38] That series concluded alongside the entire line of ongoing monthly DC Comics superhero books during the 2011 revamp and relaunch, titled The New 52.

Superman Beyond, a one-shot comic set in the same universe as Batman Beyond, was released in 2011.

Batman Beyond Unlimited, a title chronicling the adventures of the future Justice League introduced in the DCAU, was released in February 2012.[39] This series published monthly triple-sized issues, containing three stories of Terry McGinnis, Clark "Cal" Kent, and the future Justice League Unlimited, respectively.[40]

Batman Beyond Universe succeeded Unlimited in August 2013, condensing to double-monthly issues upon the elderly Superman's rejoining the future Justice League.[41]

Terry McGinnis was the central figure in The New 52: Futures End weekly series.[42]

In 2015–2016, DC Comics and IDW Publishing released a jointly produced, six-issue miniseries comic titled Batman/TMNT, where the New 52 Batman encounters the IDW incarnation of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The success of this miniseries inspired a similar crossover story, with Batman's DCAU incarnation meeting the Amazing Adventures comic version of the 2012 CGI series' Turtles. Titled Batman/TMNT Adventures, the concept was first announced in late July 2016[43] and scheduled for a six-issue release starting November 9, 2016.[44]

A comic book continuation of seven-issues of Justice League Unlimited, called Justice League Infinity, was released monthly between July 2021 and January 2022; the series is set after the show's finale and explores the consequences of Darkseid's disappearance and the League clashing with alternate versions of themselves within the Multiverse.

Outside media

[edit]

Video games

[edit]

There have also been a number of DCAU tie-in video games released to correspond with the various animated television series and films. Some of these games have original plots, while others follow previous stories; their status in DCAU canon is unknown. The games are:

Year Title Platforms
1993 Batman: The Animated Series Game Boy
1994 The Adventures of Batman & Robin Super NES, Mega Drive/Genesis, Sega CD/Mega-CD, Game Gear
1997 Superman[45] Game Boy
1999 Superman Nintendo 64
2000 Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker Game Boy Color, PlayStation, Nintendo 64
2001 Batman: Chaos in Gotham Game Boy Color
Batman: Gotham City Racer PlayStation
Batman: Vengeance PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance, GameCube, Xbox, Microsoft Windows
2002 Justice League: Injustice for All Game Boy Advance
Static Shock (canceled game)[46]
Superman: Shadow of Apokolips PlayStation 2, GameCube
2003 Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu Xbox, PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance, GameCube
Justice League: Chronicles Game Boy Advance
Superman: Countdown to Apokolips
2016 View-Master Batman Animated VR iOS, Android

Six of these games feature voice acting from the casts of the original shows. These are: The Adventures of Batman and Robin (SEGA CD/Mega CD version), Superman, Batman Vengeance, Superman: Shadow of Apokolips, Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu, and View-Master Batman Animated VR. The SEGA CD/Mega CD game, The Adventures of Batman and Robin, also features animation from one of the studios that worked on Batman: The Animated Series.

The Heart of Batman

[edit]

A 90-minute documentary film was released on October 16, 2018, as part of the Batman: The Complete Animated Series Deluxe Limited Edition[47] and Batman: The Complete Animated Series Blu-ray/Digital box set,[48][49] and was later made available on the official Warner Bros. Entertainment YouTube channel.[49][50][51]

Crossovers, adaptations, and references

[edit]

TV series

[edit]
Year Series Episode DCAU Reference
1995 Freakazoid Dance of Doom Batman appears, but is unable to help due to being on a different network[52]
1995 Animaniacs A Hard Day's Warners Paul Dini and Bruce Timm can be seen at the Batman booth in episode #73 with a Mask of the Phantasm poster[53]
2011 Batman: The Brave and the Bold Night of the Batmen Batman's TNBA design shows up among the Batmen of other worlds along with Batman Beyond[54]
2013 Teen Titans Go! multiple Meta-gags referencing the DCAU have been made[55]

Comics

[edit]
Year Title Issue DCAU Reference
1994 Man of Steel #37 Batman appears in his BTAS design on the front cover[56]
1999 Fan Boy #5 Bruce Timm was a featured artist, lending his Batman to the issue[57]
1999 Superman/Fantastic Four One-Shot Superman's DCAU counterpart makes a cameo
2001 Catwoman #89 Harleen Quinzel pitches a TV series in the same style of The New Batman Adventures[58]
2005 Krypto the Super Dog #1-6 Artist Min S Ku draws many characters in their DCAU style.
2007 Teen Titans Go! #45 The Justice League is presented in their DCAU style
2008 Legion of Superheroes in the 31st Century #11 The Justice League appears in their DCAU versions
2013 Green Lantern: The Animated Series #13 Lobo shows up in his DCAU design
2014 Adventures of Superman #40 The Joker shows up in multiple styles, including his TNBA look.[59]
2017 Action Comics #975 Mr. Mxyzptlk and Superman appear in their STAS style.[60]

Characters adapted from the DCAU

[edit]
See also: List of DC animated universe characters

Though the DCAU is an offshoot of the mainstream DC comics universe, it has also affected the DC universe in return. The following characters were originally created for their respective series in the DCAU, but were eventually adapted via retroactive continuity into the mainstream DC comic continuity:

In addition, the backstory of Mr. Freeze was adapted from his portrayal in Batman: The Animated Series, and the visuals and/or characterization of Green Lantern, Supergirl, Toyman, Two-Face, Parasite, Metallo, Clayface, and many others have been applied to their comic counterparts. On a different note, issue #22 of DC Comics' Superman/Batman series, which explores alternate realities, had Bizarro transported to an alternate version of Gotham City that was patrolled by a Batman using the Batman Beyond version of the costume. A version of the future of Batman Beyond made an appearance in Countdown to Final Crisis #21, as part of the new Multiverse in the wake of the Infinite Crisis and 52 series, and a Batman Beyond series had been planned. In January 2015, DC published The Multiversity Guidebook which revealed a universe inspired by the DCAU is Earth-12 in the DC Multiverse, and currently in the Batman Beyond era, while the Justice Lords Earth from those Batman Beyond comics has also been added to the canon as Earth-50.[61]

See also

[edit]
[edit]

References

[edit]
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