DC Universe
After the enormous success of Superman's introduction in 1938, DC Comics quickly introduced a plethora of four-coloured costumed adventurers, and a clubhouse for them to play in. The DC universe became a surreal theatre of imagination where superheroes faced cunning conundrums and challenges, testing both wits and fists. A colourful cocktail of pulp elements with characterisation reduced to visual iconography.
The DC stable of characters has had an enduring relationship with the moving image. In animation DC have often taken the high road garnering a number of industry awards. The budgetary restraints of television have led to a number of tongue-in-cheek interpretations which are now fondly remembered by cult afficionadoes. And DC's big two (Superman and Batman) are never far away from cinematic glory, rebooted and reimagined for each generation.
Pictured: Christopher Reeve delivers the quintessential "man of steel" in "Superman - The Movie" (1978).
Teen Titans: Divide and Conquer (2003)
7.8/10
Director: Michael Chang, Ben Jones
From DC Comics comes a winning band of teenage superheroes led by Batman's sidekick, Robin. Together with the brooding Raven, electronics wiz Cyborg,... Read more
The Adventures Of Captain Marvel (1941)
Director: John English, William Witney
Starring: Tom Tyler, Frank Coghlan Jr, William Benedict
Billy Batson is granted the power to become Captain Marvel, the world's mightiest mortal, in order to stop the sinister Scorpion from completing a wea... Read more
The Adventures of Superman: Season 1 (1952)
Director: Lee Sholem
Starring: George Reeves, Phyllis Coates, Jeff Corey, Walter Reed, J Farrell MacDonald
Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! Able to leap tall buildings at a single bound! George Reeves plays the legendary Man... Read more
The Adventures of Superman: Season 2 (1953)
Starring: George Reeves, Noel Neill
George Reeves returns as the steel-bending, building-leaping and sometimes glasses-wearing super hero in the complete second season. Noel Neill also j... Read more
The Adventures of Superman: Seasons 3 & 4 (1954)
Starring: George Reeves, Noel Neill, Jack Larson
The Man of Steel flew into people's living rooms in stark living colour for the first time in the third and fourth seasons. This time his exploits tak... Read more
The Batman Superman Movie (1998)
7.8/10
Director: Toshihko Masuda
Starring: Timothy Daly, Dana Delany, Clancy Brown, Voices Of
Batman and Superman team up when Lex Luthor hires The Joker to take out the Man of Steel in this feature length animated epic. But can our superheroes... Read more
The Batman: Season 1, Volume 1 - Training for Power (2004)
7.3/10
Starring: Voices Of, Rino Romano, Alastair Duncan
A young Bruce Wayne is in his third year of trying to establish himself as Batman, protector of Gotham City. Includes three episodes from the all-new... Read more
The Batman: Season 1, Volume 2 - The Man Who Would Be Bat (2004)
7.3/10
Starring: Voices Of, Rino Romano, Alastair Duncan
Three more episodes from the new animated Batman as he's still getting the hang of his superhero status, 'The Man Who Would Be Bat', 'The Big Chill' r... Read more
The Best of Batman: Volume 1 (2012)
It's the ultimate in villain-thwarting, Gotham-saving super hero action as the Dark Knight stars in 7 all-time fan-favourite Batman animated episodes!... Read more
The Best of Batman: Volume 2 (2012)
The ultimate confrontation between heroes and villains: the Dark Knight, superhero of Gotham, is at the heart of the action in these 6 episodes of Vol... Read more