For nearly a decade and a half, the DC Animated Universe -- sometimes called the "Timmverse" or "Diniverse" -- could seemingly do no wrong as it distilled decades-old characters to their essence and presented familiar stories in new ways.

These beloved TV shows introduced a new generation to the heroes of the DC Universe using an adult sensibility but still maintaining an all-ages approach. Little Jimmy might watch to see Batman in action against insanely fun villains, while mom and dad tuned in to enjoy the quality storylines and near-flawless visual design.

From "Batman: The Animated Series" and "Superman: The Animated Series" to "Static Shock" and "Justice League Unlimited," Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, Eric Radomski, Alan Burnett and an army of animators, writers and other creatives brought these characters to the small screen, adapting existing stories in new ways, and creating new stories and concepts that felt like they've always belonged. So what made the DC Animated Universe so successful?

Strong Characters and Storytelling

The DC Animated Universe was born with the 1992 debut of "Batman: The Animated Series." The show followed Tim Burton's "Batman" films, which had proved the non-comics reading world was ready for a Caped crusader who didn't dance the Batusi. Comics fans, of course, had been reading about a Batman with more complexity and a darker tone for a while; Frank Miller's "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns" was a few years old at that point, but even before that, Batman had evolved.

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The series introduced a new take on not only Batman and Robin, but also on Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson, deepening the characters of both. However, it didn't stop there, as viewers were introduced to a well-developed supporting cast, from Alfred Pennyworth to Commissioner Gordon and a police department fighting the good - but daunting - fight against Gotham's growing mob and supervillain element. And of course, there were the villains themselves, as Dini, Timm & Co. went in deep not only with Batman's rogues gallery but also with their treatment of the characters: the brutal origin of Two-Face, the tragic tale of Mr. Freeze and his wife, the sometimes-humorous, sometimes-ugly co-dependent relationship between the Joker and Harley Quinn (who of course debuted on the series). No matter which character they chose to feature in an episode, the creators could reach into the core of what makes them so appealing and present them in a clever way. In a half-hour.

Both accessible and exciting, "Batman: The Animated Series" defined who Batman was in the 1990s. Those first two seasons in particular set the tone for the future of not only the rest of the series, but for the franchise as a whole.

Different Tones, Consistent Quality

If the DCAU had begun and ended with "Batman: The Animated Series," that would be something. But even more impressive was that the creators took the basic idea and kept it going across multiple series.

Following Batman, Warner Bros. turned its sights on Superman. While the animation for the new show was in signature "Timmverse" style developed for "Batman," giving these shows some consistency, when it came to the characters and settings, the difference was night and day. As they should be, right? If Batman's the darkness, then the Man of Steel is the light, the yin to his yang ... and the Superman series managed to capture those differences while leaving no doubt that these stories took place in the same universe.

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And they were, as we saw in various crossovers and, beginning in 2001, in "Justice League." The show brought the classic team dynamic to the DCAU and broadened the scope of the franchise. A mix of new stories and classics from the comics, "Justice League" was bright and colorful in a way that its predecessors were not -- and yet, it still worked as the spiritual successor to what came before. It also gave way in 2004 to "Justice League Unlimited," as the creators took the guardrails down and began using virtually anyone and everyone in the DC Universe. Aquaman? Of course. Huntress? Certainly. B'wana Beast? Oh, sure, why not?

At times "Justice League" felt epic, telling big stories with big payoffs, but it could also zero in on characters you never realized you loved - that is, until you watched their spotlight episode. It drew from the Golden Age, DC's Western characters, Justice League Detroit, Denny O'Neil's wonderful "Question" series, the Legion of Doom and the works of Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Alan More, Dave Gibbons, Grant Morrison, Howard Porter and many others.

Something Old, Something New

While DC's various animated series brought many characters from comics to the TV screen, both well-known and obscure, the producers didn't just stick to what they saw on the printed page. In many cases they took a new approach to the designs - for instance, Toyman and Supergirl in "Superman: The Animated Series." Some of the designs and character traits even spilled over into the comics.

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And then there were the wholly new creations. Gotham's police department on "Batman" featured a female cop named Renee Montoya, who would make the transition from TV to comics, where she would become a superhero in her own right. Superman villains Mercy Graves and Livewire made their debut on "Superman: The Animated Series," and Terry McGinnis, aka Batman Beyond, anchored his own show. And let's not forget the most successful character to debut in these animated series, Harley Quinn, who has become synonymous with the Joker's backstory. DC not only publishes multiple comics featuring the character, but soon she'll make her live action, big-screen debut in "Suicide Squad." She's basically spearheading her own multimedia empire -- Martha Stewart, eat your heart out.

Back to the Source

Looking at the credits of DC's various animated series could reveal why many of the episodes worked so well -- because in many cases, the stories were written by creators who had shaped the characters in comics. For instance, "Batman: The Animated Series" boasted episodes by Marty Pasko, Marv Wolfman, Gerry Conway, Elliot Maggin, Len Wein, Mike W. Barr and Denny O'Neil. Evan Dorkin, Sarah Dyer, Mark Evanier and Steve Gerber contributed to "Superman: The Animated Series," and "Justice League Unlimited" included episodes written by J.M. DeMatteis, Warren Ellis, Gail Simone, Darwyn Cooke (who also worked on "Batman," "Superman" and "Batman Beyond") and of course, Dwayne McDuffie, who contributed more episodes than anyone else (in addition to his work on "Static Shock").

Lessons For the Future

With the final episode of "Justice League Unlimited" in 2006, the DC Animated Universe came to a close. But the appreciation continues to today, as does the influence it had on both the existing DCU and comics as a whole.

If you've never watched any of these shows, then you have a lot of enjoyment in your future. Grab the DVDs or crank up Amazon prime, and jump into "Batman The Animated Series" to see for yourself why these cartoons inspired an entire generation of fans.