A steady fixture on the direct-to-home-video scene for the last decade, DC's animated films allow the viewer to experience their favorite comic book storylines on-screen and in a more source-accurate way. As could be expected, the character who has appeared the most in solo films is Batman, as his popularity with the mainstream media has been steady for decades.

RELATED: The 10 Best Episodes Of Batman: The Animated Series, According To IMDb

Moreover, there are a plethora of classic storylines for film producers and animators to mine for ideas, often resulting in great films. However, sometimes the adaptation misses the mark, as we discern The 5 Best Batman Animated Films (& 5 That Were a Letdown).

10 LETDOWN: Batman: Bad Blood

Ranking high on the list of questionable ideas would be the logic of producing a Batman film where Batman barely appears. Missing and presumed dead after saving Batwoman from an exploding building, Batman: Bad Blood follows the Bat-Family as they try to unravel the mystery surrounding the Dark Knight's disappearance.

Although showcasing characters like Katy Kane/Batwoman and Luke Fox/Batwing is compelling for a time, the absence of the marquee character makes the whole film suffer, as the audience feels no particular connection to the supporting characters and is waiting impatiently for Batman's return.

9 BEST: Batman: Year One

Chronicling the first year of the Dark Knight’s career, Batman: Year One is a faithful adaption of the beloved story by Frank Miller. All elements that made the comic great are present- the focus on Gordon and the Sarah Essen subplot, Bruce Wayne’s greenhorn initial attempts at vigilantism, and the unmitigated corruption of Gotham City are all, in turn, bolstered by superb voice acting from a stellar cast, led by none other than by Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston.

David Mazzucchelli's distinct artistic style, while not outrightly mimicked, is paid homage in the animation, and all these elements combine in tour-de-force scenes, such as the iconic intrusion of a bat into a dying Bruce Wayne’s study, inspiring him to become the Batman.

8 LETDOWN: Son of Batman

By all accounts, Son of Batman has all the elements necessary to succeed as a film: Deathstroke, the League of Shadows, the death of Ra's Al Ghul, and the introduction of Damian, Bruce Wayne's son by Talia Al Ghul. Although the film does well in its action sequences and works a compelling plot twist by having Slade Wilson succeed The Demon's Head; ultimately, the titular progeny is too unsympathetic a character to feel any real pathos for.

Quite simply, Damian/Robin is a brat and one that audiences cannot empathize with. When coupled with the hokey emergence of an army of Man-Bats, the film delves into the depths of unwatchability.

7 BEST: The Lego Batman Movie

A fun way to introduce youngsters to the Dark Knight, The Lego Batman Movie also offers up enough between-the-lines humor and cultural references to entertain even the most jaded adult. Diehards will enjoy picking off references to their favorite Batman on-screen iterations, as even references to the '40s serials are present in the film.

Boasting a star-studded cast that provides inspired and tongue-in-cheek performances, even C-List villains like Orca and the Condiment King make appearances for comedic effect. Of particular note is Will Arnett's Batman, whose deep timbre is both menacing and harmless, providing the perfect voice for this multigenerational film.

6 LETDOWN: Batman Ninja

While attempting to stop Gorilla Grodd’s activation of a time machine in Arkham Asylum, Batman, his allies and his rogues' gallery get transported back to feudal Japan in Batman Ninja. A wonderful attempt to reimagine the Batman mythos, the film is not without its merits, including a stunningly breathtaking anime style and a creative reinterpretation of its starring characters (sumo Bane was particularly inspired).

RELATED: 10 Times American Superheroes Went Anime

Ultimately, its faults are too large to ignore and detract from buying into the film’s ambitious suspension of belief, such as Alfred and the Batmobile conveniently making the trip to ancient Japan. Moreover, the film’s initial premise would have been better served as an Elseworlds tale where the characters originated in that time, rather than relying on a quasi-science-fiction MacGuffin to propel its plot.

5 BEST: Batman: Mask of the Phantasm

Loosely based on Batman: Year Two, Mask of the Phantasm delves into the formative years of Bruce Wayne's career as the Batman and explores the relationship that almost had him hang up the cape and cowl for good. In Andrea Beaumont, Wayne finds a kindred spirit, one born out of familiar familial tragedy, and falls in love.

However, the emergence of the Phantasm, a grim vigilante with no qualms about murdering criminals, necessitates Batman's continued existence. With a crisp 40s aesthetic, a plausible origin story for the Joker and a great twist ending, Mask of the Phantasm is a success rooted in a compelling plot and highlighted by fantastic characterization for a female lead.

4 LETDOWN: Batman: Hush

One of the best and most popular storylines to come out of the early 2000s, Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee's Hush spun an intricate mystery involving Batman's allies and rogues, while introducing a compelling new villain in Bruce Wayne's childhood friend, Thomas Eliott.

RELATED: The Batman: 10 Riddler Stories The Reboot Could Adapt

Unfortunately, this highly anticipated film broke a cardinal rule for adaptions: It strayed too far from the source material. In trying to fit into its New 52 continuity, Hush negated the emotionally pivotal scene where Batman confronts a resurrected Robin/Jason Todd/Clayface and completely changed the identity of Hush from Eliott himself to the Riddler. Perhaps splitting the narrative across two installments would have given the plot time to unfold in the way it should have, and not have resulted in such a disappointment.

3 BEST: Batman: The Dark Knight Returns

The Dark Knight Returns is often regarded as the best Batman story ever written, and rightly so. Its depiction of an aging Bruce Wayne once again taking up his mantle encapsulates the essence of the character, and its gritty take on his world influenced a generation of comic book writers.

In making the two-part film, the creators knew they were treading on holy ground, and presented the film in an almost panel-by-panel adaption to appease fans and honor the source material. Iconic scenes are brought to life, and heightened by excellent lighting and an original score worthy of a Hollywood live-action feature. For diehard Batman fans, this film is as close to a camera on the imagination as possible.

2 LETDOWN: Batman: The Killing Joke

Fan anticipation turned into bitter disappointment when The Killing Joke was released. Alan Moore’s revered tale of the Joker’s (possible) origin, the film seemingly has everything stacked in its favor, including the return of beloved voice actor Mark Hamill to the role and an R rating to ensure its faithful adaption.

RELATED: 10 Best Batman VS Joker Fights, Ranked

Instead, audiences had to endure a controversial opening prologue that did little justice to the character of Batgirl and felt disjointed from the rest of the film. Additionally, little attempt was made to do justice to Brian Bolland’s beautiful artwork on the original book, leaving many to wonder if the time had come to update DC animation’s overall style.

1 BEST: Batman: Under the Red Hood

Batman-Under-The-Red-Hood

Batman’s greatest failure has always been the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin, at the hands of the Joker. Todd’s death not only drove the grief-stricken Batman into a rage-fueled attack on criminality but subjected him to a personal hell built by his guilt.

That is until Jason returned as a gun-toting vigilante with no qualms about breaking Batman’s one rule: He killed with impunity and no remorse. Now, Batman’s rage and guilt were multiplied; first, he lost the battle for Jason’s life and now, he was losing the battle for Jason’s soul.

Batman: Under the Red Hood is the best of the Dark Knight’s animated films because it delves headlong into the innermost depths of both Batman and Jason Todd’s emotions regarding the complex nature of their relationship. Issues of guilt, regret, father/son dynamics, and the nature of revenge vs justice are all fully explored in a way that few would expect an animated film about superheroes could do, and as such, Under the Red Hood deserves the top spot.

NEXT: 5 DC Animated Movies That Are Coming Soon (& 5 We’d Like To See)