Beginning with the Max Fleisher Superman shorts of the 1940s, the library of superhero cartoons is vast. Fans have been blessed with many amazing animated series based on their favorite characters and comic book runs, including the likes of X-Men and Batman: The Animated Series. Both Marvel and DC produced a legendary run of series in the '90s and early 2000s.
While there are many top-tier and high-quality superhero cartoons to choose from, there are naturally those that don't hold up. Some of these series may have been good at the time but would be outdone or overshadowed by better shows to come.
10 Spider-Man '67 Is Great... For The Memes
Premiering just five years after the character's comic book introduction, Spider-Man 1967 was heavily inspired by the early issues created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. The series focused more on Spidey battling his villains and rarely showed Peter's social life, but the Daily Bugle and its staff were featured in nearly every episode. It also provided one of the best superhero theme songs ever.
While the series has since provided some of the greatest memes of all time, the production budgets were low and lessened each season. The stories were very simplistic and the animation left much to be desired. As a show, it doesn't hold up well. However, as a piece of pop culture, it'll thrive forever.
9 The Super Friends Era Lasted A Very Long Time
The "era" of Super Friends ran from 1973 to 1986 and spanned up to eight different animated series like Challenge of the Super Friends, which featured the Justice League battling the Legion of Doom in every episode; The All-New Super Friends Hour, which introduced the Wonder Twins, and The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians, which saw the Justice League battling Darkseid.
While many episodes were fun and inventive (like the Super Friends being trapped in children's stories), the production quality was fairly low and the stories were overly simplistic, offering little enjoyment for adult audiences.
8 Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends Is Not Quite Amazing
Alongside the Spider-Man 1981 animated series, Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends ran from 1981-83. It acted as a companion series to the other 1981 show, featuring the same art style and voice actors. Amazing Friends starred Peter Parker, who attended college with Iceman and Firestar – characters originally created for a show who would eventually join the Marvel comics roster.
The trio battled classic villains like Dr. Octopus, Green Goblin, and Dr. Doom. It was an entertaining Saturday morning cartoon, but like most superhero shows of its era, the stories were fairly shallow. Some fans debate whether this series or the 1981 solo series is better. It all depends on whether you prefer Spidey fighting solo or with teammates.
7 DCAU's Sole Miss Was The Zeta Project
Under the guiding hands of Bruce Timm, Eric Radomski, Paul Dini, Alan Burnett, and many others, the DC Animated Universe of the 1990s and early 2000s thrived with hit shows like Batman: The Animated Series, and Justice League Unlimited. These shows would go on to receive critical acclaim, earning titles as some of the best TV shows ever made.
One DCAU project that some fans may be unfamiliar with is The Zeta Project. The series spawns from Batman Beyond, featuring Zeta – a robot first introduced in Beyond. The series connects little to the larger timeline and is entirely skippable when binging the DCAU as a whole.
6 Spider-Man Unlimited Had Big Shoes To Fill
Despite the season one finale ending on a major cliffhanger, Spider-Man Unlimited only ran for 13 episodes, produced over nearly three years. The series could be deemed a sequel to the 1994 Spider-Man animated series, but it mostly stands alone.
The concept was new and intriguing. Peter Parker is forced to venture to an alternate Earth to save John Jameson, battling Venom and Carnage and teaming up with a heroic version of the Green Goblin. Perhaps the ideas were just too different as the series never gained much popularity. Unfortunately for this series, there have been many amazing Spider-Man animated series, pushing Spider-Man Unlimited lower on the list.
5 Avengers: United They Stand Was Certainly Unique
The Avengers: United They Stand was an animated series that premiered in 1999 and ran for only one season (13 episodes) before being canceled. The main cast of heroes were Ant-Man, Wasp, Scarlet Witch, Vision, and other heroes who were fairly unknown to general audiences at the time.
The heroes wore various "battle armor" suits, which were designed with toy sales in mind. The series ultimately doesn't hold up because nothing about it stands out in a positive way. It also premiered when the "Distinguished Competition" was at the height of their animated power.
4 The New Adventures Of Batman Featuring Adam West & Burt Ward
The New Adventures of Batman, premiering in 1977 and running for 16 episodes, is most memorable for its inclusion of Adam West and Burt Ward, reprising their roles and providing voices for the Dynamic Duo. The series saw Batman and Robin battling many of their famous rogues, all of whom were heavily inspired, visually and characteristically, by their 60's live-action counterparts.
The animations style was distinct from the Super Friends cartoons at the time, capturing the look of the live-action show, but the episodes were entirely kid-focused. Whereas the 60's live-action show attracted audiences of all ages, the '77 cartoon seemed tailored exclusively for kids, especially the episodes that featured loud, often annoying, Bat-Mite.
3 Avengers Assemble Was No Earth Mightiest Heroes
Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes ran for 52 episodes. Its successor, Avengers Assemble ran for an impressive 126 episodes. Assemble featured a similar animation style as Ultimate Spider-Man and featured several crossovers with the Web-Head.
The Avengers battled some of their most challenging foes like Red Skull, Thanos, and the Beyonder throughout the five seasons. Many fans prefer Earth's Mightiest Heroes to Assemble due to Assemble's many movie inspirations and safer approach to characters and stories. Assemble was entertaining, but follows a superbly crafted animated series of the same characters.
2 Superman (1988) Would Be Outdone By The DCAU
Produced by Ruby-Spears Enterprises in 1988, Superman was a Saturday morning cartoon that ran for 13 episodes, each featuring a short depicting Clark Kent's childhood in Smallville. The series drew inspiration from the Richard Donner Superman films and the comics of its era.
Lex Luthor was the series villain and was presented as an evil, billionaire businessman, as he was in John Byrne's Man of Steel comic book. It was a new position as viewers had only previously seen Luthor as the blatant villain mastermind. The series would soon be overshadowed by Superman: The Animated Series and the DCAU that followed in the '90s.
1 Ultimate Spider-Man Was Less Than Spectacular
Ultimate Spider-Man premiered in 2012, shortly after Disney's acquisition of Marvel television properties. It was immediately met with hesitation from fans. Spectacular Spider-Man, a fan favorite, was essentially canceled and replaced with this one.
While Ultimate Spider-Man adapted some exciting, bombastic stories from the comics like Spider-Verse, the series never quite nailed Peter's character and social life. Spectacular will stand the test of time because it was a more intimate, character-driven show, while Ultimate was more of a spectacle that focused on S.H.I.E.L.D and an ensemble team of heroes.