After the success of Batman: The Animated Series, the creators of that show decided to try their hand at another equally famous superhero: Superman. Superman: The Animated Series, the second show in the now expansive DC Animated Universe, ran from 1996-2000 and featured Tim Daly voicing the titular hero, as well as Clancy Brown as the voice of Lex Luthor. The show was critically acclaimed, with impressive animation, great moments, and great stories, though the acclaim didn’t reach the same peaks as Batman: The Animated Series. Still, this is a very good show that any Superman fan should check out. If you’re wondering which episodes to start with, this list should give you a few ideas. Here are the best episodes of Superman: The Animated Series.
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7 Stolen Memories
Distributed by Warner Bros. Television Distribution
The eighth episode of the show sees the return of Brainiac, who was last seen as just a computer in the series premiere, “The Last Son of Krypton,” trying to save himself before the titular planet exploded. The evil supercomputer comes to Earth to do what he does best: drain a planet of all its knowledge, then destroy it. Before he can do that, Brainiac requests a meeting with Superman and offers him something very tantalizing: memories of Krypton. Unfortunately, those memories also show how Brainiac saved himself and tried to get Jor-El, Superman’s father, arrested.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
That sequence is visually wonderful, with Superman having nightmares and hallucinations about all the destruction Brainiac has caused. In the end, Superman stops Brainiac, saves the memories of Krypton, and hides them in a rather cold cave, which Superman thinks “has promise.” This is a great episode and a great introduction to Brainiac, who keeps downloading himself into computer systems until he can build a new body.
6 Brave New Metropolis
A machine that can travel to alternate universes sends Lois to a Metropolis co-ruled by Lex Luthor and Superman as fascist dictators. While that’s not a surprise for Luthor to do, it is for the Man of Steel. In this alternate universe, Lois died after failing to save her from an incident her Superman was able to prevent. Superman going evil because Lois died is a storyline that’s been done before, and this episode’s taken on it is quite good. When this alternate version of Superman (complete with a black, Nazi-inspired costume) meets Lois, his entire world is rocked to its core. It’s one of the stronger episodes for Lois, as she’s the main character for this one. She’s the one who gets the alternate Superman to see the error of his ways, proving just how important she is to the whole Superman mythos. Definitely check this episode out.
5 Knight Time
Superman: The Animated Series would have a few crossovers with The New Batman Adventures, and this episode is the second best of those crossovers. Batman has gone missing, causing crime to skyrocket in Gotham. When Superman hears of this after he catches Roxy Rocket causing trouble in Metropolis, he heads to Gotham and finds an overwhelmed Robin trying to handle everything himself. The two team up to discover what happened to The Dark Knight, with Superman masquerading as Gotham’s greatest hero for a good amount of the episode. The episode is a lot of fun, with Superman out of his element and having to adjust to how things are done in Gotham City. The reveal of which of Superman’s villains is behind the disappearance of The Dark Knight is a great revelation. A moment of solidarity for the Riddler, as this episode is his biggest role in The New Batman Adventures continuity.
4 Apokolips… Now!
In this two-part episode, Darkseid and his army launch an invasion of Earth, and it’s up to Superman, the citizens of Metropolis, and a few of the New Gods to stop him. The first part of this episode sees Darkseid using Intergang to cause a nuclear reactor to melt down, while Orion arrives on Earth and tells Superman the history of both New Genesis and Apokolips. The second part is the full-scale invasion, with a defeated Superman being paraded down the streets of Metropolis. Even that sight isn’t enough for the people of Metropolis to give up without a fight, giving Superman the inspiration he needs to break free and help turn the tides.
Still, the price of victory is high, with Darkseid killing off one of Superman’s allies before returning home. Almost any episode where Darkseid shows up is guaranteed to be a good one, and this is no exception. The ending is heartbreaking, but powerful. This episode was also dedicated to Jack Kirby, who passed away in 1994 and created the New Gods, such as Darkseid.
3 World’s Finest
Another crossover with The New Batman Adventures, this three-part episode should have been on the big screen in 2016 instead of Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice. The plot concerns the Joker stealing a statue made of solid Kryptonite from an antique shop, and heading to Metropolis to offer Lex Luthor a very tempting deal: Joker will kill Superman in exchange for $1 billion. With the Clown Prince of Crime causing mayhem in Metropolis, Batman is forced to head there to stop him. He meets Superman; the two don’t get along at first, but eventually team up to save the day.
Every major player gets a moment to shine in this one. Batman saves Superman from one of Joker’s traps. Superman saves Batman from an out-of-control robot. The one-upsmanship is just so fun. Another entertaining aspect is how much Luthor and Superman underestimate Batman and the Joker, at least at first. This episode premiered in 1997, and even 25 years later, it’s one of the best Batman-Superman team-up stories in all media.
2 Legacy
The series finale of the show is definitely one of its best episodes. The first part of this two-part episode sees Darkseid brainwash Superman to lead an attack on Earth. The second part sees Superman overcome the brainwashing and give Darkseid the beatdown he so richly deserves. This episode had massive implications on the DC Animated Universe, with entire episodes and arcs of Justice League and Justice League Unlimited dealing with the implications of Earth’s most powerful hero going rogue and attacking them. While the final fight with Darkseid is very cathartic, the ending does contain a surprising and depressing twist. While the episode ends on a hopeful note, with Lois Lane saying she’s still got faith in the Man of Steel, the rest of the planet might take a little longer. It’s a series finale done right.
1 The Late Mr. Kent
A very noir-like episode, but an absolutely incredible one. Clark Kent uncovers evidence proving an inmate on death row is innocent of the crime he’s been accused of. The real killer plants a bomb in Kent’s car, which explodes and sends the car over a cliff. Obviously, a car bomb is no problem for the Man of Steel, but how can Superman plausibly bring Clark Kent back from the dead? Not only that, but Superman still has to catch the real killer as well.
This episode not only explores why Superman needs the Clark Kent persona, but how far he’s willing to go to save an innocent man from the gas chamber, including revealing his identity to the state governor if necessary. The best part is seeing Superman put in such a bind not by Lex Luthor or Metallo or one of his other well-known villains, but by some run-of-the-mill one-shot villain. The ending is perfection, with said villain having an important realization seconds before his execution. A fantastic episode.
