Do animated superhero shows get enough respect?

[Spike Spiegel]

The recent DCEU and MCU threads made me start thinking about the animated versions of these characters--some of which have already covered the ground that is planned by these big franchises.

• Despite all the hoopla over Hulk in Thor: Ragnarok, people don't seem to realize there was a Planet Hulk movie almost a decade ago.
  
• A Wonder Woman animated film that treated the character seriously has existed since 2009.
  
• The Bruce Timm/Paul Dini DCAU was going God's work 25 years ago. Most of you are old enough to remember it, so I won't burden you with an explanation.
  
• Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes introduced a variety of characters into a sprawling Marvel animated universe that included the Fantastic Four and X-Men. They adapted "Secret Invasion," "The Korvac Saga," and other well-known stories. It even had Carol Danvers in a prominent role.
  
• The 1990s X-Men show adapted storylines faithfully and kept the characters intact. Also, in 2009's Wolverine and the X-Men, we saw an adult team that had to survive without the aid of the Professor.
  
• Spectacular Spider-Man built on the awareness generated by the Raimi movies without feeling like a retread. Obscure villains were introduced in ways that weren't silly, Norman Osborn was terrifyingly Machiavellian, and we had Gwen Stacy, Black Cat, and MJ.
  
• 2009's Hulk vs. gave us a snarky, gleefully murdering Deadpool and a no-holds-barred version of Wolverine.
  
• DC's Animated Universe line has given us a variety of interpretations of well known stories and characters since 2007. Young Justice and Green Lantern: The Animated Series were also pretty good.
  
• Transformers Prime and other recent adaptations of that material take more risks in terms of story than their Michael Bay produced counterparts.
  
• The 2003 and 2012 TMNT cartoons clearly have more to offer than the Michael Bay produced film versions.

Those are just a few examples, I'm sure others can come up with more.

In the mind of the average media consumer, do these things only count as something to be widely viewed and appreciated when they are live action and cost hundreds of millions of dollars to make?

[PApagreg]

Well in terms of Internet circles yes however when it comes more to the average viewer most adults see cartoons as kids stuff barring "adult animation"

[CyberCubed]

Nah, Batman: TAS is the only show that gained a following among adults, simply because everyone who was a kid in the 90's when it first aired is now an adult. Other cartoons either didn't age as well and the movies they put on DVD are too obscure.

And yeah, the west still has a stigma that "cartoons are for kids." I mean far less people would see an animated Batman movie in theaters over a live-action one. They actually put Mask of the Phantasm in theaters back in the 90's, it's considered one of the best Batman movies ever made, and it completely bombed. And that's back when B:TAS was the current cartoon on the air.

[myconius]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

Nah, Batman: TAS is the only show that gained a following among adults, simply because everyone who was a kid in the 90's when it first aired is now an adult.

plus Batman the Animated series was following a very similar vibe to the 1989 Tim Burton Batman movie, which was hugely popular.
that gained it a very large adult fanbase at the time of release.

the series had fully scored episodes, brilliant writing and A-list voice talent.

i'd say these are the largest reasons for the series continued success.

even though some of the direct to video comic movies are very good,
they never quite reach the same level of quality of the original few seasons of Btas series.

even Bruce Tim's Superman animated series, New Adventures of Batman, and Justice League/Justice League Unlimited
aren't made of the same quality as his first run of Batman cartoons.

[TheSkeletonMan939]

Not even other DCAU cartoons get the same amount of respect which BTAS seems to demand. And I can understand it too. Batman was a show which got very personal with its characters, even the ones who showed up in an episode and then disappeared forever. It was very character-driven. Something like Justice League - despite being the same creative team, same voice actors - might be seen as more for the kids because of its more rote 'world in peril' cycle every episode. The super-threats are so outlandish that an adult won't see as much as a stake, and be invested in the outcome. A priest trying to help his mobster brother choose a better path in life is a lot more compelling.

Of the other shows you listed (which I've seen) I think Wolverine and the X-Men comes closest to BTAS since that smaller sense of scale is there. I think the X-Men as a team go to action only a few times in the entire series; often its one-on-one conflicts (usually focusing on Logan).

[CyberCubed]

The truth is nobody really cares about cartoons unless they're adult sit-coms like Simpsons or Family Guy, etc.

The only cartoons that really made an impact are either ones that were a cultural fad like the original Ninja Turtles cartoon, or a show that made a huge impact like B:TAS, etc. But even if there are other better or just as good superhero cartoons...it's like nobody cares.

The only reason these cartoons are remembered is because all the kids who grew up with them are now adults and we talk about them. But otherwise in the mind of the general public they're pretty much forgotten.

Hell there's still people to this day who have no idea Mark Hammil voices the Joker for 30 years, simply because they only know him as Luke Skywalker.

[sdp]

You have all these normies who only watch the Marvel movies and consider themselves nerds while we the real nerds have enjoyed much better interpretations and stories from these characters because we're cool with watching cartoons.

Who cares if they don't get recognition as long as we get to enjoy these superior interpretations.

[Leofan26]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

The truth is nobody really cares about cartoons unless they're adult sit-coms like Simpsons or Family Guy, etc.

The only cartoons that really made an impact are either ones that were a cultural fad like the original Ninja Turtles cartoon, or a show that made a huge impact like B:TAS, etc. But even if there are other better or just as good superhero cartoons...it's like nobody cares.

The only reason these cartoons are remembered is because all the kids who grew up with them are now adults and we talk about them. But otherwise in the mind of the general public they're pretty much forgotten.

Hell there's still people to this day who have no idea Mark Hammil voices the Joker for 30 years, simply because they only know him as Luke Skywalker.

???

Gravity Falls/ Adventure Time/ Star Vs the Forces of evil/ Steven Universe??

All big time shows that are geared towards kids gained a wide variety of followings.

Samurai Jack? Adult Swim version?

I myself am a fan of Milo Murphey's Law but it doesn't have as big as fan base as the others sadly

Your comments are flawed.

No, No Animated series has got proper treatment or respect besides Batman series or films.