4) Batman Beyond (1999-2001)
The DC Animated Universe was never content to simply borrow from the comics without giving a little back – its biggest innovation probably being fan-favourite Harley Quinn. Yet Timm and Dini made perhaps their most impactful contribution to the DC mythos as a whole with Batman Beyond – by creating a whole new Batman!
Set in a cyberpunk future Gotham, the series sees an elderly Bruce Wayne train up wayward teen Terry McGinnis to be the new Batman. While it could have been a terrible excuse for a Batman show – being divorced from all the familiar elements – Beyond is a success because it keeps the spirit of Batman while being creative with it, too. Terry is a likeable Peter Parker-esque lead, who fights a whole new rogues gallery to boot.
It’s basically Batman training Spider-Man in a sci-fi future. What could be better?