10 Best Episodes Of The Justice League Animated Series, Ranked

Justice League

TheDC Animated Universe ’s crowning jewel , Justice League , has some phenomenal episodes , holding up improbably well to this day . After setting up its own take on the DC world with the likes ofBatman : The Animated Series , Static Shock , andSuperman : The Animated Series , Justice Leaguebrought things full - rophy for theDC animated universe timeline . The ensemble cast facilitated some specially strong episodes that support out from the others .

The best episodes ofJustice Leaguego beyond a simple villain - of - the - workweek format , expanding on the squad ’s moral force or jump universes to help flesh out the worldbuilding . It would be a reaching to say that the series had any spoilt sequence at all , but there are definitely a few standouts in its 52 - installment run . blow one of thebest portrayal of the Justice Leaguein movies or TV anywhere , Justice Leagueknew how to apply DC ’s good heroes to tell a story .

10The Savage Time

Season 1, Episodes 24 to 26

A heavily serialized animated cartoon , the best episodes ofJustice Leaguecommonly stretch into multi - part sagas that make for a grapple whole . The Savage Timesees the League arriving back to Earth after one of their spacefaring missionary station , only to find that the major planet is not how they left it . Somehow , they ’ve enter an alternate dimension in which the immortal warrior villain Vandal Savage was able to pass the Nazis to victory in World War II , resulting in a whole new timeline .

The climactic finale ofJustice League ’s first season , The barbarian Timeis one of the show ’s many fish - out - of - water stories in which the League or some of its single zep are stranded in a unknown new time . It ’s cracking to see the League team up with their pulpy 1940s vis-a-vis like Steve Trevor , the Blackhawks , and even the actual - life sentence battalionEasy Company ofBand of Brothersfame . That being say , it ’s hard not to feel like their time in the alternative history is n’t a bit inconsequential .

9Legends

Season 1, Episodes 16 and 17

The Savage Timewouldn’t be the only clock time the Justice League endured a period piece level , as what happen in the first place in season 1 withLegends . Here , yet another explosion sends the superheroes hurtling through time , stop up in an idyllic interlingual rendition of the 1950s . It ’s here that the Justice League meets their old - fashioned herald , the Justice Guild of America , hearkening back to DC ’s Golden Age of superheroes .

True to its mount , Legendshas a campier and perhaps altogether more lighthearted tone compared to most episodes ofJustice League , fix it stand out as unique . Despite the happy - go - lucky curing dressing , the fictional past also holds a dark secret that the League have to bring out if they ever wish well to go home , a fascinating dissection of how move up - color Methedrine and nostalgia can cover up the nastier realities of the past . The episode terminate with some grievous pondering , establish it worthwhile if a second at betting odds with the show ’s normal tone of voice .

8Comfort And Joy

Season 2, Episode 23

Not every dandy episode ofJustice Leagueis needs such a multi - part epic saga , with some of the show ’s quieter moments also being some of its best . Everyone loves agood Christmas episode , andComfort and Joyproved that even the world ’s finest poor boy need a severance for some festivities every now and then . Here , snippets of several torpedo ' vacation traditions are shown , as Hawkgirl and Green Lantern engage in some Christmastime roughhousing , Flash races to get the late dispatch toy for the Central City Orphanage , and Clark Kent invites Martian Manhunter for Christmas on the farm .

Comfort and Joyhas so many endearing beats , unfeignedly live up to its name as a reliable ease sequence . pane admitting he still believes in Santa Claus ( and see the DC universe of magic beings he inhabits , he may not even be faulty ) is a particularly decent touch , with J’onn J’onzz ’s experience with Earth culture being an sequence highlight . Even if nothing of mankind - end meaning happens , the character patterned advance in this episode is unreal .

7A Better World

Season 2, Episodes 11 and 12

By now , the elseworldsInjusticestoryline has been made famed thanks to the animated pic and video games exploring the premise , butJustice Leaguegot an earlier look at a interchangeable premise . In a world where Lex Luthor succeeds in bump off The Flash , prompting Superman to stamp out him in response , the Justice League have morphed into the Justice Lords , tyrannical variation of their normal selves that predominate the major planet with an iron clenched fist . come into tangency with their more laid - back substitute universe selves , the Justice Lords mount a full - scale invasion .

It ’s interesting to see the Justice League ’s rest home reality intrude on by a emulator team for a change , rather than the usual other way around . Seeing Superman go all - out in a rarified display of carelessness is a decadent treat , and the two Batmen ’s conflict of wits is a legendary turn to behold . Best of all , the sequence sets up a plot line that further explores the League ’s relationship to the Earth ’s governments inJustice League Unlimited . There are certainly more poignant episode thanA Better World , but few are more exciting .

6The Terror Beyond

Season 2, Episodes 15 and 16

Sometimes , Justice Leagueis at its respectable when its exploring a lesser - know character and thrive upon their maturation . EnterThe Terror Beyond , an installment which see Aquaman , Dr. Fate , and Solomon Grundy , of all masses , team up up to perform a ritual that ’ll foreclose the coming of a Great Old One , the dreaded Icthulhu . Aquaman and Dr. Fate check to apply Grundy as a forfeiture to seal away the eldritch horror , but Superman , Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl get in at a dissimilar finish - Simply off the titanic fauna .

It ’s amazing to see the comportment of Heron like Aquaman and Dr. Fate before their full membership in the League inJustice League Unlimited . All the better that they should turn up in an episode featuring Lovecraftian nightmares , clearly inspired by Cthulhu . But most compelling of all , the redemption of Solomon Grundy is a fabulous note to end on , exemplifyinghow wellJustice Leagueagesby putting unique group of characters together in young position .

5Only A Dream

Season 2, Episodes 5 and 6

speak of Solomon Grundy , the undead brute shows up in another great installment featuring a breakout at Stryker ’s Island prison , which unleashes a brand - new scoundrel upon the earthly concern . The so - call Doctor Destiny is a Freddy Krueger - like character capable of intrude on the dreams of others and excruciate them with horrific nightmares . With the quietus of the League incapacitated , it ’s up to the only two heroes who were alive for Doctor Destiny ’s attack , Batman and Green Lantern , to save the daytime .

As the League ’s two most serious member , it ’s great to see Batman and Green Lantern isolated for a no - falderol dynamic couplet . Doctor Destiny is an fantastically fun baddie who vaunt some trippy visuals , nearly institute the League to its knee , and seeing Batman struggle to stay awake for so long adds a skillful bed of tension . Even if it is something of a stock villain - of - the - week story for the cartoon , Only A Dreamproves what a solid handle the serial has on the formatting .

4Hereafter

Season 2, Episodes 19 and 20

Theinfamous comicThe Death of Supermanhas been accommodate many time in flick and TV shows both bouncy - activity and animize , to vary degrees of success . Even if it was n’t at the hands of Doomsday , Superman ’s destruction inHereafterat the hands of his bad villains form together is a rip - jerking start to an unbelievable duology . It ’s before long let on that Superman was n’t bolt down , but reave of his baron and fling into a distant future tense in which the only human alive is the immortal Vandal Savage .

Superman ’s funeral is one of the hard emotional beatnik of the entire serial , with each League member ( save for Batman , who is confirming that Superman is n’t really utter ) mourn in their own way . Clark ’s own torturous journey through a post - apocalyptical barren that forces him to work out with one of his slap-up enemies is also quite engaging , and proves Clark ’s mettle as a simple mortal even without the ability to rely on his powers . In the end , Batman smugly and matter - of - factly beget a huge " Told you so " moment when Superman does return is a phenomenal ending .

3Injustice For All

Season 1, Episodes 8 and 9

Many incarnations of an evil Justice League would turn up throughout the season ofJustice LeagueandJustice League Unlimited , from the Justice Lords to the Legion of Doom . But it ’s the very first forum of supervillains under Lex Luthor ’s command , the Injustice Gang , the outcome in one of the franchise ’s best episodes . foregather Cheetah , Solomon Grundy , Star Sapphire , The Shade , The Ultra - Humanite and ( against his will ) The Joker , Luthor leads the baddie on a violent disorder against the Justice League

This instalment is a particularly great standout for Batman , proving just how valuable he is to the team despite experience no power when the rest of the League fail at question a captured scoundrel without him . Meanwhile , Batman seducing Cheetah and mark Ultra - Humanite and Grundy against each other with his Word alone establish just how grave of a grinder he is . But aside from the Batman kudos , this instalment is also great for give the villains a rare hazard to bound off of one another just as the heroes do .

2Starcrossed

Season 2, Episodes 24 to 26

It figure that the climactic three - part serial finale ofJustice Leaguewould be some of the show ’s good episode . InStarcrossed , Hawkgirl is throw into disarray after her own subspecies of Thanagarian warrior is fix on progress a hyperspace bypass generator to use against their ancient enemy , the Gordanians . touch off the generator would essentially ruin the Earth , making Hawkgirl choose between her earthbound encounter mob and her dedication to her quondam home .

shop her team for the latter , Hawkgirl ’s inner conflict is among the most violent of any plot line feature thus far . As dramatic of a set - up as any installment could be , Starcrossedis also a boiling over point for Hawkgirl and Green Lantern ’s romance , taking a so - called kid ’s cartoon into some very backbreaking water system . With storytelling that rivals mostanimatedJustice Leaguemovies , Starcrossedis a withering final beat for the serial publication to exit on before develop intoJustice League Unlimited .

1Wild Cards

Season 2, Episodes 21 and 22

Wild Cardsproves that the Joker is just as terrifying of a scoundrel as Batman is useful as a hero , despite both their comparative want of king compare to other costumed characters . Setting up dud all over the Las Vegas strip , Joker tantalise the League into action before setting the Royal Flush Gang against them , lead in a harrowing backwash against the clock . All of this is really just a distraction for the Joker ’s real plan , using the potent meta - human being telepath Ace to drive a huge lump of the population mad .

Wild Cardsis a unfeigned vocalization playing regale forJustice League , with Mark Hamill ’s Joker leave the DCAU with a exultant bang and each villain of the Royal Flush Gang boasting the voice of a 2003Teen Titansmember . But the true strong point of the instalment is in the emotional final moments , with Batman ’s attender treatment of Ace demonstrating why he has a true heart for hero work despite his coarse personality . It ’s difficult to beat the kind of spectacle , fervor , and narrative strength that theDCAUbrings forth withWild Cards .