The Best Superhero Cartoons
MARVEL
When it comes to movies, Marvel reigns supreme. However, it’s had plenty of misses when it comes to their animated series. From The New Fantastic Four to some awful anime adaptations, there’s a lot for Marvel to blush about. However, they also had more than a few hits that certainly deserve recognition. So, let’s take a look at some of the truly exception superhero cartoons that Marvel has come out with over the years.
Ultimate Spider-Man
One of the most popular superheroes in the world is everyone’s favorite web-slinger. The friendly neighborhood Spider-man has had plenty of cartoons over the years (nine last time I checked). However, one of his more recent series, Ultimate Spider-man took a note from another one of his successful cartoons, Spider-man, and his Amazing Friends. This meant that Spidey didn’t have to carry the series on his own, more than capable shoulders. He shared the screen with the likes of a young Iron Fist (way better than the Netflix version), Power Man, and White Tiger as they all worked together to become better heroes and carry on the legacy of those who came before them. It’s a great series that really focuses on the learning curve young heroes face.
Spectacular Spider-Man
You’re probably going to notice a bit of a trend when it comes to Marvel cartoons. Spectacular Spider-man was released right smack dab in the middle of some really awful superhero cartoons. While it was a relatively short-lived, the reason it’s getting a shoutout is because of the truly great character designs by Sean “Cheeks” Galloway. While comic fans have come to recognize the web-head and his rogues’ gallery, they got a fresh coat of paint that updated them while remaining true to the core concepts behind them. It’s a shame this show only got two seasons because it would have seen just how far it could have gone with the characters.
Avengers Assemble
For full disclosure, I pretty much consider Avengers Assemble a sequel to Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, much like Justice League Unlimited was a follow up to Justice League. Avengers Assemble was released hot on the tale of the success of The Avengers feature film released in 2012. The cartoon followed the core characters of Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, Falcon and Hawkeye who work together to save the world while still managing to bicker like a bunch of overgrown children. It’s from the studio Man of Action who created a ton of memorable cartoons over the years and their take on the superhero team is one of the best (there have been a ton of bad ones over the years too).
X-Men
Back in the mid-90’s X-Men was my Saturday morning jam. Of course, I’m a bit blinded by nostalgia, because looking back on it now is a bit… Disappointing when it comes to certain aspects of the animation. Still, this was essentially a soap opera for kids, because the series never seemed to end. If you missed a few weeks of this long-running cartoon you were S.O.L. trying to figure out what might have happened in your absence. Still, this cartoon tackled some of the biggest stories from the comic and managed to introduce a ton of kids to some of the lesser known characters at the time like Cable, Bishop, and Strong Guy. When it comes to superhero cartoons, this series was like catnip for kids. I certainly couldn’t get enough of it.
Spider-Man
Have you spotted the trend when it comes to successful Marvel cartoons? I’ll give you a hint, he shoots webs and does whatever a spider can. Like the X-Men series on this list, the original Spider-man cartoon has more than a few problems when it came to its animation (the first season repeatedly used the same animation sequences over and over again). However, this cartoon was one that any self-respecting geeky kid couldn’t afford not to watch. While I knew who Spider-man was before seeing this cartoon, this is the series that cemented him in my mind as one of the greatest comic book heroes of all time. It created a relatable hero that we could all identify with and that’s why it’s probably the best superhero cartoon from Marvel.